ROSS HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

 

The Relief Organization for South Sudan (ROSS), formerly known as South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SSRRA) is a humanitarian wing of the SPLM/A (IO) that provides license and registry for NGOS, CBOs/CSOs and any humanitarian organization operating in SPLM/A controlled areas in South Sudan. SSRRA coordinates, liaise and monitor humanitarian organizations and other NGOs in the areas controlled by the SPLM/A in the Republic of South Sudan for effective and efficient humanitarian intervention and service delivery. ROSS provides safe working environment to the humanitarian organizations in SPLM/A controlled areas. It conducts needs assessments and identifies target groups for humanitarian interventions. It builds capacity of stakeholders and local partners to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the target groups.

ROSS is an agency that promotes peace, trust and healing to the traumatized and conflict affected communities by creating awareness on peace and reconciliation among South Sudanese citizens in collaboration with relevant partners.

ROSS -USA is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 incorporated to solicit funds legally from the US corporations, foundations and small private organizations and provides humanitarian assistance to South Sudanese in devastated areas in South Sudan. It builds capacity of stakeholders and local partners to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the target groups. It provides nationwide education to create awareness on the need for peace and reconciliation among South Sudanese citizens in collaboration with relevant partners. ROSS has regional offices across the US to streamline resource mobilization and coordination of humanitarian assistance for South Sudan. It collaborates with stakeholders to effectively coordinate and deliver humanitarian needs (food and medicines) to South Sudanese in devastated areas in South Sudan. The agency works to create awareness of the humanitarian needs in devastated areas of South Sudan through public conferences and latest field reports.

VISION

Envisage transforming lives and working for justice and prosperity for all in a peaceful society

MISSION

T coordinate humanitarian assistance to save lives, restore dignity through psycho-socio rehabilitation service, and promote sustainable development by empowering community to effectively utilize the abundant natural resources as a process to transition from relief to rehabilitation

GOAL

To coordinate, implement programs and partner with humanitarian agencies (UN Agencies, NGOs, etc…) for effective and efficient delivery of humanitarian services to reach unreachable residents, IDPs and to safeguard the voluntary return of South Sudanese refugees from the neighboring country after peace.

ROSS Leadership and Operation Worldwide

Pagak, South Sudan

Hon. Aggrey Izbone Idri, Chairperson of National Committee for Humanitarian Affairs

Hon. Moses Gatkuoth Lony, Deputy Chairperson of National Committee for Humanitarian Affairs Hon. Thiang Luony, Executive Director

United States Office

Dr. John Chuol Kuek, Country Director

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Mr. James Gatwech Reath, Country Director

Khartoum, Sudan Office

Hon. William Garjang. Gieng, Country Director

Nairobi, Kenya Office

Mr. Ezekiel Gorei Dang, Country Director

Australia Office

Mr. Ruot Khat Marwang, Country Director

Canada Office

Mr. Nhial K. Wicleek, Country Director

Uganda

Mr. Francis Dabe, Country Director

Dear Attendee:

Welcome to the 4th Annual ROSS* USA * Diaspora Humanitarian Conference 2018

The ROSS-USA was established in September 2014, with a goal to mobilize and coordinate the efforts of South Sudanese community stakeholders, groups and individual contributions throughout the United States to help provide basic emergency assistance to South Sudanese. The primary aim of the agency is to provide humanitarian assistance to South Sudanese in devastated areas of the country. The ROSS – USA premiere conference began in 2015 as part of the hopes and dreams of leadership to address challenging humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. Its grassroots efforts, dedication, commitment, resulted in a highly-regarded, educational, and professional conference.

This year’s conference, under the theme: “Together, we can safe a life,” will present new, innovative approaches in peace building and help to educate all of us on the need to consider new strategies to coexist as one nation. April is ROSS – USA Annual Conference Month, a time where we as a community recognize our national commitment to address humanitarian crisis and take affirmative steps to end the effect of unlawful segregation of some ethnics groups in South Sudan. While this is the 5th Anniversary year of the inception of the Juba Nuer Massacre, which made the government of South Sudan’s act a civil war, the struggle continues today not only to address humanitarian crisis in some parts of the country, but to unwind the effects of unlawful segregation of some ethnic groups in our country. This year’s conference will look back at the history of ROSS and explore how to better address the humanitarian crisis in the country. We are honored to have a distinguished list of speakers who will lead us in discussion.  It is our hope that you will find this conference educational and enjoyable!

