NCA ANNUAL CONFERENCE of 2002
December 25, 2002
	Mr. Peter Koang Gatkuoth NCA Executive Director (2001-2003)

Dear Members:

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Nasir Community Association Conference of 2002. This is another year around for all NCA members to come together and hold discussion for the future development of their Community (NCA). This conference; however, is very crucial and unique this year because the NCA Administration improved itself so far by achieving the following community documents or activities:

A.The 2002 Conference Agenda(s)

I. The NCA Peace Process:

Ladies and Gentlemen, as we all knew that the Nasir Community Association has split itself into two main separate organizational parties as the result of 2001 election. Therefore, after I accepted the post of NCA Executive Director on September 01, 2002, I have been in such contacts with the following different NCA peace making groups such as Chie-Lang Peace Committee, Nasir Elders Advisors Committee (NEAC), and the Nasir Joint Peace initiative in order to search for peace and the best settlement solutions for NCA disagreement.

Letter to Chielang Peace Committee:

In respond to your letter that I received on September 7, 2002, I have to express my personal gratitude to your fascination letter.  Without doubt, our society (Nasirian) is being respected by whole Nuer clans, many tribes in Southern Sudan, and the Sudanese at large because the ways we interact with difference people and run our own affairs are very unique.

Precisely, I have recognized your special reconciliation letter that you addressed to Pal and me in order to unify our community. Therefore, after I had received your letter, I took some major actions to address this hideous problem that now facing our society. As matter of fact, I had telephoned Mr. Pal Gatkuoth to discuss this letter for finding ways that will lead two Nasirian groups into full agreement.  Unfortunately, our talks were fruitless because Pal believed that these Nasirian groups are big enemies to each other, so that they could not harbor any direct negotiations alone. 

On my personal point of views, I strongly believed that it is our own responsibility, we the Nasirian Community to bring a lasting peace solution to NCA Members. If we don't act now, the NCA for sure must fail. Due to the above explanations, I have endorsed what is called Chie-lang Peace Committee Initiative to go further and solve the NCA current problems.

In addition, I agreed with your letter if our resignation will bring peace, or mutual understanding between our groups. On my side, I will also insist working to launch what is called Nasir Peace Convention that will involve all Nasirian Parties, but, I considered Pal to take strong position, and acknowledge that the Nasirian Unity is better than one man leadership.

B.Nasir Elders Advisors Committee (NEAC)

In many times, I had been in contacts with NEAC group for the purpose of NCA Peace Programs. NEAC is the group of Nasirian Elders who were volunteered to re-unite NCA Community, and it leads by Joshua Opal Lual in Canada. In October 05, 2002, they requested NCA Administration to work with them in order to resolve such a division within the NCA Members. Then, the NCA Head Office selected its special team known as NCA ELDERLY PEACE COMMITTEE led by Simon Gatkuoth Wakow; and this is the statement that sent by the NCA Office to NEAC: We the NCA members operated at Omaha, Nebraska Headquarters appointed our peace delegation team to Nasir Peace Convention. The individual personnel who are selected in this peace process are as follows:

With the best of our knowledge, we have fully approved the above delegation team to NCA Peace Convention in order to find facts and to eradicate the root causes of the problems that now dividing our community. We are very optimistic that the NCA Elderly team cited above would bring peace and justice to our NCA Community; and they will fully cooperate with NEAC group or any other groups that deal for peace within our Community.

C.Nasir Joint Peace Initiative

On October 19, 2002, the Nasir Joint Peace Initiative Committee organized the phone conference that connected NCA Executive Director, Mr. Peter Koang Gatkuoth with Mr. Pal Gatkuoth Deng, the other NCA leader. The names of Nasir Joint Peace initiative are as follows.

This is the first time since the election day of December 24, 2001 for two sides to have direct talks for negotiation either by phone or in person. However, the purpose of that conference was a preparation for the next round, which is still today under progress.

D.The Nasir Women Association (NWA):

 On September 29, 2002, I had a phone contact with Ms. Nyaraye Gatluak, who is the Chairwoman of the Nasir Women Association (NWA). Ms. Gatluak was reported that the unity of the Nasir Women Association is under critical situations. The Nasirian Women are dividing their Association because they wanted to take sides with their spouses who have already divided main NCA. Then, as the NCA Executive Director, I started given some advises, and instructions that might strengthen the Nasir Women Association Unity; and I also acknowledged her that she had to avoid using annoying languages that may disappoint Nasir Women Association members who are also the main supporters of NCA Omaha Headquarters. At the same time, I had advised our Women that they have to wait for the final dissolution of Nasir Community Association, which is now in the Court of laws. I had encouraged them that the Nasir Community Association is not yet divided itself. We don't know it now for sure what will be the final solution of this horrible disagreement; so you are better to wait for whatever solutions will come up from the main NCA. Therefore, the Nasir Women Association is now showing some positive signs of the strong unity.

II. The Formation of Nasir Community Association in The North America:

The Nasir Community Association (NCA) is the South Sudanese Organization that formed in 1996 in the United States of America. As many refugees came to U.S. A, South Sudanese immigrants are among those people who took asylum in America. They proudly have taken this marvelous decision to organize themselves as to maintain their cultural background and to create a business of their own in the United States of America under the name of Nasir Community Association (NCA). Moreover, the succession of NCA is up to its members because they contributed funds statewide to finance NCA, and they also established one bank account across U.S., and in every two years, they changed its leadership.

Principally, the NCA members are the main source funding of the Organization. Across United States of America, each NCA member is entitled to contribute $120.00 annually. This contribution is an obligation for those who committed themselves to create the NCA business. They must continuously contribute $120.00 per year until the NCA goals have been reached.

In addition, despite of the distant between States, NCA members jointly succeeded to open one bank account under the name of NCA. The NCA members constantly funding this Organization as to bring their dreams into reality, the dreams of creating an international successful business in America that would work to generate money for the NCA shareholders. Also this NCA business will create an employment opportunities here in the United States of America and else where around the world.

Thirdly, the leadership of Nasir Community Association is subjected to change within two years period because the individuals or few people may not have chances to control the Organization. On another hand, the people of NCA who are also the main source funding of the Organization are not happy to repeat the same mistakes that they had gone through in Africa. For instant, when an African leader took a power, he has not given any freedom at all to his countrymen. Sometimes, he might simply bring up his tribe men to control everything in the government; as the result, the government becomes corrupt.

Finally, like many refugees in America, South Sudanese refugees are in the process to establish their own business in U.S. A. They began to contribute large amount of money to finance NCA business. They established NCA join account in the one State; and they also rotated NCA leadership in every two years as the way to decentralize the NCA power.

Sincerely,

Mr. Peter K. Gatkuoth
NCA Executive Director