( CNN ) -- When most people think of South Sudan , if they think of it at all , they imagine poverty and war . They imagine a world and people that are far removed from the everyday life that most of us reading this are lucky enough to enjoy . But that was not my experience in the world 's youngest nation . What I saw on my three trips through South Sudan were people just like you and me . People with desires and needs . People in love . Mothers and fathers . Sisters and brothers . Friends and enemies . People with resilience , determination . But above all -- hope . A year ago Monday , conflict again erupted in South Sudan . Since then , thousands of people have been killed , nearly 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes , and 6 million South Sudanese -- almost half the country -- have found themselves in desperate need of aid . Last week , as I traveled through Mingkaman , a small village in South Sudan 's Lakes state , with the aid organization Oxfam , I met people whose lives have been turned upside down by conflict over the last year , but who still have n't lost their belief that things can get better . At a camp for people who had crossed the Nile to escape the violence that destroyed their homes , a middle-aged Dinka man , who was easily 7 feet tall , told me that armed men had stolen all of his cows -- his main source of income . When I offered my sympathy for his loss , he smiled and said , `` Do n't worry , I will get more cows . '' Indeed , much of the story of South Sudan is a story of hope . When the country gained independence in 2011 after more than half a century of war , people danced and cried with joy in the streets as they looked forward to a future of peace and development . CNN Photos : A nation on the brink of an abyss . Through the valiant efforts of the South Sudanese people and support from the international community and organizations like Oxfam , things were getting better . New roads were paved , communities without access to clean water saw wells drilled , and violence was drastically reduced . Tens of thousands of young girls were receiving education for the first time . Things were changing for the better . But then last December , a power struggle between the country 's president and vice president turned violent and led to a skirmish between some of their supporters that has wreaked havoc across the country . Church leaders and civil society groups have appealed for peace and reconciliation . People I met are opposed to -- and terrified by -- what 's happening . But as the summer 's rains have ended and the roads are once again passable , the fighting has resumed and is likely to get worse in the coming weeks . Although the conflict has taken on an ethnic tone , people I spoke with were at pains to tell me that this was n't a conflict between the Dinka and Nuer tribes , who have lived together , worked together , and intermarried for generations . Standing in the midst of rows of newly planted tomatoes , one Dinka man took a break from weeding to tell me that he believed in a peaceful future for South Sudan -- but not without greater action from the international community . `` When you have problems within your family , '' he told me , `` you sometimes ca n't solve it yourself ; you need someone from outside to come in and help you reconcile . '' His words were echoed by so many South Sudanese I spoke with , who highlighted the special role of the United States in helping the country achieve peace and gain its independence , and asked for America 's assistance again now . As we mark one year since the start of this terrible conflict , we have to do more to support South Sudanese peacemakers and pressure the country 's leaders to stop fighting . The resilience of the people of South Sudan can only go so far without a political solution to this conflict . Even now when I think of South Sudan , I do n't think of war . I do n't think of poverty and children with AK-47s . All of this exists within the country , but I think of the confident cattle herder who believes he will regain his lost cows , even in the face of such despair . I think of the many pregnant young women I met , who were excited for their future and the future of their children , hoping that it would include peace and a chance for a good education . But most of all I think about the many incredible people I met who have lost everything they have in the world , but still manage to keep going and keep hoping for peace . It is for those people that the U.S. must act to keep that hope alive . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
A year ago , war broke out in the world 's newest nation , South Sudan . Rooney Mara says war has ravaged nation but its people retain hope . Mara : " I think that there is a lot of optimism and determination to overcome this conflict because we are not going back into civil war.