Historically and up to the present time, people in South Sudan have experienced high levels of violence, leading to tens of thousands of deaths and trauma-affected individuals. Millions of people have been internally displaced or are living in camps as refugees in foreign countries worldwide. While death and physical destruction caused by violence are immediately apparent, the psychological scars and trauma are less visible and often neglected; if not addressed, they can fuel further cycles of violence. 

Evidence has shown that emotional suffering related to war occurs not only due to direct exposure to life-threatening situations and violence but also through indirect stressors, such as injury to or death of relatives or caregivers, economic hardships, geographic displacement, and continuous disruptions of daily living. To come out of such situations, it is salient to recognize and embrace the essential strategies of psychosocial support, trauma awareness and healing, peacebuilding through dialogue, and forgiveness and reconciliation in South Sudan.

Breaking these cycles of violence and the psychological stress and trauma they cause requires applying trauma-informed and resilience-focused approaches to change. Their use within a peacebuilding framework increases the possibility of transformational change in South Sudan, allowing the nation to move towards a more just and sustainable peace; and where development provides a higher quality of life. When the health and well-being of people are enhanced, their ability to contribute to rebuilding their communities and society is greatly improved. The training manual seeks to achieve this by engaging South Sudanese in their context in a manner that respects their value system regarding ‘wholeness’ - the integrative relationships between people, God, ancestors, and nature.