Why KSA lost its universal appeal and support: perhaps the lessons we learnt

1998 was unique and transformational. Kongor Students Association, KSA was born. It had been solid six years since Kakuma refugee camp was established. Education and students’ learning aspirations had taken deep roots in the minds of the camp residents. Across the camp, educators, parents and elders were passionately involved to see into it that young people were learning well and that necessary support was provided to them. Sudanese Civil war had resulted in unprecedented catastrophe. In many regions, people and their livelihoods had been uprooted and destroyed resulting in mass displacement never heard of in the Sudan. In the camp, customs and traditions were undergoing change and transformation, rightly so to remain relevant with time and place.

Within the community, Kongor, passionate debates, and discussions had been conducted on how best to encourage and support children and young people as far as their learning and education were concerned. Primary and secondary school students initiated the future-oriented discussion and the whole community rallied behind them. Traditionally, like many other Sudanese communities, two main pillars signified communal existence and bond; youth and elders. As a required necessity, education was now another pillar to the duality (youth and elders), therefore creating a trinity (Students, youth and elders). The new creation was excellent and it produced an unrivaled level of unity and cooperation within the community. The KSA formation and its operations were divinely inspired. Its vision and mission were universal and transformational; encourage and support education within and outside Kongor community.

Pass forward, the Kongor Students’ Association conference was coming to Sydney. All members of the Association were expected to make an annual contribution of one hundred and twenty dollars. Conferences were held each December. As the conference began, critics of the then leadership engaged in heated argument saying that the Association wasn’t representative enough. They became more vocal, claiming that the word ‘student’ alienated elders, those no longer in school, and those who do not go to school. They argued that for these reasons, the mother Association in Kenya had changed its name to Kongor Youths’ Association. Other relative criticisms were along sectional and clan lines of the Kongor community on which the Association was based. They contended that Kongor Students’ Association leadership in Australia should have been based on sectional lines. A small number wanted only art and law students to lead the Association. The conference ended with new leadership to be elected at the next Conference in Adelaide, South Australia.

For the Kongor Students’ Association website, I wrote an article arguing against all forms of ethnicity, sectionalism and any name change that encroached on the Association’s core mission or threatened it’s integrity. I reminded members and followers that the Association was formed to encourage, and support education within and outside the Kongor community. I argued that the values of education are universal and inclusive of the young, old, literate, illiterate, men or women. I contended that all people are students of life. I felt that the word ‘student’ was being misconstrued. I had no doubt that those who had changed Kongor Students’ Association to Kongor Youths’ Association unconsciously damaged the Association’s image. If applying for a development fund, a student organisation would be viewed favourably than a youth organisation because of its educational agenda that appealed to a larger audience.

Education has no borders. Education is not racially or culturally exclusive. It is a universal culture regardless of the country where you went to school. Increasingly, humanity comes together because of enlightenment through education that enabled movement of people across borders. I wrote that if we allowed ethnic, or tribal voices within the Association, membership would be discouraged and fund contributions would nose-dive. We needed pragmatic, future-oriented young men and women to lead the Association as an ‘enlightened democratic platform’ where people are judged on their abilities but not their ethnicity. Unfortunately the Kongor Students’ Association had already begun to disintegrate as the membership engaged in divisive, destructive, backward-looking, ethnic contentions.

After the Adelaide conference, and as one of the new leadership team, I argued that we had to reform the Association. Membership ought to be based on a compulsory annual registration fee. Those who failed to register shouldn’t be members. This system, I argued would prevent disgruntlement among members because it would depend on individual’s commitment. Secondly, financial contributions had been dwindling. Only a third of the membership was making their annual contribution. We would not achieve our vision if we continued at the pace. I rejected an assertion by many community members that the association was Kongor’s property. Rather it was Kongor based and this was an important distinction. Instead I received condemnation. Several members referred to me as a divisive radical.

But I stood by this fundamental argument that ‘If a greater number of members believe that whatever fund other members contribute is also theirs, then without a doubt, the Association is destined to collapse.’ I was mindful of the economic phrase, ‘the tragedy of the commons’. A situation where individuals acting independently and rationally according to each’s self-interest behave contrary to the best interests of the whole group by depleting common resource. Unfortunately, the Association fitted this description. Active members, and regular contributors, were being alienated. The Association was being rendered functionless and non-progressive. It was a matter of time before no member could pay their annual financial contribution. My colleagues argued to the contrary. They wanted more time to assess membership participation and progress. They were arguing in good faith.

Although today, KSA mainly exists and operates in Australia, it has not ceased to function thanks to John Akol Maluk and the leadership team of young men and women working with him. Fundamentally, Kongor Students’ Association ought not to have been changed to Kongor Youth’s Association. The two organisations deserve to co-exist without one attempting to dissolve the other. KSA vision is universally focused, and KYA mission is internal, communally focused. KSA formation was universally celebrated and many communities within the Sudanese community emulated it. It is in the best interest of all South Sudanese people that we succeed and progress together. And just like sport, education has its intrinsic value to bridge division and bring people together in the spirit of peace and harmony. KSA was/is able to able to achieve that. Humanity has increasingly come together because of the power of education and its intrinsic value to bridge division and unite people. KSA was initially meant to be a national orgnisation because its vision and values were universal. No group, people or organisation can ever succeed and thrive in isolation and exclusion of others.