Late Bishop Pride Taban wins Opus Prize. (-)

The late Bishop Paride Taban Abraham, emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Torit, has reportedly been named the 2023 Opus Prize Laureate to recognize his peacebuilding efforts.

Bishop Taban, who died on November 1 in Kenya, was honored with the prize in a ceremony at Villanova University in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania on Thursday, according to Catholic Information Service for Africa.

The prize recognizes his efforts in peacebuilding in South Sudan and the establishment of the Holy Trinity Peace Village Kuron – an intentional community for people of diverse ethnic backgrounds who have experienced conflict.

“As the winner of the annual faith-based humanitarian award, Bishop Taban’s Holy Trinity Peace Village Kuron will receive the one-million-dollar prize that recognizes social entrepreneurship championing faith-filled change,” the University and the Opus Prize Foundation announced.

Dr Margaret Itto, the Deputy Chairperson of the Board for Holy Trinity Peace Village Kuron and State Minister for Health in Eastern Equatoria State, received the award posthumously on behalf of the late bishop.

“Although it saddens me deeply that Bishop Taban is not here with us, I am truly honoured to accept this award on his behalf and help recognize the passion and devotion he gave to Holy Trinity Peace Village,” Dr. Itto said in her acceptance speech.

“He has impacted so many lives in Sudan through not only the founding of The Village but the continued love he provided to its community for almost 20 years. His impact will be felt there forever,” she said further, according to CISA.

The Opus Prize is an annual award recognizing individuals or organizations who champion faith-filled change.

Born in 1936, Bishop Taban grew up in the midst of wars and bitter suffering in Sudan and dedicated his life to advocating for an end to injustice and mediating peace between different political and ethnic groups.

Having been ordained on 24 May 1964 and consecrated as a Bishop on 4 May 1980 in Kinshasa, DR Congo by Pope John Paul II, the clergyman served as Bishop in Juba, Torit, and Tadamata from 1980-1983.

He was also sent to Rwanda by the Pope in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide for reconciliation efforts.

Bishop Taban received numerous awards including the Sergio Vieira de Mello Peace Prize from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2013 for his work at the Holy Trinity Peace Village in Kuron.

He also received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in 2017 for co-founding the ecumenical New Sudan Council of Churches.

Bishop Taban received the Freedom of Worship Award on May 16, 2018, for his extraordinary efforts toward bringing peace to war-torn South Sudan.

The Four Freedoms Award is one of the most prestigious awards recognising work defending fundamental human rights. Earlier recipients include Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai and Angela Merkel.

He was also recognized for building Kuron Peace Village and chairing the mediation initiative between the South Sudan government and the COBRA Faction of the South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army led by David Yau Yau, which produced a successful peace agreement on 6 January 2014.