The South Sudan experience ...

Decades of violent conflict in the Sudan region between the North and the South have resulted in two million dead, many more displaced, a population that is dependent on foreign aid for their survival and a militarized, fractured society. Emerging from the conflict, the new state of South Sudan is confronted with myriad of challenges, including high level of poverty and unemployment, inadequate government capacity, an almost exclusive dependence on income from oil, and countless other issues arising from high diversity of ethnicities, resulting in social and political exclusion.

Sounds fascinating, right? So I decided to go there. It was a good decision. I think. It is kind of hard to judge when your thoughts are running in 100,000 miles an hour. I would like to say it is excitement overtaking me, but I’m pretty sure a more accurate word would be anxiety...

So here I am. In the next 3 months I will be living in South Sudan. Starting in Juba, the capital city, but most of the time I will be based in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state, where I will do research on local governance accountability regarding the provision of basic service delivery. I am very excited about my research, as it is people focused, centering on community engagement. Public participation is a key aspect of development, it is the foundation of good governance, ensuring the prominence of the local population in the process of state building and development. In the course of the research I will travel around Western Bahr el Ghazal and get the chance to talk to people from different communities and backgrounds, as well as international workers and local government officials.

I hope that I will know how to make the most out of it. I have an amazing opportunity to learn about  peoples’ lives, viewpoints and ideas and I want to be open-minded towards everything and everyone this journey will bring.