#realintentions

           Throughout the documentary about saving South Sudan, we can see how dictatorship can form and how such government officials use their power to keep their power. Such in this video, Salva Kiir, the President of South Sudan publicly displays his former vice president Dr. Riak Machar as a traitor who attempts a coup against him. But later on in the documentary, Dr. Riak says that Kiir only says this due to the fact of his possible lost if he himself were to run against him for the presidential election. After being banned from the local government area, Dr.Riak stays commissioned somewhere in South Sudan with his own personal militia in attempts to right the wrongs of Salva Kiir.

           My reaction to this film out of all the documentaries shown in class is not so surprising. Throughout public schools up to the collegiate level, history teachers I have personally had always said to look for small injustices around the world in relation to genocide and continue to emphasize how the holocaust was not just last genocide on earth. Although Dr. Riak attempts to create a democracy, civilians in the area up to the local government in South Sudan are killed without mercy and their goods plundered upon. But this once again is not surprising to me as people will need to do just about anything to survive.

           I do think the filmmakers show a certain bias towards the real intent of Dr.Riak, because it is easy to capture what you want to hear from someone who was thrown out of the government. From “creating a democracy” to “I just want peace for the people”, simple statements like that are easy to say but not do. This also doesn’t take in account to what might actually happen if Dr.Riak is successful in his rebellion and whether or not he will stand true to his words.

           There are a few blind spots throughout the whole documentary, one including who the prophet is that controls the so called “white army”. Continuing with this, the video does not explain how the targets for the white army happen to be oil supplies in addition to civilians in South Sudan and who they are fighting, whether its soldiers sent by Salva Kiir or other tribes simply attempting to protect their land, family, and belongings.

           Genocide can be related to the current topics covered in class, especially in relation to slavery. Slavery in my own words describes the forcing of those to do a bidding against their will, and as history shows happen to be Africans. I feel that in the video about genocide, soldiers who fight for something don’t really know what they are doing. They lack an education unlike Dr.Riaks wife, and may be forced to believe that what they are doing is right.

           Throughout the documentary I learned about different opposing sides of South Sudan, and why these sides were formed. But as these sides are portrayed, they do not explain what they are doing to progress besides forming protective borders so their enemies to not continue moving in to certain areas.

           The term “never again” can never really be a reality. This is due to the fact that there are always opposing sides due to tensions in politics, financial institutions, and culture/religion. Due to these strong beliefs and also strong arguments, there will always be some sort of fighting to prove one side is right over the other.  I feel that no matter how much people donate, or even spread the word, the term “never again” will still seem to be a question worth asking from now and to the future. As we can see that in the film, no matter how much aid is given, a truck exactly for giving aid to South Sudan was stolen and used for rebellion causes. Words spread from teachers in classes to even a video such as this doesn’t exactly mean people will do anything because it is not of their concern.

ohmygod haha

I feel so appreciated