Carrot or stick: Youth taking matters in their own hands (26.02.2011 00:00)

Trying to reduce the negative effects of tribalism and to promote unity and coexistence of the various communities in Yei River County, the youth opened a social centre that will bring all the youth of the county together, regardless of ethnicity or tribe.

Juma Hillary Elisa is one of the executive members of the youth committee overseeing the construction of the youth centre. \"Our target with this centre is to bring all the youth together, so that we shall be able to discuss issues that affect our county\", Juma said.

Mawa

The centre is to be used for resolving conflicts in the communities, as well as for promoting local sports as a tool of building peace and unity, particularly among the youth. \"The war left us with much trauma, some of us lost their parents and are in stress. We need to use this centre to support each other”, Juma added. We as the youth of Yei, we are one, regardless of our tribes or ethnicity. We need to encourage the spirit of togetherness through social gatherings”, he emphasised.  

Mawa Joseph, the youth chairman, explained that the youth single handedly worked to build the complex centre, which can host over five hundred people. \"We don’t have funds, we contributed for the construction of this place. If anyone wants to help us, let him get us a step ahead\", he said.

The youths do not only focus on promoting peace, they as well fight illiteracy in the county, according to Mawa. Those who graduated from high school teach in primary and secondary schools on a voluntary basis, to help in diminishing the illiteracy rate in the county.

The youths in Yei have received the appreciation of their communities, who view this initiative not only as creative but as well as very beneficial for the people as a whole.

Unlike their counterparts in Yei, the youths in Kajokeji County have decided to use sticks, disciplining all those in the community who \'go astray\'.

Murye Jackson is one of the leaders of the Youth United Association. He said their work as youths is to safe guard the community from any anti-social behaviour and to encourage hard work.

As they do not have cells for locking criminals up, they cane those who disobey. Our office deals with stubborn people who drink and cause havoc in the community, we cane them, we don’t have cells we only cane and let the person go”, Jackson said while laughing.

The youths do not only impose discipline but also encourage hard work. Laziness attracts canes, early morning consumption of alcohol is equally punished, especially in busy farming seasons. Those who break this ‘rule’ receive 25 lashes and those who sell alcohol get 15 lashes or are fined. \"Everyday we beat those who drink alcohol neglecting farm work\", Jackson added.

Although many members of the community seem to be thankful that the youths have taken the responsibility of \'setting things straight\', others find the attitude of the youth revolting and insulting. Moses Modi, a teacher, finds the way the youths exercise their newly acquired authority to be rude and disrespectful. \"How can a grown up person be put down for lashes before his family, this is uncultured\", he said.

Modi argued that the youths have taken the law upon themselves because the government has failed its role as a protector of individuals\' rights and as a supervisor of their obligations.

However, the work of the youths is appreciated by women. They believe that the youths limit the violence committed against women. \"There is no domestic violence. Those who used to beat their wives are reported to the youth and are disciplined. The government only fine culprits but does not punish like the youth\", Modong Betty, a mother of five said.

Kenyi Champlain, a Boma administrator, applauded the work of the youth. \"We are happy, they (the Youth) are very effective in dealing with the community issues and have helped us maintain peace and hard work\", he said. The youths have taken the role of supervising life in their communities, punishing those who do not follow the line of conduct they drew.

The special and unique context of Southern Sudan requires the youths to redefine their roles and their place, both in their communities, and in the sociopolitical composition of the nascent country as a whole. From building social centres to beating offenders, the youths are in the process of rebuilding their identities and rediscovering their roles in the Southern Sudanese society.

With the democratic horizon Southern Sudan is looking at, judgement and punishment should become the roles of competent bodies, both judiciary and executive. The youths, struggling to find their place amidst the changing South Sudanese landscape, should not take up the roles of the state, and rather draw peaceful future prospects for themselves and their communities.