Canberra continued to
welcome newly
arrived refugees over
the last six months,
predominantly Karen
and Mon people from
Burma, Tamil people
from Sri Lanka and
smaller numbers of
people from Sudan
and Iraq. In
Goulburn the Chin
community from
Burma are settling
well, but there have
been few new arrivals.
We have seen a large
increase in the
number of asylum
seekers in the
Canberra community
from a diverse range
of countries of origin.
These are all of course
all people who have
sought safety in
Australia from
torture, persecution
and war. They bring
with them many
strengths and skills.
All communities have
much to be proud of
in their achievements
over the first years of
settlement. A good
case in point are the
dozens of Sudanese
men and women now
doing tertiary study at
Canberra universities.
Another is the vibrant
and well organised
Mon community who
were a clear contender
for the most vibrant
food stall at this year's
National Multicultural
Festival.
People face a
multitude of
challenges as they start
to rebuild their lives.
Companion House
had identified a whole
range of important
issues for the coming
years for the ACT.
Examples of these at
the local level
include; strategies to
address the lack of
affordable housing ,
better local support
systems for asylum
seekers, better
engagement between
families and schools
including more
widespread interpreter
use and more
culturally sensitive
responses to Care and
Protection issues. In
Goulburn, the most
important issue is to
build better
employment and
training pathways.
Of course Companion
House can never
address these issues
alone. We are very
happy to have recently
established a working
Group on Refugee
Housing and the ACT
Asylum Seekers
Network. We also
hope to start a
Working Group on
children in the near
future. Please contact
us if you interested in
participating in any of
these and to
contributing to making
systems responsive to
the needs of survivors
of torture and trauma,
refugees and asylum
seekers.
Warm wishes to all
friends at Companion
house over this cold
winter.
Kathy Ragless
Proud achievements and new challenges
Thank you for supporting World
Refugee Day Soccer
Tournament:
The Australian Institute of Sport
Radford College for a wonderful BBQ
Kaleen Sports Club for donating their
minibus
Canberra Milk for their generous
donation of milk
World Refugee Day Soccer Tournament 2
In memory of Jerzy Zubrzycki 3
Introducing new staff 4
Domestic violence 5
Domestic violence and substance misuse 6
Trauma and resettlement: for people from Sudan 8
Dinka folk tales 12
Inside this issue:
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Companion House
July 2009
The 2009 World Refugee Soccer
tournament, organised by
Companion House, attracted
about 300 people from a wide
variety of backgrounds.
Four teams competed in the
main competition on Sunday
June 21st. They are listed
below with the names of team
captains.
Sudanese Team -Michael Yong
Bul
Karen Team- Moo K'lue Di Gay
Mon Team- Cheam Gakao
Banyar
Sierra Leone/West Africa Team
- Omar Fofaneh
The champion team were the
West Africans, a mix of very
skilled players. Runners up
were the Karen Team. They
deserve a special mention,
being the newest community
to compete and with excellent
team work.
At third place were the
Sudanese team and at fourth
place the Mon team. The
Sudanese team were a young
team who played for fun and
friendship and put up a valiant
effort. The Mon team played
well, but admitted they have
been very busy with other
things, and have not been
training so hard.
There was also a fun match
between a team from
Cameroon and Companion
House staff versus a Chin/
Sudanese/Sierra Leone mixed
team. There was a continuous
children's match all afternoon
and lots of kids’ activities and
childcare available. Radford
College spent all day cooking a
BBQ for hungry team players
and spectators. The
Australian Institute of Sport
provided the venue and a great
group of soccer players who
acted as referees.
The Chin community came by
bus from Goulburn for the
event. They then had a tour of
Canberra before returning to
Goulburn. They are keen to
play in the competition next
year. With some requests from
women to play, there is also
likely to be a women's team
next year. So keep an eye out
for next year’s activities!
Page 2
Fifth World Refugee Soccer Tournament was fun for everyone
JU LY NEWS LE TT ER
Valiant: the Sudanese team Played very well: the Mon team
Champions: the West African team Excellent team work: the Karen team
COM PA NI ON HOUS E
Back in 1989, Professor Jerzy
Zubrzycki and Justice Elizabeth
Evatt agreed to become the first
Companion House Patrons.
