Abraham Makeny – Civil Affairs Officer

1 Nov 2011

Abraham Makeny – Civil Affairs Officer

Abraham Mabor Makeny is a Sudanese national from Ger Payam, Yirol West County in Lakes State. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and Social Sciences from Urbaniana University in Rome Italy.

Before travelling overseas, Abraham volunteered extensively with the Diocese of Rumbek, as a teacher for numerous schools and youth groups in Southern Sudan.
"I was encouraged to work without pay and this opened up for me opportunities both to learn and to get education. As appreciation for my volunteer service, I was supported to go and pursue studies abroad. First in Kenya, where I could give a hand while on holidays, working as a Youth Counsellor; then in Italy where I continued to volunteer and work with youth."
In July, Abraham began his assignment as a Civil Affairs Officer with UNMIS, in Rumbek. He is responsible for bringing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) closer to the people in Lakes State and especially to the women and youth.
"I work on peace building and conflict resolution in the state by initiating conferences, creating a forum for dialogue among parties as part of democratic transformation, monitoring civilian disarmament and engaging in community security assessments, only to mention a few tasks."
Pasture and water have been sources of conflict in Yirol, between the West and the East, since the 1940s. As Abraham stresses, "the conflict created a culture of war, impaired the relationship among those involved, created mistrust and encouraged counterattacks in which properties and lives were lost."
Besides his work duties, Abraham interacts on a monthly basis with youth, from West Yirol and East Yirol, trying to identify tensions that can be addressed and diminished through socialising, discussions or activities such as sport. Abraham sees this as a way to create positive contact between people who regard each other as enemies; to restore trust among the youth encouraging them to act as instruments of peace in their communities.
"Being a National UNV volunteer now, I can count not only on my educational background, but on my previous volunteer experience and the vast network of people I know in my state, to let my work be guided by my day-to-day desire of helping my people."