Welcome to Mading Aweil Discussion Board (MADB)

[Augustino Ting]

The Youth Organization of Warrap State (YOWS)
First Annual Convention
Salt Lake City, Utah
Friday – Monday, May 23-26, 2008

Dear Warrap State Youth (in North America):

With great excitements about the new move our group is about to embark upon, we would like to first send you our heartfelt greetings. We certainly hope that all has been well for each one of you, while enjoying the incredible year of 2008. As a preliminary note, please bear with us as we attempt to syntactically and explicitly communicate to you what’s intrinsically harbored in this special document.

Note: Our demographic target is Warrap State Youth in North America.

Twenty plus years of civil unrest in South Sudan have led to constrained human progress in many aspects. Overwhelmed by this famous civil strife in human history, Southern Sudan has been eminently distressed, which nearly brought human society living there to bare survival possibilities. Youths, among others, have been latently victimized to the point of even developing a culture of being regularly passive in discourses that tend to affect them the most. Yet, the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement a few years ago, has miraculously paved the way for potential rejuvenation of the system as well as granting Southern Sudanese youths a voice of collective thought and action.

Of course, the achievement of six-year political autonomy, followed by the formation of its today’s sickly operational civil and political organs is a compelling accomplishment for all southerners. However, the important and most impoverished organs of the government of Southern Sudan, as exhibits by prevailing social structure, are states whose destiny shouldn’t supposedly rest upon the central government but also the individual constituents.

With humanitarian agencies (herein a randomly selected example) creating much systematic and economic dependency upon southern system, many thoughts concerning how this dependency, among many others, is literally burdening the populace, have been formulated by foreign and southern Sudanese experts alike. Various studies and assessments of the existing southern system have indicated much needed investment and upgrade in human development, etc. Similar investigations have also been dedicated to individual states, treating others as reference entities. Related outcomes purport that some states are far better off than others, with those viewed as being typically better off simply epitomizing an anticipated sense of human progress. Some have, in contrast, shown a miserably failing system – with our own being a great example. Nevertheless conceivable and conventional recommendations as they are pertained to these problems regularly get furnished, sometimes in friends’ conversations or even in public forums, such as discussion boards but never really get applied.

As part of this investigational process, the Youths of Warrap State living in North America have decided to implement these comprehensively generated thoughts via an organized institutional Think Tank, or call it a conduit of useful ideas if you will. Warrap State, as its stature currently communicates, is struggling to the extreme, and of course tops the least developed state of all 10 southern states. For we can organizationally and collectively bring change to virtually deserving people of Warrap, formulating a unified voice through an organized social entity was thought to be a grand ideal. This is why a few Warrap State youths sought time to talk over this last December. Thus, this message serves as an important call to every Warrap State youth to in any way possible invest in this cause.

Those observed social disparities, so to speak, have warranted the Interim Board of YOWS to sincerely ask the Warrap state youth who live in North America to get ready for a foundational conference, which is scheduled to take place in May of this very year. We, as an entrusted team with this task, would like to make this event as productive and memorable as possible, hoping to offer the best we possibly can to you all as your civil servants.

Programmatically, the conference will address multiple outstanding issues, with chief emphasis being devoted to development, education, position of Abyei, and the roles of state and youth in establishing socially informed and encompassing structural trajectories. Provided below is the composite of related Agenda, along with the aims.

Aims of the Conference

o Unite our youth under new state confederation (Warrap)
o Create lifelong bonds among Warrap state youth
o Enhance youth social and intellectual development
o Improve network among youth
o Raise awareness about issues that affect our populace–both back home and in the peripheries
o Act as skills transfer agency
o Collaborate with local and state governments to ensure human progress back home
o Act as a developmental think tank


Tentative Agenda

o Unity among Warrap state youth
o Educational Development
o Cultural Development in the peripheries – as an identity
o Our roles as youth of Warrap towards our state
 Development (economic, education, and social (gender equity))
 Roles of state (Warrap) in youth development – youth programs, etcetera
o The CPA dividends & infrastructure, legal system, returnees, and security current situation – (to be related to by the state official)
o The CPA and the position of Abyei (to be related to by an invited official from WS), or alternatively, an expert in the area
 Security and political situation of Abyei
 Role of Warrap state in Abyei issue
 Role of youth in Abyei issue

MONEY

Apparently, we can’t do as much without financial support. Based on an estimated cost of this conference, all Warrap state constituents are being urged to contribute financially in any way doable. All citizens of Warrap State are encouraged to give a donation of at least $25 to help make the conference a success.

