By William Pay Tuoy-Giel
March 29, 2012 (SSNA) — It is with great disappointment that I write this opinion piece. I have become more and more skeptical about how angry we have become as a society. What happened to the decency of our traditions and the welcoming attitude that each and every culture once had in South Sudan? Have we become haters instead of promoting the common good for all? Has South Sudan’s independence become a curse for us? Why are we fighting each other instead of loving one another? Were we united because of our objection to the Arabs’ rule? Has the greed taken toll in our motherland? As of late, I have become more wary about the state of our society and the direction that we are heading. The commentaries in most Southern Sudanese news outlets are full of hates and self-serving mentality. No matter how much injustices one has experienced or is experiencing today, one must think about the opportunity that God has given us and the blood of those who paid dearly for our land. The sacrifices made by men and women who volunteered to fight the injustices of the Northern rulers for nearly 60 years should not go in vain.
As former President of the Sudanese Community in Arizona and the current President of the South Sudanese Community in Arizona; I am so much disappointed by the attitude and the culture of hatred and anger in our new born nation. As citizens of South Sudan, we must re-evaluate and think about the common good instead of being self serving; otherwise, we will turn our land in to another Somalia. There shall be one president at a time and all of us deserve to compete for that sit without igniting tribalism, clannish, nepotism, regionalism, and sectionalism. I truly believe that if Southern Sudanese want to build a prosperous and united country, we must embrace the following: God, Country, and Community/Family and abandon the culture of tribalism, clannish, sectionalism, nepotism, and regionalism. Building our country does not need one to be in the government position but what you do everyday helps move us forward whether it is farming, cattle raring, organizing a local city council leadership, volunteering to help organize neighborhood leadership or promoting peace among citizens of South Sudan. Above all, building our country does not require titles but commitment to try your best in uplifting the unity and welfare of our people.
This is my opinion and I hope we will re-evaluate ourselves and take something away from it and share with those who practice the culture of hate and disunity among our beloved people of South Sudan.
The author is the current President of the South Sudanese Community in Arizona, USA and has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership (M.Ed) and Bachelor in Political Science. He can be reached at [email protected]