Arrival!

A brief addition to say that I have arrived safe in Mundri after an overnight stay in Juba and drive back into Western Equatoria, via a couple of field centres providing health and agricultural development services AND to acknowledge the initial referendum result of 99.57% FOR Secession. Once the Sudanese government in Khartoum has also verifed this (within a fortnight) then Independence is fully official. An auspicous occasion to arrive in what will be the world's 193rd country.



I met a senior GOSS (Government of Southern Sudan) lawyer last night and talked constitutional accountability and nation building over wonderful fresh fish and tea as well as reconnecting with my friend Light. I stayed at one of the blocky two storey hotels that have sprung up predominantly to serve NGO workers. It is situated on the banks of the Nile so I was priveleged to take in the wonder of the river early this morning. I met the chairman of MRDA in Juba and the team I will be placed with (formerly Civic Education and now becoming Peace and Democracy Studies)for introductory chats, now I am on my way to the guest house that will be my home for the immediate future.



The lack of infrastructure and underdevelopment that caused so much resentment in the South is immediately apparent from the airport on and the roads outside Juba are in some places barely functional. Juba by night is a very very dark place but there are shops of all persuasions and some bars lining the roadside for miles. Also the sheer scale of the country is striking. So much of the land is unpopulated and the expression 'off the beaten track' has taken on a new resonance for me. Mundri and the surrounding area is more lush in terms of vegetation and milder in Climate than Juba and there are rivers cutting across the bush at occasional intervals.

I'm off to enjoy the evening.Salam!

On the threshold

The title could easily refer to Southern Sudan itself, with preliminary referendum results due tomorrow, two weeks after polls closed*. In reality I'm referring to my own infinitely more modest journey. After a week in Nairobi, book ended by a couple of hours in Cairo airport and some time in an Addis Ababa hotel (an unexpected inclusion on my flight itinerary) I will reach Juba in around five hours. Another five hours by road and finally I should be in Mundri.

Perhaps deliberately I have kept extremely busy in Nairobi and rarely allowed myself time to reflect upon the work ahead, other than to see through the practical process of obtaining a permit to enter the country (the main objective of my stay). Instead I have been meeting new friends (made possible partially by the ever durable magic of social networking) exploring bookshops, bars and parks Up and Down Town and visiting projects and people in different corners of the city, including the so-called 'superslum' of Kiberia, the largest informal settlement in the world, originally begun by Nubians displaced from Egypt and Sudan by the colonial authorities and still three quarters Muslim. I also had the privilege of meeting youth workers experienced at different levels and in different areas of the city, all committed to genuine youth participation and working hard to promote good practices in a difficult political environment.

My time in the city and the breadth of my wandering has been so brief as to only allow the most superficial of investigation and reflection. Nonetheless I have a few thoughts to share.

The pace of life in Nairobi matches its reputation as a business and political centre. It is a metropolis matching London for the intensity of movement and activity in all areas, though lacking some of the sophistication of London's transport system (yes this week I have MISSED TFL! Especially when stuck in or choked by the fumes from the rush hour traffic). This struck me much more than the pace of life in Cape Town and Abuja when I visited last year. Of course both rich and poor here are overwhelmingly Black African, regardless of their regional or ethnic origin, with Mzungus such as myself mostly only tourists. Whilst there are still rich white landowners hanging around from the colonial period there colour bar is not as much of an obvious barrier as in the Post Apartheid South Africa. Inequality and ethnic tension are more immediately striking issues.


Reminiscent of my experience in the Dominican Republic, Kenyans HUSTLE HARD. Confronted by mass poverty but equipped with entrepreneurial spirit and drive the evidence of the ingenuity, creativity and hard work of the people is here in abundance. And whilst obvious inequality is also everywhere, there is a genuine interest and investment in political change and accountability that demonstrates recent progress since the violent events of the 2008 election period. With new elections next year and a brand new constitution in its first stages of implementation, not to mention fierce debate over International Criminal Court proceedings against individual politicians marked as ringleaders of the murderous 2008 mobilizations, there is an active political culture. I attended one free event at City Hall^ with hundreds of young people from around the city speaking out on Governance, Peace Work, Economic Development and the Environment. Local groups are also pushing the government to implement it's National Youth Policy and build an effective, representative National Youth Council. These are all encouraging movements. People here are also watching keenly the news from North Africa, not just the Sudanese referendum but the massive milestones in Tunisia, Egypt and farther afield.

Finally two things that Kenyans love that I hold in common with them...Football and Reggae! Both are everywhere, energizing and enriching the city and stoking energetic debate and demonstration. I have been lucky enough to both go to a Dancehall club in the city and watch an African Champions league match. Unfortunately the Kenyan Military team Ulizini Stars was comprehensively routed four goals to nil by the classy Zamalek, of Egypt*, but at least I was able to see some live football in Africa, having missed the opportunity to go to the World Cup last year. Such indulgences may be few and far between over the months ahead so I am eminently grateful top my newfound friends in Kenya for making the past few days so enjoyable and thought provoking.