For more information regarding donations please feel free to contact Miss Awout Aleu Ayieny, the YOWS’ Secretary of Logistics & Finance. Donations may also be directed to the following particulars:

Awout Aleu Ayieny
Cell: (816)304-2299
4107 NE Davidson Rd Apt #398
Kansas City, Mo 64116


A HAPPY ENDING, OR CALL IT A PARTY

The conference will be concluded with terrific modern and cultural dances, all brought to you by Youth Organization of Warrap State (YOWS). This will take place during the last day of the conference, and all, including non Warrap State citizens, are invited to attend.

For questions or concerns, please contact us.


Sincerely,


Augustino Ting M. Mayai
YOWS Interim Secretary General
(801)792-8242
mayai@wisc.edu
_________________
Augustino Ting Muorter Mayai
Madison, Wisconsin (USA)

[garang_aher]

Augustino Ting and dedicated members,

A multitude of thank for this great step. Creating such a statewide body is the realization and acknowledgement that sustainable development in our states can’t be achieved without energizing and motivating our collective efforts and thoughts. Additionally, through discussing and debating important issues that concern the Warrap state in its entirety, you will have the ability to create a long-term sustainable development process. You will also be able to define the word development in a context of changing people lives. The word development itself has been terribly abused and misused by the developing countries. Instead of defining development in a context of moving people from where they are to a certain point in their lives, our states’ leaders are defining it in a completely different context that is suppressing impoverished people more and more.

Furthermore, I would like to suggest a few things.
First of all, after successfully developing and consolidating this statewide organization, you should expand it by including and enlisting other Warrap state youths in places like Canada, Australia, UK, and South Sudan. This step is vitally important because it will increase your statewide organizational capacity in dealing with these seemingly daunting development challenges.

Secondly, while organizing and working here to develop yourselves in Diaspora, you should know that a lot of things will never change unless you physically get on the ground. For instance, fighting poverty and illiteracy can’t and will never be achieved without physically present on the ground. Changing those problems require you to be present on the ground such that you can create policy programs that are relevant to the circumstances. You might need to go to the classroom and teach because the vast majority of our children in our states are lacking those who should motivate and inspire them for a higher achievement and intellectual development. For this reason, I would suggest that you should go there with your leaders in this organization after you have fully consolidated this body. Similarly, changing and improving health and environment health conditions can’t and will never be achieved without your intellectual and physical involvement on the ground.

Thirdly, perhaps the most important thing is that of a generational change in South Sudan as a whole. I have concluded that bringing and sustaining a long-term human development process is enormously dependent upon changing those children’s grinding conditions, which are deeply-seated in a rampant illiteracy and poverty in South Sudan. I call it a generational change because we can’t succeed without targeting one generation in the entire country. We should, however, keep in mind that the success of a generational development will largely depend on channeling our human assets, economic assets, and physical assets to one generation that is extremely vulnerable to this rampant corruption rooted in terribly impaired institutional capacities in our states. Our states’ institutional capacities are extremely poor due to lack of qualified legislators, and perhaps due to the states and locals’ capture. Inability to make legislations and programs that should alleviate illiteracy, poverty, and health problems is another exacerbating factor. Therefore, bringing skills and knowledge you have to the people on the ground is what I would recommend for those who are striving for better in their places.

Fourthly, don’t forget to work with other youths in Bhar el Ghazel though it is a very difficult undertaking. There are challenges that we need to deal with as a region. Therefore, encouraging the spirit of brotherhood in confronting and dealing with those challenges should be a centerpiece of our various states’ non-political organizations.
In the final analysis, I thank you for this great step. It is a very challenging undertaking but it worth taking because its benefits outweigh the costs. Make it work and sustain it.

Thanks,

Mayikaher
_________________
I am thinking about it.
“A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimension.” Oliver Wendell Holmes.

