By Akol Madut Ngong
The National Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and partners launched the sixth National Unity day.
Among the partners were United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP) United Nations Education, Social and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO) United Nations Population Fund Agency, (UNFPA) United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Zain South Sudan.
The National Unity Day was launched on Saturday, the 19th March 2022, at the Buluk playground under the theme: “Sports for Peace and Social Cohesion”.
The day was marked by different; activities, games and other performances such as Orupaap, a group of artists representing 64 tribes, the Unity state conducted wrestling as a sample during the launch.
Mr. Nelson Marko Bol, in a gym sample lifted 80 kilogram while the Taekwondo children demonstrate boxing.
Addressing the audience, Dr. Albino Bol Dhieu, the national Minister of Youth and Sports said national basketball team has beaten the Tunisia, Rwanda, and Cameroon saying South Sudan had taken a new step.
Very soon, we are going to send signal to all the governors that all the sports grounds occupied must be evacuated with immediate effect,” Dr. Bol said.
He told the young people make partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in order to restore the occupied playgrounds in all the ten states and the three administrative areas.
“Peace is a better option to all of us and through sports, we can try together to choose what is better for our life.
Meanwhile the Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Fuyuki Sagara said the National Unity Day is under the theme: Sports for Peace and Social Cohesion.
He said the event should be inclusive and that various stakeholders must meet and work together and take action together for this event” Sagara said.
He said “sports for peace and social cohesion” is the theme for the national unity day and this theme cannot change since it started in 2016.
“We are embraced peace and unity, during the fifth national unity day which was held last time in 2020, more than 400 youth from various states were in Juba for over ten days through interaction of participants from various states and the three administrative areas. They recognize some differences, how they look and how they speak, then they realized so many and they enjoyed together, thinking together, working together and finally they became friends” said Fuyuki.
“I would like to ask all of you to unite in order to create a nice environment where youth can play sports and pursue their own objectives without their dreams being scattered by violence, hatred or discrimination. Your participation of this event will further contribute to peace and social cohesion” he concluded.
By the end of the sixth national unity day, there will be solidarity among all the youth.