Enjoy and soak up the knowledge and insight today as we honor the 4th Annual Conference as the result of the imposed civil war on South Sudanese people. Thanks you for coming to the conference in the great city of Phoenix, AZ.

Sincerely,

John Chuol Kuek, PhD Country Director

Relief Organization for South Sudan (ROSS) USA Office: (402) 595-8125

Cell: (619) 347-1411

Website: http://www.ross-usa.org

 

Conference Team Leaders

 

  1. Bidiit Biel Luak Conference Chair

Relief Organization for South Sudan’s Fourth Annual Conference 2018

  1. Nelson Loponi

Co-Chair & Regional Director, South Region

  1. Mary Nyareak Chuol
  2. Dep Nhial Tuany

Team Leader for PR/ Communication

  1. Chan Nyak Kuoth Team Leader for Secretariat
  2. Kuony Malual

Team Leader for Community Mobilization

  1. Lewis Barud

Team Leader for IT/ Data Management

 

Program Schedule

Security N/A DJ: Bako

 First Phase (MC): Mr. Albino Wuor Matai/ Mrs. Abioth Mark Chuol

 Saturday, April 21, 2018 1:00 pm (Music and Slide Show)

 1:15 pm-1:20 pm: South Sudan and US National Anthem

 

(Prayer: Rev. Peter Ruach Lual)

1:25 am-1:40 pm: Opening Remarks, House Keeping Rules and Guests Introduction

 Mr. Bidiit Luak, the Chair of the Conference

Nelson Loponi, Deputy Conference Director/ South Region Director Dep Nhial Tuany, West Region Director

 

1:45 –3:50 pm: Presentations

 Presenter 1: Rosemary Lokule (15 min) Current Humanitarian Crisis Updates

Presenter 2: Joseph Kueth (10 min)

Ideas for a cohesive SPLM/A (IO) leadership in North America in helping to address Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan

Presentation 3: Gatluak Kuornyuot (10)

SPLM Chapter leadership’s 2018 initiatives update Presenter 4: Bandak Lul

Contribution of South Sudanese Youth, not only in the South Sudanese community, but in the world community.

Presenter 4: Hon. Thokhat Wiu (10 min)

Social and legal issues facing the American-South Sudanese Youths/ highlight on current deportation issue

Presenter 3: Dr. Isaac Gang (20 min)

United States views on the South Sudan civil war and initiatives taken by Washington to address humanitarian crisis, if any.

Presenter 5: Dr. Zambakari (20 min)

South Sudan civil war/ ideas for a new dawn for a lasting peace for the people of South Sudan

Presenter 6: Keynote Speaker, Amb. Goi Yol (20 min)

Regional led Peace Initiative, obstacles and possibility for reaching a comprehensive peace deal in 2018

 

Break and Entertainment (10 min)

Words of Encouragement: 4: 00 pm – 4:35 pm (33 mins)

  • Youth League – Matthew Dobuol Ruon (3 min)
  • Women League – Ms. Nyagile Thot (3 min)
  • Nuer Community of Arizona –Mr. Tuach Ruon (3 min)
  • NCDS – Mr. Gach Chockchock (3 min)
  • Lou Nuer Community – Dobuol Mading Kueth (3 min)
  • Jikany Nuer Community rep – Dak Wal Miyong (3 min)
  • Pangak Nuer Community – Abraham Juoy Tuong (3 min)
  • Bentiu Nuer Community – James Mut Nyang (3 min)
  • Equatoria rep – Dr. Hennery Lejukole (3 min)
  • Western Bahr el Ghazal (Wau) – Lewis Barud (3 min)
  • Northern Bahr el Ghazal –rep TBA (3 min)

4:40 – 5:00 pm: Closing Remarks by: Dr. John Kuek, Country Director

Closing Prayer by: Peter Biel Lual

5:05-6:05 pm: Dinner

6:10 pm-3:00am: Concert/Entertainment/ Fundraising

MC: Mr. Chan Nyak Kuoth / Mr. Santo Gabriel Deng

Goi Jooyuy Yol, MBA, PhD Student

Goi Jooyul Yol is currently an independent management consultant, a member of political Bureau and Chair of Committee for Education, Science and Technology of the SPLM in Opposition. He is a Negotiator and a Chair of Humanitarian Cluster for IGAD –led Peace High Level Revitalization Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is a former advisor of Jonglei’s Governor on investment. He was a focal point of Arusha INTRA-SPLM reunification process in Arusha Tanzania in 2014-2015. He has intensive experiences in relief and development for the work he had done for six years, 1994- 2000. He is former Senior Civil Servant in the Government of South Sudan’s President Office. He has extensive roles in

Humanitarian Relief, Development and Research with NGOs and UNDP.

