Partnership focused on peace links Seton Hall to South Sudanese university

A civil war that broke out in 2013 in South Sudan, located in East-Central Africa, killed nearly 400,000 people and left more than 2 million uprooted from their homes, according to the Council on Foreign Relation’s Global Conflict Tracker^[1] website.

A unity government has struggled to implement a 2018 peace accord and stem continued violence in the country. Bishop-elect Christian Carlassare of the Diocese of Rumbek is still recovering^[2] from leg wounds after being shot in April. On Aug. 16, a road ambush^[3] along a highway in South Sudan killed five people, including two Catholic nuns, Sister Mary Daniel Abud and Sister Regina Roba.

In prepared statements, leaders of the two schools stressed that a mutual desire to foster peace in South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, is the overarching theme of the universities’ partnership.

Father Ibiko Morris Masiri, director of the St. John’s Yambio campus, called the partnership a “concrete expression of the privilege of our belongingness to the Catholic University family.”

“We foresee expert discussions on peace, reconciliation and sustainability; internship opportunities for students; development of new specialized courses, conferences, publications that will help build a culture of dialogue, peace; and reconciliation in South Sudan,” said Katia Passerini, provost and executive vice president of Seton Hall. 

Father Colin Kay, Seton Hall’s vice president of mission and ministry, commented on the “great synergy” between the two universities. 

References

1. ^{^} Global Conflict Tracker (www.cfr.org)
2. ^{^} still recovering (www.catholicnewsagency.com)
3. ^{^} road ambush (www.catholicnewsagency.com)