At that time, tortured and
traumatised refugees and
migrants mainly from Latin
America and Indo China living
in Canberra had no truly
competent medical or
counselling / advocacy
assistance. Companion House
provided that service initially
with only volunteers and
friends. Professor Zubrzycki
was one of those friends.
His standing in the community
assisted us to establish the fully
professional organisation that it
is today. Some time ago, for
example, we had a difficult
discussion with officials who
insisted on access to client files
that we regarded as absolutely
confidential. We observed a
marked change in their attitude
when they by chance noticed
just who our Patrons were. It
was not long before they
accepted our position.
The reaction of the officials is
not surprising, Professor
Zubrzycki is known as the
‚Father of Australian
Multiculturalism‛ and is
largely responsible for shaping
this nation’s official policies on
multiculturalism. He was one
of the world’s most eminent
sociologists.
Professor Zubrzycki’s
philosophy of life, aligned
closely with Companion
House’s human rights policies.
He fought against inequality,
he valued virtue, he fought for
human dignity; he seemed to
have no fear in furthering his
principles.
As he said in the ABC Wisdom
interviews in 2003, that with
regard to his faith and his
beliefs, ‚there is no going
back‛.
We wish to express our deepest
sympathies to his family
especially to his daughter
Joanne who maintains a family
connection as a clinical advisor
and as a former Board member
of Companion House.
We mourn Jerzy’s passing but
we celebrate his spirit and
legacy everyday in our work
with the people he cared for so
much.
By Digby Habel
President of Companion House
Thank you to CITEA
Companion House staff present a thank you
certificate to Nina Churchward (CEO) and Peter
Robinson (Training Manager) of the Construction
Industry Training and Employment Association
(CITEA). CITEA have worked hard to provide
construction traineeships to people from the Mon and
Karen communities in cooperation with Companion
House.
Page 3
In memory of Jerzy Zubrzycki
with the Catholic Social Service
Society and focused
particularly on psychosocial
care, providing education on
disaster management and
preparing a community based
disaster preparedness plan.
Since starting at Companion
House my work has included a
lot of travel to Goulburn, but
more recently I’ve been
working quite a bit in Canberra
as well.
I’m the Complex Case Worker
at Companion House, and I’ve
been in Canberra for four
months now. Before this I
worked for three years with
earthquake survivors in Jammu
and Kashmir, India. This was
I started working as the new
Trainer/Advocate at
Companion House in April
2009. Before that I was a
secondary school teacher for
fifteen years (from 1990 to 2000
in an Intensive English Centre).
Then from 2000 to 2009 I
worked for an HIV
organisation in Sydney,
running workshops for people
with HIV, and editing the
organisation’s regular
magazine and some Health
Promotion resources.
All the staff, and particularly
James, my fellow trainer, have
really helped me settle into the
role. Companion House is a
wonderful place to work, and
very friendly (so come and say
hello if you’re stopping by).
The Training and Community
Awareness team has identified
priority areas to focus on in
coming months including
schools, the Adult Migrant
Education Program, volunteer
groups, Care and Protection
services, ACT Housing, and the
Australian Federal Police. We
have already had really
interesting training sessions
with the Canberra and Calvary
Hospitals, nursing students at
the University of Canberra,
Intensive English Centres,
Centacare, St John Kippax and
Sexual Health and Family
Planning ACT.
Administration Team:
Loan Freeman
Sai Maung
Elizabeth Lawmi
Complex Case managers:
Pam Mitchell
Mathew Anish
Counselling Team:
Elizabeth Price
Robin Alderson-Smith
Director:
Kathy Ragless
Medical Team:
Fiona McDonald
Silvia Salas Meyer
Dr Chris Phillips
Dr Joo-Inn Chew
Dr Katrina Anderson
Dr Bernadette McKay
Clare O’Rourke
Deborah Nelson
Carolyn Rolls
Fiona Delacy
Ina Susljik
Community Development Team:
Vesna Golic
Hong Sar Channaibanya
Sandra Lloyd
Lucia Costa
Page 4
.. and introducing Mathew Anish
Introducing new staff: Glenn Flanagan
Update on staff at Companion House
JU LY NEWS LE TT ER
Training and Community Awareness Team:
James Atem Mayen
Glenn Flanagan
Bookkeeper/ Accountant:
Gen Hemsley-Wilken
Web Designer and IT
Eric Warner
COM PA NI ON HOUS E
Violence, in any form, is
destructive, either in the
community or at home, and
domestic violence is destructive
in every culture. We all
experience both good and bad
feelings in our day to day lives
and we all have to cope with
the negative impact of
everyday events. These
experiences are never a reason
for acting violently.
