Citizenship Republic of South Sudan Flashcards
Foundations of Citizenship and Human Rights
Citizenship is formally defined as the legal right of a person to belong to a specific country. A citizen carries specific duties essential for the stability and growth of the nation. These duties include defending the country, promoting democracy, avoiding violence, and actively working to prevent and combat corruption within the state. Furthermore, citizens are expected to participate in developmental activities. Closely related to the concept of citizenship is nationalism, which refers to the political, social, and economic system aiming to promote the interests of a particular nation. The regulation of a state is governed by a constitution, which is a set of fundamental principles, rules, and laws—either written or unwritten—that provide the legal framework for governance.
Every human being is entitled to human rights, which are the basic privileges and liberties inherent to all individuals. When these rights are codified within a constitution, they are often referred to as a Bill of Rights, a formal statement of human or civil rights. Justice, in this context, is defined by righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness. In the Republic of South Sudan, the citizens are provided with various rights and freedoms, including equality before the law, the right to life and human dignity, personal liberty, the right to a family, and the specific rights of children. Human rights themselves possess four distinct characteristics: they are universal, meaning they apply all over the world; they are dependent, meaning they rely on each other; they are fundamental, representing their vital importance; and they are inalienable, meaning they cannot be taken away from a person.
To ensure these rights are upheld, commissions are established with specific functions. These include monitoring the application and enforcement of rights and freedoms, conducting investigations on their own initiative, visiting police jails and prisons to inspect conditions, and making recommendations to the National Legislative Assembly.
Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
A conflict is defined as a form of friction or discord arising within a group or society. Conflicts occur at various levels, including individual versus individual, individual versus society, society versus society, individual versus state, and state versus state. The causes of these conflicts vary, ranging from differences in opinion, failure to fulfill expectations, and hatred to status threats. Broader conflicts may arise due to political differences, the unequal distribution of resources, cultural and religious differences, or land ownership issues. At a local level, conflicts are often driven by lifestyle choices, social differences, and economic disparities. Key areas of contention typically include power, religion, natural resources, ideological differences, and inheritance.
Conflict resolution refers to the processes and methods involved in facilitating a peaceful end to a conflict. The methods of resolution include reconciliation, arbitration, negotiation, diplomacy, and litigation. A standard process for resolving conflicts involves four steps: first, the involved parties must state what the conflict is about; second, a summary of the story from both sides is created and solutions are suggested; third, each party is invited to give their views regarding the suggested solutions; and finally, an agreement is written down and signed by all parties. Peace-making is the specific process of settling conflicts between disputing parties, and an armistice is a formal agreement to stop fighting.
Various institutions play roles in conflict resolution, including the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the South Sudan Centre for Conflict Resolution, and the judiciary. International and local organizations also advocate for non-violence, which is the use of peaceful means without physical force to resolve disputes. Such organizations include UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan), ONAD (Organization for Non-violence and Development), and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development). The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) includes member states such as Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Non-violence is supported by two main theories: the principled theory and the pragmatic theory.
Systems of Government and Political History in South Sudan
Government is the group of people with legal authority to govern and control the affairs of a society, while a system of government refers to how administrative units are organized. South Sudan operates under a national government composed of the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. The parliament is an elected legislative body that represents the people, makes laws, oversees the government, and approves national plans and budgets. The South Sudan parliament is bicameral, consisting of the National Assembly and the Council of State, and is chaired by a Speaker. Other levels of government include state-level and local governments. Globally, other forms of government include monarchies (constitutional or absolute) and dictatorial governments.
Dr. John Garang made significant contributions to the Republic of South Sudan by forming the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), serving as the first Vice President of Sudan, and becoming the leader of South Sudan. A pivotal moment in political history was the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Convention of 1994, held at Chukudum, Eastern Equatoria. This convention focused on governance rather than war strategy. Resolutions included formalizing a five-level local government system (Boma, Payam, County, Region, and Central Government) and creating regional administrations for Bahr-el Ghazal, Equatoria, South Blue Nile, Southern Kordufan, and Upper Nile. It also led to the drafting of the New Sudan Penal Code and New Sudan Traffic Act, and the election of the National Liberation Council.
