Forging game-changing relationships in South Sudan and beyond

The Dallaire Institute’s mission to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed violence and transform cycles of violence means that we must work to prioritize the rights of children and facilitate sustainable approaches to global peace and security. Our approach is predicated on building trusting, collaborative relationships.

“Our ability to build relationships based on mutual trust is very different than many other civil-society organizations or NGOs,” says John Kon Kelei, the Dallaire Institute’s Acting Director in South Sudan. “My personal experience as a former child soldier helps a lot. When I’m meeting with military or police leaders on behalf of the Dallaire Institute, they immediately begin to trust me once they learn that one of their own is involved with the organization.”

The people of South Sudan are Kon’s family, friends and neighbours. As a child, Kon was recruited and used in armed violence by the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army, now the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces. Kon’s lived experience means he is uniquely equipped to help advance the work of the Dallaire Institute. Today, the lawyer and former senior public servant is an important member of our team who takes on many roles, including serving as a relationship architect with South Sudanese leaders across a range of sectors.  

“When the leaders we’re meeting with recognize that we share a common experience and a common goal – to build a stable, peaceful and prosperous future for the people of South Sudan – they’re more inclined to work with us,” says Kon.  

Building trusting relationships is core to the Dallaire Institute approach, whether it develops through a shared experience – as in Kon’s case – or by offering judgement-free engagement when bringing together people of varying backgrounds and perspectives. Our team seeks to build bridges based on the simple fact that most people are ready to prioritize the rights of children.

The team’s trust-building approach is clearly working, opening up opportunities for conversation, collaboration and capacity building on a massive scale.

In 2020, South Sudan’s Joint Transitional Security Council (JTSC) invited Dallaire Institute team members to deliver training to more than 3,500 unified forces personnel at Masnabira over a three-day period. The scale of this training was significant, requiring careful planning and a meticulous approach. Delivered outdoors to hundreds of people per session, our team helped participants understand the many ways children are recruited and used as soldiers, why it is a security concern, and how people in the security sector can protect children and prevent their involvement in armed violence.

In conjunction with the large-scale JTSC training, team members worked intensely with military instructors and leaders in smaller groups, ensuring they received specialized training to foster local ownership and sustainability. The road to this milestone training was paved by many smaller conversations and training sessions with security, government and civil society groups in South Sudan. It was this trust-building track record that gave the JTSC confidence that we could help deliver big things and lasting change.     

In Sierra Leone, the Dallaire Institute team has spent over six years earning and building trust with the country’s armed forces (RSLAF) and police (SLP), leading to a series of Memorandums of Understanding. One impactful outcome of this relationship building has been the creation of a skilled core of local lead trainers, who have not only acquired the knowledge and skills to train their fellow officers, but the confidence to successfully adapt the materials in ways that make the most sense for their audiences – fostering a stronger sense of ownership. Lead trainers from both the RSLAF and SLP are now playing an important role in building capacity in Sierra Leone and across Africa. They have been critical to continuing to spread the Dallaire Institute’s mission by leading training programs, equipping peacekeepers and other security sector actors in South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Rwanda, and disseminating knowledge, skills and passion for making the world a better, safer place for our children.