Last Day.

This will be my last blog from Southern Sudan. Tomorrow this region of Sudan will officially become its own country and be known as the Republic of South Sudan. It is quite an exciting time to witness the liberation of a nation after decades and decades of civil war. The environment is calm and people are joyous as they prepare to celebrate their first independence day. Being able to witness this, to experience this, probably doesn't have the impact on me that it would on a south Sudanese individual, but I am excited and happy to be able to share in this experience with them. I'm currently in the capital and having the opportunity to witness the preparations and celebrations from the the world's newest capital city has been an experience I can not really wrap my mind around. It's simply beautiful.

As I have been staying in a hotel here, I have watched as the media crews flood in to capture the story of the people of Southern Sudan. It's been interesting seeing them work feverishly to capture the mood, the essence of this time. I have also been able to witness as those that have left southern Sudan during the civil war come back, to celebrate in solidarity with their people. As I see all the what would be deemed as foreigners to those that have stayed, I find myself categorizing the the people. Those that fought, those that walked and those that stayed. Each group and each individual has its own story, its own reason for making the choice to respond in whatever way they did. Whatever choice they have made, their struggles, although very, very different, are the same. Those that fought put their lives on the line and many were lost because they wanted justice for their people. Very brave individuals and independence tomorrow could not happen without their sacrifice. Those that walked, I use that term loosely, some walked, some flew, above all, they have managed to find a way out of the war. Many would think that those that left are not as entitled in saying this is their nation because they did not stay and experience the struggle. But those individuals that walked experienced their own struggles abroad. They may feel guilty for leaving behind their family, their land, their people, but it is because of these individuals and their testimonies the rest of the world is aware and more educated on the people and the conflict here. Then you have those that stayed. They neither fought nor walked. They waited. Although they experienced the burden of uncertainty, they stayed for whatever reasons may or may not have been in their control and their staying, their suffering, is something that is probably something that could never be understood by those that did not stay or those that fought. They went about their lives, i'm sure hopeful that peace would come and patient enough to wait.

My above categorizations are my thoughts. Folks can disagree with me in regards to the struggle, but I feel that any struggle regardless of the form it is presented in is still a struggle. My struggle, is very different from the next, but that doesn't mean that my struggle is any less significant than the next. Maybe to you it is or to him or to her, but to me its real. Most importantly, when I say struggle, it is quite different from suffering. The suffering of individuals is very different and can come in various levels.  (Just wanted to clear that up)

For all of those that have suffered and struggle for the independence of this nation, thank you.


Let the countdown begin!