South Sudan
Last week I visited the largest refugee camp in the world, Dadaab in northern Kenya, home to almost 450,000 Somali refugees.
I also visited the Yida refugee camp in northern South Sudan which has 60,000 Sudanese inhabitants fleeing from the conflict in South Kordofan, Sudan.
My expectations of an African refugee camp were shaped by the images on our TV screens of skeletal starvation and desperately malnourished kids.
Continue reading "Lessons from the largest refugee camp in the world" »
As the full omnishambles of both the Government’s and the Opposition’s asylum seeker policies is revealed, it seems the answer was there, right in front of us, all the time.
Refugees just needed to absorb one tiny bit of Australian culture. The redneck motto: Go back to where you came from.
A study has revealed most Sudanese refugees want to go home, some temporarily and some permanently.
Continue reading "The refugees who want to go back to where they came from" »
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marley says:
@ibast - most people recognise how important controlled immigration is. It’s the uncontrolled immigration that’s the problem. And it’s not just a problem in the US or Australia; it’s a huge problem for the South Africans, for the Europeans, quite large chunks of Latin America and for North Africas, not… Read more »
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marley says:
@wakeuppls - look, I don’t know what your issue is,but your comments are almost incoherent. Of course we’re a sovereign nation, and of course we can make our own decisions about who comes to this country. We decided, as a sovereign nation, to admit the Kosovars on a temporary basis. … Read more »
Emmanuel Jal was around seven years old when he was recruited as a soldier for the Sudanese Liberation Army. He’s now become a hit musician. But how did he get from one to the other? He explained his story to The Punch.
Can you describe for us how you were recruited to the Sudanese Liberation Army, and how you felt at the time?
I was 7 years old and I had been sent to a refugee camp in Ethiopia by my father to receive schooling and to leave the war behind. Whilst I was at the camp, under the UN’s nose SPLA commanders were rallying the children and young people together.
Continue reading "Punch Q&A: From child soldier to hip hop star" »
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subotic says:
@John, wow, I think I’ve finally found someone who trumps Cathy O’Brien or David Icke in the totally delusional stakes. All you need to do now is confirm your belief in CIA sponsored underground reptilian aliens who secretly control the planet and you get the prize mate. Trance-Formation, MK-Ultra or… Read more »
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stephen says:
Hip-hop and rap is not music ; it’s an excuse for the nervous and vacant to appear busy, and at the same time, wear tatoos and drug-manufacturing t-shirts, whilst crapping on about societ’ys inclusiveness. Read more »
A little over two months ago, on 9 July 2011, the world celebrated in unison at the birth of the world’s newest nation, the Republic of South Sudan.
As the Prime Minister’s Special Representative, I was privileged to represent Australia at the independence celebrations in Juba, South Sudan’s largest city and the capital of the newly independent country.
It was an historic moment, and the elation was palpable and infectious. With an Australian Akubra hat protecting me from the hot African sun, I shared in the joy and celebrations of thousands of South Sudanese.
Continue reading "Cautious hope for the world’s newest nation" »
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Juani says:
when the war was going on in Sierra Leone, there was hardly any news even about it! HOW can soeomne think hat you can get used to war!!!! If you can donate to charity! focus on people in war zones!! they are beyond suffering!!! I think its great that you… Read more »
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Avoid Future Problems says:
@marley - I disagree I think we know who is going to struggle with their second and third generations. This idea that you can just take poor and unskilled immigrants in our humanitarian program and give them the same benefits as every other Australian, sounds good, keeps the average Australian… Read more »
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