فعاليات الورشة السنوية الاولي 2007
2007 The first Annual Leadership Development Workshop
Why the Institute for Sustainable Peace
Our work with the Sudanese grew out of one fortuitous conversation at a STAND anti-genocide conference at Berkeley in the spring of 2007. It was there that Randy Butler met Esther Sprague, dedicated activist for the Sudanese, and Mamer Ajak, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” and a leader in the Sudanese Diaspora. The following week, Esther called Randy to ask whether he could design a project for the Sudanese like the one he helped lead in the Balkans. Butler invited her to bring some Sudanese to our first Leadership Development Workshop (LDW) in June 2007 in Estes Park, Colorado. She did - three from Northern Sudan and three from Southern Sudan came and experienced real reconciliation.
From those first six individuals, the circle has expanded and we have developed deep relationships with more than fifty potential change agents and leaders from all regions of Sudan and all sectors of society. As a result, in the preparation for our 4th Annual LDW, 45+ leaders living and working in Sudan applied to come to Colorado to participate in the workshop. The leaders include human rights activists, journalists, leaders of NGO’s, political and even rebel leaders. During his trip to Sudan in October 2009, the leader of a large political party told Butler, “While we appreciate their good work, the Europeans and Americans working in Sudan have confused security and humanitarian aid with peace building. The Institute for Sustainable Peace has outlined a project that would bring real peace building.“ Having been given this opportunity to contribute to conflict transformation in Sudan, we must step up to serve.
The Institute is proud of the work it has achieved thus far in Sudan
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MAKKI MAKKI