South Sudan: Are youth the leaders of tomorrow or today?
By Tito Tong, Juba, South Sudan
Sunday, 12 June 2022 (PW) — South Sudan needs fresh leadership to solve persistent problems, as I argue for youth to be given leadership opportunities. The youths are the leaders of tomorrow, they say. This saying I have known since infancy, and I have been wondering if that’s true in its real sense. It might be true, of course, but I found my mind to be more comfortable with saying it the other way round: the youth are the leaders of today. However, it may be, whether the leaders of today or tomorrow, all that matters is the desire for a difference from yesterday.
The time has come for us to mark the eve of the long-awaited tomorrow for the youth to realize their position of leadership in society. Different generations have come and passed, but in the present lies a greater expectation. Having been born and raised in the giant of South Sudan, I have indeed witnessed the series of leadership my country experienced. It has a tremendous population with a great wealth of natural resources, yet it is swallowed by the forces of anarchy.
The prevalence of poor leadership in my homeland, South Sudan, made the country go backward in terms of development. Poverty has spread its branches to corners; corruption is deeply rooted, the notions of peace are becoming tales; rights violations have become nothing; freedoms are being threatened; lives are wasted; families are destroyed; people dance to the tune of illiteracy, and other problems too numerous to mention. They are all the result of bad leadership in South Sudan.
The nagging question remains, however: how far do we hope to go with these? It has been said that “even the devil does not know the mind of a man”. Well! I am not a devil, but I can say with bold assurance that deep within people’s minds there exists a craving for change and a willingness to press for it. That desire for change motivates me and guides my conscience as to the justice and appropriateness of my action.
Ever since my motherland South Sudan got her independence from the Arabs Sudan in 2011, there has been a kind of table tennis passage of power within the same circle of individuals, with the same system of administration repeated over and repeatedly. We have witnessed a series of military administrations for many of our years of independence. This has left the spirit of the same military existing within our present democracy, with the same authoritarian practices of disregarding law and procedure in operation.
I wonder how possibly a change can come when? since independence, the same people are playing a soccer game of power with South Sudanese, even while there are potential youths with creative minds out there. Even a good few leaders are pessimistic about carrying the youths along. “I leave everything to the young men. You’ve got to give youthful men authority and responsibility if you’re going to build up an organization. Otherwise, you’ll always be the boss yourself and you won’t leave anything behind you.”
Inclusion, I believe the call is now! Let the youths be allowed to participate at all levels of policy and decision-making for a great and healthy democracy, and as well to save the future of our establishments. “Young men are fitter to invent than to judge; fitter for execution than for counsel; and fitter for new projects than for settled business.”
The author, Tito Tong John, holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, while doing a Master of Business Administration in the specialization of Human Resources at the same institution. Previously, I worked with different radio institutions under the Catholic Radio Network and am currently an opinion writer at Dawn News Paper frequently. I work in accordance with National and Media Authority Laws, Rules, and Regulations through its service. I observe standards of journalism with a high degree of neutrality, impartiality, integrity, professionalism, and balancing information. You can reach me through (+211920908051//+211912785339; WhatsApp/Skype: tong.khamisa; Email: tongkhamisa446@gmail.com)
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