Thank you all for designing this wonderful website, iam very grateful to see that we are coming together for I know that we always take initiative in verythings whatever the case. I personally discarded a nickname[foolish majority]given to great community [Awiel]by those who think they were born to rule but not to be rule. It is now time to speak your rights out and die for. Future and unity is my vision.
We are always happy to have new members join us. I am on the same board with you that unity is the only way forward. The issue of born to rule and not to be ruled is neither a truth nor a concern. Things are easy to say but difficult to do. No one can afford any person's domination and on the same basis, no one should attempt to dominate others for that matter. It only takes courage to undo injustice and injustice is some times invisible and needs good vision to uncover the realities in regard to injustice. So let's work together to disapprove the hypothesis put forward for test.
Awolich
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THE WAY TO DEMOCRACY, FAIRNESS, AND EQUALITY IS INEVITABLE AND FOR THOSE WHO STAND ON THE WAY TO FREEDOM THEIRS IS A CHAOTIC LIFE
Awolich de Nyuat
First and foremost, I would like to welcome you to the board.
I hope you got them, I mean your former brothers and friends you had been together in the camp.
It has been awhile without touch with one another but it be will possible to interact on daily basis.
Convey my greetings to Akon Ariath, Mabior Ngang, Akol Aluat, Guot Aluat, and others overthere in California.
With respect to your title. "Get ride of foolish majority." I would add that you are correct to point it out to Aweil people. We don't really like to be labeled with "foolish majority" because it is not appropriate and moreover, it doesn't match our cultural values and norms of our people.
However, it seems that we have misunderstood the term and the exact context "they" use it. Our people have misunderstood that "they" didn't mean lack of education or intellectual ability. What they are trying to explain is something broader in magnitude and deeper in depth. They meant the "internalization" of subordination and down-trodden.
They meant that we are unquestionably unable to take responsibility of our affairs irrespective of any education we have. They believe that we have internalized the "status quo" of being subordinates; they concluded there is no way we can come out from "internalization" of being a common people who have no capacity to lead the nation or take responsibility of the important issues on our own.
The factual reality so far is not a lack of education but the problem is that we don't trust the ability of our own people. They clearly know that no matter what, one person among them will always get votes of Mading Aweil to lead the nation. They believe winning the vast majority of Mading Aweil is a guarantee to dominate southerners and create a military dictatorship in South, because you will properly arm Aweil sons and use them to queil any opposition. This is the simple prevalent mentality or perception they have. We are believed to be a people who are there only to ask for people to guide them.
Achuil Madut, can our present and future destiny be determined or decided by them? I believe nobody will agree with that proposition. It won't work that way. We have to give our own people from Aweil a greenlight and confidence to guide and liberate us. It is a time to withdraw our destiny from them and put it in the hand of Aweil persons. We have great and optimistic leaders in our community who have a forward-looking vision. Therefore, I urge my fellow brothers and sisters to give them our entire support and strongly stand behind them so that they can move ahead with no fear of being betrayed or let down simply because of other people who are not from Aweil city. The solution is to realize or recognize the ability of our educated and current leaders in Aweil. let's support them and remain strongly united behind them.
I am not making this up. This is what one of my friends from there told me. He said, "you Aweillians have educated, heros, strong, courageous, and determined people but the major problem you are facing is that, most of you don't know how to lead. Your leadership skill is extremely poor and that doesn't make your community to be considered where the right leader can come. He added, you always have trouble because all of you want to be leaders and you end up fighting one another and this gives opportunity to others. Then why are you complaining of being labeled a "foolish majority" and yet you all know what causes it?"
I would also wish to say a big welcome to you brother. It is almost four years now since I last saw you, I hope everything is going great with you down at the west coast. Every single member who joins this board is a blessing to the progress of this board and of Mading Aweil. There is no doubt that you will make a wonderful participant on this board. As for your topic, I think that the proponent of this phrase "foolish majority" will eventually have to withdraw it by himself. We look forward to sharing ideas with you otherwise pass my greetings to the my old friends and colleagues over there. Take care.
First, let me take this glimps to welcome, those brothers/sisters who had in the course of their endeavour to be heard, decieded at this very crucial time, to join Mading-Aweil's discussion boards. Like, many other members of this very flourished forum, I had, not very long ago anticipated the comeing into this net, of some very important people, from very strong backgrounds, which would one time, at any given moment, will certainly enhenced this net which, may as a result grew to become the mouthpiece of the Greater Aweil in particualr, and the whole of South Sudan in general. Given the magnitudes of intellecutal and mental ability employed in this net, by those who built it, or help in various ways, without whose work, madingaweil.com would have not seen the light of the day, I am sure every member/s, had every right to introduce, or initiate any topic at anytime, whenever it is necessary. No one to stand on the gate of any person's feedom of exepression, as we all tend to become the "fighters" or strong advocate of the freedom of speech, that had long, been denied to our people.
