By Dr. Henry Jembi,
Jan 9, 2016(Nyamilepedia) ——– Without focusing and addressing the root causes of conflicts in South Sudan, there will be no unity, peace, and nothing good will materialize in South Sudan. Imagine 38 years of displacement and refugee life and at the end of the day no peace, no unity, and no harmony in the country not just between the two leaders, but the entire leaders in South Sudan, even the normal and innocent people who don’t know about politics. Considering that South Sudan is not the asset and property of the two leaders or the rest of the leaders, though. It seems that southern Sudanese need to redefine their identity and reread their history again if we have one. Everything is Juba as if it was the only holy place in South Sudan, what about the rest the country. Coming together in one place for no good reason is one of the causes of conflict in South Sudan bear in mind that we had never lived in one place before in such a big number.
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Leadership misconception matters, power monger matters, wealth greedy matters and so on. If we want peace, we have to work for it wholeheartedly. Likewise, if we want unity, we have to work and plan for it outside the boxes and kitchens. Know that there is no free unity and free peace; we have to pay for them a double price. Mind you, nothing obvious can unite us in South i.e. your tribe cannot unite us, your party cannot unite us, your wealth and power cannot unite us, your system either cannot unite us, even the war which we are experiencing now cannot unite us, be in the power for ages cannot unite us, be outside the power for ages cannot unite us, instead what I mentioned are the motivation for splitting and destroying our beautiful nature and humanity which are given to us by the Creator Himself that neither you nor I can give since both of us are limited in the nature. The only away out is to submit, surrender and accept our common fate and purpose in life.
CONCEPT OF UNITY FROM THE CHURCH PERSPECTIVES
I think since we were born we have been hearing this strange word “Unity” all the time because it is connected to the politics and state of affairs. If so, what does “Unity” in your opinion? As Christians, we believed in the Trinity that was agreed upon as a result of long studies, discussions, and diabetes during the so-called Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea in 325 A.D, Constantinople in 381 A.D and Ephesus (I) in 431 A.D. All those Councils were convened to defend our profession of faith from Anti-Christ such as Arian, Nestorian, and Macedonianism.
In fact, regarding Unity, we need to do likewise, otherwise, we would not know it for life, and as a result, our lives would fall apart.
CONCEPT OF PEACE FROM THE CHURCH PERSPECTIVES:
During those days, when Emperor Constantine became a Christian, Christianity became the official religion of the state, and persecution had stopped and peace prevailed in the Roman Empire. When will peace come to South Sudan a result of joint effort of the government the Church? Similarly, when Emperor Theodosius (I) had become in power, he played a positive role to maintain peace in the Church and he himself had called and invited the bishops for the meeting, and he himself had opened the meeting said: “investigate the issue in a spirit of dialogue and openness and requested them to think of a peace of the Church and the importance of faith they have been entrusted with. So when will our bishops do likewise for the sake of the Church and Nation (South Sudan)? See, peace is an old agenda and issue that cannot be undermined by anyone whatsoever his or her position, a level of education or rank. My dear ones think of this for the moment.
SUBSTANCE OF UNITY:
Image a baby is born, what do you think of the substance of this baby? I mean the combination and the formation of the baby. Biologically, two organs have come together and fused chemically to form a tiny cell which later developed into an embryo and an embryo into a full human creature. That is how the substance of Unity should be and understood i.e. the male organs and female organs merged together to form a distinct object. Therefore, Unity is a distinct object which is the essence of the family, community, and country at large. Unity will not materialize and incarnate unless the people concern understand it’s fundamental meaning based on its substance. In addition, the people concern have to be sure of themselves that humanity matters regarding true Unity or Unity as an essential part of the family, community and country at all level of human social and economic life. At this stage, any talks about Unity without touching or launching from the substance would be a wasting of time and effort because the result is known.
SUBSTANCE OF PEACE:
Similarly, Peace has gotten a substance which is linked to the humanity and human conscience whereby a human heart is the pivotal and focal point but related to the human mind. Thus, the heart cannot act alone without consulting the mind, Peace Substance has double sources of actions (heart and mind) that unanimously come out with either positive or negative dealing toward certain task in human life. See, judge act approach is a methodology for both comprehensive unity and comprehensive peace and fundamental option toward living together as people and human who have been entrusted the duties and responsibilities to build unity and peace where they maybe on the earth. Peace substance is a matter of inner person and human personality along the history of human kind.
Nonetheless, political peace and philosophical peace initiative would always remain subject to denial and discrepancy among the parties on the roundtable anywhere and anytime. Without physical unity, there will be no physical peace in South Sudan. Without soul unity, there will be no soul peace in South Sudan. Without unity of spirit, there will be no spiritual unity in South Sudan. These are the level of true peace i.e. body, soul, and spirit unity are necessary and the rest are unnecessary for example, war is unnecessary agenda, enough 50 years of war between the North and the South and we have gained nothing except more bloodshed, loss of dear brothers, uncles, fathers, and grandfathers. Hatred is the unnecessary projects because hatred begets hatred, tribalism is the unnecessary politics because tribalism begets encounter tribalism, and marginalization is the unnecessary contemporary politics because marginalization begets encounter actions.
South Sudan belongs to all of us and we are all duty bound to think, care, plan and execute positive policies and policies that can reflect our oneness and unity as people not as tribes. Politics is politics and truth is truth cannot be equated whatsoever. You trigger political issues, you are responsible for the outcome, you stick to the truth, and it will always set you free. Double-dealers are not always sincere in their ways of presenting realities and executing facts. There is always insidious agenda being hidden. However, peace and unity in South Sudan need sound politics and truth projects which are reared among the leaders and politicians in South Sudan. Good politics can relief South Sudan from its tedious dilemma of tribalism, nepotism, sectarianism, and favoritism, which have nothing to do with liberation struggle. Good politics can be carried out by good politicians and leaders and vice versa.
We need good politics in South Sudan to faster the velocity of development and human progress in the country instead of stagnant velocity. 50 years of struggle is quite enough periods to know and understand politics, economic and defense strategies. The contrary practices in the name of politics are illegal, elusive and corruption at the expense of the innocent’s people of South Sudan. No proper schools is a crime against education, no hospitals is a crime against healthcare, no peace is a crime against humanity and God plan of salvation who created human beings to enjoy calamity and tranquility. Wrong politics has changed the intention of our creator by introducing new images and depicting imaginary thoughts. Politics as a science is good and excellent, but as a philosophy and practices, it has turn into an issue of conflict and disagreement between brothers and sisters or one family or one community. Who should be blamed in your opinion? My father never told me, and your mother never told you, as such, who is supposed to tell me the truth? And who is supposed to tell you the truth?
The author, Dr. Henry Jembi, can be reached at henryjembi@hotmail.com
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