Wau marathon marks local launch of “Peace Begins with Me” campaign in front of thousands
WESTERN BAHR EL GHAZAL – “Our song says that we have peace, and that we must protect it.”
Cradling her newborn, Martha John, lead singer of the group Tarasa Bro Paile, makes her words resonate that little bit extra among the crowd gathered at Wau Stadium. Hers and another five bands all performed at the opening or closing ceremony of the city’s third annual Peace Marathon.
“We composed this song in the aftermath of the conflict in 2016. It still stands as a reminder for us to maintain and nurture peace, and to pass it along to future generations,” she says, baby still in her arms.
In the wake of the world’s youngest nation’s 14th birthday, more than 700 people completed the race, while another thousand or so mobilized to make it all happen.
This mass cooperation between a huge number of individuals, with everyone doing their part, embodied the slogan “Peace Begins with Me”, the name of a campaign initiated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (17Թ). The marathon marked the local launch of what is intended to become a nationwide rallying cry among peace partners, local authorities, the business sector, youth, women and citizens from all walks of life – everyone welcome and included.
The same goes for the run itself. Leopold Kouassi, a Human Rights Officer serving with the peacekeeping mission, commented on the momentum the event has gained.
"What began as our modest attempt to promote community health and unity has become a state-owned tradition. Today, it is an occasion that reflects our collective commitment to building peace, pride and togetherness, because we have all realized that everyone can contribute to making it happen.”
In his opening remarks, Governor Emmanuel Primo of Western Bahr El Ghazal State highlighted the government's commitment to using sports as a key tool for community cohesion.