Coming to the question of "Foolish Majority" that my honourable friend had to re-introduce, I cannot help, but to concur squarely with Mr Mayiik Aher's comments, as to how this term came, to be assumed by those who don't like Aweil people, to means the people of Aweil. Foolish majority, was a term used by Mr Henry Tong Chol, who hailed from Twic, to discribe the quality of the politicians of Aweil then. He (Tong Chol) was not intending it to become, what other people may think, it is what form part of Aweil or Malual peoples' culture for that matter. Although Henry Tong Chol, was born in the then Twic sub-district of Gograil, he was nevertheless raised and educated in Aweil, by his maternal uncle Acuil Mawien, the then owner of good number of enterprises in Aweil, before he was killed by the Arab in 1968. If, there is anything good Tong Chol, had learnt, to distinguish between, who is "Foolish" and who is not, I am cognizant, he learnt this in Aweil. Again, in my opinion, I don't think the word "Foolish" in plain English, connotes uneducated, if other people had thought Aweil people, are uneducated. Unless, this word had acquired different meaning, which I might have not learn to know, it is advisable this word (foolish) be used plainly.
Acuil Mawien, who raised Henery Tong Chol, who for the first time, pronouced this word "foolish", against Aweil peoples' or those individual politicians, for that matter, was by all standard uneducated, yet he manages to raised some leaders of the then Addis-Accord Governments, Tong Chol being one of those leaders. Henery Tong Chol was a graduate of Intermidate, he didnot acquire degree - so if, the hundreds of thousands of Aweil peoples, who had graduated from various secondary schools were still being lebel as "Foolish" I am afraid, this will not be ours alone. To remind you dear, the term "Foolish Majority" is now a discription that suited Bhar El Gazal Region in all standard, be it political or otherwise, than Greater Aweil. It is a metter of time, before those people, who think Aweil should maintain being assocaited with such derogatory and degrading terminology, realized, the name diserve other people, than the people of Aweil. Aweil, had against the all odds, did not allow its division to five counties to obstruct the genaral principles of "Mading ceit America". What about, other areas? Of course, big no. Isn't it the word "Foolish" is now taking its toll to become, a global issue, than just throwing it, every now and than, to obstruct the progress made by the people of Aweil? Of course, Aweil, like other regions of the south had its own setbacks, but that does not seem to be a big issue here. If, holding a PhDs does avail ones from being foolish, then what about the fathers of those who had acquired academic titles. Societies tend, not to necessarily , formed on the basis of PhDs' . Take for instant, United Kingdom and USA, have the best education system in the world, yet the work force in these countries, are drwon from graduates of seconday schools and beyond, not University graduates. So, If this notions, is correct, and it has to serve as paradigm for our developing, would be the nation of South Sudan, I am sure Aweil, does not need to panic, for it is the only region that, have more than 500,000 thousands primary and secondary schools graduates, that may suit to control the work force, in the south. The people of bad faith will still hold this notions of "Foolishness of our people" and they will, soon rather than later, be surprise to see us, the most gifted on earth, with my due respect to other nations of the south. I am sure, foolishness, had no relation with education, but, if it is, then, this is my feeling. Otherwise, I hate the foolish, being assocaited with people of Aweil, as general. We have other issues, than this-- he who think we are not educated, and therefore foolish, is labouring on his own misconceptions, and deserve to seek help, in nearest possible time.
you are most welcome achuil madut. it is a great pleasure to have you in our discussion. i agree with you in your topics. i also inclusively agree with mayik about the interpretation of the word "foolish majority". it's a hard statement for those who have not reached concrete operational stage to comprehense.
we will strive to be educated all but the implication of the word still remains in its place. the only way in which we can achieve this is to read it between the line and sit down and review our weaknesses which tend to support the statement. for doing so, we shall have left no room for "those who think they are not foolish".
we have qualities which do not match leadership such as lack of secrecy, lack of patience (we like to finish it here and now which is not always the case), belittling ourselves by giving high respect and trust to a foriegner or even a high position. by secrecy i mean not to be too open to the point of giving away your secret strenght. we always do this and console ourselves that we are strong and we can face any consequences.
in conclusion, we can fight this notion by reviewing our ways of lives, learn from the past and start from a new page altogether.
