Between Thursday 13th and Saturday 15th September 2024, 30 emerging leaders of South Soudanese immigrant communities in Canberra, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia were hosted by the University of Melbourne Initiative for Peace in a 3-day residential program to develop their skills in Peace Leadership. Rotary Melbourne funded the program from annual funding of Welfare of the Young Committee initiatives supported by the Peter Mackay Bequest.
The workshop design was based on a successful 2019 pilot program conducted by the University’s Peace Initiative. The workshop program was designed to support Australian South Sudanese community leaders and peace builders engaged in various peace building initiatives across Australia and South Sudan.
Rotarians were invited to observe two half day sessions and had the opportunity to explore opportunities to connect South Sudanese communities to their local Rotary Clubs and enable for local advice and support. Much of the workshop focused on analysis and resolution of local conflicts and included extensive discussion of local initiatives taken in each of the South Sudanese communities.
Participants learned how to measure progress in creating positive peace, spoke openly about trauma experienced by community members in their experience prior to migration to Australia and subsequently, and how to create and apply positive peace building strategies in their local communities.
An important and somewhat unexpected insight to emerge from the workshop was the important role immigrant communities can play in sending positive messaging back to their home communities that encourage calm and considered approach to conflicts in their homeland. The strong collective harmony achieved among participants during the 3-day workshop will enable them to communicate effective and positive peace building messages that encourage peace building in their home-land communities.
For those present, it was highly gratifying to hear how grateful participants were for the support provided by Rotary Melbourne, and acknowledgement that the experience would not have happened without that support.
The project also provided an opportunity for collaboration between Rotary Melbourne and the Rotary Clubs of Adelaide, Balwyn and Central Melbourne. Past District Governor and member of the Zone 8 Regional Council, Peter Frueh was particularly helpful in assisting multiple participants connect with Rotarians in their home communities. Past president Reg Smith attended as an observer from Rotary Melbourne, joined by President Catherine Baxter, Jane de Git, International Director, Carol Bond and Robert McGuirk. RC Balwyn was represented by Peter Frueh, Ann Frueh, and Brian McGuinness, whilst RC Central Melbourne, was represented by President Rhys Williams and Marwien Ariik.
As the workshop came to an end the compelling observations from participants reflected strengthened mutual respect and unity of purpose in approaching their community leadership roles in Australia and in connecting to their homeland communities’.
Attention is now turning to follow-up meetings with program participants and Rotarians follow-up from across Australia through monthly dialogues open to Rotary Members and South Sudanese community leaders on their experiences and project plans
As the workshop came to an end the compelling observations from participants reflected strengthen mutual respect with their colleagues and unity of purpose in approaching their roles in Australia and in connecting to their homeland communities’.
