SALF believes that cannot fully achieve its objectives independently; thus, there is need for developing relationships, networking and collaboration with its partners. The other actors in the field of service delivery within SALF’s operational areas include: National and State Government agencies’ line ministries; local authorities; civil society organizations, UN agencies and INGOs; religious institutions, women and the youth groups in the Republic of South Sudan.
SALF ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Understanding SALF’s Key Partners and other Stakeholders
Regional,National and State Governments
The regional intergovernmental bodies, national and the state governments’ line ministries, commissions and other relevant governance, economic and social institutions, including the counties Commissioners, Mayors and State Governors at all levels are the major implementers of development programs in South Sudan. It is expected that all the international and national agencies clearly understand the government’s development objectives in order to understand the levels at which they will intervene. In addition, the government is mandated to authorize any organization to operate in its territories and the first step is the registration with the Ministry of Justice and the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC). The adherence to these requirements has enabled SALF to operate in the target states within the Republic of South Sudan.
As an organization, SALF understands the government programs, get recognition and coordinated by the line ministries and commissions including the Legislative Assemblies at National, and States as well as the Counties councils. This has helped the organization in advocating for national funding geared towards betterment of the communities through improvement for their human security and sustaining peaceful environments. This has also satisfied the kind of programs the organization has planned to implement based on its vision, mission and objectives and its core values. The government has supported outreach initiatives to its people at the grassroots through direct state funding and donors support although that was in slow phase.
Local Government Agencies at the level of counties
The paucity of bureaucratic infrastructure outside of state capitals and county headquarters does not mean that there is a vacuum of administration in the countryside. “Traditional” leaders exist in almost every community with a loose hierarchical connection to the state. Very often, a degree of popular consent, if only by men, is exercised in the appointment of these leaders. Often, this authority is contested, especially by the youth, but hierarchies also exist to youth leaders in urban centers and the cattle camps. Although often compromised by its tribal nature, this is an entry point to groups often seen as perpetrators of violence. The decline of traditional leadership during the war – when chieftaincies were heavily politicized by the armed factions or compromised by occupying the military commanders – is often linked to the escalation in cultures of violence among the young men since the civil war. It is uncertain whether this authority can be re-established, include County officials, Commissioners, Payam administrators, and Boma Chiefs and the RRC.
The implementing partners have assisted SALF in directing and identifying areas of need at the grassroots level though there are some capacities challenges. They have helped to check the activities of the organization through monitoring of the organization’s project activities; program and have coordinated the link with other organizations that are implementing similar activities. The local authorities have also provided information on the security situation within their reaches and controlled territories, thus enhancing protection of the workers of SALF, other CBOs and INGOs. Further, they have advised on the rural people’s priority needs, community values and the traditions. These latter factors are meant to streamline the relationship of the organization and the people at the grassroots. But the challenges experienced in working with the local authorities have included: i) high expectations from the local community leaders; ii) inadequate capacity for influencing community development initiatives; iii) little understanding of the rule of law, human rights standards and the national constitution by some officers due to poor education background; iv) high level of sectarianism during allocation of service and areas to agencies; the political interference of local authorities in the organizations work at local level.
United Nations, UNMISS and the International NGOs
Humanitarian and development partners are paradoxically viewed as part of the problem in South Sudan, while providing the lion’s share of social welfare and development outside the towns. The quality of assistance and coordination has often been poor, but many INGOs have three decades of commitment to South Sudan and the potential to transfer considerable capacity to national successors, who works for INGOs and UN agencies has great significance. The UN, UNMISS, CHRSS and the other international Non- Governmental Organizations such as FCA, PILPG, ICSC, CSVR, DI, NDI, IRI, IFES, GIZ, ASI, PACT, which builds capacities of local leaders and organizations to meet pressing social, economic and political needs. USAID, EU, UKAID, CIDA, DANIDA, JICA, SIDA, JDT, MTDF, World Bank, UN Agencies (UNDP, UNDEF, UNODC, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNOCHR, UNEP, IOM, ILO, etc.), these are major donors to South Sudan. SALF, knowing how these entities operate; their fields of operation; and the level of operations has been crucial as some of these has supported SALF with funding and in getting to know as to how to advocate for funds to implement its projects that are consistent with their visions, missions and objectives of these donors’ agencies and other development partners.
