Academics and Journalists can change and shape the destiny of South Sudan
Academics and Journalists can change and shape the trajectory of South Sudan – if the government listens to their voices
By Ring Mayar, Canberra, Australia
March 28, 2016 (SSB) — Academics research and impartial journalists’ advice can change the country. That means that academics, and journalists have enormous power. Although in South Sudan academics and journalists group have been silenced, and the overwhelming majority are not shaping today’s public debates.
Instead, well-known think tank institutes such as The Sudd Institute, Ebony Center and Kush Institute and many more… [their] work is largely stored digitally in form of academic journals that are read almost exclusively by South Sudanese Diasporas. This clearly illustrates that the majority of policy-makers and government officials do not read these valuable policy reviews and research articles.
Ostensibly, before the transpired civil conflict erupted in 2013, some think tank published dozens peer-reviewed articles on the deteriorating political and economic situations in the country… [and] called for something to be done to avert the worsening situations. However, warnings were ignored even within parliamentary officials – some politicians in the opposition parties in South Sudan had not read the articles.
Thus a lot of great thinking and many potentially world-interchanging ideas are not getting to benefit the nation. Why, then, are academics, and journalist not doing more to share their ideas with the broader public on TV, Radio Stations, and at the Universities Faculties? The answer appears to be in three layers: the sheer fear of what academics and journalists should or shouldn’t do as instructed by the State security apparatus; a lack of financial backup from universities or government incentive – due to hard currency scarcity; and a lack of training in the art explaining complex concepts to a lay audience.
Nowadays, some academics and journalists think that they write and present their work for the general public. By doing so abandoning their mission as intellectuals to inform politicians and public by engaging utilising other mass media and sometimes meeting people in person. Academics and journalists should not feel they are dumbing down highly complex thinking and arguments. In other words, the academics and journalists should not operate in isolation from South Sudan’s current problems that it’s facing.
Policies should be put forward solutions that could help politicians and the people understands the implications of government’s failure to act promptly. This could lead the government to address issues such as hunger, starvation, conflict, food insecurity, illiteracy and heath care.
Academics and journalists must step beyond their editorial offices and lecture halls to help South Sudan politically and socially. They are numerous international and local organisations that offer incentives to their academics to write in the popular media, appear on TV or radio, or share their research findings and opinions with the public via these platforms. I believe South Sudan needs contributions from t academics and journalists contributions, particularly, policy articles should be shared beyond academics and journalistic space.
Academics and journalists need to start their constructive role in society instead of stealthy remaining observers who write about South Sudan affairs from Jabel Konjur and publish their news findings in electronic journals hidden away from the public and politicians behind expensive digital paywalls.
Quality academics research and investigative journalists are paramount in any democratic society. It is equally imperative, though, to get ideas and information out into the public beyond intellectual South Sudanese. It could make a real difference in people’ lives in South Sudan and beyond.
Published by Ring Mayar; contact: naydiet@yahoo.com.au
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