Nevertheless, powerlessness
and family stress can be factors
that contribute to domestic
violence. As community
workers, counsellors or
doctors, we need to do our best
to enhance people’s physical
and mental health, and ensure
they have sufficient food and
shelter. These can be protective
factors for families.
Fear or insecurity can also be
another contributing factor.
Refugee communities have to
cope with a great deal: money,
housing, the education system,
building new social networks,
finding employment and
dealing with new parenting
practices in new environments.
Everyone wants to provide a
safe life for their families,
partner and children. However,
some men have different levels
of wisdom, knowledge, skills
and experience, and some may
need help dealing with anger
and violence.
Relationships founded on fear
and violence do not sustain or
nurture partners or families,
and the consequences of
violence can also resonate
beyond the immediate family.
Just as fire cannot put out a fire,
anger cannot be overcome by
violence.
From observations in the last
three to four years, as a
community worker, leader and
cross cultural parenting trainer
to the refugee communities, I
have found both men and
women need support with
knowledge and skills. Newly
arrived parents may lack an
understanding of the local legal
and welfare systems. In some
instances they hold expectations
that are beyond their reach in an
early stage of settlement. It is
important therefore to work
with each community and their
leaders on parenting and other
domestic issues, in collaboration
with local legal, family and
children services providers.
We also need to have a mature
discussion about the roles of
men and women in the family,
in the context of their
community and culture.
Australia is rich, materially and
in resources. Australians are
also rich in compassion in
humanity. We all, as parents,
community workers, community
leaders and family members
have to be rich in good hearts to
promote and build supportive
family relationships.
Hong Sar Channaibanya is a
Community Development
Project Officer at Companion
House.
Page 5
Domestic violence: a community worker and parent’s perspective
In some instances
people hold
expectations that are
beyond their reach in an
early stage of
settlement
While not widespread, a
variety of stressors place
refugees at greater risk of
substance misuse.
People from refugee
backgrounds have experienced
intense and extended periods
of trauma in country of origin
and in refugee camps, often
experiences that have extended
over decades. The stress of
settlement in Australia then
provides new stressors and a
new layer of risk factors. New
factors include culture shock,
discrimination and
intergenerational conflict,
which can exacerbate and build
on previous trauma experience.
This intensifies an individual
or family’s risk factors.
Some survivors of torture and
trauma describe turning to
drugs and alcohol for relief, to
sleep at night, to give energy
when depressed and calm
down nerves when fearful and
anxious. Whilst our own
experience in both medical and
counselling settings draws
strong links between substance
abuse on the one hand, and
trauma history and settlement
problems on the other, these
issues are also well
documented by other
organisations and researchers.
In particular, there are strong
links in the literature found
between PTSD and substance
misuse. Alcohol misuse is in
fact frequently associated with
PTSD, especially in the face of
chronic traumatic experiences.
For some, young people in
particular, drug and alcohol
use can also be an important
part of acculturation. As
people struggle to define
themselves in the new
environment, alcohol and drug
use can be important symbols
of acculturation and give
people access to supportive
and accepting sub cultures of
heavy alcohol and drug users.
In addition, stigma about drug
and alcohol issues in refugee
communities is common and
people are ashamed to discuss
substance abuse issues at all.
A final important risk factor is
simply the lack of information
that people have about drugs
and alcohol in the Australian
context. Most newly arrived
people have spent years in
isolated refugee camps with
little access to health care, let
alone health information.
Mainstream health
promotional and crime
prevention messages about
alcohol use pass them by, for
both language and cultural
reasons.
Compounding the risk factors
are shortfalls in treatment
systems for people with
substance misuse in refugee
communities. This is partially
because of cultural factors and
the lack of culturally sensitive
services.
Traumatic experiences
preceding resettlement and the
stress of resettlement itself can
also exacerbate escalation of
conflict and domestic violence
in refugee families
Research suggests that there is
no data to prove higher
incidence of domestic violence
in refugee families. However
risk factors associated with
different stages of refugee
experience heightens their
vulnerability to domestic
violence.
