“I fire you. No I fire you”

 

 It was what one said “chicken politicking” I heard this kind of political jargon, on the news in America, I also could have read, came across them somewhere in the newspapers, in the literature. But not knowing it could someday take place within our community, I beg I did not realize that politics is contagion especially in the age of television. The political bickering between people seen on the screens most of times; was foreign thing for most of the Anuak people.

 We are supposed to be monolithic, indivisible people bind with love-love with no contradictions among the divided Anyuak Nation living along two international recognized borders of the two sister countries: Ethiopia, and south Sudan. According to this notion of political definition, the Anyuak are one people; with no one country to belong to but Anyuawaland.  The group would always reminded us that the Anyuak always thought of themselves as one nation, regardless of the two countries they belong to, see the divisions as the creation of foreign powers, therefore we see our identity, our ways of perception about ourselves  differently.

Even in the application of our traditional Laws they say: there are Laws for Anyuak citizen and Laws for strangers, foreigners. There are Laws of the  kingdoms,  Laws, of the chiefdoms, both Laws are not tough toward strangers, foreigners. According, to our tradition, they say strangers, foreigners are “jure” or aliens. They don’t know the values, Laws of the Anyaukland, that’s why it is easy for them to break the Anyuawa Law, and get away with it, That’s why the Law do not strongly apply to them, do not punished them harshly. They were viewed by jury system of the Ayuakland as just "jure" with no significant about them. They belonged to the alien nation or people, with no Laws in their countries.

But what happen recently between members in our community is mind boggling, disturbing, it goes against the Law of unity preached by these groups for a very longtime. It has taken us by surprise that such a rift exist between the unity champions, it took place right at some quarters, by some Gambellan political grouping here in America. I beg no name mentioned, it alright with me.  I am a political dissident, I know exactly how harmful is so call political grouping. I learned a lot from the life experiences I have gone through in dealing with Para-militant groups of Gambella. But what happen the other days between groups within a certain think-tank was obvious.

A lot of discriminatory words were lunched at some people, with demeaning characteristics. I believe previously avoided definition of citizenship was now accepted, exposed, it has now surfaced, striped of naked, and without clothing, no more to covering . Now, blood and belonging don't matter anymore. No one cares about it, and may be for this moment. Where someone was born, belongs is now paramount, and important and with the international borders having been recognized by these pundits, from to date there will be no argument about blood and belonging anymore. "case closed". 

It has now became important issue as I said, an issue mentioned several times on this occasion over and over. The discrimination started with where ones belongs, including his countries, villages.  Previously denied, polished images of countries, villages were now under attack, condemned, and tarnished including: chickens, goats, cows, cattle herding.

 The insult was too much, it was against some people’s country or villages, it was done by the very radical elements who have been preaching, unity, oneness and constructed the Anyuak people with no country to belong to for quite sometimes. These elements were absolutely opposed to differing views emanating from some quarters about construct of national identity. Since they were the one now to have caused the damage, against unity, created schism between people they governed by Anyuak ways, or by fake nationalism for a very long period of times.

Than at the moment it is prime time for us to ask questions what can we to do as people to reconstruct and bring new lights to our political identity? How can we repair the cracked up, unity of our community? Whose going to repair the cracked up unity?. And for what reason may I asked? There are many ways to redesigned and to rebuild the unity. But it may take a concerted efforts of all the progressive forces to come with creative, innovative solutions, to resuscitate the body of our unity, bring about the fragmented part of the community together, the call is urgent, without fear of retaliation from radical elements, oppositions from the diehards, it can be done.

We know for a very longtime that there were many tactic these groups implies, when one is against them. To them one must go with them or with the crowd under their influences. In the views of these diehards one could disagree with them not in public but in secrecy, behind close doors. Otherwise one is sanctioned, forced to isolation, and abandonment from the group, the community they run. Perhaps one also could face condemnation, endured  massive innuendos, or false propaganda or diatribes. One is ostracized, chastised to break nerve of one’s impeccable character.

