Sudan and South Sudan
Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It gained independence in 1956 from joint British-Egyptian administration and has since been devastated with drought, famine and war. For most of the 20th century Sudan was involved in two civil wars, which were a result of an access to power and resources. The first civil war ended in 1972 but another started in 1983. In 2005 a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed by the North and the South and granted the Southern rebels autonomy. Due to the war, drought, famine and limited infrastructure of Sudan, there are about 500,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries. The CPA did not end internal conflict and has continued since. In Darfur, fighting broke out in 2003 and has caused 200,000 deaths so far and the dislocation of almost two million people. The violence in Darfur has continued and in 2013, about 6,000 people were killed and 500,000 were displaced.
This video contains strong content, but is a useful resource for teachers to understand the lives some of the people of Sudan live in.
Perception of Australia |
The Sudanese community is one of the fastest growing in Australia and the number of Sudanese arrivals has increased by 34 percent every year. Since 1996-97 over 20,000 people born in Sudan have made Australia their new home. Before arriving in Australia, many Sudanese people have lived in refugee camps. In light of this, they face some difficulties adapting to their new life in Australia. It takes time for them to adapt to a new location, language and cultural framework. After their time in refugee camps, their life skills may be extensively eroded as a result of those experiences. Their qualifications and work skills may not be recognised or valuable in Australia and their little experience with English can be a challenge. Their family culture is very different to Australian culture and as a result they may have difficulty with Australian laws and customs. Religion is very important for Sudanese people, so finding a Church or Religious can be helpful in the settlement process.
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References
The World Factbook. (2015). Africa: Sudan. Retrieved August 28, 2015 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/su.html
Commonwealth of Australia (2007). Sudanese Community Profile. Retrieved August 28, 2015 from https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/11_2013/community-profile-sudan.pdf
The World Factbook. (2015). Africa: Sudan. Retrieved August 28, 2015 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/su.html
Commonwealth of Australia (2007). Sudanese Community Profile. Retrieved August 28, 2015 from https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/11_2013/community-profile-sudan.pdf