Religious Institutions
South Sudan is inhabited by people of different religious affiliation; the religious institutions play an important role in promoting and monitoring peace within the communities. They are closer to the people who listen to them more open since they present and are respected in the communities, with their advice always deemed as important. These religious institutions include Christian, Muslim and Traditionalist: The Christianity forming the majority that comprising: i) Catholics; ii) Protestants; iii) Seventh Day Adventists; iv) Pentecostals and Episcopal churches: Understanding their roles at community level has helped SALF in determining the levels, nature and level of collaboration in the process of peace building and related service delivery. Christianity is one of the more unifying aspects of South Sudanese identity, and the established churches have played a central role in peacemaking throughout its conflicts. Like the SPLA in the past, it is mixed ethnically. It was very widely identified by respondents as a central and trusted actor in conflict resolution. Some respondents also identified Islamic institutions and their leaders as important intermediaries, especially in cities and northern states, and potentially with Sudanese communities’ north of the border. However, the religion some time can be divisive and political as some Christian Churches witnessed and experienced conflict and disunity amongst in recent years. For example, there were criticisms of the religious and ethnic balance of the peace efforts led by the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) in Jonglei years back. Many senior churchmen have been absorbed into government since 2005, and there is a growing difference between the better educated senior clergy and the new grassroots clergy. Coordination between the churches, government and traditional leaders is often weak and SSCC mediators are often eclipsed by new politicians with popular mandates. SALF understood environments, including its religious perspectives.
Strategic Partnership, Alliance Building and Linkages withthe Likeminded Civil Society Formations
The SALF since inception it’s been operating in collaboration and coordination with various local, national and international NGOs and CSOs in respect to one of its core strategic objectives that calling for coalitions building, sustainable partnerships and the linkages with other pro-democracy and the citizen organizations. Thus, SALF as an organization has gained a lot of relevancy and experiences through facilitation and participation in local, national and international initiates that relates to coursing, these included social, economic, political and social cultural actions and issues pertaining to the development of South Sudan. Examples, promotion of the rule of law, human rights monitoring and protection; Sudan General Elections 2010 and South Sudan Referendum 2011 related awareness campaigns, civic engagement, observations and monitoring; research and analysis of different issues, included social mobilization for peace and action in recent years; SALF together with others CSOs made huge efforts that resulted to the formation and development of civil society movements in the country down the road.
SALF participated as a founder and co-founded or a member of the following sustained collaborative networks and coalitions: i) South Sudan Civil Society Forum, (SSCSF), ii) the Voluntary Civil Society Taskforce on Implementation of Peace Agreement (The Taskforce) iii) Human Rights Forum on Universal Periodic Review for South Sudan iv) NNGOs Forum, v) Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), vi) South Sudan Human Rights Defender Network vii) South Sudanese Network for Democracy and Elections (SSuNDE), viii) Security Sector Coordination Oversight Mechanism (SSCOM). Ix) a member to UNOCHA managing Humanitarian Clusters. SALF is also partnering with Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) among many other organizations as part of it mandate is to continue fostering cordial relationships, partnership, collaboration and building alliances with similar and minded civil society organizations for steering up civil society agenda in South Sudan.
SALF working in collaboration with groups, professional associations, academia and federations in which women, students and the youth are involved as well as the other social, economic and interest groups in which they share information. It should be noted that all activities implemented at the grassroots levels are to a notable extent based on the involvement of women and youth, trade unions, legal practitioners and other organized groups. Understanding their involvement has helped SALF to establish the levels of their involvement, the hierarchy systems as well as the link to the wider community. Being the most active section of people in the South Sudan, it has been essential to facilitate them in taking fuller responsibility of their own lives and those of their families, the communities and the country on the whole. But despite the inclusion of women and the youth in all the activities of SALF, it has become a challenge in that there is a high illiteracy rate that cuts across the two significant groups. There is also lack of willingness to work in their communities as most youth look for white-collar jobs. Lack of skills and the knowledge for the positions the youth today apply for high level of moral decay. Women’s involvement is also hampered by norms and social customs. There is distortion of women due to certain cultural practices like early marriages, female genital mutilation occurrences of gender violence and disparities in the society.