  Here I am concern about the lack of civility within ranks of community. Sources close these brinkmanship had me worried about fate of the diaspora political community.  But if the things I heard, also validated by some people were real than there’s mass psychological breakdown going within the Gambella political community. Some urgent rescue, help like psychological therapies are needed to alleviate the political breakdown, and show them right political directions.  I do not know what it’s but there is something going on. 

Imagine three people in a party, four or six people in a party, instead of calling themselves group of this or group of that but no they go straight calling themselves party of this and party of that, and saying they represent the people of Gambella. "What a joke"?

I do not know if these quasi political groups were known to the people of Gambella as they claimed? If they do than there’s deep underlining problems within our society itself for accepting these kinds of nonsense. To me the masses of Gambella were to blamed for the atmospheric confusion the radical claimants proclaimed in their names. These radicals without shame claimed to have understood the people of Gambella very well, think the country and the people is behind them, have been bestowed the responsibility to organizing the people, the country, charting the course of the Gambella people political direction.

Ballooned by false rhetoric's they have been boasting, bullying and talking about it. And if it was true than they have failed the mandated power given or entrusted to them by the people of Gambella. It seems to me many of these elements in the groups don’t understand the term “political party”, I know what political party means. In political science there are units. and a nation was composed of these units: individual as unit, family as unit, group as unit, community as unit, society as unit, nation as unit. 

If one or four or six people are into something, organized thus one is not a party but a group. For example if one lives in a village, or in a county of community; one was not a city person but a village person or a township person. According to urbanization study; a city is a city when it reaches certain proportion of numbers of population. For example a town must have 35,000 people living in it for town to be call a city.

Thus in political science one is not in a party; if one belongs to a group of five or six people, it is call  group of something or sort of. One must have 50 or 100 or more people in the organization to called himself/herself a party member. You can disagree with my assertion but it is true science. The word fire also should not be used within the cliques of something because any form of groups or association of political entities are formed on voluntary basis, no one really is under paid to be fire as such but one can be relieved of his duty if one failed the mandates given to him to carry on. 

But as has been revealed the unknown group pointed fingers toward each other at the minutes conducted by teleconference, after disagreement, each said " I fire you. No I fire you", and concluded the meeting in limbo, with no one in the leadership, leaving the "adera" or mandate mandated to them as they claimed  hanging in the balance. The question now is what than to amend, who’s the mender?      

Nelson Mandela’s Legacy: Integral Visionary, Mediator, Systematic thinker, Dialoguer, Bridger, and Innovator

By Gugo Obang

 Nelson Mandela, South African Integral Visionary, systematic thinker, dialoguer, bridger, and innovator, is gone but his legacy will remain forever. Legacy is about life and living. It is about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future.

 First of all, I would like to say the following as attention gathering. Where do you think it is best to plant a young tree: a clearing in an old-growth forest or an open field? Ecologists tell us that a young tree grows better when it is planted in an area with older trees. The reason, it seems, is that the roots of the young tree are able to follow the pathways created by former trees and implant themselves more deeply. Over time, the roots of many trees may actually graft themselves to one another, creating an intricate, interdependent foundation hidden under the ground. In this way, stronger trees share resources with weaker ones so that the whole forest becomes healthier. That is legacy: an interconnection across time, with a need for those who have come before us and a responsibility to those who come after us.

Legacy is fundamental to what it is to be human. The idea of legacy may remind us of death, but it is not about death. Being reminded of death is actually a good thing, because death informs life. It gives you a perspective on what is important. But legacy is really about life and living. It helps us decide the kind of life we want to live and the kind of world we want to live in. Thus, I am writing this paper to reflect the time when Nelson Mandela was living among South African.

 Chief among African leaders, Nelson Mandela, was one of few statesmen to have achieved almost universal respect around the world and across the political spectrum. His role in fighting apartheid, his imprisonment on Robben Island - where he came to symbolize the struggle of oppressed people around the world - and his ability to steer South Africa through the crisis of its rebirth earned him the international reputation of benevolent negotiator and quintessential peacemaker. Despite imprisonment in Robben Island for 27 years, Mandela never lost faith in winning freedom for the South African people. Mandela was one of the few leaders capable of inspiring confidence both inside and outside South Africa. In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with former South African president FW de Klerk. While Nelson Mandela’s legacy can be remembered in different ways around the World, I strongly think that most people will remember him as a visionary, mediator, systematic thinker, dialoguer, Bridger, and innovator.

