A NEW SUDAN: Sudan’s rebirth

Find the difference (Image: Khartoon by Khalid Al Baih)

They say it’s never too late to be what you could’ve been, yet in my case it’s never too early. This year the world has undergone phenomenal changes triggered by an ostensibly mass awakening of humankind, and now the people of Sudan. Yet simultaneously, as I turn seventeen, I was undergoing my own personal “awakening”. Due to my ambitions, I was fed up with the ordinary teenage life of no purpose or meaning; and this unpleasant feeling escalated day by day, until eventually leading to a radical shift in my priorities. I realized my beloved nation was in need to quench its desperate thirst for change and I aspired to become a driving force in eliminating its suffering. Given my innate desire to excel, I wanted to run for President – one day.

“Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I’m changing myself”, the poet Rumi once said; so I thought perhaps this whole President thing isn’t where my thoughts should be, given I’ve only just received a high school diploma. Yet, I still wasn’t satisfied. Our grandparents fought for our independence. What have I done? Protestors risk their well-being in pursuit of amelioration and change. What have I done? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Perhaps a large proportion of the Sudanese population shares mutual feelings of not having a line in this play. Yet the truth is, unlike any play, there is always room for an extra character, and an additional scene to be shown.

Sudan’s revolution need not be one solely based on overthrowing the current government; it also comprises the rebirth of a rejuvenated, well-organized, passionate and productive populace qualified to lead a New Sudan. In a Hadith, the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) informs us to take advantage of five before five and amongst them is “youth before old age”. For now, this will be my means to join this revolution – optimum utilization of my youth. And upon my embarking on this journey, every step, contribution, and accomplishment will be on behalf of my motherland. And here I begin a revolution of learning and consciousness, the revolution within myself.

Sudan has entered a period of great instability, and the conventional reaction would be to curse the dark, complain about the debilitating state of Sudan, drivel on about what we used to be, lament the corruption and excessive self-interest. However, I choose to light a candle and use my talents to create, build or even discover something to stimulate this rebirth.

See, if the general structure of the mindset remains unaltered, we will always end up re-creating fundamentally the same country, evils and dysfunction. It is time we invest in our immeasurable potential; invest in an improved population, for the sake of Sudan. What if amongst us is the next Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, or Albert Einstein? What if it is you? We must not be hindered by taboos created by earlier generations, or restricted by illusive limitations of our own creation. The rise or fall of Sudan will be the outcome of the life led by us – every single one of us. One day our success stories can merge to form an authentic reflection of the goods ‘Made in Sudan’. As for now, don’t just sit back and watch it all happen, initiate your own personalized revolution. Dream, awaken and do – persistently. Sudan is calling for a new people to emerge and it is us – the citizens of the New Sudan.