^Organised by this team http://nairobi.cityyouthcentre.org/index.php?id=1339
*http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9380861.stm

Why Sudan?

An independence rally in Southern Sudan

In 2009 I chose to explore my interest in Peace Work seriously by undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution with the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies at Coventry University. This served to educate me in some of the key skills needed in the field, and the context to its development. Most crucially it gave me two weeks intensive work with an incredibly rich and diverse group of colleagues from all over the world, including two participants from Sudan. After ongoing correspondence once our course had finished, I was eventually invited by Aganwa Wilson, Director of a Southern Sudanese NGO called MRDA, to join them in specifically the development of a new peace building initiative. I have recieved numerous such invitiation over the past few years from friends in the Global South. The timing for me personally and the crossroads in history that Sudan now stands at have influenced my decision to accept this one. This personal connection is incredibly important to me. All too often I feel that International 'Development' amounts to another layer of patronage and interference. Without the blessing of my colleagues in Sudan I would feel uncomfortable with the notion of arriving unwelcome. I am hoping this post will communicate why I find this opportunity so compelling.

Sudan
The borders of Sudan arguably encompass the original ‘Cradle of Civilisation’. The Ancient Kingdom of Nubia, whose monarchy, economic infrastructure and spiritual practices predate and inform those of the much celebrated Egyptian culture, survived numerous military and cultural assaults until the Eighteenth century and colonisation.

Today the modern Republic of Sudan, the biggest in both Africa and the Arab world and, includes almost six hundred distinct ethnic groups speaking over four hundred languages and dialects (the official state languages are Arabic and English) and incorporates substantial numbers of Christians, Muslims and followers of indigenous faiths. Sudan has been embroiled in conflict for much of its existence since it achieved independence from years of Egyptian and British colonisation in 1956. Two civil wars fuelled by conflicts and inequalities between the North and South of the new country were followed by a military coup in 1989 and a later eruption of hostilities in the West of the country, specifically the Darfur region, which has drawn attention to Sudan in recent years.

Southern Sudan
The South has a population of around six million and most of the population is reliant upon rural, subsistence agriculture, despite the ongoing exploitation of major oil reserves. Conflict and internal politics has resulted in massive underdevelopment of the region, a lack of infrastructure and major destruction and displacement. Since independence over two million people have died and more than four million are internally displaced or have become refugees. There are also internal conflicts in the South, exacerbated by scarce resources, poverty and external intervention from the North and farther afield. Furthermore the borders with unstable states including Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Chad, as well as the presence of fugitive elements of the Lords Resistance Army, displaced from Northern Uganda, undermine peace in Southern Sudan.

Whilst the conflict in Darfur remains unresolved there is an official peace agreement between the leadership of the North and South that has seen a high degree of autonomy for the South since 2006, pending a full referendum on independence scheduled for completion on January 9th. Some of the foundations of an independent system of government have been established and many of the large Southern Diaspora have returned to homelands vacated during the most recent War. Official agreements and deals between elites do not necessarily resolve underlying tensions and if, as anticipated, the South votes for independence, its citizens and leaders will face a number of serious challenges, not least an embedded culture of insecurity and violence and the need to build a rule of law that enables all to realise their basic rights through non violent means.

The Work of MRDA
For the past 3 years MRDA has rolled out a programme of Civic Education working with citizens in the Southern State of Western Equatoria, supporting them to understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities under the framework of the nascent Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS). This has included work on the Southern Sudanese constitution and the process of registering to vote and voting in elections held in 2010 (the first in over twenty years). Building upon this work the leadership of the organisation have elected to launch a new Centre for Peace and Democracy Studies.

My time will focus on evaluating the conflict sensitivity of current initiatives and developing new training and development of pilot modules and programmes through participatory training and evaluation that will draw upon the lived experience, skills and expertise of participants to build a relevant, effective and flexible body of work. Those participating will be skilled up to deliver their own programmes to wider sections of their communities in order to maximise the impact of the work. I will also be supporting the development of project plans and funding proposals to ensure the sustainability of this centre and to create the means a local worker to take over my role in a paid capacity.

The Centre will draw participants from all over the Southern Sudan with an emphasis on the population in contentious areas and the population with a history of cattle disputes as well as the substantial population of young people under 30, and intends to reach one hundred and eighty participants over its initial projected three year life cycle.

For me this endeavour represents an incredible opportunity to apply and develop my current knowledge and skills and learn much more from the experience of those around me. As I aspire to work full time in the field of peace work as a trainer and facilitator this is a chance to 'fail forward', test my ability and resolve and contribute to some crucial work. I look forward to sharing the experience with you.


Links
A very recent documentary on life in Southern Sudan and the upcoming Referendum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYXdFUbj_a8

A great documentary about Nubia, made by a Black British filmaker. Please buy it if you're interested to support more work like this that sheds light on oft-ignored history.
http://www.sudanesethinker.com/2008/07/07/black-nubia-the-forgotten-kingdom/

Mundri Relief and Development Association
http://mundridevelopment.org/mrda-aboutus.html

Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies, Coventry University
http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet/CPRS/Pages/Home.aspx