2008 Woodie Awards
Education, a human right
Aylie Baker
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Features
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A refugee from southern Sudan, Pial settled in Burlington six years ago and just recently became a citizen of the United States. In his address during the "Faces Behind Human Rights" symposium, Pial drew upon his personal experiences searching for asylum to highlight the importance of education as a human right.
The Sudanese conflict is a difficult one to define. While superficially it can be deliniated along religious fissures - a predominately Muslim North versus a Christian and Animist south - the conflict was only further mired by political manuevering and economic grievances, not to mention the quest for oil. Twenty-one years after the civil war began, Sudan still reels from overwhelming causalties (estimated at 1.5 million according to BBC) and a trampled infrastructure. In 2003, heightened agitation in the Darfur region gave way to further acts of genocide. With the recent return of millions of displaced southernors, Sudan faces huge hurdles as it looks towards reconstruction.
When civil war broke out in 1987, a young Pial was forced to flee his pastoral village in Southern Sudan. Along with between15,000 and 30,000 other homeless children, Pial wandered hundreds of miles eastward across a desolate landscape, struggling to reach Ethiopia and refuge.
"I had my feet," said Pial humbly, only briefly touching on the looming starvation, fear and disease that had shrouded his journey.
Upon reaching a refugee camp in Ethiopia, however, Pial's plight was only marginally improved.
"I was just ignored," said Pial, who described how refugees were forced "to live on a daily basis, when the sun will rise, when the sun will set." When the Ethiopian government fell to Sudanese forces, Pial was flung into uncertainty once again.
"You don't know your future," he said, "so searching for safety, that's your only goal." Against all odds, Pial finally found refuge at the Kakuma Refugee camp in Kenya, where he remained until 2001.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Natugasha MacLean
posted 11/16/07 @ 2:24 AM EST
I loved the article and i felt i should republish it the Sudan Human Rights Association' 'Sudan Monitor,' which is due mid-December and is distributed free of charge to NGOs in Uganda, embassies, refugee settlements and resource centres in South Sudan. (Continued…)
Richard Himbaza
posted 2/29/08 @ 7:56 PM EST
It is the time for africans to change their political selfishiness to have a peaceful africa
Richard Himbaza
posted 3/21/08 @ 5:42 PM EST
Richard Himbaza,26 years old, came to canada last october 2007 ,he currently living in southern ontario."I am planing to pursue my high education"Said Richard. (Continued…)
Richard Himbaza
posted 3/21/08 @ 5:45 PM EST
Richard Himbaza,26 years old, came to canada last october 2007 ,he is currently living in southern ontario."I am planing to pursue my high education"Said Richard. (Continued…)
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