High exposure to violence can
create a cycle of violence that
might continue in their new
country. Studies have shown
that men who experience
violence in war, and are faced
with stress factors related to
migration are more likely to
resort to violence with their
family members. Women who
experienced gender-based
violence in war are more at risk
of domestic violence after war.
During the resettlement
process refugee families are
exposed to additional factors
that make them especially
vulnerable to domestic
violence. Men often find it very
difficult to deal with changed
gender roles as women gain
more independence through
employment or education, and
may resort to violence as a way
of dealing with traumatisation
combined with possible
frustration caused by changes
to their traditional roles. On the
other hand, women who do
not have employment and
education opportunities
experience an exceptionally
high level of social isolation.
Page 6
The effects of domestic violence and substance misuse and approaches for support and intervention
JU LY NEWS LE TT ER
COM PA NI ON HOUS E
Refugee communities
themselves sometimes respond
to the stress of migration in
specific ways. When
traditional practices and
identity are under threat of
changing under the pressure of
the mainstream domestic
culture, communities may be
more rigid in asserting
traditional values. This
especially applies to gender
roles. While at home women
would find community
support to break the cycle of
violence, in the resettlement
country they might find
themselves under community
pressure.
Children from families affected
by domestic violence are at risk
of delinquency and of
continuing violent behaviour
with their own children and
partners. The impact of
intergenerational domestic
violence crosses the boundaries
of affected families to the wider
community when children who
are victims of family violence
behave aggressively against
other children.
The lack of accurate statistics to
show the extent of domestic
violence in mainstream
populations is a result of the
hidden nature of domestic
violence. This is even more
common in refugee families in
particular because women
from these communities report
domestic violence less
frequently. They tend to have a
general distrust of mainstream
services, fear involving the
police, and fear consequences
from their own communities.
Research shows that refugees
are unaware of Australian
family laws and support
services, and that generally
they often choose not to use
mainstream services in the case
of domestic violence. Fear of
authorities and government
officials can be a result of
violence by authorities in
country of origin and country
of first asylum prior to
resettlement.
Companion House’s
experience confirms research
findings that strong and
supportive ethnic community
represents an important
component of effective
resettlement. In traditional
cultures, community has
obligation to the extended
family. Community
intervention in cases of
domestic violence can be very
positive and there is a need to
build the capacity of
communities to perform this
role.
Consideration of culture and
background are fundamentally
important and programs
tailored for particular groups
more successful in treating
substance and alcohol misuse.
Evidence suggests that
integrated service options
which provide a range of
therapeutic options for drug
treatment, mental health
support and other complex
vulnerabilities and are co-
located in the same service are
likely to be the most effective
for people who have co-
morbidity and complex
vulnerabilities. However,
flexibility in the way treatment
options are delivered is also
key to successful treatment.
For some people integrated
treatment will work best but
for others parallel or sequential
treatment will be more
successful.
Treatment also needs to
emphasise trust and
understanding, harm reduction
and long term support. In
addition, there is strong
evidence to suggest that peer
led strategies are most highly
regarded as effective by clients
themselves.
Further reading
All in the mind ABC Radio
Transcript “Drug and Alcohol
Abuse: The refugee experience”
24th February 2007
Pittaway, E. (2004), The Ultimate
Betrayal: an Examination of the
Experience of Domestic and
Family Violence in Refugee
Communities, The Centre for
Refugee Studies, UNSW)
Department for Community
Development, Government of
Western Australia, Family and
Domestic Violence Unit (2006), A
review of Literature relating to
family and Domestic Violence in
Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse Communities in
Australia.
DrugInfo Clearing House Drug Prevention in Refugee Communities Fact Sheet no 4.16 www.druginfo.adf.org.au
National Drug Strategy www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au
Sowey, “Learning to do Drug and Alcohol Prevention with African Refugee Communities” DrugInfo clearing House, 2006
Page 7
Sudan has experienced political
instability and conflict since its
independence from Britain in
1956., and Sudanese people have
experienced torture and war
related trauma for decades.
The intention of this article is to
build your understanding of the
experiences Sudanese people
have had in war, in exile and
during their journey to
Australia. Hopefully this will
assist with the provision of
culturally appropriate services to
Sudanese survivors of torture
and trauma.
