As South Sudan turns nine, its people remain committed to peace

It all began when she deescalated an argument at a water pump in the Don Bosco site for Internally Displaced Persons in Juba, South Sudan, where long lines in the hot sun often lead to short tempers and jostling. Then she staged an intervention for an alcoholic neighbour and helped a woman access medical care following a sexual assault. Now, Salwa Atoo, a 37-year-old mother of seven with twinkling eyes and a no-nonsense attitude, is the neighborhood’s go-to conflict mediator. From squabbles over borrowed kitchenware to domestic violence – if there is a problem in Don Bosco, Salwa knows about it and is working on a solution. “I don’t know why people come to me for help,” she says. Salwa is a...