[Augustino Ting]

Mayik Aher,

I wholeheartedly applaud your comments. We, as a youth group of Warrap State, will certainly make use of such fundamentally sound insights.

Thanks so greatly for being our supporter. Please send me any questions or newly emerging comments you may have. I couldn't be much appreciative.

Best,
Ting
_________________
Augustino Ting Muorter Mayai
Madison, Wisconsin (USA)

[garang_aher]

Augustino Ting,

We are one community. Warrap and NBGS have intertwined interests. As of now, I would encourage you to mobilize and energize your young people towards playing a greater role in changing grinding circumstances in your state. The first step in tackling a problem is to identify the source and the nature of the problem. The second step is to mobilize the resources or projects to solve a problem. You have already identified what the problem (s) is. Now, your next step is to find appropriate resources (people included) to solve the problem. Not to forget, you and others in your state are a brain power for this organization. So, develop, consolidate, and move it to a right direction to achieve its intended outcomes.

Most important, we should encourage ourselves (educated ones) to participate in education. Creating public awareness and Self-consciousness in our states would be the best way to bring changes we all thirst for. If you go home today with your education, perhaps you will find an opportunity to create some programs that would embrace a popular participation. You might have the opportunity too to mandate every child to go to school. You might have the opportunity to create poverty alleviation programs in your state. And because you have a creativity, knowledge, skill, and innovation to change the curves of illiteracy, pandemic health issues, and poverty, it is imperative that some of you should consider going home to teach. I emphasize teaching and educating our people because it is the only way we can bring changes. We should think of better ways to make everybody an ingredient of our struggle against socioeconomic and political problems. This is a fight that needs individual and collective efforts.

Thus, keep rallying your young people around these common problems. This is like a mitigation plan. I mean it should be a continuing and sustaining process.

Sincerely yours,

Mayikaher
_________________
I am thinking about it.
“A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimension.” Oliver Wendell Holmes.

[Augustino Ting]

Mayikaher,

Thank you once again, brother. Yes, everything you have said is insinuative in our societal context. Like you personally alluded to, education is but a life changing tool. I taught in Sudan in 2006 for about a month and two weeks. It was at Warrap Senior Secondary School. I loved doing that except that I had to rush back to the US so soon so as to commence school in the fall.

My research looks at child mortality levels in Southern Sudan, so I get to go to South Sudan every year.

I will incorporate your ideas into our plan. Thanks so greatly, and please feel free to ask if you think I may be of any help to y(our) community.

Best,
Ting
_________________
Augustino Ting Muorter Mayai
Madison, Wisconsin (USA)

[garang_aher]

Augustino Ting,

I am glad that you are doing your postgraduate education. Maybe you should include a little bit of maternal mortality. The issue of a child and maternal mortality is glaring one. Because you are a postgraduate student, you might have a greater opportunity to get support from the USA philanthropists and other charity organizations. Just an opinion.

In addition, I firmly believe that you will be a great help to Aweil community, given your strong background in relation to social issues. We need individuals like you who have a good understanding of social problems and how they can be addressed.

Likewise, I am looking forward to working with people like you and others in the future because I am leaning toward education. I need to work with those who want to teach, for teaching is what I envision to be my future career. But my greatest shortcoming is that I have not taken courses in education to develop an in-depth understanding of this area. This is what worries me in spite of the fact that I have read some important articles on education in developing countries.

Thanks,

Mayikaher
_________________
I am thinking about it.
“A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimension.” Oliver Wendell Holmes.

[Augustino Ting]

Mayikaher,

Great recommendations and compliments; thank you. Because I had wanted to extend my research in Southern Sudan to the matters encircling the maternal death, as you have pointed out, I previously made an attempt to locate a related dataset collected in 2005. Such request is still in process, but once the set is received, I will be able to measure the extent of maternal mortality in the region. But this won't happen sometime soon since other academic obligations continue to unfold. In the meantime, I plan to put in some papers for publication.

Absolutely. "Birds of feathers flock together." Academia is my thing and so is it for you. I would like to become both a professor and researcher at an institution of higher education, presumably back home. I would be happy to work with you in anyway possible. You certainly have inspirational and insightful ideas that are of great benefit in general. I love being part of great people like you. As a matter of fact, James Alic and I are close colleagues. We literally attended the same schools during our undergraduate career, later decided to go to graduate school, and went back home together about twice now.

