On June 13, 2025, the National Elections Commission (NEC) commenced the rollout of a Master Trainers’ Program for Civic Educators. This training program was rolled out in two sessions, from June 10-13 and 17-20, 2025, in Juba, and included 50 participants from the NEC, including representatives from the State High Elections Committees (SHEC), as well as state and non-state actors. The training was based on the NEC’s civic and voter education strategy, with support from the United Nations Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (UN IEAT). In this context, the NEC training manual on civic education covers five topics: i) democracy; ii) governance; iii) human rights; iv) elections; and v) peacebuilding, and an additional program to support civic educators’ presentation and training skills.
The training program aimed to assist NEC, SHEC, civil society, and other stakeholders in concepts, approaches, and activities on civic education to support a harmonized approach to civic education initiatives by the NEC and other electoral stakeholders in South Sudan.
The NEC has prioritized civic and voter education and sustained stakeholder engagement to bolster an electoral process that is transparent, inclusive, and peaceful. By the end of the program, two cohorts of master trainers were trained, a total of 50 trainers. Subsequent to this master training program, a training of trainers, composed of civil society, youth groups, and other stakeholders, will be rolled out at the state and county levels in order to support a nationwide electoral-focused civic education initiative.
“Forging partnerships and collaboration with key stakeholders such as state entities, civil society, media, and political parties will be instrumental in conducting a nationwide civic and voter education program”, remarked Honorable Thabo Abosuh Ajang, NEC Commissioner responsible for civic and voter education.