Thank you Ateny Wek for putting this connotation into its historical perspective. That is why it is vitally important that we have people who are very knowledgeable like you to be on this board. This negative word phrase has been rather problematic particularly with regard to its origin. I don't think this phrase best describes Greater Mading Aweil, Aweil has all that it takes to be a mighty land. As Ateny Wek pointed out, Aweil, in my opinion, is not worst off in terms of education, there are other communities in the south that are truly disadventaged as far as education is concerned. Nevertheless, there is no argument that this bad phrase has along the way been taken out of context; most people take it now to mean Aweil people's political incompentence. The bottom line however is, those who hold this notion about Aweil will drop it without being told.
Thank you brother Kuot, for your compliments. However, I am also honored to be amongst you in this forum.
Brother Garang Poith,
Leadership does in fact, had to be satisfied by meeting certain criteria, patient, self-respect, keeping secrets, whether official or otherwise etc. However, it is not a problem unique to Aweil people alone I repeat, it universal in the South Sudan. South Sudan itself is too far away from embracing a universal leader with qualities accepted by all. Developing to become leader is an individual issue, in the first palce. It become general when, certain person embark into leading people in a given time. Agian, frakness and the ability to question some unclear things, are another criteria for respected leadership, which we tend to forget. People of Aweil are known for their frakness, which I do not see any reason, why it should count against them. In a healthy democratic society, frankness is one of the best qualities of leadership, it does not amount to lack of secrecy, if this is what you meant by the phrase "Secerecy". In Aweil, we do not worship people, we do not allow people to develp personality culprit, we do not accept being degraded. We only accept what is logic, unlike other societies of "Gossiping" which other people think is a quality of good leadership.
Futhermore, freedom of association with others, is another important thing, that need to be practice by given soceity, in order to pevail. So, the trust the people of Aweil gives to the people of other areas, is legitimate, for we need not be an island. For, example in 1972 the people of Aweil, supported Abel Aleir to become the President of the High Executive Council. And the people of Aweil, were again instumental in Joseph Lagu's leadership of the South, 1978-1980, which had led some politicians from other areas to bleive, Aweil does not stand for itself. That, support was not without any consequence, but space will dictate to leave those consequences outside this writing. Aweil, had strong support of the SPLM/A and its leader, without which, the situation brought by 1991 split in the SPLM/A ranks, and the Kerbino Kuanyin Bol's forces incursion in Bhar El Gazal and especially Gogrial area , would have been differnt- Is this a "Foolishness"? Of course not. You cannot talk of why we, in a given time, had supported leaders, who were not from Aweil, without knowing what are the needs of the national building, and that of a given region. Societies, are not necessarily form on the basis of regionalism, he/she who meets the leadership criteria, must also have Aweil's support, not because they are foolish. I have alredy given, in my first reply to Manoldit, that, foolish does not mean uneducated. Yes, lets read between the line, but let us not also, be inundated with finding a solution, that does not exist in the vacabulary of those who call us so. Lets walk while the dog bark . Aweil, like other regions, had its foolish and wise people, but that, does not pose any big problem. For those who wants the leadership of the South to become regionalism, they are not honest in their convictions. Individual Aweilian, had equally right of citizenship that is equall to rights of other citizen of the South Sudan - no less, or more. But, there must be the factor that unite the whole citizens of the south Sudan, in oreder to build the nation. SPLM/A is example of that universal factor, but may only prevail, if the princples for which it was formed prevail.
I always maintain that he/she who rules out the importance and knowledgeability of the elders/grown-ups is digging his/her grave. We have a lot of problems especially those who left Sudan when they were really small. We are lacking vital knowledge with regard to the origin of these bads labels on Aweil people. Therefore, it would be extremely helpful if you always jump in and give some clarifications. I/we know that we are scattered allover the world because of this long war such that it has become really difficult to communicate with people easily; however, we will never forget each other importance and capability. We have to realize or know today who is helpful and can rightly lead or guide us in a more reasonable manner. Your importance, you the grown-ups is self-explanatory or self-evident.
Therefore, I urge all important, experienced, courageous, determined, knowledgeable senior fellows of Aweil to bequeath all these values or experiences to us. It is an indication that most you (experienced or knowledgeable) are indeed instrumental and informational. Such historical information are what will genuinely prepare us for a brighter future for all.
Garang Pioth,
It is a wonderful contribution my brother. Keep it up. We have self-made problems or obstacles for that matter. Time has come to iron them out and adapt a new fashion.
your rights out and die for. Future and unity is my vision.
