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| Lost Boys & Girls Of Sudan Telephone Conference |
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To my Brothers and Sisters of Southern Sudan:
By Julie Hines Mabus
601 214 8384
I am writing to invite you to participate in a very exciting telephone conference call on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. (central daylight time) The conference call will be sponsored by the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan: The National Network (“The National Network”). The purpose of the call will be to exchange information with you about two important events.
The first event is a mission trip to southern Sudan in November of this year. The Delegation will be diverse group selected by the Board of Directors in partnership with The National Network and will work to establish a bridge between the Diaspora and those southern Sudanese living in Sudan. The second event is a national conference of Sudanese and Americans to take place, tentatively, in Kansas City in August of 2009 in advance of the Sudanese elections in the fall of 2009.
But first, let me first introduce myself to you. My name is Julie Hines Mabus. I am the new president of Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan: The National Network, a nonprofit organization located in Washington, D.C. and dedicated to the empowerment of this special group of young men and women living in the United States.
My life changed 7 years ago when a group of very tall, very beautiful, very thin young African men and women walked into my Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson, MS. I had no idea that these people were newly resettled Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan who had been relocated to Jackson, MS from Kakuma, Kenya by Catholic Relief Services and UNHCR. But I knew in my heart that they would become part of my family. And that is exactly what happened.
Since that time, I have met you directly or have heard of your tribulations and successes. And all of you have become part of my family, men and women, Adult and URM (unaccompanied refugee minor) or whether you are from Equatoria, Bahr el Ghazal or Upper Nile. And through my love of this large family I became involved with The National Network.
Once we get acquainted on the conference call, our first order of business is to discuss what the parameters will be for choosing the delegation. The trip will include around 10 participants, of whom six or seven will be Sudanese and three or four will be Americans. The selection process will not be easy and WE NEED YOUR HELP AND PARTICIPATION ON THIS CALL. Of course, everybody wants to go and, of course, that is impossible. But through the networking of this National Network, I believe we can make some good decisions.
The second program that we are planning is the national conference to be held in August 2009 with the help of the GOSS Mission in Washington. As I mentioned, the conference is tentatively set for Kansas City but, again, we need your input to help make some decisions about where to hold the conference and what topics should be on the agenda. The conference will be open to the entire Diaspora in the U.S. and any and all interested Americans. A major goal of the conference will be discussions and feedback from the trip this November. But there were will be many subjects covered including the upcoming election in Sudan in 2009. Again, we need your input to assure that we incorporate the issues that are on the minds of the Sudanese around the country. These issues will also be addressed on the August 16 conference call.
So my sisters and brothers, I look forward to your participation on this conference call. We need your help. And please, spread the word in your community about the call so that we can reach as many people as possible. The executive director of the organization, Deng Chol, will be helping with the arrangements for the call. If you have any questions prior to the call, feel free to call or email Deng or me or any member of the board.
This is an exciting time for the future of Sudan. I pray for the safety and health of each of you, whether here, in Sudan or in other parts of the world. My life has been enriched and strengthened because of my association with you and your country and I give thanks to God each and every day for the gifts you have given me.
Thank you and may God bless you,
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Dear Julie Mabus,
Your posting has taken me by surprise, though I didn't exactly understand you and your motives. Well, you are the leader of lost boys in America and is believed that you (the lost boys in America) have company with the gangs terorising people all over the world especially here in my country of rsidence, Egypt. I am not happy with the activities of lost boys and I didn't expect it even to exist, what is its work and how can it be linked to elections in Sudan. This is just a terosrist organization, raping, robing and killing our women and brothers all over the world. It is just a terorist group created for money beging and it should vanish with emmidiate effect.
If the GOSS is really concerned with human sufferings, then their representaitves who will attend this confrence should deliver the only and one clearly word '' to ban and stop the activities and name of lost boys''. If that happens, then I will recognise some credibilities within our corrupt government.
Here in Cairo, lost boys are regarded as terorist, menace and useless because of their notorians behaviour, so we all feel like not hearing such a name in the whole of Sudan, if you are a sudanese, forget about it.
Thanks
Ahasakmoi
Cairo
[font="Georgia"][/font]
QUOTE(Nanfuka @ Jul 30 2008, 03:46 AM) [snapback]28234[/snapback] To my Brothers and Sisters of Southern Sudan:
By Julie Hines Mabus
601 214 8384
I am writing to invite you to participate in a very exciting telephone conference call on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. (central daylight time) The conference call will be sponsored by the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan: The National Network (“The National Network”). The purpose of the call will be to exchange information with you about two important events.
The first event is a mission trip to southern Sudan in November of this year. The Delegation will be diverse group selected by the Board of Directors in partnership with The National Network and will work to establish a bridge between the Diaspora and those southern Sudanese living in Sudan. The second event is a national conference of Sudanese and Americans to take place, tentatively, in Kansas City in August of 2009 in advance of the Sudanese elections in the fall of 2009.
But first, let me first introduce myself to you. My name is Julie Hines Mabus. I am the new president of Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan: The National Network, a nonprofit organization located in Washington, D.C. and dedicated to the empowerment of this special group of young men and women living in the United States.