Take a few cornerstone courses in education - with emphasis on pedagogy, and you should be fine. Speaking of education, the institution I am currently attending is highly ranked in the area of education nationwide. You should check that out if you ever want to attend an educational graduate program in the future. What did you get your degree in? I presume you have already exhausted your undergraduate studies.

Again, if there is anything I can help with please let me know.

Hope you are having a fabulous week.

Until then,
Ting
_________________
Augustino Ting Muorter Mayai
Madison, Wisconsin (USA)

[garang_aher]

Augustino Ting,

It is a great advice. Going to a graduate school for education will now be one of my choices among MBA and Master's of Science in environmental engineering.

Also, I am glad you are a colleague to Alic Garang. Alic is a fine young man with great academic abilities. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D in economics. Therefore, both of you, in collaboration with others, will surely bring a lot of better changes.
_________________
I am thinking about it.
“A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimension.” Oliver Wendell Holmes.

[LEWISE LOSHAGOR]

Dear Ting.

Good start and happy ending .

Iam very glad to have a readthrow of all your move with the mains focus in targeting such a issued that would lead to unite the youth of warrap state , so it will be very appreciative for you to continuos bringing all the youth to work together such that they should know how important will be to have a proper foundation which will help comrade Nhial Deng in the next round compaign for SPlM/A chairmanship with out seeking any endorsementship from the upper side of the Nile beng which will encourage the possibility for his chance enruinmentship .

so thanks alot for all your courage to improve relationship between warrap youth and as well as the region as whole which will simply enlarge ways and creat the clear pavement for next round during Nhial compaign to be support by everyone in the entire region democratically.
_________________
Train hard to fight easy -chinese proverbs

By lewise loshagor

[Augustino Ting]

Lewise,

I am indebted to all Sudan constituents who supported me and my colleagues in making sure the Warrap Youth Conference was successful. I thank you imminently for your compliments and hope you will continue to support us in our cause. Your support means a lot, as such proves to be an integral drive in the communal accomplishment of activities like this.

Thank you once again for courageous advice.

Best,
Ting
_________________
Augustino Ting Muorter Mayai
Madison, Wisconsin (USA)

[Daniel British]

will be to have a proper foundation which will help comrade Nhial Deng in the next round compaign for SPlM/A chairmanship with out seeking any endorsementship from the upper side of the Nile beng which will encourage the possibility for his chance enruinmentship .

Lewise, I think you realized how ugly when you appear between two wise men (Augustine Ting and Garang Aher). I will not tell you how since you already felt it.

Garang Aher and Augustine Ting, you are really insightful, thoughtful and visionary. No matter how we debate on issues, you always proven, or winning my heart by your powerful ambition and commitment. I am always proud to call myself your friend or friend of your two states. Nothing I love than thoughtfulness, commitment, and hardworking, and if I have to think of better words to describe Aweil and Gokrial, there are no other words than you being the most "consensual" people I have ever known, met and lived with. By "consensual" I mean when you agree on something you mean it and diligently work for it. I hope this new organization will soon be another Aweil Youth Association.

You may not know this but I am one of most political animals born in South Sudan. You may never easily realize how I love you and what you are doing but my heart is always praiseful of you.

Ting, this is a wise move. Don't look back. Walk straight.

Your brother

Daniel British
_________________
"A Wise man always think of others and let others think of him." Daniel British.

"A person makes other people feel important is rewarded by people to feel important too." Dr. David Schwartz.

[Bilpam]

[Augustino Ting]

British:

Thanks so greatly for your generous compliments, my friend. I appreciate you incalculably. I'm equally proud to be your colleague. Keep the good work as well.

The YOWS was created to exclusively provide insights into well-being and growth of Warrap State youth whose residence is non other than periphery. The leadership currently prepares for the second conference, which is likely to take place in November this very year. All will be welcome, presumably.

By the way, I'm from Tonj, not Gogrial, though unrelated to Nhial Deng.

Ting
_________________
Augustino Ting Muorter Mayai
Madison, Wisconsin (USA)