South Sudanese Bishop to be awarded
Press release 7 February 2013
(Geneva) – The 2013 Sergio Vieira de Mello Prize will be awarded this year to Bishop Emeritus
Paride Taban of the Torit Diocese of South Sudan in recognition of his efforts to promote mediation,
reconciliation and dialogue among tribes in conflict in his country, making it possible for these tribes to
live peacefully together in harmony in the Holy Trinity Peace Village of Kuron.
The Award ceremony will take place on 1 March, at 17:00 at the International Conference Centre in
Geneva, on the occasion of the Annual Sergio Vieira de Mello Lecture. The Secretary General of the
United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, will deliver the lecture and will hand the prize to this year’s laureate.
“I have spent many years searching for peace”, says Bishop Taban about his country, Sudan, torn by
decades of ethnic and religious violence. “I have been dreaming of a community where people with
different ethnicity and different religious backgrounds can live side by side with confidence in harmony
and fellowship. I hope to make Sudan a nation where people live as brothers and sisters.”
Part of his dream came through when Bishop Taban created in 2005 what he calls a “small oasis of peace”
in Kuron, Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan where people coming from different tribes and who have
been in conflict with one another over cattle rustling, now live in peace.
“People also came from the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, where people raided cattle and called
each other enemies”, recalls Bishop Taban. “Now, these people call each other brothers. There was a
hospital on the route between Kenya and Juba where people could not go for medical treatment because of
cattle raiding. It was difficult for people from one tribe to cross that area. The other tribe would take them
to kill them. Now, this has ended.”
In this small village, people from different faiths,-Christian, Muslim, Catholic, Pentecostal, and
Adventists- live peacefully together. “We look like a small place, but the concept has gone beyond that
small place”, says Bishop Taban.”The impact goes as far as Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda with people
coming or passing by the village.”
The Sergio Vieira de Mello Prize is awarded each year in recognition of an individual, community or
institution having made an exceptional contribution to reconciliation of communities or groups in conflict,
and whose example can be duplicated elsewhere in the world to alleviate human sufferings caused by
conflict.
“The fact that this village is now seen as an example of reconciliation and peace will encourage others
communities to follow a similar approach in other areas of conflict in South Sudan and beyond”, said
Laurent Vieira de Mello, president of the SVdM Foundation. “This factor played an important role in the
decision of the jury.”
The jury is composed of the High Commissioner for Refugees, the High Commissioner for Human
Rights, the Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, the Ambassador of France and the
Ambassador of Brazil in Geneva.
