After years of division Victoria's South Sudanese Community Association has a fresh chance to connect

When Titan Debirioun stood up to the microphone in front of dozens of members of Melbourne's South Sudanese community his message was simple.

"We need to stop talking about leadership and start leading."

It is a sentiment seemingly shared by the 14 other committee members of Victoria's newly reformed South Sudanese Community Association, and it was welcomed by many in attendance at the public meeting.

"I feel excited to see this office and I want to say, go ahead, we're behind you," one woman from the crowd told the gathering.

After years of discord, driven in part by civil war in the East African country, the community association was reinstated in March.

An interim committee has been installed, with members nominated by leaders from the diaspora's various tribal and community groups.

Among the crowd at the recent community meeting in Footscray was Deacon George Piech Meat, who has been instrumental in the revival of the association.

"It was not easy, but finally we have a leadership now in place, people who can speak on behalf of the community," he said.

"I'm very excited."

Overcoming 'mistrust' over the course of years

Several people have blamed tribalism for issues with previous iterations of the community association.

"People were divided along tribal lines, when we're supposed to be in a country known for unity – we must focus on our future here," one person said at the Footscray meeting.

Another person commented that "disunity is the one killing us".

Deacon George said it took "many years" to bring people back together because there "was a lot of mistrust", but the will was there.

"Church leaders, concerned citizens, young people, mothers, they were pushing forward – 'yes, let us come together, let us leave behind our differences, because we have our issues to face'," he said.

Civil war splits Victorian community

After South Sudan gained independence in 2011, Deacon George was part of a group of expatriates in Victoria tasked with creating the first South Sudanese community group.

Unfortunately, while they were in the midst of the process, civil war broke out in South Sudan in 2013, with much of the fighting down ethnic and tribal lines.

"It affected members of the community," he recalled.

He said it had a huge impact, with some people no longer willing to be involved in the broader community, and while elections were eventually held for leadership of the association, "it didn't last for long, because there was no support".

'Not erasing our differences, but celebrating them'

In the years since there have been other iterations of the committee, but it has been dogged by infighting and accusations of being dominated by some ethnic groups.

The association made headlines in 2018 when a vote of no confidence was moved against the then-leadership, and a prolonged dispute ensued over who was in charge.

Committee member Kush Tut Kuiy, who has spent years developing a music and arts festival in Melbourne, called Rise of South Sudan, said the opportunity for unity provided "hope for the future". 

"South Sudan is the sum of its parts," she said.

Ms Tut Kuiy said unity was not about "erasing our differences, but actually celebrating them" and working together.

"The things that are impacting our community at the moment, they transcend ethnic divides, and if we come together to try to work on them and resolve them, I think that's how we'll see some positive change," she said.

The next generation looks to the future

Titan Debirioun has been appointed the association's secretary for youth.

The 25-year-old said he was "excited" about the potential of the association to bring together those doing good work in the community, particularly people from different generations.

"A lot of what we're trying to work with now, is how do we connect those voices, how do we create a platform for people to be able to bring up new ideas, also how do we lean on the wisdom that we've gained in the past as well?"

He said there was a desire from community leaders to have youth voices involved, where in the past there had been a "nervousness" around it. 

The youth worker said his job exposes him to the work of many "brilliant" young people and he could only imagine what it would "look like if it had the community behind it".

"We're about to find out, I guess," he shrugs.

The young man who built a library

One of the examples he points to is, 30-year-old Magang Reech, who has established an African library, art and history museum, called Baai Alkebulan House, using grants and a lot of his own money.

What started with Mr Reech loaning people books and then working from his garage has grown into a proper community space, offering reading groups for children, a chess club and cultural experiences.

He has a focus on teaching black history and building identity.

"We are children of this country, we are children of this community," he said.

"That's really what got me started, like, 'hey, you may have an opinion about me, but I've got facts and proof about myself, that I can show you in a positive way'."

The institution is in its infancy and Mr Reech is drawing on leaders from the broader community to assist with its structuring and financing.

Connecting community to youth justice system

The attempt to create community connection is also extending to young people in detention.

Deacon George recently started working as a youth justice chaplain and he serves as the chair of the state government's South Sudanese Australian Youth Justice Advisory Group.

"Community members have been visiting, the new interim leadership has been visiting," Deacon George said.

"The message has been positive, that 'forgive us, it looked like we forgot you, but it was not possible for us to come, but now this opportunity has come in'."

Mothers have been cooking food for Sunday services and there has been a renewed effort to connect the young people with services.

"The message of hope is there, and we just say, we are there for you, we want to prepare you so that you go out and never come back again."

New chair aims to build a unified voice

Andrew Ohide has been named the chair of the interim committee and told the meeting there was a need for a unified voice, saying having numerous groups representing sections of the community was creating confusion.

"It will make it easier for the government, for police, even within ourselves — if there is anything that needs to be addressed, you know who to contact," he said.

"It makes it easier for everybody, even all the service providers who are working to support our community, it's [easier] for them if they need some information or they need some advice."

The interim leadership will be in place for between 12 and 18 months, until elections are held, to allow the community to vote in the next committee.