Torture and Trauma
experiences in Sudan
The kinds of experiences
Sudanese people have been
exposed to include persecution,
kidnap and murder of family
members, rape, torture and other
humiliating acts, and for some,
combat experience. People have
experienced persecution because
of their political views or
affiliations, membership of a
particular social group, race or
religion.
Many people have lost their lives
participating in war and by
defending or protecting their
territory and people, and many
civilians have died as innocent
bystanders to this conflict. Many
more have witnessed the killing
of another person. I am sure that
all Sudanese people resettling in
Australia have lost one or more
family members, particularly
those from the southern and
western regions of Sudan.
In addition, civilians were
unlawfully imprisoned and
tortured, sometimes resulting in
their death. Systematic organised
violence against particular
groups of people was a tool used
to abuse or violate people’s
rights.
In southern Sudan life is based
on traditional subsistence living
which depends predominantly
on cattle and vegetables. There is
limited infrastructure and social
services as the few that existed
were destroyed during war.
There is a severe shortage of
food, health services, schools,
clean water and electricity. This
has made life very difficult in the
south in addition to living in a
war zone and with severe
human rights abuses.
Some men and women in
military service and some
civilians were engaged in arms
smuggling which has increased
the number of armed robberies
and bandit activities among
communities. This has created
added violence and further
traumatised communities.
Many people in Southern Sudan
lived in very restricted areas
with no easy way to travel.
There are no formal systems of
protection, and people fueled
insecurity by encouraging
violence towards other groups or
tribes. The tribal clashes among
communities were politically
motivated and incited by
political leaders, to cleanse or do
away with particular groups of
people. In this way, millions of
people, men and women, young
and old have witnessed or have
faced very extreme and violent
experiences.
Page 8
Trauma and resettlement for people from southern Sudan
JU LY NEWS LE TT ER
COM PA NI ON HOUS E
The war and other organized
violence has forced millions of
people out of their villages or
home land with many taking
refuge in camps for internally
displaced people (IDP), or
fleeing to refugee camps in
bordering countries. Usually
fleeing from your country is an
unplanned journey. One doesn’t
have the chance to say goodbye
to family or friends. People are
often forced to leave family
members and all their
belongings behind. The journey
is often characterized by high
levels of secrecy. People take
huge risks in seeking safety.
Often they don’t know what
their destination will be. People
experience self-blame, guilt and
shame when confronted with
hardship during the process of
leaving home.
When fleeing war and
persecution it is extremely
difficult to access medical
facilities, clean water and food
resulting in the death of many.
People also experience long
journeys walking barefoot,
perhaps a thousand kilometers
before reaching the destinations,
with the threat of being found by
rebels, separation from loved
ones and loneliness.
Living in Refugee Camps
In camps, thousands of people
from different nationalities lived
in overcrowded conditions due
to the restrictions on living space
and movement. As many as ten
people would live in a small
mud hut without ventilation or
privacy. Overcrowding claimed
many lives due to poor
sanitation and the inevitable
conflict which arose over the
limited resources available.
Sudanese refugees lived for
many years in the camps with
disease, inadequate health and
education services, inadequate
food and clean water and poor
sanitation. Security issues were
a key concern with many
constantly living in fear of being
shot, beaten or raped. Bandit
activity was common as well as
tribal clashes among refugee
communities.
For the Sudanese refugees in
Africa, the police have, rather
than protecting them, usually
been a protective force but rather
another source of violence and
harm. This has nothing to do
with crime or acting unlawfully,
but is again about discrimination
and racism with police targeting
those with dark skin and a
physical appearance which
reveals them to be part of a
particular ethnic group. This
experience was frequent in
Kenya where most people first
sought asylum. Instead of the
police working to protect these
desperate asylum seekers, they
beat them and looted their
property. Kenyan police are
highly corrupt and committed
some of the worst acts of all the
police that I have ever seen.
Trauma Experiences and
Identity
The experiences have shaped the
way people think about and
manage difficulties they now
face or which may come confront
them in the future. Surviving
very cruel treatment and the
lessons they have drawn from
this are a source of pride for
many. The resilient survivor acts
as a teacher to others and is
always ready and willing to help
those who haven't faced these
situations to understand them.
