Winnie Bedigen - Youth (Monyomiji) and Conflict Resolution in South Sudan: A Cultural Perspective

Abstract

This paper analyses the traditional role of youth Monyomiji in conflict resolution amongst the Nilotic Lwo communities. The paper discusses how youth Monyomiji involvement could be useful in the South Sudan civil war resolution. The paper conceptualises traditional roles of you through the lenses of cultural theory and hegemony. The Monyomiji meaning, importance and roles in traditional conflict resolution, issues covered in this paper include youth initiative, participation and leadership, youth and mediation, conflict resolution marriages, plus youth and the Kwero Merok ritual. Data from focus groups and in-depth interviews reveal that youth are an essential force in conflict resolution and should be at the forefront, as opposed to being at the background in the current South Sudan civil war resolution processes.