Austin, MN, November 10, 2013 (GSN) - Speaking to Minnesota Anyuak Community in Austin, Anyuak’s traditional king Akwai Agada Akwai Cham, many consider him as reformer and modern liberal democrat, expressed his condolence and gratitude on behalf of Anyuak Community worldwide , to all Dec. 13 Anyuaks victims’ family who lost love one, friends and family members 10 years ago. King also, thanks individuals, organizations, activists around the world for their support during these difficult years.
He begun, by urging Anyuak Diasporas to unite and fight our common enemy, poverty and social problem. We are one people, one culture and one language. “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”.
We all dare to dream, because we know that we are powerful enough to make a difference; and we all dare to share our dreams, because sharing is a part of Anyuak way of life and values. Let’s share the things that are crucial for humankind: culture, ideas, thoughts, language, art, peace, education, social, friendship and much more... Let’s bond together as one community for peace and stability for sake of our society, friends, neighbors and regions. Eventhough, we live within two difference nations symbolically dividing us by geographically, we still have common goal and values to share, let’s live side by side in peace and harmony which is “Anyuakism”.
Children and Education:
Young people and children often find ways to express themselves which are different to the generally accepted culture of their community. It takes a parent, community and society to raise a child. They are our future. Let’s interact and engage with them in their daily activieties. Today, our children high school dropout rates are particularly problematic measures for Anyuak youth. 3/4 (0.75) of Anyuak adolescents who are foreign-born are high school dropout and only less than 1/4 (0.25) go to college. (Gambella Star for Anyuak youth Education Statistics, 2010).
Education is the power to success. The high school dropout rate is a long-standing, widely used indicator of youth educational outcomes. Teens that have dropped out of school clearly face an array of disadvantages. They are paid significantly less in the labor market and their employment opportunities are diminished. Their opportunities to enter postsecondary education are severely curtailed. Dropout status is also associated with numerous socially debilitating behaviors, including illegal activity, teen fertility, family matter, abuse, single parent and idleness. Wherever you are in the world, please start pulling up your pant and stay in school.
Poverty and Development:
Ending poverty begins with clean water. Water is essential for life. Safe, abundant water is vital to our ability to prosper and fulfill our potential. Without it, we face a continual decline in our well-being. Active community, church, family members, and an individual will play vital role in reducing of poverty in our society. Our people need our instantaneous help and they are not at luxury to hear about the contentious views we harbor on the nature of poverty, hunger and development. Our contentious views are merely competing plans in quest for sustainable development to rid our people from many years of abject poverty and cannot be tendered at this moment in time to buy a loaf of bread.
Today, our responsibility to our people who are suffering from lack of food can only be expressed by the instantaneous act of giving. Our giving may not have great bearing to what we think the future should hold for our people, but nevertheless, it will help them live another day with hope for future lasting solution to come sooner via an arduous collective work of Diaspora Anyuak Community.
For our people in need of an immediate help, their future is today and they need not to hear an argument, debate and name-calling over tomorrow’s lasting plan. Their numbing predicament is simply an issue of today that we all Anyuaks can ameliorate together in spite of our political and ideological differences. This may be is a wishful thinking drawn from the verge of naivety a daydream that many of us Anyuaks dwell on when struck by news that we wish was a tale of the past. But I dare to think otherwise; sooner or later and politics aside, the Anyuaks Diaspora will stand together not by conviction to support or reject a contentious view or a party but by sudden sense of responsibility owed to a deserving people.
Peer pressure will shade its cover; anger will subside; tears will flow; hearts will break harder than during a loss of a friend; and in each and every Anyuaks Diaspora household, the need to do something different that makes us do the same will emerge. The predicament of our people will ironically brings us together and the hope of us Anyuaks arduously working together in spite of our political and ideological difference will come sooner than it was ever hoped. Why should we as a people dwell on issues that matter less rather than work together to lend a hand to a deserving people of ours in such testing time? Why?
Few may not swallow this call for a common purpose to dispense our responsibility as Anyuak to stand on the side of our people. Few may rather choose the side for which they have a pledge of allegiance and may continue to create new frontiers of frenzies over what could, would and should have been done by the government. The frenzies may continue un-muffled to the point of hindering the very effort needed to ameliorate the suffering of our people. This time though, this particular Anyuak Diaspora with such a plan in its political playbook will stand-alone. Its ardent supporters of women and men will “draw the line on the sand” to tell it “enough is enough; there is ample time for politics.” If that sound good to you, take a lead and share it with your active community leader and and church members.
Across Anyuak’s land, a third have no access to clean water, and almost two thirds no access to clean sanitation, causing widespread suffering from malaria, typhoid, dysentery and many other diseases. Apart from this effect upon our health, the loss of productivity that results from water-related illnesses holds back our progress.
Our population is growing rapidly each year, averaging 2.5% across the two countries, Ethiopia and S. Sudan, but the lack of safe water and sanitation reduces our economic growth at twice that rate. And a growing population must be properly fed. Anyuak Diaspora both side at the border need to invest their time, money and knowledge to their local government through social, economic and political development.
Border security and Refugees:
When it comes to the security of two nations, South Sudan and Ethiopia have strong cooperation in different areas including in capacity building, border security and in infrastructure development. As well as agreements on political and diplomatic relations, Ethiopia and South Sudan have agreed a series of cooperation agreements on a broad range of subjects.
Among others, the two neighbors have signed agreements to work together to maintain peace and security along their common border, on trade, transport, education, communication, transit and exports as well as on cultural and social relations. Ethiopia and South Sudan have established a ministerial-level and human intelligent cooperation monitoring body and every county in South Sudan and Ethiopia boarder to review and follow up the implementation of the raft of bilateral deals.
The two countries would do their best to further expand the relations with in all fields and at all levels, based on the mutual respect between the two East African neighbors.
In conclusion, King said, “If you come to South Sudan as a refugee without arm, you are welcome to stay as long as you want and we will protect you. South Sudan will not force any refugee to go back to his/her country involuntary. But, if you come to South Sudan, as individuals or groups with arm, try destabilizes, terrorize people, the border security and hurt innocent people, children and women, then stay away from my backyard. Anyuak’s Kingdom needs peace in the region and doesn’t want anti-peace and rebel in the area. It’s the right thing to do at the right time, in the right location. God bless Anyuak land.”
Editing by Gur Omot, Managing Editor of www.gambellastarnews.com , @ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
