South Sudan: Citizens Demand A National Cultural Dress
By Diing Magot
Some South Sudanese are calling on the government to come up with a national dress for the country.
They suggest that the government approve a Jalabiya or tunic for men and a Lawo, which is a long loose piece of cloth tied around the shoulder for women.
Deng Aling, director and founder of Hope Society, a local organization that promotes South Sudanese art, said the Lawo and Jallabia are commonly worn in rural areas and some towns across South Sudan. Aling added that it’s important for South Sudanese to have national cultural attires.
“It helps in recognizing South Sudanese abroad.”
“Once people look at it, they will know this is from South Sudan and that will make us unique and will help the upcoming generations to embrace their culture and also to have a culture of consciousness.” Aling said.
Professor Taban Lo Liyong, a South Sudanese poet and lecturer at the University of Juba said the Lawo can compete with other cultural attires across the world.
“Challenge people to say come in with what you think is a good dress for the nation, they’ll tell you let us have Lawo for men, Lawo for women, Lawo for girls when they are still growing up and Lawo for elderly women, matrimony women.”
“Whether you are small or thin, it flows from your shoulders like the Greek Toga and the Roman Toga also for men and for women. So why not go for that?” Prof. Lo Liyong stipulated.
Aside from cultural attire, Prof. Lo Liyong said the cultural ministry should prepare a book of manners to guide South Sudanese in their behavior toward others.
“The ministry is talking about a dress only on the outside. What about the men and the women inside?”
The national minister of culture, museums and national heritage, said the government has yet to come up with a policy to introduce a national dress for South Sudan.
Nadia Arop Dudi said a national attire helps identify South Sudan’s culture.
“The national wear, it is one of the important symbols to any country as a cultural aspect and we know that even in different tribes of South Sudan, any tribe has their national traditional attire or traditional wear that they’re being identified (with).” Dudi admitted.
She says different tribes are already being identified by their style of dressing.
Dudi supports the idea of having the Lawo dress as the national dress for women.
“Lawo is one of the attires which is very nice and all of us, we know how to wear it, all our tribes and some people say that yes, it is very important also to have this as a national attire because it is a different wear that all of us, we can adopt it easily.” Dudi said, adding that her ministry is drafting a policy to provide national attire for South Sudan.
“As a ministry, our role is to put the policy in place to bring stakeholders to give us what they want exactly and then the government will come and approve and ascend it through the cabinet and national assembly so that it becomes a working document or it becomes something that has been put as a law in the country.”
A national costume showcases patriotism that people often wear to funerals, birthdays, weddings or other ceremonial events.
Prof. Lo Liyong said behavior and manners should also be adopted and considered part of South Sudanese identity.
“The English say manners maketh man. Human beings are known for their manners and then you will know who they are because they have manners. If they have no manners, there’s nothing for them to carry.” Prof. Lo Liyong added, saying during the old days, boys and girls were initiated into adulthood and taught how to behave in society.
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