Are We Intolerant or Tolerant?
By Mr. Ayuen Awan
“When people keep quiet it doesn’t mean that they are satisfied with the way things are going on but they just give the people in power time to adjust by themselves”. By Mr. Ayuen Awan
16/11 was United Nations’ international day for tolerance which was first launched fifteen years ago. The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for Tolerance is annually observed on November 16 to educate people about the need for tolerance in society and to help them understand the negative effects of intolerance.
Before I go ahead to divulge my own view on this area under discussion, I would like to first examine some acts of tolerance and intolerance in Africa and South Sudan in particular.
Africa has in the recent past witnessed chaotic situations in what was described as a “wind of change” in North African nations of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya which led to the fall of the Africa’s long serving and most cherished head of states.
In Libya for example, the people there had put up with Gadhafi’s totalitarianism for nearly forty years of uninterrupted headship until recently when they erupted like a molten magma or volcano on the top of mountain. He referred to them as rats and cockroaches but they insisted up to the last day when Africa’s strongman was finally brought down from power straight to the grave. Though it was a horrible scene he deserved it because he took warning signals for granted.
When people keep quiet it doesn’t mean that they are satisfied with the way things are going on but they just give the people in power time to adjust them.
Looking at South Sudan under this subject matter; I believe we are the most tolerant people in the world. Whether things go on wrong or right we remain unbothered. I’ve ever witnessed negative moves taken by our government on its own people but the people affected take long to react or sometimes none. This is an act of tolerance. Appreciations to those of you who are tolerant, let’s hope you will not be taken for granted. But for how long shall we remain bystanders in South Sudan?
This month (November 2011), the ministry of Labour and Public Service scrapped off what used to be known as consolidated payment leading to many getting their salaries reduced by almost a third. This to me is a move in a wrong direction during these tough times when the cost of living is skyrocketing. How will these people who were previously receiving their full salaries cope with it?
We expect the government to instead increase salaries for the civil servants so as to enhance the standard of living and also to counteract the dangers of the rising cost of living.
Why is it quick for the public service to implement negative policies like deducting salaries and dallies in processing permanent appointments for those that it says are employed? Any move leading to diminution in people’s earnings is a government’s interest and not people’s interest and for how long can such a government that puts its interest first subsist? I don’t know! Ask the North Africans since they know it better than anyone else.
Conversely, there is a molten magma boiling below the portion of earth’s surface on which South Sudan floats and that is high rate of unemployment. A vast majority of young, energetic, educated and resourceful youths who are unemployed now chase after the few available jobs provided by the private sector and NGOs while the government feels it has enough old experienced men and women to work for it (government). It is commonly said that “an idle mind is a devil’s workshop”, therefore, it is better for government to see it imperative to keep youths occupied than over valuing old men and women.
When youths are left redundant what they always think is negative and this would increase the rate of crimes. The protests in the North Africa were triggered by one frustrated Tunisian youth who had looked for jobs but all his attempts to get one were futile. So he said to hell with the world and set ablaze to himself in front of a government building.
I estimated the rate of unemployment in South Sudan to about 90% when Equity Bank advertised one hundred positions and the number of applications collected were close to three thousand. When one consults government officials for an advice on what might be the cause of this unemployment, they always blame it on the system of education which they say produces only job seekers but not job creators. This statement is very confrontational. Isn’t it also a system of government to blame? Well, fresh graduates may have great business ideas which need huge capital to implement them. Hence, they end up looking for jobs in order to raise money to start their own.
It is government’s obligation to create jobs for its people, provide health care services, education, infrastructure, security etc.
However, intolerance is that one depicted by the group of disgruntled army officers who saw it better to oppose the government in the bush than in parliament. The likes of George Athor and his colleagues in the jungles are intolerant. Who tells them that corruption can be done away with by speaking from afar?
In conclusion, this piece of information shouldn’t be perceived as if am calling for street protests to push the government for better services, nonetheless, I meant it to point out the truth while tolerance still remains observed in our societies.[i]
Tolerance is the longest route towards success; intolerance is the shortest route towards failure.
Note: This article was authored on 19/11/2011
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