My life changed 7 years ago when a group of very tall, very beautiful, very thin young African men and women walked into my Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson, MS. I had no idea that these people were newly resettled Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan who had been relocated to Jackson, MS from Kakuma, Kenya by Catholic Relief Services and UNHCR. But I knew in my heart that they would become part of my family. And that is exactly what happened.
Since that time, I have met you directly or have heard of your tribulations and successes. And all of you have become part of my family, men and women, Adult and URM (unaccompanied refugee minor) or whether you are from Equatoria, Bahr el Ghazal or Upper Nile. And through my love of this large family I became involved with The National Network.
Once we get acquainted on the conference call, our first order of business is to discuss what the parameters will be for choosing the delegation. The trip will include around 10 participants, of whom six or seven will be Sudanese and three or four will be Americans. The selection process will not be easy and WE NEED YOUR HELP AND PARTICIPATION ON THIS CALL. Of course, everybody wants to go and, of course, that is impossible. But through the networking of this National Network, I believe we can make some good decisions.
The second program that we are planning is the national conference to be held in August 2009 with the help of the GOSS Mission in Washington. As I mentioned, the conference is tentatively set for Kansas City but, again, we need your input to help make some decisions about where to hold the conference and what topics should be on the agenda. The conference will be open to the entire Diaspora in the U.S. and any and all interested Americans. A major goal of the conference will be discussions and feedback from the trip this November. But there were will be many subjects covered including the upcoming election in Sudan in 2009. Again, we need your input to assure that we incorporate the issues that are on the minds of the Sudanese around the country. These issues will also be addressed on the August 16 conference call.
So my sisters and brothers, I look forward to your participation on this conference call. We need your help. And please, spread the word in your community about the call so that we can reach as many people as possible. The executive director of the organization, Deng Chol, will be helping with the arrangements for the call. If you have any questions prior to the call, feel free to call or email Deng or me or any member of the board.
This is an exciting time for the future of Sudan. I pray for the safety and health of each of you, whether here, in Sudan or in other parts of the world. My life has been enriched and strengthened because of my association with you and your country and I give thanks to God each and every day for the gifts you have given me.
Thank you and may God bless you,
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I am really horrified by your views that the Lost Boys are terrorists. Although the connotation of the phrase "Lost Boys" is increasingly became negative, outrageous and misperceivable the term was designed for specific group who are still loyal, humble and decent to the world at large. You will not be surprised that those you called "Gangs of Egypt" are not parts of the real Lost Boys of Sudan. We are not also be surprised of your mistreatment of Sudanese in Egypt and by you turning around and propagate against them as terrorists.
Brother, below was my response to those who asked me a year ago "who are the Lost Boys of Sudan" It may not answer you directly or speicifically, but it will give you basics about what means by the term "Lost Boys of Sudan." Please read it carefully with your honest analysis:
Dear all,
I love your questions and I see it was purely asked to know the difference!! Well, in this case, I think I may not go beyond insights of our brothers who tried to give you answers before me. They meticulously described reasons behind why we were named as the "Lost Boys" of Sudan!! As I said I may not surpass their reasons, but I may answer some doubted parts of your questions. When we left our home, beginning with some in 1985-1989, we were first addressed as New Sudan kids!! It changed to Jech Ahmers after millitary training like those in Dimo following by those in Funyudu and Itang!! The term changed to minor in Kakuma!! And gradually at the beginning of 1999 it changed to Losy Boys addressing those leaving for United State of America!! If you keenly analysis this move Dr. Garang overall called young people (us) as New Sudan in general (seeds)!! When few came trained as soldiers the term became Jech Amher leading all to follow!! When we came to Kakuma Minor as a term appeared leading all to be clasified as minors and term Jech Amher slightly disappeared!! When Dr. Juliane of the United States came to Kakuma she began to call those qualified to come to America "Lost Boys" referring to the movie called "Peter Pan" known by many in the United States as a movie of kids who lost at their young ages and never enjoyed their childhood lives as you put it early!! This loss could mean emotional loss. Through her experiences, all she got from interviewing people and minors as well as combination of her political attempts to let United States open doors to us she arrived to conclude that the movie Peter Pan is well-known, would be good title and would let many people in United States understand quickly our terrible plights in Sudan!! So for me the term "Lost Boys" of Sudan was squarely desisgned for those people who are here residing in the United State begin coming to US from 2000 and probably if anyone still coming!! Then, in 2004 the term expanded conditionally to those who came before or after "Lost Boys" let say before 2000 like in 1994!! These people began to complain they feel segregated by the Lost Boys in the United States!! They began serious questioning why they're left out of the equation since we all lost and we're not at home!! Lost Boys began to accept the claim putting into practice (Conference) in Pheonix, Arizona during the general Lost Boys conference that was attended by even Dr. John Garang!! That was when name appeared on many boards and websites as "Lost Boys/Girls" of Sudan!! There was nothing like that before it was "Lost Boys" of Sudan!! Even many Americans involve now to make this term inclusive because they often ask why not include girls why only boys lost!!
So to summarize: Jech Amher was term addressed to few and was later covered all, Minor few but meant almost all and now "Lost Boys" was particularly for those coming to US but need extent to those in Canada, Australia, and vice versa and to include all living in the United States since it seem segregational and discriminatory!!
Again, like others the term was political and intentional to open doors to people of help!!
Thank to Dr. Juliane for naming Lost Boys that way!!
Your brother
Daniel British |
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