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Kuron peace village
The Holy Trinity Peace Village, Kuron, was founded in 1997 by emeritus Bishop Paride Taban after several communities settled around the Kuron River Bridge after it was completed. Kuron area is characterised by social marginalisation since the colonial days in the 1950s. The area lacks in basic social services including health, education, sanitation and recreational facilities. This has contributed to their current way of life with inter-ethnic cattle raiding conducted by the youth who are encouraged to do so by their wives as a means of livelihood and social prestige. This practice leads to conflict, violence, long-standing rivalry and traumatic experiences. The situation is aggravated by availability of small arms. Although these communities are closely related and trace their origin to a common ancestry, they view themselves as traditional enemies mainly as a result of cattle raiding and competition for control and access to natural resources such as water sources and pasture.
Bishop Taban therefore saw the upcoming settlement around the bridge as an opportunity to create peaceful co-existence among the various tribes. The Bishop did this through initiating development and peace building activities, with support from various friends and organisations such as Pax Christi Netherlands, e.g. a youth centre and education centre, common communal activities such as sports for the youth in order to foster socio-economic development and reduce tension among the traditional enemies and agricultural activities.
In addition the Bishop has conducted community development seminars in the area. The seminars have involved additional tribes of South Sudan and Uganda in an effort to expand the idea of peaceful coexistence the whole of South Sudan. The peace village is an initiative that is geared towards improving the otherwise volatile peace situation in the whole region of southern Sudan by bringing various ethnic communities together and thereby helping to reduce tensions and divisions among these communities. Kuron Peace Village also strives to provide common economic and social activities that will help bolster understanding.
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