Stories
October 16, 2026 • 2 min read
The THRIVE project, funded by UKAid, is helping communities in Upper Nile State resolve disputes and live together peacefully. Once excluded because of his disability, Oyath now serves on his local peace committee, mediating conflicts after receiving training from Caritas Diocese of Malakal on conflict prevention and management.
Across Upper Nile State, communities continue to face tensions that can affect relationships between neighbors, families and different groups. The THRIVE project supports local people and institutions to strengthen dialogue, resolve disputes and promote peaceful coexistence.
The project, funded by UKAid, works with local partners, including Caritas Diocese of Malakal, to help communities develop practical skills for preventing and managing conflict.
Finding a voice in peacebuilding
For years, stigma linked to his physical impairment left Oyath on the sidelines of community life in Dir-Kodok Payam, Fashoda County.
That began to change after he took part in peacebuilding training delivered by Caritas Diocese of Malakal, a THRIVE partner. He later joined his local peace committee, where he now helps mediate disputes and encourage peaceful solutions.
Oyath has helped resolve disagreements over damaged crops and supported a young boy who was struggling with conflict to choose a non-violent path.
“Before, people did not value my ideas because of my condition, but now they listen to me and respect my role in the community,” he says. “I am proud that I can help solve problems and bring people together peacefully.”
For Oyath, being part of the peace committee is more than resolving individual disputes. It has given him an opportunity to contribute to decisions affecting his community and to have his voice heard.
Young people learning to resolve conflict
In Renk, peacebuilding is also taking place in the classroom. At Episcopal Secondary School, students involved in a THRIVE-supported Peace Club help mediate disagreements among their classmates, share messages about peace during school assemblies and refer more serious cases to school leadership.
Mr Magai, a teacher at the school, says the approach has contributed to a reduction in student conflicts.
“Before the introduction of the peacebuilding programme, the school faced frequent student conflicts, theft and indiscipline. Since the training of Peace Club members, there has been approximately a 30% reduction in conflicts.”
Peace beyond a single day
These efforts were highlighted during International Peace Day activities held across THRIVE locations in Upper Nile State on 21 September 2026. Communities in Abukadara, Renk, Fashoda and Panyinjar came together to share messages of peace, strengthen relationships and reflect on their role in preventing conflict.
The events provided a moment to recognise peace-building efforts already taking place in these communities. But for people like Oyath and the students of the Peace Club, building peace does not end when International Peace Day is over. It happens through everyday acts of listening, resolving disagreements and making space for people to participate