Academic credentials: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management, Walden University- Minneapolis, Minnesota USA (doctoral program in progress). Master of Business Administration (MBA) Walden University-Minneapolis, Minnesota (2014). Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business Administration, Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky (2002). Diploma of Community Development and Leadership (AA), Ethiopian Adventist College (1994)

Publications: Jooyul and Associates: Baseline Study. Socio-economic Applications of TOTAL France Oil Drilling in Jonglei, Bor (2008). Global Access Project Unified Research Locator: Department of African Studies, at Indiana University Bloomington (2004). Bassline Study: Jonglei Officer’s Handbook. Retrieved at Sudan archive and Rift Valley Institute (1998). Akobo Model: A Handbook on Establishment in Rural Sustainable Governance & Enterprise (Pending Publication).

 

Mrs. Rosemary Samuel Lokule

Deputy Chair, Relief Organization for South Sudan

Mrs. Rosemary graduated from Juba University with a Diploma in Community and Rural Development. She Also has a diplomacy at South Sudan Christian University and was Interrupted in her final year by the current civil war in South Sudan, which was the reason to seek asylum in the United States. She also completed religious order formation as a Catholic non in the order of Canossian Daughters of Charity. She is currently married to her one and only love Joseph. Mrs.Rosemary is an experienced leader who had worked for international NGOs as listed below: Fellowship for African Relief in the area of sanitation and health education for Action Africa Help International (AAH-I) as Admin Assistant and Inter-Church Organization for Cooperation Development (ICCO) as Administrative officer. She is currently serving the Board Chair of Relief Organization for South Sudan’s nonprofit part of it; she is on the board of Alliance for South Sudan in Diaspora; a board member of Sudanese Community of Holy Name Catholic Church Nashville, and the current Chair Lady of Equatoria Community of TN.

Among the activities that she does, she is a singer in the church and was privileged to have participated in recording and singing of the South Sudan National Anthem on her Independent day. She is also an actress, an oppressed part of her.

 

Dr. Christopher Zambakari, BS, MBA, MIS, LP.D.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Christopher Zambakari has built a strong foundation as a visionary leader, scholar, international consultant, and speaker. He is a Professor in the College of Global Studies at Cambridge Graduate University International (CGUI) and Faculty in the Executive Global MBA Program at Minhaj University Lahore (MUL) in Pakistan. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Arizona State University (USA), MBA in International Finance from University of Buckingham (UK), a Master degree in International Studies with a specialization in Conflict Resolution from the University of Queensland (Australia), and a Doctorate in Law and Policy (LP.D) from Northeastern University (USA).

He is member of the Board of Directors of The Sudan Studies Association (SSA) and Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Nile Institute for Peace and Development (NIPD). He has led and implemented programs throughout the world on important contemporary international issues. He has worked on cross-functional teams on collaborative projects with organizations in the United States America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and in the Middle East.

In 2013, he received the prestigious Rotary International Peace Fellowship to study at the University of Queensland in Australia. He has prepared reports for the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Berghof Foundation, consulted and contributed to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) commissioned reports on anti-corruption initiatives in East and Southern Africa as well as infrastructures for peace. His areas of research and expertise are in policy development that ensures political stability and socio-economic development, political federations and regional

markets, transitional processes, the rule of law, postcolonial violence, and nation-building projects in Africa and in the Middle East. His work has been published in law, economic, and public policy journals.

Dr. Isaac Kueth Gang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Information Systems at Texas A&M University- Commerce’s College of Science & Engineering, Department of Computer Science & Information Systems

SPLM/A – in Opposition (IO) Representative to the United States

He is a former director of Relief Organization for South Sudan (ROSS) USA’s South Region.