 Nelson Mandela was a visionary. Mandela captured and held the vision of the entire apartheid conflict, with all of its divisions and consequences, that it should be abolished and every man and women, black and white of South Africa, must be free and equal in the eyes of the Nation. It was this integral vision that propelled him to do what he had to do, and it was this integral vision that sustained him through the darkest days in prison. He committed himself to holding all sides of the conflict - in all their complexity - in his mind, which led him to liberate South Africa from a system of violent prejudice, and then helped unite white and black, oppressor and oppressed, in a way that had never been done before.

 Nelson Mandela had always lived by his values. Mandela believed deeply in democracy, equality and human rights. He had always repressed his own desires and sacrificed his own needs for the greater good of the people. This was a responsibility that came with his leadership and he not only felt it, but lived by it. He was a man of great integrity who has always lived according to his principles, and even if it meant making a personal sacrifice, he would not compromise on them. He believed very strongly in the notion of fairness. Mandela embodies the universal values of honesty, integrity, fair play and truth, not just in word, but more importantly in deed.

 Nelson Mandela was a mediator leader. Mandela learned to face the facts of South Africa conflict, understood them and helped the combatants resolve their differences. He became a mediator type of leader, who transformed conflict in South Africa into opportunities. Unlike the demagogue leader who leads through fear, threats, and intimidation or the manager leader who defines purpose in terms of the self-interest of his/her own group, Mandela was mediator leader who saw and acted for the good of all people of South Africa.

 Nelson Mandela had strong emotional intelligence. Mandela had strong emotional intelligence that helped him handle difficult people and turned complex situations into situations with paths of open communication, which helped him to avoid vulnerability and difficult situations. Related to his emotional intelligence, I can describe him as he had all the qualities elements of emotional intelligence such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social awareness. In his leadership, Mandela had mastered the two competences of emotional intelligence: personal and social. In his personal competence, he was self-aware and understood his emotions as well as strengths and weaknesses. His self-aware was not only realizing how he felt but why and how it affected other people, which involved controlling emotions, adapting behavior to adverse situations, being truthful, and striving to improve.

 Nelson Mandela was a historical man. Mandela was thinking in terms of not days and weeks but decades. He knew history was on his side, that the result was inevitable; it was just a question of how soon and how it would be achieved. His plan was that things will be better in the long run. Mandela’s calculus was always, what is the end that he seeks, and what is the most practical way to get there? He regarded his role in prison not just the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), but as a promoter of unity, an honest broker, a peacemaker and he was reluctant to take a side in this dispute even if it was the side of his organization.

 Nelson Mandela was systematic thinker. Mandela thought in terms of systems. In his systematic thinking, he considered every element of a conflict in terms of its relationship to other elements. He had ability to assemble a puzzle by seeing how the pieces of conflict relate. He did not say that one piece was more important than any other. He wanted to show the young black consciousness men that the struggle was indivisible and that they all had the same enemy. The good that came of his regarded his role as the leader of ANC was that Mandela on his own launched negotiations with the apartheid government. This was anathema to the ANC. After decades of saying prisoners cannot negotiate and after advocating an armed struggle that would bring the government to its knees, he decided that the time was right to begin to talk to his oppressors. For Mandela, refusing to negotiate was about tactics, a systematic thinking, not principles. He turned to negotiation after identified all the pieces of the puzzle of the conflict and how they fit together for better outcome. His unwavering principle - the overthrow of apartheid and the achievement of one man, one vote - was immutable, but almost anything that helped him get to that goal he regarded as a systematic thinking.

