Sudanese Victorian Lost Boys/Girls Summit Held in Australia
By Barchoch Tut Jing
AUSTRALIA, January 19 (Gurtong) – The Sudanese Victorian Lost Boys/Girls and friends came together on January 17, 2009 to initiate ideas and set goals for the next three years.
According to the facilitator of Sudanese Lost-Boys/Girls Victorian Community Summit, Trent McCarthy, the aim of the meeting was to strategise on how best to support the Lost Boys/Girls Association.
“I know all of you in this room today have ideas that will help the Lost Boys/Girls set their goals for the next three years”, added McCarthy, who is also a consultant for the Lost Boys/Girls Association’s leaders.
He further said that the summit was a get-together for the Sudanese Lost Boys/Girls and friends in order to create and share a common vision for the next three years.
The summit attracted about 60 people who included business leaders, leaders and officials from government and several Sudanese Victorian community leaders.
The Lost Boys/Girls Association Director, Mr. Akoch Manim, hailed the association’s achievements, citing a case where the group stood up against the media bashing of the Sudanese community two years ago.
He said that the Lost Boys/Girls have worked hard to connect the Sudanese Community with the mainstream Australians. For instance, Manim said, the association held the Appreciation Day on October 27, 2008 in which the members of Lost Boys/Girls and volunteers worked at Collingwood Children Farm, serving food to homeless persons, collecting coins for Australian Red Cross and entertaining the detainees at Juveniles detention centre in Melbourne City.
“This was done to give back to the community that has so far given enough to the Sudanese people”, said Manim.
The Director emphasised that Lost Boys/Girls Association is an association for all Sudanese and not a tribal outfit.
The Secretary for Information of the association, Bil Jok, welcomed guests to the summit and acknowledged the presence of a number of dignitaries including government officials and Autralian nationals.
During the summit, a number of resolutions were passed that included:
The Lost Boys/Girls Association will continue acting as a voice for young Sudanese, facilitate a better relationship within the Sudanese community and the wider Australian community and to develop the young Sudanese as leaders, not just for Sudanese community but for all Australians.
Other resolutions included mentoring where the association members act as role models for young Sudanese in achieving financial sustainability and creating outreach programs for young Sudanese living in Victoria.
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