The free exchange of information is fundamental to peace and economic development. The challenge for Southern Sudan is how to surmount cultural constraints and geographical barriers, aided by the infrastructure gaps, that could torpedo a fast take-off of a new republic
The ideas and skills of the current generation of journalists, economists and policy practitioners, if well harnessed, can nature an enterprising spirit, drive thriving businesses inside southern Sudan, and help government to implement policies with ease. Information flow from states to the center and from the center to the states is vital for people to feel that they are one nation and inspire goodwill that is necessary for a country to thrive in a very competitive world. Yet, the media in their current state are yet to fully fill the information gap.
Therefore, New Times arrives at the scene at an opportune moment in order to fill such a gap and to capture the mood of the people as the country heads to independence. The paper hopes to present the best face of the people to the outside world, while providing constructive advise needed to shepherd a new republic.
The hope is that, by working hand in hand with the Government and the people, a prosperous, and Africa’s newest, nation can be put on firm footing. We will bridge the information gap between the government and the people. We will not be merely informative but be educative.
new times hopes to become a forum for economists, government officials and policy makers with the hope that, through the ensuing debates, the best ideas of how to build a nation from scratch emerge. the paper will highlight success stories from across the country in the hope that such stories would inspire a critical mass of people needed to nurture a country
The paper will present a forum for debate for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs, hoping to create an environment for SMEs to thrive in before the multinationals swallow up the space.
Moving forward, this newspaper will pay special attention to the health sector thereby aiding the government and the aid agencies in building, from scratch, a health system critical to a healthy country. It will pay attention to the environmental challenges, such as the prevalence of polythene bags, in the hope that when people are educated about the dangers, they can, just as Aweil did, find alternatives to this. Owing to the vastness of the future Republic of South Sudan, building infrastructure to connect the country is going to be challenging. Through these pages, this newspaper can play its small part to bridge that gap. But above all, this will be a newspaper that puts South Sudan’s media sector’s professionalism at par, if not ahead of the media in the region.
This is a broad agenda, and we admit that there will be challenges as happens with every new venture. But if we fail, we will still take comfort in knowing that we, at least, did not fail to try.
