Our aim is to enable members of the Sudanese diaspora to advocate for themselves, so we are constantly looking for ways to help them learn skills and raise their voice. In doing so, we respond to the gaps in knowledge identified by community leaders and work with qualified and capable external trainers, and sometimes rely on our own expertise.
UK political system and campaigning – Over more than a decade of work with the diaspora, and in particular civil society organisations, we realised that few community leaders had in-depth knowledge of the UK political system and how to influence it, relying on measures like one-off public demonstrations instead of sustained interaction with Parliamentary and civil service contacts.
We arranged training in diaspora hubs across the UK in 2016 and early 2017, in Birmingham, Manchester, and ending with sessions delivered in Parliament itself, complete with meetings with MPs and Lords. Those who attended said they felt more confident and capable engaging in Britain’s democracy, and are pushing other community leaders to attend future sessions. This will improve the ability of the Sudanese community to raise their voice about the abuses they suffered.