 Nelson Mandela was an empathetic leader. Mandela was not a bubble-gum leader, chew it now and throw it away. When he announced his willing to negotiate with the government in 1985, there were many among his supporters who thought he had lost it. However, Mandela launched a campaign to persuade the ANC that his was the correct course. He went to each of his supporters in prison and explained what he was doing. Slowly and deliberately, he brought them along. He took his support base along with him. When the time came for the negotiations with the government that he had helped give birth to, he allowed others to take the lead while he was just present among the people. His presence, this means when his whole self - mental, emotional, and spiritual - got to be present and available in the conflict situation, everyone see that will change the behavior. When he was interacting with people, he was in the moment. In the presence of ordinary folk, he seldom postures or plays a role and appears happy to simply focus on taking in their expressions, feelings and responses.

 Nelson Mandela was dialoguer. In 1994, when Mandela was running for the presidency, he knew that peace among white and black South African was not yet strongly built. Hence, he launched a dialogue as part of his presidential campaigning. It was not round table dialogue, but peace-building symbols. The language, humor and symbols he had always used have the power to move people to follow him in achieving the vision he painted so eloquently. He especially encouraged dialogue because it was an inquiry-based, trust-building way of communicating that maximized the human capacity to bridge and to innovate.

 Nelson Mandela was smiler. When he was on a platform, he would always do the toyi-toyi, the township war dance of black South Africans. Toyi-toyi symbolizes a fine example of South Africa’s rare spirit in the face of impossible conditions and abject poverty. From protests to celebrations, the chants capture the emotions of joy, pain, encouragement, heartbreak and solace. But more important was Mandela’s dazzling, beatific, all-inclusive smile. For white South Africans, the smile symbolized Mandela’s lack of bitterness and suggested that he was sympathetic to them. To black voters, it said, I am the happy warrior, and we will triumph. The ubiquitous ANC election poster was simply his smiling face. The smile was the message.

 Nelson Mandela was Bridger. Mandela as the president of South Africa, he has always followed the principles he first saw demonstrated by the regent at the Great Palace. He has always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing his own opinion. Oftentimes, his own opinion was simply representing a consensus of what he heard in the discussion. He always remembered the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. Hence, Mandela able to bridge the most part of divisions and developed trust among different race in South Africa. Eventually, in his bridging strategies, words were not enough. He induced people to actually change of their behavior toward each other or their way of dealing with the conflict. He asked both side to build an invisible bridge spanning the chasm between them - a bridge made up of trust, respect, empathy, understanding, courage, that last forever.

 Nelson Mandela was an innovator. Mandela had great ability of innovation. During his term as South Africa president, with people finally open to each other’s minds and hearts and core concerns, he successfully introduced, solicited, and encouraged the development of new options for moving through conflicts so that the peace stays among South African forever. He redesigned the government system and changed the rules that stand for all people of South Africa.

 In conclusion, Nelson Mandela was a visionary, mediator, systematic thinker, empathetic, dialoguer, Bridger, innovator and a great leader, but most of all he is a human being. A man who overcame great personal suffering, and yet emerged with his vision for the future still intact and his determination to forgive the past and build a future with all the people in South Africa so compelling, that he swept the nation along with him in his quest. Hence, he is gone but his deeds remain not only with South African but also with people around the world. Actually, this is Nelson Mandela’s legacy, but how will you be remembered? It is you to shape your own deeds so that, if the world or your country won’t remember you, your community may do so.

This paper is written by Gugo Obang, residing in the United States and can be reached at kwotg@hotmail.com

George Nicolas Life, Achievements was remembered by Family and the Greater Gambellan Community in the USA

Love and affection was center for George said the family.

In life some of us will remembered over, over, and forever. They will stay touch within our memories. But some of us will be forgotten forever no one remembered of them. Some of us will be noticed, but some of us will not be noticed, no one dared whether they have been around or not. Some of us presence will be felt but also some of us presence will not be felt in the moment we were around. Or some of us will be honored, respected because of our jobs, our deeds but some of us will be pass by not honored, or respected by others. In other word what we do on this planet earth is important in our life time and crucially important after our life time, it matter the most. Said Ochwor Warajor who through skillful language made the audience “laughed” and amazed.     

