Request for Inter Faith / Inter-Religious Institutions to apply for Small Grants to conduct training for religious leaders on Transitional Justice mechanisms and processes in the Western Equatoria State (Yambio, Tambura and Greater Mundri).

Link to Atlas Project

00127551 - Support to Access to Justice, Security and Human Rights

Documents

CFP_TJ_Faith based CSO
Attachment 1 Workplan framework
Attachment 2 Itemised budget
Attachment 3 proposed workplan_budget_risk analysis

Overview

  1. BACKGROUND

The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) outlines three key Transitional Justice and Accountability mechanisms in Chapter V: the Commission on Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing (CTRH), the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA), and the Hybrid Court of South Sudan. To facilitate the establishment of these mechanisms, the Council of Ministers has tasked the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MOJCA) with drafting the necessary legal frameworks. In collaboration with civil society and other stakeholders, MOJCA has formed a Technical Committee to conduct public consultations across South Sudan. These consultations have gathered public opinions on the provisions of Chapter V, guiding the drafting of legislation that defines the structure, processes, procedures, powers, and operations of the CTRH and CRA. The drafted bills on the CTRH and CRA are currently under consideration by the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA). 

To prepare for the implementation of these mechanisms, and with support from the UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), the UNMISS Human Rights Division and UNDP plan to conduct joint training sessions for inter-religious leaders in Western Equatoria—in Yambio and Greater Mundri. The training will consist of three sessions, each lasting three days.

In South Sudan, human rights partners have identified religious leaders as crucial providers of emotional support for community members in the immediate aftermath of forced displacement, often preceding the arrival of international organizations. Through Transitional Justice (TJ) capacity-building workshops, PBF-TJ partners aim to train South Sudanese faith groups, enhancing their ability to serve as community-based TJ practitioners. These collaborations are expected to be sustainable and impactful, as religious leaders are eager to enhance their skills and remain committed to providing support even under challenging circumstances with limited funding. 

Furthermore, religious leaders play a vital role in raising awareness among survivors of human rights violations about the importance of documentation and truth-telling within peacebuilding processes. They have been instrumental in convincing survivors of the long-term benefits of participating in truth-telling activities and community dialogues aimed at fostering reconciliation, justice, and accountability. To ensure their participation is meaningful, there is an urgent need for training and capacity-building on human rights mechanisms in general, and transitional justice in particular. Additionally, establishing a local platform for experience sharing on transitional justice in Western Equatoria is essential.

The planned training sessions will address these needs, equipping inter-religious leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively support transitional justice processes and contribute to the broader goals of reconciliation and peacebuilding in South Sudan.

  1. OBJECTIVES:

The UNMISS Human Rights Division and UNDP seek to recruit an inter-faith registered institution based in Western Equatoria to conduct training for religious leaders. The goal is to train 120 leaders across Western Equatoria State, starting in Yambio. This project aims to enhance the participation of religious leaders in Transitional Justice (TJ) processes in Western Equatoria and increase the number of TJ experts in South Sudan.

 

Overall Objective: To build the capacity of religious leaders and local authorities on Transitional Justice and its mechanisms to promote peace in Western Equatoria State and South Sudan.

 

Specific Objective: To sustain peace and reconciliation by empowering religious leaders to train stakeholders in Transitional Justice and its mechanisms, focusing on the communities of Greater Tambura, Yambio, and Mundri.

  1.   EXPECTED OUTPUTS and DELIVERABLES 

 

  1. Expected Outputs: 
  • Training Curriculum and materials:
  1. Development of a comprehensive training curriculum on Transitional Justice (TJ) mechanisms, including the CTRH, CRA and Hybrid Court of South Sudan. 
  2. Creation of training materials and handouts to be distributed to participants
  • Training sessions Conducted:
  1. Three training sessions will be held in Yambio and Greater Mundri, each lasting three days.
  2. Active participation of 120 religious leaders from Western Equatoria State
  • Capacity Building of Religious Leaders
  1. Enhanced knowledge and skills of 120 religious leaders in Transitional Justice mechanisms
  2. Religious leaders equipped to provide emotional support and raise awareness about human rights violations and documentation within their communities.
  • Awareness and advocacy
  1. Increased awareness among survivors of human rights violations about the importance of truth-telling and documentation in peace-building processes.
  2. Strengthened advocacy by religious leaders for participation in truth - telling activities and community dialogues
  • Local Platform for experience Sharing
  1. Establishment of a local platform in Western Equatoria for religious leaders to share best practices on Transitional Justice.
  2. Regular meetings and discussions facilitated among trained religious leaders to sustain and enhance TJ efforts.
  • Documentation and Reporting:
  1. Comprehensive reports on the training sessions, including participant feedback lessons learned, and recommendations for future capacity building initiatives.
  2. Documentation of case studies and success stories from the training to illustrate the impact of the project.
  1. Deliverable 

1. Training Curriculum and Materials:

  1. A finalized training curriculum on Transitional Justice
  2. Printed and digital copies of training materials and handouts

2. Training Sessions:

  1. Three successfully conducted training sessions in Yambio and Greater Mundri
  2. Attendance records and participant evaluations from each training session

3. Capacity Building Outcomes:

  1. Pre- and post - training assessments to measure knowledge and skills gained by the participants
  2. Certificates of completion for all 120 trained religious leaders

4. Awareness and Advocacy

  1. Development and distribution of awareness-raising materials on human rights documentation and truth -telling
  2. Records of advocacy activities and community dialogues leaders

5. Local Experience Sharing Platform

  1. Establishment and operationalization of a local platform for experience sharing on TJ
  2. Minutes and records of meetings and discussions held by the platform

Comprehensive Reports:

  1. Detailed reports on the training sessions, including objectives, methodologies, participant feedback and outcomes.
  2. Compilation of case studies and success stories demonstrating the impact of training on community-based TJ efforts