Nyok Achouth begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting Gor's Story on this referendum:
Finally I had voted for My Freedom and Freedom of South Sudan as a Nation. Afreedom I had been Searching for more than 27 years of my life.
For the first time in my life from the time I was born till I came to Australia, never had I use my basic human rights in my life or did I dream that one day I will reached the day of South Sudan Referendum the 9th of January 2011. This day has given me an opportunity to exercise my basic human rights and chose my future as I follow the same suits of my father and my older brother who have sacrificed their lives with many other millions of Southerners during the civil war for the liberation of South Sudan. With sharp memories of not only carrying gun (AK47) at the age of 13-16 but being in frontline with lots of horrible things I was involved in a conflict zone, I thank my heroes like my father (Achouth Gor , Dr. John De Garang the SPLA/M and heroines who have sacrificed their lives to bring this freedom to me with other millions of Southerners around the world. I did not dream that I would get opportunity to be part of the leadership (as an Assistant Manager of the Referendum Centre in Canberra-Australia) that managed the referendum centre. It was a great opportunity and joy to be able to make sure I acts impartially from the beginning of the referendum process since the beginning of Voter Registration last year in November 2010 till the 16th of January 2011 after the conclusion of referendum voting. Having fought in the war and being required to act neutrally during the referendum registration and voting was a very challenging task which contradicts my previous ways of perceiving how to achieve freedom of South Sudanese people. I did not had a dream that my mother, brothers and my younger sister who is 19 year old (Akech) will one day vote for their future as any other South Sudanese member who should decide their future by exercising their choice of freedom.
I did not know that international community particularly the US, UK, Australia, other European Nations and some of African countries will stand up to ensure that individual rights like mind is protected other with millions of Southerners so that they can exercise their rights of democracy in order for them to leave in peace like other people that are enjoying stability in their own states. Like any other Southern Sudanese person I do believed international community specially the US, UK, Australia and other members of international community deserve credit from Southern Sudanese people wherever we are in the world. I personally thanks the international community including the Australian government, the Australian public and all my Australian friends that have been supporting us in whichever way that the suffering of southerners is heard and recognized by those who don’t know by supporting us. As Southern Sudanese in Australia we owed the Australian government an enormous credit because for its effort to ensure that this referendum is conducted peacefully and fairly as acknowledged by the international observers "as fair and credible referendum that had met the international standard of conducting the referendums or elections in the world. This support gave me a real opportunity to be able to choose what I want freely without political influence or interference from any authority and i.e. my choice for independent South Sudan of Freedom, Equality and Progress for All.
Years of living with Quilt & Shame due to My Sudanese Birth Nationality [or identity] associated with All Bad things of Sudanese by the world.
During the years I lived in three countries of Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya) as a refugee before coming to Australia I have been carrying with me feeling of quilt and shame because of how I felt all the time for being associated with the nationality of Sudanese a country known in the world with all bad things war, failed society, and people in all aspects of life. This experience was so painful to me in Kenya were I have witnessed and tested the challenge of being a foreigner or a refugee in a foriegn country. This is all about the way that I was treated with thousands of South Sudanese refugees in Northern Kenya in most cases by the Kenyan Police and their locals as a foreigner wondering in a foreign land with out reason according to them. I remembered one incident where police tried to bid us up because we could not give them money as they were asking for money from us and they said that " Are you people Christians? and we responded yes, Do you people reads your bible especially in "Isaiah Chapter 18 where its prophesied that " God is going to punish people of Sudan (Cush)', you know what? we are the hands of God to punish you so that you will hear God's message. And the police guys beats people up with rungu (swahili word means stick). It is an experience that will never go away easily until I die. After this referendum I tried to reflect on those memories of my life and I felt bad but on the other hand this referendum which will stop the war has relieved me from this feeling of quilt and shame of my identity (Sudanese) for being associated with conflict and a failed society in the world. The same thing [feeling] has been happening also after coming to Australia, I continued to have the same feeling when asked 'where are you from orginally' by Australian and I said 'I come from Sudan, I found myself sometimes with of hiding my origin (Sudanese) and feel like I wish I was from another country that the people of australia associates with good life of peace, good people, a country that is known because of good reputation and stability politically, economically and socially. I still struglle somtimes but I will try to think in a more positive South Sudan as a result of referendum. Now I can be a proud person from a background where life is going to be associated with people from other nations of the world that are in peace. A society where problems are settle diplomatically and peacefully, there is a good progress in term of human life and my people (South sudanese) are re-joining the family of humankind in term of development instead of being a burden to other countires through thier refugees, aid programs and many other humanitarian assistances. Now if I am aksed of my baackground then I will be able to explain and I will not fear so much about my background of being Identified as Southern Sudan a society that is trying hard to join the family of mankind in all aspects for Freedom of Democracy, Equality and justice for all and the developemt and progress for all people of South Sudan. It will take sometime for me to settle down with all that I had been carrying with me for more than 27 years now of my life. This referendum has given me great opportunity for me to be able to re-adjust my life and identity (not to be associated with problem of South Sudan) as a Southern Sudanese people.
Focus on My Homeland (South Sudan) that have caused much to me:
My next focus with the rest of Southerners back at home (The Republic of South Sudan)and in Diaspora is the expectation of development in term of good governance, establishment for the rule of law, Social justice for all and eradication of corruption . This enemy is now replacing the position of the North by becoming the enemy number of of southerners more than. Development is the biggest challenge to the leadership of GOSS as this expectation built for more than 50 years of two civil wars. Southerners must be given real democracy not a slogan one by leaders of South Sudan. Late Dr. Garang put is in his address in 1986 "[We need a real] democracy which embodies equality, freedom, economic and social justice and respects for [basic] human rights not as slogans but as concrete realities that have concrete content which we should promote, cherish and protect".
My next Article will be focus on this topic of Independent Republic of South Sudan in the Context of democracy in South Sudan as a new nation.
The Author [Nyok Achouth Gor] of this article can be reach on +61411813437, nyokachouth@gmail.com or nyok4zsudan@yahoo.com.au for any concern and clarification.
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