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The Honourable Mr Peter Batchelor - Minister for Victorian Communities (26 May 2007)
I rise to thank a wonderful not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation that has been instrumental in helping many Sudanese youth come to Australia and overcome the difficulties associated with resettlement in a foreign country: the Sudanese Lost Boys Association of Australia, which was founded by Akoc Manhiem, who is also currently their director and does a
fantastic job.
It provides recreational and support programs for Sudanese young people in Australia. The Sudanese represent the largest nationality in recent arrivals in Victoria under the humanitarian program. Many of these people have lived in refugee camps and most have lost family and friends in the bloody civil war. Many confront issues relating to the effects of torture, trauma and family displacement.
The Sudanese Lost Boys Association endeavours to provide a support network for Sudanese youth to enable them to overcome some of these difficulties. They do this by providing training in communication skills, by encouraging integration into the wider Australian society and by providing education opportunities to Sudanese youth.
They organise movie nights, dances and excursions. They celebrate what they call Appreciation Day, which provided a recent opportunity to show their cultural traditions to the Australian community. They also undertook physical maintenance work one Saturday morning at the Collingwood children's farm and joined in the roadside collections for donations for the Salvation Army.
I hope these suggestions help the Government to consider the way forward. In general, the full potential of refugees to contribute to Australia would be greatly bolstered by the sense of belonging and acceptance that only Citizenship can confer.
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