PAX has been working in South Sudan (or Sudan, prior to South Sudan’s independence in 2011) since 1994. PAX’s Protection of Civilians program has been implementing activities in the country since 2016, focusing primarily on developing the Human Security Survey: a quantitative research and community engagement project that is meant to provide civilians with greater awareness, voice, and agency regarding their own security situation and needs.
The PoC team’s work in South Sudan primarily consists of large-scale survey research on civilian perceptions regarding their security and community engagement through our Human Security Survey (HSS) approach, on advocacy based on the survey results, and on support to local Community Security Committees (COMSECCOMs). PAX also helps facilitate grassroots peace dialogues and conferences when requested by local government officials, or the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), as we have done in the Lakes and Unity border area in 2018 and 2024.
The Human Security Survey
PAX research activities in South Sudan so far primarily include our flagship Human Security Survey (HSS) approach, but the PoC team aims to expand this with smaller, thematic qualitative research efforts in the near future. he HSS is a unique survey methodology developed by PAX, which includes a series of complementary activities, including population-based research, active community engagement, and advocacy. It gathers large-scale, representative data from civilians on their own safety and security situations, in order to use this for local community engagement and peacebuilding efforts, as well as for national and international advocacy.
Through the HSS, PAX 1) increases the knowledge and understanding of local human security dynamics and trends; 2) enhances the ‘claim-making capacity’ of civilians to hold security providers and decision-makers accountable; and 3) informs evidence-based advocacy that enables (inter)national stakeholders to design and implement protection activities that reflect local realities.
Community security committees
The Community Security Committees (COMSECCOMs) are state- or county-based committees consisting of local volunteers who carry forward jointly agreed community security priorities (often based on the outcome of the HSS surveys and consequent validation sessions), and try to address the challenges, or raise more awareness of these challenges, by organizing small-scale field activities. These activities come in all shapes and forms, such as consultations between affected community members and authorities, radio talk shows, cultural or sports activities where social or peace messages are shared, mediation between sub-groups, and so on. PAX supports these activities, so that local initiative and accountability can be strengthened, and we try to work for positive communal change in between the various HSS data collection phases.
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