CSPS celebrated its twelfth (12th) anniversary in July 2023 as it looked back and assessed its setbacks and progress following ten years of internal conflict in the country, two years of COVID-19 pandemic and endurance of seemingly endless catastrophes in troubled world. The world has been and continue to witness worrying developments ranging from interstate wars, intrastate conflicts, environmental disasters, technological advancement going wrong as AI smart technology, robots and drones are killing more people than conventional weapons.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being worryingly watched as legal regulatory systems are being hatched and scrutinized, intercommunity and religious conflicts are spreading rapidly and deadly and borders are becoming more conflicts prone than ever.
While scientific advancements in medicines, engineering and space are providing new inroads for human understanding of its problems and environment, human greed, using the new technology, is illegally accumulating wealth by all means, hence creating endless conflicts in Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America etc.
Governance systems are becoming more problematic as majority citizenry in many countries, are frustrated through exclusion and inequality more than ever.
In fact, millions of people, due to conflicts in their countries, which often resulted in abject poverty, are crossing dangerous borders and undertaking dangerous journeys in oceans to escape man made hell back home. Thousands are dying in oceans seeking new alternative routes to escape their miserable situations, while countries barricade their borders against migrants.
Meanwhile, religious and ethnic extremism are causing deaths of millions of people across the world. The world indeed, is not safe as human race has declared war against nature, hence threatening the very existence of humanity and other creatures. The world is living on a timing bomb and a borrowed time.
The world is rearranging itself. There are four systems or orders emerging: the global security system, the global economic system and digital system, all-encompassing different aspects of human life. Whoever controls or is part of these three emerging systems, seems to eyeing the control or influence of major aspects of the world affairs.
Then there is the “racial hierarchy” that is being imposed by racists radical groups in several countries, a timing bomb that, if allowed to grow, will destroy societies and perpetuate unstoppable conflicts.
That is why during the past century, research, science and technology had attempted to be the tools for diagnosing and searching for solutions to human problems. Indeed, the potential and the believe of the capability of the human race to transform its environment has always stimulated human curiosity to learn more about options that may influence or even attempt to predict what are deemed as the best or worst options for better living.
It is based on the above context that research think tanks become important instruments for better understanding of humanity and its surrounding environment. That is why, the search for knowledge and wisdom remains the first priority of humanity over the ages. Hence, think tanks must continue to endeavor to find solutions to the challenges and management of people’s expectations.
At twelve, the Republic of South Sudan has the potential to contribute to human knowledge and to adapt to the ever-changing world of science, technology and innovation through its research institutions and think tanks.
The South Sudan Center for Strategic and Policy studies (CSPS) was established in July 2011 to participate, through research and capacity building, in the development of the country and the African continent. The Board of Directors, has, through the founding document, identified the gaps and the potential needs of the country, its neighborhood and global strategic trends and their impact on the development of the country and the region.
The center’s vision, mission, objectives, and goals are outlined as well as research programs. Our research programs are geared towards developing a democratic developmental state and peaceful region with focus on participatory governance system where human and natural resources are utilized and extracted to enhance the well-being of the population.
Through our researchers, fellows and advisors, using their vast experiences in their areas of expertise, the center is well placed to carry out quality and a focused research.
After twelve years of hard work and moving forward from establishment stage of center to the second level of sustainability, CSPS staff, management, members of the Board of Directors researchers, fellows and advisors are more ready than ever for the next level.
The CSPS website serves as a virtual medium of interaction with our partners worldwide and we hope that they will find time to visit us anytime and we are ready for any queries.
Join us in our endeavor to make research the best tool for the betterment of the human complex world.
We are committed to our Motto “Living the Future Today”.
John Gai Yoh (PhD)
Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors