Proposal Submitted

With some generous help from Ambassador Nakaha and some kind spirits we have submitted the following proposal for the walk to the Sudanese Embassy.  They may not hear this given all the turmoil with the presidential criminal charges going on.

 

--- Begin proposal ---

 

To:          Mohleldin Salim, The Honorable Ambassador from Sudan

From:    John Eder, MBA at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

 

Subject:               Opportunity for a walk with peace

 

I am seeking permission to conduct a walk with peace from Khartoum to the capital of Chad.  If you approve of this walk Sudan will benefit from a shift in the world-view.  This beneficial shift occurs over short, medium and long time periods as follows:

 

Short Term Benefits

• Sudan demonstrates their ability to control the hostile areas through which the walk shall occur, including Darfur.
• Provides a vehicle for the people of Sudan to express their support for peace by walking with me along the way.
• Starts to shift the attention from war to peace.
• Offers a low risk way for the government to expand their approach for gaining more world support.

 

Medium Term Benefits

• Starts a dialogue with Chad to remove the current threat of rebels deposing the Sudanese government.
• Structured appropriately this can support Obama.  We would involve his office in the process as feels appropriate.
• Support for the walk shows a commitment to peace on the world stage.

 

Long Term Benefits

• Fosters trust to allow local business to invest and grow.
• Offers an opportunity to reduce conflict and develop a more stable government.
• Allows a platform for Sudan to highlight the role of climate change in the current conflicts.
• With peace, Sudan may focus on internal development and the peace process in southern Sudan.

 

Along with receiving the benefits from this walk, perhaps Sudan could stop the flow of oil during the ensuing peace talks.  As things stand currently the United States, France and China trade arms for oil in the region.  If the region wishes for the autonomy to design peace, then this cycle of incentives needs to shift.  Stopping the oil potentially incentivizes the entire world to support peace and stability for Sudan.  Of course Chad must stop their oil temporarily as well so as to avoid the singling out of Sudan on the world stage.

 

I humbly offer these opportunities out of a kinship with the people of the Sudan who will gain significant opportunities for stable growth when peace is achieved.

 

With warmth:

 

-John Eder

 

 

--- End proposal ---

 

Another contact I made here offered to try another channel with the Sudanese government, so we shall see.

 

With warmth:

 

-J

 

 

 

John Eder ▪ MBA, Class of 2009 ▪ UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School

cell 619.847.5579 ▪ john@eder.ws ▪ www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu

P   Please consider the environment when printing.

 

 

 

 

AU Ambassador

The meeting with the Ambassador is interesting.  We spoke for awhile on war and the potential stakeholders and then drifted off for awhile to chat about global politics and development.

 

As we return to the subject of peace he recommended I speak with the Sudanese Ambassador and remain open with them.  He left me his card and said he looked forward to our next conversation when I can tell him everything is well on the way.  He feels like an kind friend now in a way that goes beyond the civilities of diplomatic discussions.

 

The discussion also helps me formalize and think through my presentation for the discussion with the next Ambassador.

 

Thank you to those who post comments.  My ability to reply online is limited due to some web filters here.

 

With warmth:

 

-JE

 

Potential meeting with Ambassador

I spoke with Ambassador Mahmoud Kane who serves as the head of the AU Liaison Office in Sudan.  He seems interested in the topic and asked me to call back next Wednesday to potentially set a meeting.

 

Here is an article he published in a Sudanese news outlet:

 

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27286

 

Progress in some manner…

 

With warmth:

 

-J

 

Walk for peace

I am proposing a “Walk for Peace” to the Sudanese and Chad governments.  If they approve this, I shall take the final document from my research and deliver this to the capital of the Sudan, Khartoum.  I will then set out on foot from here, through Darfur to the capital of Chad, N’Djamena.

 

The purpose of the walk is to offer people along the way to join in this tranquil gesture of support for peace in the region.

 

The walk is 1200-1500 miles across some harsh desert and mountains.  At a conservative estimate of 3 miles per hour, with ten hours of walking per day, I may take around 50 days to make the walk. 

 

As I am working through the logistics, I shall share here.  Approvals seem like a stretch, and yet I remain optimistic for some reason.

 

With warmth:

 

-J

A bit of sadness

Well the Chad supported rebels appear to have made a run for the capital of Sudan, Khartoum. They were right on the fringes, but appear to have been held back. Here is an article from the BBC on this recent development:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7396404.stm

And an old article from the BBC on the Sudan rebel's recent run up to Chad's capital of Ndjamena:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7226076.stm

If only we can show the benefits of peace...

-JGE

Some perspective from an expert in the region

Mail from a friend in Egypt:

I think Jennifer gave you a good overview on the critical elements of development and conflict. .Whether in Sudan or Chad, the most pressing problems are: climate change, shortage of water, excessive population growth (compared to water and food capacity in the area), war and poverty. Sudan and Chad have some geopolitical and economic similarities. I think we need to have more research in this area. I encourage you to pursue your research project.

Chad has a very weak economy based on cotton and more recently oil. Most of the new industries are supporting cast to the oil sector. Corruption is very high at all levels. Ministers sell the government vehicles or offer them as gifts to their clan members. Last month, in the mist of the conflict with Sudan, most of the Chadian government's vehicles disappeared and the government has no system to track them either. You will find government's officials that cannot read or write, but are excellent fighters. Though they are brutal in protecting their interest, emotionally underdeveloped and can engage in open-ended warfare. However, Sudan is a mirror image of Chad. The governing elites in Sudan are well educated and savvy with their opponents.

To their credit, in Sudan, there is tremendous growth in the real estate, telecom, oil sector and military industrial complex. Perhaps most importantly, these sectors have grown at the expense of the agricultural sector. In addition, the conflict in Darfur has ruined the animal product sector. Sudan now is importing food and most of it's basic needs from world markets. Overall there is sluggish growth, poverty and economic inequality. The country is lagging on all the measures of economic development. In the south there is a ceasefire but no peace, still there is a tit-for-tat between the leaders of the governing coalition. The picture is grim but there is hope and we are all betting on peace.

Certainly, feel free to communicate with me and hopefully we will meet in Cairo in July.

Best regards

Hamid

Letter to gain entry to Sudan

I drafted the following letter to attempt getting a Visa into Sudan. Hard to say if they will accept the idea. Thankfully I have a few friends in Sudan to serve as references.

--- Begin letter ---

To the honorable Ambassador from Sudan,

I am an MBA student at UNC's Kenan-Flagler school of business. This summer I will work on an economic analysis of the potential business benefits peace offers the region. I recognize that the media attention is focused on the Sudanese side of the war with Chad. The focus of this paper is the benefits of peace while avoiding the highly controversial issue of who is to blame. This study focuses in two areas:

• The potential reduction in the cost of oil extraction if a regionally brokered peace is established.

• The positive GDP affects of peace on the region.

While in Sudan I plan to stay in Khartoum and interview business leaders on how a resolution to the conflict would benefit their ventures.

The desired outcome of this effort is an understanding among regional leadership of the benefits provided by an end to the war. My faculty adviser is a development Economist trained at Stanford University.

At your discretion please approve a Visa for the dates July 22^cnd to August 6^th so I can complete interviews.

With appreciation,

-JYE