Followed by Pastor Omot Agagnia, Agape, and the daughter of George Nicolas himself who both reminded the audiences about George Nicolas contribution in the documentation of Gambella historical developments, that it was paramount important, crucial for future historian?  Through the lenses of his photography George was: a documentarian, a Historian, as Stories teller, a Teacher they reiterated. And through his camera he had documented:  families weddings, social celebrations, sports games, festivals, he had helped students obtained identity cards during their final exams, photographed their graduation ceremonies, national holiday, and religious celebrations, tragedies-non-tragedies, events of any kind, you name it, anything one can think of he had them all documented, he had them kept in archives for all to see.


Historical Documentation of Gambella People Culture

Pastor Omot Agagnia, pointed out that not only should we remember George Nicolas as photographer, George was a philanthropist who on many occasion borrowed money to some people when they were in dire need to tackle some social problems. He said George borrowed me some money which necessitated me leave my country to Kenya, than to America, when I went home lately, I repaid him back in full, he got “applause form the audiences”     
 

Agape spoke of her father as a loving, a caring man who devoted his entire life to building social and cultural life of the Anyuawa community. She reminded everyone sited; that her father was a color blind person who don’t like people being discriminated against their color or race. He was a loving person she said who raised us all of his children to love one another, do the same for other people. She said my father was hard workingman, throughout his enduring life hadn’t accumulated much as money was concern, she said he was not even a millionaire, the family was just living above the water from drowning. She said my father spoke to us of the important, societal responsibility, sharing some social obligation, in that light of these enormous responsibility, concerns, and paybacks for the society, it has landed me where I am today:  where I am I have not saved that much money, and I was not bitter or grumpy about it; because I CARE FOR DEVELOPMENTS OF THE GAMBELLA SOCIETY, I have to payback some societal needs, to the society I am living among.

That’s important because how can one I accumulate wealth when my people are poor disparate? “ a long Applause by audiences”   

                                                      George as a family person

She was followed by her uncle Mano Nicolas, who echoed the same sentiment that although he hadn’t spent much time with his brother while he was a live he said every time we got one ample opportunity to seeing each other’s we spent long hours talking, nobody says I am tried I got to go, the “audiences in the hall break up with laughter” he said George was a very humble man, who treated his family first, and continued to do so until his last breath on earth.

 Next was Agape’s husband Mr. Dan Forester who said my first time I  met George Nicolas was in St Pauli, after we met I like the man already, the “audiences laughed”, I  loved him more as father in law. He said George was full of energy wanted to learn more after what he saw at St. Paul housing development, and housing projects, designs. He said George Nicolas was a story teller, I, him will sat down for a cup of tea, he will tell me about his hunting adventurism in Africa: such as Crocodiles, Elephants, Buffaloes, Giraffes, he had killed, I  in return would tell him about our hunting games here in the Midwest about Gees, Ducks, Deer etc.. He was followed by a steady long “Laughter” from the hall.   

Agape’s husband speech was followed by Omot Ochan who summed up everything: entrepreneurship, business development, Education, that’s how we should remember George Nicolas, by doing something positive for our society. He wants us focus on businesses, become business people, and create businesses  for ourselves, he wants us learned, build entrepreneurship for ourselves, furthermore he wanted us to be more creative in our lives, by acquiring  more education, to improve our lives, and lift our people from miserable conditions; that's how he wanted to be remembered, by doing good for ourselves; Omot Ochan concluded...   

                                    Nyang Ye de Cha. {Photo courtesy by George Nicolas}

IN conclusion: George Nicolas through lenses of his camera had documented political socioeconomic, cultural and social development of Gambella until his death; he will not be forgotten and forever he will be remembered. The people of Gambella owed him honor, and respect, they missed him greatly. It was through these constellations of qualities that made George Nicolas particularly unique, and he will be remembered for the above historical contribution of Gambella.   

 

 

 

 

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IMG_0001, a photo by anethi on Flickr.

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IMG_0005, a photo by anethi on Flickr.

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IMG_0008, a photo by anethi on Flickr.

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IMG_0009, a photo by anethi on Flickr.