9-30-05,7:48am
The Gurtong Peace Project seeks to establish a South Sudanese Diaspora coalition for the promotion of peace and stability among South Sudanese abroad as well as in Sudan itself. The website aims at providing information on cultural, social, political, humanitarian and other development issues.
It is to facilitate and encourage constructive discussions on issues of concern to the people of South Sudan and to link the members of the Diaspora in a spirit of reconciliation and sincere love for the homeland.
The project aims at bridging the gap between different cultures and allowing the Sudanese Diaspora to make a significant contribution to the search for unity and peace. Knowledge of the people living in South Sudan and respect for their cultural identity is a major objective of the Gurtong Peace Project.
Activities:
The Project is to:
*Create an information network on South Sudan for Sudanese in the Diaspora and to allow them to get in touch with and to learn about each other.
*Share any information about South Sudan. Inform about meetings and events held inside South Sudan or in the Diaspora.
*Provide a discussion-board for South Sudanese communities using the Internet facility. Strengthen or create links between the Diaspora and the people living inside the Sudan.
*Attract the interest of younger generations and to encourage them to express their views. Background:
Gurtong Peace Project is an independent, non-profit-making, community-based project, which aims at removing all ethnic, political or personal obstacles on the way to unity, peace and mutual respect among South Sudanese.
The project is, in its initial phases, funded by the Swiss Federal Department for Conflict Resolution of Foreign Affairs. Its Co-ordinator is Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai, c/o Africa Educational Trust (AET).
Founder:
The project was defined and developed by Napoleon Adok Gai, from Yirol County in the South Sudan.
Napoleon worked previously in South Sudan and in Kenya for various international organisations including ICRC, World Vision International and most recently UNICEF before leaving for further studies in the UK.
While in the UK, Napoleon got inspired by discussions with a number of South Sudanese living in different parts of Europe and who are mostly cut off from the events in the Sudan. Principles:
The Gurtong website is opened to South Sudanese and all sincere friends of South Sudan. It belongs to persons who are seriously devoted to the promotion of unity and peace among South Sudanese.
The website will not be opened to people who lack respect for opinions of others and who aim to spread hatred. The editor will deny all such visitors access to the website.
