By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
The Executive Director for South Sudan Network for Democracy and Elections (SSuNDE) Mr. Galdino Ochama Ojok has on Wednesday called on his fellow activists to unite and work together for the betterment of the country.
Speaking in a half-day dialogue session on enhanced civic engagement during the extended transitional period organized in Juba, he appealed to his colleagues to speak with one voice in order to be able to attain their agenda of representing the interest of the people of South Sudan.
“There is this issue to do with us, the civil society, we are actually weak to be honest …then we are not united, we operate in terms of we need all the money from the donors to my organization,” he said.
“We do not look at the wider picture of saying we are civil society, we are representing the interest of our people and the therefore, we need to become one,” he continued.
Activism, applied to human rights, means defending human rights wherever they are threatened or violated, and at whatever level.
Human rights activism is thus about reacting to injustice, to abusive treatment, to violence or discrimination, and trying to correct it. It is about being ready to assist and demonstrate solidarity with the struggles of other people, fighting to ensure that they are treated with respect and dignity, and helping to facilitate a move towards a more humane, egalitarian, rights respecting society.
While an effective activist possesses persistence, creativity, commitment, and often courage, but above all, a belief in human beings and in human rights. They believe that a world where human beings have their human rights respected is a possibility, and they want to make it happen.
Meanwhile with the case of South Sudan, activism is being taken on many different angles that many of them use to execute their agendas.
“We have tried and attempted several locations, hey guys, just (lets) work together, NO, it is all running after money for one organization and therefore, it might not put us in one position of saying we are representing the interest of our people,” he hinted.