Page 9
The experiences of the ‘lost
boys’ (see the story of the lost
boys on the Companion House
website for example) forced
young boys to be become self-
reliant, developing within them
an attitude of readiness to live
their lives without external
support. This hope and
spirituality are the greatest
source of strength for survivors
even after they have lost all their
belongings including their loved
ones.
Even when living in relative
safety here in Australia, many
survivors continue to live their
lives on ‘high alert’, ready to
deploy defensive techniques if
necessary. Their experiences
have taught survivors to live
vigilant lives, constantly
observing and listening in order
to detect potential threats of
danger, including those indirect
abusive words which are politely
spoken.
At the same time, many accept
change as being a positive part
of life.
Resettlement in Australia
Trauma and its symptoms can
interfere with many aspects of
settlement including people’s
ability to learn English language
proficiently and therefore their
ability to communicate with
others, which is vital to a smooth
settlement experience.
This can be a source of great
frustration for people and many
blame themselves and feel
shame when they do not achieve
the level in language, education
or work they would like. In some
cases individuals will evaluate
their life and compare
themselves and their
achievements with others their
age concluding that they have
achieved little and therefore that
they have failed in life.
The Australian system of
education can be very confusing,
especially for mature Sudanese
students and those who have
had little or no previous
educational experience.
Another issue for some refugee
students might be that the
memories of their traumatic
experience may disrupt their
ability to concentrate and learn.
Worrying thoughts about what
is happening back in their home
country to family members and
friends.
Many Sudanese refugee students
also have a great deal of social
responsibility and many are
working day and night to earn
money to rescue friends and
relatives from refugee camps
and those at home.
Parenting styles vary
significantly between Sudanese
and Australian cultures and
some people may lack control
over their children according to
the Australian way of parenting.
This is a source of great anguish
for Sudanese parents who feel
that their traditional parental
roles, with the cultural values
and rules that this encompasses,
are undermined and being lost.
Mental health concerns can be
another barrier to settlement. For
others it is the misuse of alcohol
or other drugs, all of which are
side effects of the trauma
experience.
In addition, people affected by
trauma have high levels of
mistrust of others. This has an
impact on their social
relationships and interactions
with others, and some may
appear to act inappropriately.
Page 10 JU LY NEWS LE TT ER
COM PA NI ON HOUS E
Racial discrimination in
workplaces, in schools and in the
media is very damaging. Many
feel misunderstood and rejected
by the negative comments made
about them. For example, key
political figures and the media
have portrayed the Sudanese
community in Australia as
criminal, unproductive,
unhealthy and not integrating
well. Generalized racist
comments and negative
stereotyping reminds people of
the rejection they have
previously experienced.
Many also find that the
difficulties of resettlement and
cultural transition can trigger
past trauma and create new
anxiety and depression. These
can be highly stressful for some
people and some may react
negatively and appear angry and
rude, especially when people
don’t seem to try to understand
them.
While it is very exciting time
when you first arrive in
Australia, not long into
settlement people experience
culture shock as they are
confronted by a world of
difference.
The complexity of culture
Traditional marriage customs are
still practised by Sudanese
people here in Australia
including the way in which
marriages are agreed to and
arranged. The paying of
dowries is still a significant
practice. Marriage and dowry
negotiations with the girl’s
family can be a very long and
stressful process, including the
stress for the man to earn the
money to pay the dowry.
There are also cultural
differences in family planning,
pregnancy and birthing
practices. Sudanese people also
consider having a big family
with many children to be
important. Sudanese women
may not want to receive
antenatal care during their
pregnancies because of these
differences and a fear of medical
intervention. Conflict with the
medical profession can be
distressing in some cases.
Culture and healing
However, in addition cultural
factors can foster healing as part
of resettlement. The emphasis
on community means that many
southern Sudanese are part of
strong communities. In
addition, the majority of
southern Sudanese are religious
and many will participate in
Christian churches and find
great strength in religious belief.
Culture and tradition can be a
great source of pride and
strength more generally for
many people also.
The traumatic experiences
people survived in Sudan and in
refugee camps has had an
impact on Sudanese people for
life. Importantly, however,
surviving the horror of the past
can build pride, resilience and
skill. Although cultural factors
provide many complexities for
resettlement they also enhance
the strength and resilience of
communities.
