Africa-Press – South-Sudan. At least 41 primary and secondary school teachers have been trained in conflict resolution and peacebuilding education in Torit in Eastern Equatoria State.
The training which ended on Friday equipped the teachers to preach peace education in schools through peace clubs, to grow seeds of peace in schools as well as transform them into change agents for peaceful co-existence in their schools and community.
The four-day training was organized by the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative with support from Education for All.
Okwahi Benson, a teacher at Dr. John Garang Memorial Secondary School, said he can now manage and mitigate conflict in schools and the community. He added that peacebuilding and conflict resolution are collective responsibilities and urged his fellow teachers and citizens to prioritize peace in their daily lives.
“We were able to learn a lot because some of us did not know how to deal with conflict,” he said. “We learned that conflict is part of our lives and how to handle it. We will now be able to teach the students in various schools we came from.”
Magret Quintino a female teacher from Fr. Saturlino Secondary School, applauded Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative for their support in training teachers on peace and conflict resolution.
“We learned a lot of things and I thank the organizers,” she said. “We will extend this knowledge to our schools to change the lives of our learners.”
Meanwhile, William Losiata, a facilitator with Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, said attaining peace is a collective responsibility for both teachers and learners. He explained that the training aims at strengthening the capacity of teachers and turning them into peace ambassadors and agents for change in their respective schools and communities.
“The objective of this training is to equip teachers with knowledge. It is very difficult to change in one day but when you go back to school, please do not sit on this knowledge,” he said. “We have 11 female and 29 male teachers. Peace is not a one-day process but a collective responsibility starting from you as an individual because one person can change the whole nation.”
For his part, Ambrose Oyet, the Director General of the Ministry of Education and Instruction in the state, tasked the teachers to be exemplary in spreading peace messages to learners.
“I want you teachers to share the skills that you have acquired with your learners and teach them to embrace peace and unity,” he said.
The four-day conflict resolution and peace-building education was held at Trust Guest House in Torit on Friday.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
