South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Waure Eddy
The Digital Rights Frontlines (DRF), a national NGO based in Juba , formerly known as Defy Hate Now, collaborated with Journalists for Human Rights to train 50 participants in Western Equatoria State on “Strengthening Community Resilience against Harmful Information.”
This one-day training aimed to equip youth, community leaders, civil society organisations, women’s groups, and media practitioners with digital literacy and critical thinking skills to tackle misinformation, disinformation, and incitement to violence.
DRF promotes digital rights and safe access to technology by fostering trust, mobilising civic action, and countering harmful narratives online. This training is part of a broader initiative conducted across four states—Western Equatoria, Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity—to build community resilience and support peacebuilding efforts.
Speaking During the opening session, Mr. Isaac Fora, Director General of Information and Communication in Western Equatoria State, commended DRF for introducing such a timely and impactful programme to the region.
“This kind of training is what our community needs,” said Mr. Fora. “People are going to learn something new—how to identify and respond to harmful information that threatens our unity and peace.”
He emphasised the importance of continuity and urged DRF to extend the duration of future training sessions.
“One day is not enough,” he added. “I encourage DRF to consider making it at least two or three days so that our people can truly benefit. We need more time to understand the dangers of misinformation and how to protect ourselves and our communities.”
Mrs. Angeline Sani, DRF’s State Coordinator, expressed gratitude to the participants for attending and actively engaging in the training.
“We appreciate your presence here today,” she said. “This training has already taken place in four states, and we hope you will be active and contribute meaningfully. If we come out with strong points and practical ideas, it will open doors for more opportunities and future training.”
Participants echoed the call for extended sessions and praised DRF for the initiative:
Stephen Kazi, a youth leader, stated, “This training is very important, but one day is too short. We need more days to delve deeper into these topics. Thank you, DRF, for starting this conversation.”
Grace William, a representative from a women’s group, remarked, “I’ve learned a lot today, especially about how misinformation spreads. But we need more time to practise what we’ve learned.”
Hadia Badi, a youth participant, added, “DRF has done a great job. I just wish we had two or three days to explore more tools and strategies.”
Yekoko Andrew, a member of a civil society organisation, said, “This training has opened my eyes. I hope DRF can organise more sessions so we can continue learning.”
Christopher Rondon, a community mobiliser, expressed, “We appreciate DRF for this opportunity. Let’s make it longer next time so we can build stronger skills.”
Odetha Edward, a youth activist, concluded, “One day is not enough. We need more time to understand and discuss these issues. Thank you, DRF, for empowering us.”
The training concluded with a renewed commitment from participants to promote safer digital spaces and foster social cohesion in their communities. DRF pledged to continue its efforts to strengthen digital resilience across South Sudan.
