Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today many members of Australia's South Sudanese communities, together with the Reverend Tim Costello, have travelled to parliament in Canberra to brief all of us on the humanitarian crisis and conflicts in South Sudan.

Like many others, I felt enormous joy when people were getting ready for a referendum to create the world's newest nation. The desire of Australia's South Sudanese communities to vote was overflowing. I remember very distinctly in December 2010 working with local communities, the federal government and organisations like Diaspora Action Australia to get buses for thousands of South Sudanese in Australia to get to the polling booths in Melbourne to cast their votes. The overwhelming result in January 2011 created the world's newest nation and heralded a time of healing and building, of ending child soldiers and lost boys and creating a new government. However, since 2013 we have seen repeated outbreaks of violence, which continue today. There are now over two million people displaced internally or in neighbouring countries.

The promise of 2011 is under threat, but here in Australia the communities have taken the decision to fight for peace. The South Sudan Australia Peace Initiative has taken the bold but important step of bringing together the various South Sudanese communities to stop the conflicts in South Sudan being replicated here in Australia, to push for peace in South Sudan and to demand urgent action on this massive humanitarian crisis. Using Australia as a crucible to nurture and then spread the values of peace and non-violence across the world is exactly what parliament should be encouraging all of our communities to do. I applaud you. South Sudan Oyee!