THE VISION, MISSION, AND PLACE OF THE YOUTH IN SOUTH SUDAN

Subject: Reflection on the duties and responsibilities of our young generations

Dear South Sudanese young generations,

By Dr. Jembi Jembi,

Sunday Dec 24, 2018(SSNN) — In the spirit of this time “the Advent, 2018”, and in the spirit of your solidarity as young men and women, and regarding the subject of this article, and with the desire in your hearts, and with the aspirations and dreams in your minds, and as the year 2018 is coming to an end, and the new year 2019 is approaching, I would like to share with you very important message of hope about your vision, mission and place as young men and women of South Sudan as follow: “This advent season” is always coming to remind you of what you have been preparing and doing for yourself and others during the course of your life until now.

If I may ask you, is this your vision? Is this your mission? Is this your place? If no, what is your vision as South Sudanese young generations? What is your mission as South Sudanese young generations? And what is your place in society? Now that some of you have been participating in the corruption (looting, raping, stealing, killing and most significantly committing genocide) … Is this your mission? Is this your place? Is this what you are supposed to do as young men and women?  

Nevertheless, some of you have gone further to form some strange groups, organizations, communities, clubs, and places where you can continue practicing unlawful and illegal habits, customs and cultures that are against ours as South Sudanese. Is this your vision, mission, and task as South Sudanese young generations? Did your parents raise you up that way? Did your parents ask you to practice that bizarre behavior? What did your community ask you to do and practice? What did your family ask you to do and practice exactly? From where did you learn the habit and culture of rape and raping? Do you know that stealing, raping, looting and abusing are not part of your culture originally? On top of that, they are not your vision, mission, and task?

Dear South Sudanese young generations,

It is said about time that it doesn’t wait for us, but it is always passing (in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening and afternoon) i.e. your life is deeply connected to this fourth part aspect of the day.  Do you know that you are special? Do you know that you are gifted? Yes, you are special and gifted, and you are talented and intelligent too. You just need to watch out carefully and try to discover yourself.  You are able and capable and you will remain so (able and capable) to do and carry things by yourself, things that are good, great, excellent and awesome that will bring praise, glory and purity to you, your family, community and country as a whole (the new South Sudan) where sons and daughters from different parts of the country can live together through creating and building new relationships, bridges, and understandings.  

The old fashion style must be buried for good and forever (the tribalism, nepotism, sectarianism, favoritism etc.). For this reason, you the South Sudanese young generations, you have to rise to the level of citizenship instead of tribal and ethnicity, this new fashion is your duty and responsibility, and you have to enter into this project with all your strength, with all your mind, and with all your heart so as it has to flourish and flash green light.

In the previous article, I reminded you that you can make it, and it is true that you can make it, and now I would like to say the same and again that you can make it and you can make a difference. Do you know why?  Because you are younger, stronger, gifted, talented and intelligent, and all these gifts are from Almighty God, who created South Sudan, you and all things which are in it. Therefore, it is your personal duty and responsibility to safeguard yourself, your community, South Sudan and its people and resources from the strangers. Remember, some of those strangers might be your brothers, sisters, fathers, leaders, yet you must protect yourself, community, South Sudan people and resources from them without inclination and favoritism or the old fashion style.  

Dear South Sudanese young generations,

When your life is in danger, you have to seek safety, when the life of your brothers, sisters, mother,  and fathers and your people are in danger, you have to do likewise (protect them) from their enemies. Now that those enemies may come in the form of friends, angles, prophets etc. so, you have to discern them from their performances using the gifts that are given to you…and you must do that acts wholeheartedly and overwhelmingly for the sake of your bright future and the future of the coming young generations. Do you know why? Because this is your vision, mission, and task, which are the biggest in the whole of South Sudan, that your good Lord has entrusted you with so that you do something extraordinary for Him, then for yourself and lastly for your country South Sudan. South Sudan is the only place in the whole world where you are supposed to get love, joy, respect, honor, and dignity. Unfortunately, every day you encounter unprecedented behaviors and practices, yet you must renounce yourself and exert much effort to achieve these qualities. It is not easy to acquire them, but you have to learn consistently about them and practice them as well. They are not simple and easy to be learned and acquired; however, you must sweat a bit and sometimes you must pass the nights over and over, and toil tirelessly in order for you just to secure certain degree of remedy, which is somehow satisfactory and to make it easier for you to get some of your needs. I have some questions for you, what is important to you, your family, community, and nation? What do you want to earn more? Love more? Have more? Achieve more? And get more from life? I guess you know the answers more and better than me and others.  

The way forward:

Honestly speaking, many of you live as spectators in South Sudan and never participate in some form of life, and some of you as young men and women run, fight and struggle up and down with natural life. In reality, you should get engaged in the PEST interchange, and with that in mind, I think you should be encouraged by them to enable you to pave the way to attain the followings:

1. Equip and empower yourself and stand up boldly for your people.
2. Transform yourself from your negative thinking and doing into positive thinking and doing.
3. Stand toll to fighting against corruption, tribalism, nepotism, sectarianism, favoritism, and any kind of destructive ethnicity.
4. Do not miss the chance of learning, acquiring, sharing and representing South Sudan positively whenever you get a chance.
5. Work hard to lower down the unprecedented rise in ethnicity among South Sudanese.
6. As a young leader, you have to speak how you feel and express yourself wholeheartedly.
7. As a young leader, approve yourself and stop looking outside your vision, mission, place, and task.
8. Be aware that the problem in your country is rooted in the history of Sudan and South Sudan.
9. Dream of a good time now, think of accomplishing great achievement in life for you and your people and create ideal relationships for future generations.  
10. Be ready to journey unhesitant and put your trust in Him who has all the means to provide

safety and requirements i.e. God who wants you to grow up, wants you to be healthy, wants you to strong and most importantly, wants to fill you with wisdom so that you can serve Him and others like His son Jesus Christ: “The child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him” (Luke. 2: 40).   

1. You have to imitate leadership of the wise men from the East who came to Jerusalem when Jesus was born and asked … for we have seen His star in the East and we have come to worship Him. (Mat. 2:1-10). Following the “star” symbolizes knowledge of internal goodness and truth which come from the Lord, and “traveling” symbolizes further development of spiritual life.
2. Be a strategic leader, and understand your operating environment will help you conduct an environmental scan (PEST) analysis and (SWOT) analysis as well. As young leaders, you must work very hard, study very hard and exert more effort to fill your minds and hearts with good knowledge, and acquire a lot of reliable experiences that will help you to cater awesome services for your people and country at large.   

God bless you abundantly,

The author, Dr. Jembi Jembi, is a concerned South Sudanese. He can be reached at jembi66@hotmail.com

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