Africa-Press – South-Sudan. For decades, Greater Jonglei has carried a burden of youth unemployment, intercommunal clashes, and limited economic opportunities, similar to other states in South Sudan.
In many communities, many young people find themselves drawn into cycles of violence, cattle raiding, or bushmeat hunting as a means of survival. Yet within these challenges lies a powerful and underutilized opportunity: youth empowerment through conservation.
At the center of this opportunity is the work of conservation organizations like African Parks in collaboration with Wildlife Service ministries at both national and state levels, whose community-focused conservation is transforming lives, restoring fragile ecosystems, and offering hope to a generation too often pushed to the margins.
Youth in South Sudan constitute the majority and represent an immense reservoir of untapped potential, energy, and resilience. Their vitality is a critical resource for the future, yet without meaningful opportunities, young people become increasingly vulnerable. Many are drawn into armed groups, criminal activities, or forced to adopt environmentally destructive survival strategies that perpetuate cycles of poverty and conflict.
When many people at all ages, including young, are provided with structure, education, skills, and a clear sense of purpose, they transform into powerful agents of peace, stability, and sustainable development through:
Conservation that offers a uniquely effective pathway for this transformation by combining environmental stewardship with youth empowerment.
Meaningful employment opportunities that provide steady income and hope for a better future. Marketable skills in areas such as security, ecology, wildlife monitoring, and community engagement, equipping youth with expertise relevant both locally and beyond.
A positive shift from involvement in violence and unrest toward responsibility, discipline, and service to their communities.
A renewed sense of identity, pride, and belonging rooted in protecting and nurturing their natural heritage.
Recognizing this potential, many organizations like African Parks have made significant investments to unlock the capabilities of youth, turning what was once a vulnerable demographic into a formidable force for positive change.
Across the continent, African Parks has demonstrated that conservation is not just about protecting wildlife; it is also a powerful engine for social and economic transformation, in Greater Jonglei (Jonglei and GPAA) and other states. The organization’s expanding community and conservation programs were providing many people, like youth, with skills, opportunities, and hope for the future. Through a holistic, community-centered approach, African Parks equips youth with:
Training in anti-poaching and wildlife protection, including patrol skills, surveillance methods, and field safety procedures.
Education in sustainable natural resource management, fostering long-term stewardship of forests, rangelands, and wildlife habitats.
Employment pathways from rangers and eco-guards to community scouts, educators, and mobilizers create stable income and reduce the lure of conflict or criminal activity.
Critical life skills, such as discipline, teamwork, communication, leadership, and conflict-sensitive engagement, help the youth become responsible community role models.
This integrated model demonstrates how conservation, when properly implemented, can reduce youth unemployment, strengthen community security, and unlock local leadership that drives peace and prosperity.
These opportunities do more than protect wildlife; they reduce youth involvement in dangerous or illegal activities by offering alternatives to idleness, exploitation, and armed mobilization.
Every young person recruited into African Parks programs represents one fewer youth at risk of being absorbed into cycles of conflict.
In areas where armed conflict, environmental degradation, and wildlife decline intersect, African Parks’ model delivers benefits that go far beyond environmental protection. By engaging young people as active stewards of their natural resources, conservation becomes a powerful entry point for stabilizing fragile communities and reducing violence. Through structured training, employment, and community engagement, African Parks’ approach helps to:
Curb cattle raiding and cross-border criminal activities by offering alternative livelihoods.
Reduce the circulation of illegal firearms often used in poaching, banditry, and inter-communal violence.
Strengthen trust and cooperation between local communities, authorities, and conservation personnel, replacing suspicion with shared responsibility.
Promote peaceful coexistence between people, wildlife, and neighboring communities through dialogue, education, and collaborative resource management.
As a result, young people who once viewed wildlife either as a threat to their survival or as a source of quick profit were increasingly redefining their roles. They now see themselves as guardians of a shared natural heritage that supports their communities and future generations. This transformation is gradually reshaping the social fabric of villages and counties across Greater Jonglei, strengthening both peace and resilience in profoundly meaningful ways.
At a glance, wildlife conservation may seem disconnected from the daily economic hardships many families in Greater Jonglei face. However, conservation offers a direct and transformative pathway out of poverty. When young people receive training and employment through African Parks’ programs, the benefits ripple beyond individual livelihoods, bringing stability and growth to entire communities. Communities experience:
Increased household income provides families with greater security and improved quality of life.
Reduced reliance on illegal or environmentally harmful livelihoods, such as poaching or unsustainable farming, which often perpetuate cycles of poverty and conflict.
Development of transferable skills from wildlife management to leadership and communication that open doors to diverse future careers, both within and outside the conservation sector.
Local economic stimulation through regular salaries, skill-building workshops, and procurement of goods and services, which inject money into the local economy and support small businesses.
Robust conservation attracts investment and international funding, which in turn support the development of the infrastructure—such as roads, communication networks, and community facilities. These lay the groundwork for emerging eco-tourism industries that promise sustainable, long-term revenue streams for Jonglei’s states and communities.
Given these far-reaching economic impacts, authorities should view African Parks’ youth empowerment not only as vital environmental initiatives but as strategic drivers of economic development and poverty reduction for building a more prosperous and peaceful future.
Local, State, and National authorities have a role in amplifying the impact of African Parks’ conservation and youth empowerment. With the support, these programs can scale further, reach more communities, and deliver stronger peace and development outcomes. Authorities can contribute by:
Partnering with African Parks to expand youth recruitment, training, and local job creation, ensuring that more young people gain access to structured employment and marketable skills.
Strengthening community awareness and public education that promotes conservation as a pathway to stability, livelihood improvement, and long-term environmental security.
Providing political, legal, and moral protection for rangers, eco-guards, and community scouts, recognizing their essential role in safeguarding both wildlife and community safety.
Mobilizing traditional leaders, chiefs, and elders to mentor and encourage youth participation in conservation roles, leveraging respected cultural institutions to reinforce positive behavior change.
Embedding conservation and youth empowerment in county and state development strategies, making environmental protection and youth employment core pillars of regional stability and economic growth.
African Parks offers the technical expertise, institutional structure, and resources to drive meaningful change. However, sustained impact depends on strong government backing—through collaboration, policy support, and shared commitment to protecting Jonglei’s people, wildlife, and future.
Greater Jonglei’s future depends on the choices made today. The challenges of youth unemployment, insecurity, and environmental decline are deeply interconnected—but so are the solutions. African Parks has demonstrated that empowering youth through conservation can reduce violence, create meaningful employment, and protect one of the region’s most valuable assets: its wildlife.
If authorities fully embrace and strengthen African Parks’ work, they can help transform a generation often defined by conflict into champions of peace and guardians of Jonglei’s natural heritage. Conservation is not simply about safeguarding animals; it is about stabilizing communities, securing livelihoods, and building a peaceful and prosperous future.
It is time to invest in Jonglei’s youth, not as threats, but as partners.
The writer is a media specialist and development practitioner. He can be reached via [email protected].
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.
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