On Tuesday15 and Wednesday 16 May 2018, a group of 26 Sudanese and South Sudanese church leaders from across Australia came together in a National Consultation at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Canberra, under the auspices of the NCCA.

The two day consultation culminated in the finalisation of a key statement which, assisted by DFAT and the Australian Ambassador, was delivered to the South Sudan peace talks in Addis Ababa the following day, Thursday 17 May. The heartfelt statement from the Canberra gathering was read out by Intergovernmental Authority on Development special envoy for South Sudan, Ishmael Wais and was positively received by those attending the peace talks in Addis Ababa. Download the Statement to read.

The Australian Sudanese and South Sudanese church leaders in Canberra represented seven different denominations and six different Australian states and territories. They came together to talk of peace and unity and worked towards a statement of commitment.

The Unity Statement for Peace begins with:

Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Four Affirmations:
A. We are called by faith to love our neighbour (Mark 12:30-31), to forgive our enemies (Mark 11:25), and to be one (John 17:21).

B. We acknowledge the impact of war in giving rise to conflicting loyalties based on tribe, denomination and nationality within South Sudan and the South Sudanese diaspora in Australia.

C. We resolve to build unity, and model “one people”, within the diaspora in Australia.

D. We long for there to be, and we pray for, peace and unity within the leadership and people of South Sudan based on universal values for good government. This longing focuses our prayers.

For the full Statement go to - http://www.ncca.org.au/images/stories/News__Media_Releases/Australian_Sudanese__South_Sudanese_Statement_16May2018.pdf

Other related articles:

Uniting Church in Australia -  https://assembly.uca.org.au/news/item/2836-hope-and-unity 

Blog by ACC&C  Executive Director, Professor Stephen Pickard - http://arts-ed.csu.edu.au/centres/accc/about/latest-news-assets/2018/the-price-of-peace?bblinkid=96443368&bbemailid=8205496&bbejrid=628685500 

Below: Participants at the NCCA National Consultation, held at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Canberra.