More than two hundred years ago, on this day, the United States of America declared its Independence. In 5 days time South Sudan will celebrate Independence for the first time. The world has changed a great deal since 1776, but the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence ring as true today as they did then. That all men are created equal, endowed with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The desires of the eighteenth century colonists were not all that different from those of modern day Sudanese. Like the colonists many did not initially look for a complete separation and independence. Rather they wanted to address the grievances they had with their current situation. For the South Sudanese one of these concerns was religious and cultural freedom.
The Arab controlled government of Khartoum looked to replace the native culture and languages with Arabic, as well as enforce Sharia law across the country. So there was a definite struggle for liberty – freedom to retain culture and religion.
Another concern was equality. While Khartoum enjoyed many of the advantages of a developed city the displaced that lived in slums on its periphery lived in abject poverty. In the South the lack of development and infrastructure are all too evident. Despite the majority of oil wealth coming from this part of the country very little of that money went into improving the lives of the people who live here.
The pursuit of happiness is undoubtedly tied in to the lack of freedoms and equality for many Sudanese. As independence approaches there is a definite sense of hope in the air. People look to the opportunities that exist, and leaders in the church and government call for peace and unity to prevail, that the important work of development might not be obstructed.
Even the right to life has been an important part of the struggle for independence. When famines hit the land and when the displaced were forced into camps the government both neglected their most basic needs and hindered the work of international aid organisations.
While the details of South Sudanese independence and American independence differ greatly, there are at the heart the same fundamental values. This is reflected in South Sudan’s new National Anthem, which could easily be a patriotic American hymn:
Oh God,
We Praise and glorify you,
For your grace on South Sudan,
Land of great abundance,
Uphold us in peace and harmony
Oh Motherland,
We rise raising flag with the guiding star,
And sing songs of freedom with joy,
For Justice, Liberty and Prosperity,
Shall forevermore reign
Oh Great Patriots,
Let us stand up in silence and respect,
Saluting our Martyrs whose blood,
Cemented our National foundation,
We vow to protect our Nation
Oh God Bless South Sudan!
Today Americans remember their history and celebrate the values of equality, liberty, life, opportunity, democracy and everything else that is central to them. I hope that as they do so they think of South Sudan, embarking on its journey to create a country according to those same values. And also that they think of the many places in the world where the struggle still goes on to see those values realised.
The desires of the eighteenth century colonists were not all that different from those of modern day Sudanese. Like the colonists many did not initially look for a complete separation and independence. Rather they wanted to address the grievances they had with their current situation. For the South Sudanese one of these concerns was religious and cultural freedom.
The Arab controlled government of Khartoum looked to replace the native culture and languages with Arabic, as well as enforce Sharia law across the country. So there was a definite struggle for liberty – freedom to retain culture and religion.
Another concern was equality. While Khartoum enjoyed many of the advantages of a developed city the displaced that lived in slums on its periphery lived in abject poverty. In the South the lack of development and infrastructure are all too evident. Despite the majority of oil wealth coming from this part of the country very little of that money went into improving the lives of the people who live here.
The pursuit of happiness is undoubtedly tied in to the lack of freedoms and equality for many Sudanese. As independence approaches there is a definite sense of hope in the air. People look to the opportunities that exist, and leaders in the church and government call for peace and unity to prevail, that the important work of development might not be obstructed.
Even the right to life has been an important part of the struggle for independence. When famines hit the land and when the displaced were forced into camps the government both neglected their most basic needs and hindered the work of international aid organisations.
While the details of South Sudanese independence and American independence differ greatly, there are at the heart the same fundamental values. This is reflected in South Sudan’s new National Anthem, which could easily be a patriotic American hymn:
Oh God,
We Praise and glorify you,
For your grace on South Sudan,
Land of great abundance,
Uphold us in peace and harmony
Oh Motherland,
We rise raising flag with the guiding star,
And sing songs of freedom with joy,
For Justice, Liberty and Prosperity,
Shall forevermore reign
Oh Great Patriots,
Let us stand up in silence and respect,
Saluting our Martyrs whose blood,
Cemented our National foundation,
We vow to protect our Nation
Oh God Bless South Sudan!
Today Americans remember their history and celebrate the values of equality, liberty, life, opportunity, democracy and everything else that is central to them. I hope that as they do so they think of South Sudan, embarking on its journey to create a country according to those same values. And also that they think of the many places in the world where the struggle still goes on to see those values realised.
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