In 2011, South Sudan celebrated its independence after more than two decades of war, but conflict in the region continues. An expert panel discussed the Carter Center's efforts to strengthen peace and create a lasting understanding between the two countries, including most recently a series of dialogues between prominent leaders from Sudan and South Sudan. Panelists included two members of the Carter Center's dialogue group, Ambassador Nureldin Satti and Professor Jok Madut Jok. Brief bios are below. The event was moderated by Itonde Kakoma, assistant director of the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program and manager of the Center's Sudan-South Sudan Dialogue Group. Ambassador Nureldin Satti is director of the National Library of Sudan and serves as co-chair at the Woodrow Wilson International Center's Sudan Working Group. Previously, he was director for the UNESCO cluster offices in Addis Ababa (2007-2008) and Dar Es Salaam (2001). He also served as deputy special representative at the U.N. Political Office for Burundi. Professor Jok Madut Jok is the undersecretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youths, and Sports for the Government of South Sudan. Jok also is executive director of the Sudd Institute and a professor in the Department of History in the Loyola Marymount University in California. Previously, he was a J. Randolph Senior Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and a fellow at the Rift Valley Institute.