January Inside. exchange news & stories of human interest in our field of translation, literacy & scripture use

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1 Episcopal Church of the Sudan Translation Department January 2012 Dear friends of ECSTD, This is a golden opportunity for me to introduce to you this ECSTD Newsletter, the first of its kind since t he est ablishment of this department. ECSTD stands for the Episcopal Church of the Sudan Translation Department (ECSTD). ECSTD was established in 1996, under the auspices of the Diocese of Khartoum, to meet the need for Bible translation work. On behalf of the team, the board and the Bishop, I am delighted to see this publication launched. My high expectation is that your stories will shape our lives together. Your contribution will sustain the production of this Newsletter. Our Vision The aim of the department is to fulfil the Lord's commission in Mathew 28:18-20 by reaching the people of Sudan with God's lifegiving word in their own languages. Strategy and Goals: 1. Sociolinguistic research to identify the requirements of the languages that need translation 2. Training of personnel for the tasks of literacy, translation and scripture use 3. Linguistic research and literacy development in the languages identified 4. Facilitation of translation in the languages identified 5. Promotion of the use of vernacular scriptures as they become available Currently the department has 6 New Testament translations in progress. Four projects are at an advanced stage, two are in initial stages and one Old Testament project is in its initial stage: Laru NT, Burun NT, Katcha NT, Lumun NT, Ama NT, Aceron NT, Tira OT. Much has happened since the founding of the ECSTD. Yet it is not too late to write of the many events which take place in our daily ministry of translation, literacy, and scripture use to impact the communities in our world. These ministries are a tool to enrich the holistic vision of the Diocese to reach all the different languages with the word of God in their own mother tongue in order to advance the kingdom of God in Sudan. One of the main purposes of this Newsletter is to provide a platform for us to exchange news and stories of human interest in our field of translation, literacy and scripture use that can help us to understand and learn from all the new things the Lord is doing in different areas. A dream becomes a plan when we know what and who we have to work with. I do believe that many of you who are long standing friends of ECSTD with your valuable support spiritually, financially and morally will be excited to hear our stories and we too are eager to hear yours. We are grateful to sister Judy and brother Alan, volunteers from WA Revd. Fajak Avajani (UK), and their teams, who have EDSTD Director gladly agreed to help us initiate the ECSTD Newsletter with editing and design. Thank you so much for your great service of love. Most of the stories will be live reports from the t e a m s a n d others. At its Family get together event on 16 December 2011 initial stage we would like to l i m i t t h i s Newsletter to five pages to see how it goes. The following content will be our coverage at the moment: Editorial page, this page will be used by the d e p a r t me nt exchange news & stories of human interest in our field of translation, literacy & scripture use Inside Our Nuba Identity is in trouble ECSTD team & the Diocese Staff Message from the Bishop and partners to give their insights. Diocesan page, this page will be use by the diocese to pass on any church news. Literacy page, this page is for any stories about literacy events. T r a n s l a t i o n a n d scripture use page, this page will be for any news in these fields. Announcement page, this page is for the department and diocese to use for major news. We hope to produce this newsletter four times a year as the team's contribution is made. Our stories will include community, social, economical, political and religious issues which affect a translator's life.

2 Our Nuba Identity is in trouble! Introduction Cultural issues in Sudan are emotional issues. Cultural diversity is being politically recognized as a value but the specific culture in focus is Arabic culture. Historically the Nuba cultures and traditions have maintained tolerance and diversity. There are many valuable cultures among the Nuba, from which we can still draw wisdom for our generation. The sociolinguistic issue of our Nuba children s identity being assimilated into Arab culture is due to the ruling system in Sudan. This is a long-term challenge for the Nuba people. Definition The Nuba cultures are composed of a system of beliefs and patterns which are naturally learned in the society by formal instructions or by informal imitation modelling. We have methods of describing huts, crops, cooking, pots, beds, hoes, ploughs, and greetings. 1. The truth about the Nuba cultures: We are truly African people, with our own cultural identity and heritage. Linguistically we are diverse in our cultures and languages with dialect clusters. We strongly believe that all the existing languages have meaningful and adequate ways of expressing everything important within our own cultures as others do. We desire to have cultural rights to access media services, so that our cultures will have a chance to be academically and technically developed and documented through our national media services. 2. The culturally valuable issues among the Nuba The land resources in agricultural and economic life are carried out locally. Organization of labour in different life situations is done on a local basis. Stocking grain, threshing and storage are all still done in a local way. Pottery, a traditional industry, is still made with local muds. 3. The Nuba community way of life The periods of adolescence and adulthood are the two most important periods. Age-grades systems of dancing and wrestling are frequently practiced among the tribes. Parentage:maternal and paternal systems in marriage are both found. Inheritance of wealth or property, divorce, and widowhood are areas with cultural tradition. Funeral feasts, spearing bulls, and singing are sometimes practised. Hunting wildlife and keeping livestock are very common. Eating different food, fruits, animals, birds and insects are all interesting areas. 4. The Nuba political cultural ruling system: Cicatrization and preparations for kinship. The installation of spiritual leaders such as priests. Fighting system and native court session for settling cases. 5 Challenges that are posing a threat to our cultures Sociolinguistic choice of monolingual education system in Sudan has been nationally legalized: 2 politically, one language is used in all domains. Our Nuba children are forced to make a language choice by law. The long-term plan is child brainwashing, to eradicate our historical heritage. The long-term plan is to eradicate the Nuba cultures and the languages. The Nuba child's cultural human rights are not preserved but destroyed. The present media in Sudan advertise arabization with the aim of creating unity and peace, but this ideology is deliberately destroying other languages and cultural values. Confronting aspects of our Nuba cultures does not mean creating disunity in Sudan as others assume. The truth is that cultural disunity has been a problem in Sudan for many years. It is godly to live with cultural diversity and it will be purely ungodly to aim at killing any Nuba language or culture. We have the right, as human beings to have our languages and cultural identity preserved and advertised, like others, through media services. Revd. Fajak Avajani EDSTD Director Nuba Identity is in trouble

