Student Union
- By Ayen Bior
Students Offer Ideas to Solve South Sudan Conflict
But some college students in Washington who study conflict resolution suggest other approaches.
“I think we sometimes think of change as something that is radical, something that transforms society in a way that is unimaginable," said Sandra Tombe, a South Sudanese-American working on her doctoral degree. "But change happens on a very small level, and so if we each take the responsibility individually to contribute to society and to contribute to resolving the conflict in South Sudan, then we can actually achieve something."
Although hopeful, Tombe says she is not naive and knows that achieving long-term change in South Sudan could take time. She doesn't expect change "overnight," she said.
"But it is something that on a daily basis we have to be working on.”
Tombe describes herself as ambitious and hard-working. She's 25 years old and her studies at George Mason University focus on conflict resolution, which she says she hopes to use in South Sudan.
Since independence in 2011 from Sudan, "South Sudan has struggled with good governance and nation building and has attempted to control rebel militia groups operating in its territory," according to the CIA World Factbook. "Economic conditions have deteriorated since ... the government ... shut down oil production following bilateral disagreements with Sudan.
"In December 2013, conflict between government and opposition forces led to a humanitarian crisis with millions of South Sudanese displaced and food insecure," the Factbook said. "The warring parties signed a peace agreement in 2015 ... but its formation has been delayed as of late 2016."
Luxing Jiang, 23 and studying at American University, says policy makers and diplomats have taken the wrong approach in South Sudan. Jiang told VOA the international community should focus more on building the country’s infrastructure to create an atmosphere where democracy and civic engagement could flourish.
“I am a realist, so again I think human rights and the political campaigns are important, "Jiang said. "But I think what is more important is how many schools you have, how many hospitals you have, and how many South Sudanese can ... make money ... have a family ... let their children go to school."
But for other students like Dau Dol Dol, the conflict is much more personal. The South Sudanese junior at American University's School of International Studies says that for countless young people like him, all they have ever known is war.
"I am 21 years old and all I have known is the war," said Dol. "How do we change that? We have to change the cycle, the warrior like mentality that we have in South Sudan. We are tearing our own house apart. We have to change something. Something has to change because there are absolutely no words to describe it because we were so full of joy.”
“We have a role to play as students and as people who are hoping to step into leadership roles," Tombe said.
The United Nations and the government of South Sudan declared famine in parts of the country last week. Aid workers complained that delivering lifesaving aid to displaced communities has proven difficult under deadly security conditions as well as a lack of roads for easy accessibility. The South Sudanese government says it plans to initiate a national dialogue designed to end hostilities and bring divided communities to the table.
This story first appeared in VOANews.com. Please leave a comment here, and visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, thanks!
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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