Dr. Gang is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, MIS, and Information Systems at Texas A&M University- Commerce’s College of Science & Engineering, department of

Computer Science & Information Systems. He joined the A&M faculty in the fall of 2017 from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor where he taught Computer Science & Engineering for 6 years. Before coming to UMHB, Gang

was an Adjunct Professor of computer science at the University of Southern

Mississippi’s School of Computing. Dr. Gang earned an Associate of Arts (AA) degree in computer science from Hinds Community College in 2000, Bachelor of Art (BA) degree in history from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2004, a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in computer science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2004, Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2008, and Doctor of Philosophy in computational science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2010. Dr. Gang is the founding member of Alliance for South Sudanese in Diaspora (ASSD); a founding member of Coalition of Advocates for South Sudan (CASS), and a founding member of Jonglei Peace Initiative –North America. In addition to his professional expertise in science, technology and IT, Gang has an extensive peace and leadership training background with the Institute of Sustainable Peace based in Houston, Texas, United States. He has attended and facilitated peace and leadership training for over 4 years with ISP.

 

Bandak Lul, MA

Mr. Bandak is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Master’s Degree in Social Justice & Human Rights, and holds two bachelor’s degrees in BA in Political Science and BA in Sociology. He is a research project director at ASU Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research (STIR).

Mr. Lul is also an advocate for the displaced persons and a human rights activist. He has used his time away from work and school volunteering at non-profit organizations working

to assist refugees and immigrants at large. He represents the state of Arizona at the Migrant and Refugee Leadership Academy, hosted by the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and serves in leadership roles for South Sudanese youth in Arizona. He has appeared on CNN, and as a speaker at Uncharted- The Berkeley Festival of Ideas, Amnesty International USA Regional Conference, and ASU refugee and migrant panel discussion.

Mr. Lul is a former refugee from South Sudan (the then Sudan) who spent 14 years of his life living in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. In 2006, he was granted a refugee status to the United States, host city Phoenix, AZ.

Thokhat Khor Wiu

Member of Parliament Transitional Government of National Unity, South Sudan.

 Hon. Thokhat is an unshakable member of National Liberation Council SPLM (IO). He was appointed to Public and Community Affairs department in the mission office in Washington D.C. in 2014; his office was designated for community mobilization to support the SPLM (IO) in the states. Hon. Thokhat also served as the chairman of Thiang Bar Community in the United States; he was a Deputy Chair of the SPLM Chapter of Colorado. As the National MP, living in the states, he continues mobilizing and educating the community.

Joseph Peter Kueth, BA

Chairman of the State of Arizona SPLM Chapter

 Mr. Joseph the current Chairman of the SPLM Chapter of Arizona. He is a former Chairman of the Nuer community Association of Arizona for several years. He voluntarily serves in various South Sudanese community’s committees and activities in Arizona for a long time. He earns a

bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from Arizona State University. He is a great father, a lovely husband who married to a beautiful lady, Samra Maragan. Together, they have been raising their lovely children.

ROSS Leadership

National Office

  1. John Chuol Kuek, Country Director
  2. Rosemary Lokule, Deputy Country Director
  3. Tibisa Jiechlat Thor, National Coordinator
  4. Matthew Malual Reer, Director of Programs and Operation
  5. Gatluak Kuek Nyir, Director of Administration and Finance
  6. Toang Gatkuoth Buom, Deputy of Administration and Finance
  7. Augustino Gore, Head of Information and Public Relations

Regional Directors

  1. Nelson Loponi, South Region
  2. Dep Nhial Tuany, West Region
  3. Stephen Pajok Kong, Midwest Region
  4. Kwan Malwal, East Region National Advisors
  5. Gatluak Ter Thach, Senior Advisor for Planning and Resource Mobilization
  6. Lam Thot Muang, Senior Advisor for Relief and Social Affairs
  7. James Kuajien Deng, Senior Advisor for Religious Affairs Departments
  8. Kueth Yul Dieu, Head of IT/ Webmaster
  9. James Bile Thurbiel, Youth Empowerment Officer
  10. Stephen Chan Dak, Coordinator of Education
  11. Lewis Barud, Community Engagement Officer
  12. Stephen Khor Chambang, Donor Relations Officer
  13. Bidiit Luak Dar, Information and Public Relations Officer
  14. Khor Bayak Chuil, Coordinator of Social Affairs