Is South Sudan Being Heterogeneous Nation a Curse or Blessing?
By Maliap Madit Mabior, Kampala, Uganda
March 26, 2017 (SSB) —- First and foremost, I don’t dismiss the fact that a lot has been said and many people have spoken about South Sudan and so, ‘honesty is the policy’ and by our difference in views, all answers to this article in question form maybe correct. And so, I’ll be very much on the blessing end rather than a curse.
Well, from the creation account, human being which the Bible calls mankind was and is created in God’s image with Adam believed to be the original copy of God which no one rejects this religious fact. There, Adam demanded for a partner and so God quickly co-created Eve (Garang ke Abuk in my language) and roughly the multiplication resulted into us of today split into tribes and clans. Given this brief story, one would simply conclude that we are one people by naturalization.
By definition, ‘Heterogeneous’ is the opposite of a Greek word ‘Homogeneous’ meaning ‘’of the same kind.’’ Thus, Heterogeneous is from Greek word meaning ‘’of different kinds.’’ It may also be used to describe inanimate objects as well as people. It is a society in which race, ethnicity, and religion are of secondary importance to a sense of civic equality and consciousness of a shared culture and values.
Given our cultural diversity as South Sudanese ranging from these great sixty four tribes with thousands clans with frabjous cultures, customs, norms and traditions, South Sudan presents us identifiable greatness continentally and beyond.
When we live in heterogeneous society, we have unique experience of learning about different cultures, tolerance to the different people, cultural mannerism, fusion of music, arts and dances can thrive, agricultural productivity, and above all national defense.
Contrariwise to my or our expectations of achieving greatness or taking advantage of heterogeneity, we have always reversed it to social hatred, conflicts, communal-tribal wars, endless political unrest, cultural immorality, economic meltdown, uncalled suffering, religious invasion, and generally a cantankerous society where violence is almost everyone’s choice even by ecclesiastic personalities of our society.
I always place this problems on the leadership – national, local or traditional authorities for lack of an ideology as a country. However, to those in the system, such statement sounds vague and definitely receives no attention from leaders and if it does, than it is always a negative attention. We shortsightedly perceive talking about political ideology and/or governance as criticizing the ruling regime, no, it isn’t.
When we have a national ideology, it means working for the nation instead of tribes which has always been the case. It’s a policy in which we shall all subject ourselves to one sovereign authority, universal democratic principles, equal judicial treatments regardless of our classes, and where national interest shall and will always be the first and last thing, in fact, we could forge a slogan saying, ‘nation first’ and that anything belonging for the country must always be and used for.
By doing this, we shall silent tribal affiliations and match for national unity and of course ‘a merit of heterogeneous state’. Hence, shared development, national defense and pride. Now, the question is, what are you doing for South Sudan instead of what South Sudan is doing for you?
Oh God Bless South Sudan!!
The writer is a South Sudanese and can be reached via; maliapmadit2016@gmail.com, +211 (0)955 994 979
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