3 Staff Translators Team Literacy Team The whole Diocesan staff, Mundara visit & signing of WGA Memorandum with ECSTD, 3 November

4 I would like to give thanks to Almighty God for the way he has cared for us in this last year and brought us safely to this New Year As we look back at what God has done, we see his hand on his Church and the work among his people. Many people got baptized and confirmed for which we give thanks to him. Last year there were a lot of changes in the Sudan, the biggest being the separation of South Sudan from the North. This has affected the Church both in numbers and politically. For example this Christmas, 2011, there have been no official holidays in the country. This is unlike every year in the last 56 years of independent Sudan when Christmas Day used to be an official holiday. Some families celebrated Christmas without their children because their children had to go to school on Christmas Day! The Diocesan Synod took place in November 2011 at which many resolutions and recommendations were passed for the growth and development of the Church. I would like to announce some important events that will take place this year for information and your prayers: 1. All Saints Cathedral Khartoum is celebrating 100 years since its establishment. On 26 January 1912 All Saints Cathedral Khartoum was dedicated for worship. 26 January 2012 will be the centenary, and Christians of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, and the Diocese of Khartoum in particular, would like to celebrate this day and offer thanks and praises to God for the good things he has done over the years through his faithful servants, clergy and people in both Cathedrals, old and new. The primary aim of this celebration is to encourage God s people to follow in the footsteps of those who served God faithfully until some of them died in his service. We also hope to unite the Church of Christ to work together as the body of Christ particularly in this new era of Sudan after the independence of South Sudan. It is to make a very Big Noise that, we, as Christians are here and we intend to be here for God s purpose. t o mobilize inte rces sors everywhere to strengthen prayer in every Church: to continue to pray for the future of the two countries, that they have good and strong relations for the service of the people of Sudan and South Sudan. to continue offering social services and humanitarian assistance to all people. 2. New Province in the North of Sudan In November 2011, the General Synod of the Episcopal Church of Sudan had its 9 th Assembly and passed a number of resolutions and recommendations. One of the major resolutions was to create Internal Provinces within the Episcopal Church of Sudan. The Northern Cluster was seen as a special case due to its existence in an Islamic country. The Synod decided to make an Internal Province with a view to preparing for a fully independent Province in the future. Because of this I would like to ask our partners and all well wishers to pray for this young Province to establish itself and work for God s Kingdom in the Sudan. 3. Bishop s Bible Certificate (BBC) The Bishop would like to launch a course known as BBC for those who would like to have a deep knowledge of t h e B i b l e, whereby each attendant will be offered a certificate in Bible knowledge. Please pray for this new project in the Diocese to attract many, resulting in the expansion of God s work in this part of the country. 4 Praise: Investment in Church land for God s glory Give thanks for the work of the translation department, the teams for Ama, Aceron and Tira OT Our partnership with the Diocese of Bradford in the UK New partnership with the Diocese of Singapore Prayer: The Church in the Sudan after the independence of the Republic of South Sudan The situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile Darfur May the Lord bless us throughout this year The Rt. Revd. Ezekiel Kondo Bishop of Khartoum The Rt. Revd. Ezekiel Kondo Bishop of Khartoum

5 Nuba Mountain Translation and Language Celebration on our compound 2nd December 2011 attended by