Over 300 young people from different parts of Central Equatoria were trained on entrepreneurship and peace-building. (Photo: Bush Buse).

More than 300 young people from different parts of Central Equatoria State graduated with advanced certificates after completing a two-year course on peace-building and entrepreneurship in Juba.

The training, facilitated by the Whitaker for Peace and Development Initiative brought together 100 young people from Juba and 200 others from various counties of the state.

Speaking at the event, the graduates representative, Yanga Stephen said it is important to include young people in decision making as majority group in the country.

“If we want to change the narrative, we have to work with young people because young people are the future leaders of this country,” he said.

“Young people constitute over 72 percent of the population so that means you have the energy, the numbers, creativity to change the narrative of the Republic of South Sudan.”

He said they have been trained to influence positive change in their respective communities and professions.

“If you are trained in areas of business in areas of conflict resolution and in areas of peace building, you will go to your respective communities to influence a positive change, you are going there as peace Ambassadors.”

Whittaker started peace-building efforts in South Sudan in 2012, and works in the states of Equatoria region.

The organization has so far trained hundreds of young people in entrepreneurship, conflict mediation and reduction of tensions between communities and ethnic groups.

One of the trainers Wani Clement encouraged young people to work for peace, saying they are the pillars of peace dissemination and implementation.

“They are going to be one of a serious Ambassadors of the peace, to make this peace implemented in South Sudan because as per now has reached in to peace and the peace is already in us,” he said.

“Of course the leaders have already signed the peace, and for people to implement the peace is not the leaders but is us. And am encouraging us and my youths and my Colleagues generally in order to put peace in them, let us also advertise peace.”

For his part, Whittaker’s Country Manager Richard Hoffman said the training was to assets of young people in the communities.

“With the general start of our journeys to create assets in the community’s levels dawn to the payams, where we have young men and women to help their communities.”

South Sudan is one of the most fragile countries in the world, with lasting peace still an elusive dream for much of its population, Whittaker said in a report.