Ongoing violence in South Sudan has stymied diplomats, politicians and activists working to change the course of conflict in the young country since 2013.

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.

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Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.

WASHINGTON — 

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.