Civic Education, Advocacy, and Grassroots Organizing
Active Citizen South Sudan (ACSS) trains, consults, and mentors local leaders, organizations and
communities on civic education and methods to create and implement successful advocacy
efforts. ACSS works with youth to encourage civic participation among constituents. Civic
Education aims at imparting the knowledge and skills that constituents need to effectively
participate in local and national politics and government. Grassroots organization is the process
of mobilizing a group of people in a movement for social change from the ground up. It is a
movement for change that is created, organized and implemented by the constituents of a
community.
According to ACSS; Organizers and actors must understand how different types of people and
institutions function, how to support people to engage in the democratic process, and how to
pursue campaigns that will improve the lives of people who don’t hold significant power.
Advocacy is the process of speaking out on public issues with the objective of influencing
decision-makers and outcomes. Advocacy campaigns aim to change ideas or systems and have
specific goals, such as influencing policy, social systems, and resources. At ACSS, we employ these
philosophies of grassroots mobilization and advocacy in a dynamic ways, identical with the
dynamic local population.
Peace Building and Conflict Mitigation
ACSS supports conflict mitigation and peace building efforts through working with youth and
women in South Sudan, especially in States bordering Sudan; i.e. Abyei Area, Central equatoria
Abiemnhom, Bentiu, Rubkona, Mayom and Panriang counties . Peace-building efforts seek to
prevent and reduce the frequency and severity of war and other violent conflicts. ACSS works
with organizations and professionals in areas of protracted conflict to help transform policies,
infrastructure, and environment that are conducive to violence, and help people build
sustainable and secure communities.
Peace-building is a long-term process that occurs after violent conflict has slowed down or come
to a halt. It is a process that facilitates the establishment of sustainable peace and tries to prevent
the recurrence of violence by addressing root causes and effects of conflict through
reconciliation, governance and institution building, and political, social, and economic
transformation through non-violence actions and strategies.
Peace-building and conflict mitigation programs also work to prevent conflict from reemerging.
Through the creation of mechanisms that enhance cooperation among different groups, political
parties, and institutions, programs can help parties manage their conflict of interests and
promote dialogue, peace and development. ACSS implements a conflict mitigation program that
builds the capacity of women and youth in decision-making processes, especially on matters of
peace, security, and conflict as a means of reducing political violence, terrorism and extremism.
The program works with civil society groups to create trainings, programs, and media campaigns
focused on increasing the number of women and youth leaders, enhancing advocacy skills,
increasing their ability to participate effectively in conflict resolution and peace building and
providing them with resources to implement these new skills.
Political Participation, Campaigns and Leadership
ACSS works to promote gender equality and equity in governance systems. Women and youth
constitute more than seventy-five-percent (75%) of the South Sudan’s population. Yet their
participation in formal political structures and processes, where decisions regarding the use of
societal resources generated by both men and women are made, remains insignificant. Women’s
representation in legislatures and local government structures in South Sudan is still low.
However, ACSS recognizes on-going efforts by South Sudan government in widening space for
more women and youth in politics and governance. ACSS provides formal and customized
trainings and mentorship for women and youth who wish to run for office and for party leaders.
ACSS trains candidates to conduct well-organized campaigns and create strategic campaign
plans. It also works with party leaders in party block vote electoral systems to ensure that women
informed and are high enough on the party list to get elected to office.
After an election, ACSS works with elected officials, the women’s and youth caucuses and other
groups to provide trainings, mentorship and assistance to create issue-based and advocacy
campaigns and thought processes towards policy reforms through legislation. We have
historically focused on four areas of primary concern for women today: women’s rights, HIV/AIDS
and preventable disease, economic inequality and violence against women and girls.
Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Livelihoods
ACSS supports youth and women organizations and individuals creating change and sustainable
development through livelihoods programs. ACSS typically supports women and youth in startups and growth of micro, small and medium ventures in an effort to increase their incomes and
create more jobs and also utilize this as tool to reconnect and build relationship with each other.
The strongest element of ACSS’s livelihoods programs is job creation and expansion. ACSS
supports investments in social entrepreneurship in partnership with local private sector through
a corporate shared value approach. With a burgeoning youth population in South Sudan and
widening responsibilities on women, expanding the business environment and stimulation of job
creation will be important factors for preserving peace, stability, security and human
development.
Natural Resources Management
The environmental pollutions, due to illegal logging and oil extractions has resulted in lost of lives
of humans and animals in oil producing areas of South Sudan. Land grabbing by rich business
companies and individuals. ACSS empower young people to claim their rights in having access
to and own land, encouraging oil producing communities to demand shares for the oil revenue
nonviolently. We do this through civic education, dialogues and using nonviolent action
campaigns.
Youth and women rights to Education and social protection
The education and social protection are backbone of any society, shaping the future through its structure and components. It encompasses everything from institutions, curriculum, and teaching methods to policies and assessment frameworks. Each element contributes to a holistic experience for learners, ensuring their intellectual and social development in a well-rounded way
ACSS support youth and women groups to enhance their cognitive capacity through education and social protections. Our program includes literacy and numeracy through engagement of youth and women on formal and informal form of education. Young people and vulnerable women groups will be engaged on life skills activities to faster their learning skills in order to cash up educationally. The organization engage stakeholders and target the people in needs through provision of formal and informal learning to the aged categories of 15-35 years of age learners. The organization would work with partners to provision social protections mostly to the vulnerable members of the society.