The Executive branch includes the President, the Vice President, and the Council of Ministers. The President preserves security, appoints constitutional and judicial officials, and presides over the Council of Ministers. The Vice President acts in the President's absence and serves on the Security Council. The Council of Ministers is responsible for general planning, policy approval, and implementation of legislative resolutions. The legal system or judiciary consists of the Supreme Court (the final court of appeal and interpreter of the constitution), the High Court, the Court of Appeal, County Courts, and other tribunals. Revenue for the national government is sourced from oil and mineral revenue, personal income tax, corporate profit tax, customs duties, and value-added taxes (). All collected revenue must be deposited into the national revenue account and included in budget operations.
Social Change, International Organizations, and Sustainable Development
Social change refers to shifts in social behavior and relationships, and the practice of doing activities differently than in the past. It is characterized as universal, social, progressive, and inevitable. Factors influencing social change include demographics, biology, culture, and technology. Social indicators are the conditions that influence the well-being of people in society. International organizations play a vital role in the social fabric of South Sudan. UNICEF provides support for children and relief during calamities; the World Food Programme (WFP) provides food relief and guidelines for sustainable production; and the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) assists victims of conflict and refugees. Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) contribute by providing health services, promoting gender equality, and assisting expectant mothers.
Sustainable development aims to end poverty and hunger, achieve food security, and ensure healthy lives and gender equality. It consists of three main components: environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity. To be truly sustainable, community projects must achieve social, financial, institutional, and environmental sustainability. Environmental issues such as soil degradation, river pollution, and over-exploitation of fisheries can lead to conflict. Therefore, conservation efforts are linked to peace, such as creating public parks in disputed lands or having national clean-up days. Individuals can care for the environment by creating compost heaps, using eco-bags, planting trees, and reducing carbon dioxide () emissions.
Active citizenship involves people participating in local and national community matters. It promotes peace, transparency, and accountability. The impacts of active citizenship are social (improved living standards, reduced crime), economic (financial empowerment, employment), political (citizen participation, equal access to resources), and environmental (wildlife protection, soil conservation). Transparency occurs when leaders communicate openly, while accountability involves the government taking responsibility for its actions. Effectiveness and efficiency represent the government's duty to deliver services properly, and participation refers to the inclusion of people in decision-making.
Economic Rights, Global Interdependence, and Project Management
Global interdependence is the state where countries depend on each other for economic, social, and environmental aspects. Governments regulate the economy through competition, correcting externalities, and providing national security. Taxes are crucial for funding education, health, and general government operations. In the economic arena, consumers, employees, and employers have specific rights and responsibilities. Consumers have rights to refunds, information, and compensation for loss under the 2011 Consumer Protection Act. Employees are responsible for doing work carefully and following instructions, while they have rights to fair pay, trade union participation, and safe conditions. Employers must provide tools, a safe environment, and treat employees with respect.
Designing and implementing community projects involves four main steps: project identification, formulation, implementation planning, and monitoring and evaluation. A monitoring and evaluation plan must include descriptions of intended results, indicators, targets, data sources, baseline values, and specific tools such as questionnaires and checklists. Successful projects require active leadership, consensus on completion criteria, and accurate record-keeping. However, challenges often arise, including lack of sustainable funding, incomplete human resources, weak monitoring, and lack of support or skills. Effectively presenting information on these issues can be achieved through group discussions, role-playing, simulations, and media presentations.
Glossary of Key Terms
Adversaries: Refers to opponents.
Apartheid: The policy of racial separation as used in South Sudan.
Armistice: A formal agreement between or among conflicting parties to stop fighting.
Articulate: To express.
Cohesion: State of working together.
Cordial: Being friendly.
Covenant: A binding agreement between two parties.
Criminal justice: A system of practices and institutions of government directed at upholding social control and mitigating crime.
Dictatorial: A government that is in exploitation of its people.
Diminish: Reduce in amounts.
Discord: Disagreement.
Evaluation: The process of gathering and analyzing information to compare and know if pre-determined objectives were achieved.
Humanitarian: Being concerned with people’s welfare.
Inalienable: Cannot be taken away from someone.
Liaison: The act of working together.
Litigation (Ligation): Legal process.
Mitigation: Act of lessening the force or intensity of something unpleasant.
Monarch: A form of government led by a king or queen.
Political unrest: Widespread dissatisfaction with the current government.
Rebel: A person who resists an established authority.
Renaissance: Rebirth or revival.
Resolution: A formal expression of opinion.
Restorative justice: The process of bringing those harmed by a crime and those responsible for the crime into communication through mutual agreement.
Retributive justice: A theory holding that the best response to a crime is a punishment proportional to the offense.
Servitude: A state of being subjected to forced labor by someone more powerful.
Soil Degradation: Over-exploitation of soils leading to unproductivity.