FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOver 300 Leaders Expected in Des Moines on Saturday to Promote Peace in South Sudan
Des Moines, IA, September 14, 2015 (SSNA) — The Coalition of Advocates for South Sudan (CASS) will hold its 1st Annual Diaspora Unity for Peace Conference on Saturday September 19, 2015 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Des Moines. The conference intends to identify a vision for peace in South Sudan, what is necessary to achieve that vision, and how South Sudanese in the Diaspora can work together to achieve peace.
South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, in part, due to the support of the international community, which was mobilized by southern Sudanese living in the Diaspora who advocated for peace and self-determination after decades of civil war. Political disputes among South Sudan’s leaders took the young country to war in December 2013. In response, CASS was formed and it has supported dialogue and meaningful solutions to the conflict that has taken the lives of thousands and put millions at risk due to displacement, famine and disease. The government of the Republic of South Sudan, SPLM (in opposition) and SPLM-FDs recently signed a peace agreement. To keep this peace, unity among the people of Sudan, including those in the Diaspora, is required.
Leaders attending the conference are members of the clergy, women and youth groups, and representatives of the government of the Republic of South Sudan, the South Sudan opposition (SPLM-IO), the former detainees (G10), South Sudan Council of Churches, the South Sudan Committee for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation, the U.S. State Department, and the Luol Deng Foundation – among others. Live music and entertainment will be provided by various South Sudanese musicians and entertainers.
Registration for the conference is ongoing until Friday, September 18, 2015. Due to limited space, unregistered guests will not be admitted and ID is required. To register for the conference, click here, or contact organizing committee member, Dr. Isaac Gang at [email protected]. Everyone is welcome.
CASS – representing over 20 Diaspora organizations, seeks to establish a just and lasting peace in South Sudan. Our advocacy is directly informed by the situation on the ground and the South Sudanese people from all ethnicities who urgently seek: justice, peace, an end to violence, and establishment of a democratic nation with equality for all.