What can we learn from Hon. Maker Lual Kuol's article: 'The Greater Bor Dinka: Hurtling down the Abyss of disintegration and disgrace’?
3 min readBy Makwei Achol Thiong, Hunan, China
March 11, 2018 (SSB) — Today, even with increased interactions, our community (Greater Bor) seems to be faltering faster. More weaknesses are emerging even between brothers who have never had any significant quarrel in the past. The elders who were once known for truth telling have at best gone mute. Our adversaries seem to be winning. We speak the unspeakables on social media. No secrecy. We’re no more the people in history. We’re fast becoming, if we’re not there yet, a shadow of our past.
Instead of taking local associations as platforms for practicing leadership, we use them to groom rebels. We’re educated but still perplex the illiterates with hate and disunity for/toward each other. We argue without reference(s) and truth diminishes. We’ve become too quick in matters that need retardation and too slow in matters that need our urgency. Our world is increasingly inverted.
As young people, we form the bulk of our community, population-wise. Our indeciveness to separate between goods and bads is not down to our age. It’s either our ignorance or fear of responsibility. In their youthhood, though few were educated, they were greatly involved in issues of community well-being, atleast consistently. Truth and trust reigned. Our community’s social, cultural and political practices were intact and differences were honestly settled. Gok, Athooch, Twic, Nyarweng and Hol were one and the same person. This is, almost, no more now. So how and when will this descend change its course?
In this regard, i’ve the following suggestions; firstly, i believe that fundamental change has to start by reforming and transforming our community leaderships. Who and how to lead them, term limits and how mother association – the greater Bor – links up with its affiliates in the former three counties of Greater Bor. It’s equally important to define the status of diaspora associations operating with/without similar names but serving the same purpose. That is, define freedoms and limitations of their autonomy.
It’s vital not to view such associations as political ladder but system that cherishes the well-being of our people. So having these organizations led by people who do not have active political responsibilities would be interesting. They’ll inject their expertise, energy and time into salvaging our community out of these adverse circumstances. Such basis will allow these leaders to gain respect and loyalty of every son and daugter of the land. They’ll have the guts to tell you in the eye. A thief is a thief not ‘mathon/nyanthon’. This is what we are known for and must be instilled back into us.
Secondly, initiating annual events and setting venues in our former payams where sons and daughters would converge for conferences and having lectures across different fields would also serve a purpose. If done annually and spiced up with traditional dances and wrestling games, it shall not only help us, the young people, learn and appreciate the past but also bring about positive mindset about our abundoned villages. There is no viable community without its countryside. Such forums will also act as platform for condemning our cultural and social carelessness.
Thirdly, church can play an important role in restoring our decaying cohesion. If it can forget internal politics, preach love and peace, hardwork, stand tall against injustices, preach against negative cultural practices, among others, then positive change is realistic.
Makwei Achol Thiong is a Co-founder and former Chair of Board of Directors of Alliance High School-Bor. He is currently pursuing a Master of Industrial Engineering at Hunan University, China. Reach him via makweiachol@yahoo.com.
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