James Atem Mayen is a Trainer
and Bicultural Worker at
Companion House
Page 11
Many southern
Sudanese are part of
strong communities
COM PA NI ON HOUS E
In February 2009, the Dinka
congregation of St. George’s
church proudly hosted a very
special event: the launch of the
book and audio CD Dinka
Folktales from Sudan. This book/
CD had been more than a year in
the making, requiring the
collaborative efforts of the Dinka
community, Companion House
and the North Ainslie Primary
Introductory English Centre.
For the Dinka, one aim of the
Dinka folktales project was to
revive some of their cherished but
marginalised stories. In
traditional Dinka society, stories
are woven into the very fabric of
everyday life. For the Dinka
women who volunteered to retell
their stories, this was an
opportunity to revive the tales and
once again give them the
prominence they had enjoyed in
the past. Part of the inspiration for
the storytelling project was to hold
onto the old while facing the new.
The wit and wisdom contained in
the folktales could provide a
bridge between past and present.
Traditionally the storytelling
tradition was an oral one. The
documentation of the stories and
the production of an audio CD
were for the benefit of the wider
community. This could be seen as
an act of reciprocity – a gift to the
mainstream Australian community
that could help foster greater
understanding. For the wider
community, the folktales could
help provide an introduction to
Dinka culture and an appreciation
for stories that come from across
the world.
Dinka folktales represent stories of
hope and strength, and of
important aspects of Dinka culture
that could support children’s sense
of wellbeing. Folktales are not
simply entertaining – they can also
be enlightening. They can present
some of the universal
predicaments of the human
condition in novel ways, and
provide ideas for solutions
embedded in values and morals.
For Dinka children this folktales
book/CD might also help them to
solve problems faced in a new
context, with the use of traditional
Dinka wisdom. We all hoped that,
for the children, the Dinka
folktales book/CD would provide
not only a resource for learning
English but also a strong link with
a positive cultural identity that
would bolster self-esteem and
confidence.
An additional aim related to the
children’s task of illustrating the
folktales. The illustrations
provided not only a fun activity,
but also one that would showcase
the children’s creative talents and
imaginations.
Copies of the book/CD Dinka
folktales from Sudan are available
from Companion House. ($30.00
per copy, including postage and
handling, or it can be picked up
from Companion House at a cost
of $25.00). To order, please
contact Companion House.
This is an edited version of an
article published in ATESOL
journal.
Deborah Nelson is a Children’s
Counsellor / Advocate at
Companion House.
Illustrations by Abuk Garang
Mayen, Elrank DengArak, Akon
Maluk Goi and Yar Garang Mayen
Page 12
Bringing Dinka folktales from Sudan to Canberra
Fundraising Dinner
Guest speaker :
Virginia Haussegger
7pm for 7.30pm
Friday 11 September 2009
at
Wests @ Turner
McCaughey St, Turner
Burmese banquet including Chinese tea
Cost: $40 (other donations welcome)
RSVP by 7 September 2009 to:
[email protected] or ph 62477227
[email protected] or ph 62478231
Please note: Cancellations after 7 September must be paid for
Companion House
Assisting Survivors
Of Torture and Trauma
Patrons: Professor William Maley AM
Justice Elizabeth Evatt AO
Honorary Consultant Dr Lucy Ong
Love, tears and laughter
Companion House
will be 20 years old in December
Put Thursday December 3rd in your diary and
join Companion House to celebrate its
twentieth birthday
More updates and info in coming months
41 Fairfax Street O’Connor ACT 2602
COMPANION HOUSE
Do you work with adults or children from a refugee background?
Companion House can provide training to better equip staff, students or volunteers in your organisation.
We can deliver training either at Companion House or your workplace at flexible times to suit your training
needs.
Topics can include:
Who is a refugee? - The refugee experience - Understanding the impact of torture and trauma -
Refugee health issues - Skills for effective support and intervention -
Cross cultural skills - Ways to deal with workers’ emotional reactions
Training can also be tailored to suit your organisation's needs
For more information about training or to request a training session phone 6247 7227 and ask
for Glenn or James, or email: [email protected]
Training in refugee issues
Phone: 6247 7227
Fax: 6247 1416
Email: [email protected]
Assisting Survivors of Torture and Trauma
Www.companionhouse.org.au