Savannah to Suburbia - South Sudanese Australian Stories

Welcome to the final episode of this series, Resettlement and Resilience. In this episode we’ll hear stories of how people came to Australia and what that has been like; and the ways in which, over the decades, Australian immigration policies have shaped the experiences of different migrant groups, including those from South Sudan. We’ll also hear about the impact of the new civil war in South Sudan on the communities in Australia, and their efforts to help family members caught up yet again in conflict, and their support and efforts for peace. Episode Notes: Thank you to Akol Miyen Kuol for permission to use his poem, O Peace Come, from his collection, The Last Train and to Ajak Kwai for permission to use songs from her album, Of cows, women and war. We acknowledge as sources for this episode Sharon Hutchinson’s 2000 paper, Nuer ethnicity militarized, and background papers written by Graeme Hugo and Andrew Jakubowicz for the Australian Human Rights Commission’s review, African Australians. Further information about the series and full source references can be found at morningsidesoundproductions.com

Did you know there is a timeline, map and other resources to help navigate this and other episodes on our website? Welcome to Episode 4 – Seeking Safety. In this episode we’ll hear of the brutal split within the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the SPLA, the second crucial event that took place in 1991 and one that continues its savage destruction in the present internal civil war in the new country of South Sudan.

Did you know there is a timeline, map and other resources to help navigate this and other episodes on our website? Welcome to episode 3 – The Lost Boys. These are children who were forced to flee into the bush without their families and who survived the terrors of wild animals, crocodile-infested rivers, hunger, and endless walking between temporary places of fragile safety.  Episode Notes Thank you to WJ de King for permission to use his songs. You can find out more about WJ de King by visiting  https://www.reverbnation.com/wjdeking We acknowledge Jok Madut Jok and Sharon Hutchison’s 1999 paper, Sudan’s prolonged Second Civil War and the Militarization of Nuer and Dinka Ethnic Identities, as a source for this episode. For further information about the series and full source references, or to contact us, go to www.morningsidesoundproductions.com    

Artist – Kagi Kowa Did you know there is a timeline, map and other resources to help navigate this and other episodes on our website? In this episode, we talk about what came before, with some of the historical and political background to this war and hear from some of those who lived through the first civil war that lasted for some sixteen years, from 1956 to 1972, and the subsequent eleven years of peace until the second civil war broke out in 1983.   Episode Notes: Thank you to Akol Miyen Kuol for permission to use his poem, My love to Sudan is unshakeable, from his collection, The Last Train (a transcript below). And to Ajak Kwai for permission to use songs from her album, Of cows, women and war. We acknowledge Girma Kebede’s 1997 paper, The North-South Conflict in Historical Perspective, as a source for this episode. Click here for full source references. My love to Sudan is unshakeable – by Akol Miyen Kuol My love to you, Is something eternal It is born with me, It grows with me, Nothing can snatch it from me My love to you, Is unshakeable It is something in my blood Despite this long blood shed It is never shaken, The opposite, It is becoming stronger, And stronger It cannot be shaken by a stranger

#1 – Women’s VoicesIn this episode, we hear from women forced to run from their homes by violent civil war, often losing husbands, children, other family members. They tell of their desperate flights to find safety, of years spent in refugee camps, of the journeys that brought them to Australia, and of the new lives they are forging here for themselves and their children.   Show NotesThank you to Ajak Kwai for permission to use songs from her album, Of cows, women and war. Check out her amazing album at http://www.ajakkwai.com/music/ or on iTunes.We acknowledge Orly Stern’s 2011 paper, “This is how marriage happens sometimes”. Women and marriage in South Sudan, as a source for this episode.The artwork for this episode is by Artist Kagi Kowa. You can see more of her work and find out about her inspirational journey from refugee to young Australian businesswoman at www.nubiadesigns.com.auFinally, you can click here for further information about the series and full source references. And if you haven’t already, please show your support by subscribing to this podcast.

To coincide with Refugee Week’s 2018 theme #WithRefugees, we are proud to welcome you to our podcast, Savannah to Suburbia – South Sudanese Australian Stories. Click “play” above to hear the promo. This upcoming series includes contributions by some of our newest Australians about how they came to be here. The five episodes are narrated by journalist Jennifer Huxley and feature music by Ajak Kwai and WJ de King. Episode One will be released July 9, South Sudan Independence Day, with the remaining episodes released fortnightly.Please show your support by subscribing to this podcast.