Representatives of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Victoria, (GCM) the Federation of South Sudanese Associations in Victoria (FSSAV), Community Languages Victoria (CLV) and Kape Communications met on Wednesday over Zoom to discuss the next stage of development of South Sudanese language and cultural schools.

The partnership between the GCM and the FSSAV began last year. The Greek Community has agreed to mentor the South Sudanese Associations in the development of sustainable language schools to provide Dinka and Nuer languages and cultural education to South Sudanese students.

Pastor Tu Yoa the Chairperson of the FSSAV said that the Greek Community’s language and cultural school model would be well adapted to the South Sudanese Associations’ needs.

“We were taken for a tour of the Greek Community’s schools and were very impressed, we saw how they worked to maintain culture and language,” Pastor Tu Yoa said.

Mr Stefan Romaniw OAM the Executive Director of Community Languages Australia representing the CLV, and former Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, highlighted his support for established communities mentoring new and emerging ones.

“We have always advocated, as has the Victorian Multicultural Commission, for established communities to act as mentors to new and emerging ones.

“We have over two hundred community languages schools in Victoria that provide quality educational and cultural maintenance programs to over 36,000 students and we can assist the South Sudanese in fulfilling all the requirements from accreditation to child safety protocols.”

Mr Romaniw said that the CLV can provide free training across all areas including teaching protocols, child safety, and the development of training and education resources. With the idea being that in twelve months the South Sudanese Association schools can secure government support.

Deng Kuor spokesperson and counsellor at the FSSAV said that the South Sudanese community will work with the Greek Community to and the CLV to “meet all the necessary obligations of accreditation.”

Theo Markos the Vice President and Education Convenor reaffirmed the Greek Community’s support for the program.

“We will assist with by revealing our approaches to language and culture education that can be tailored to the South Sudanese Associations, as we know that language and culture are at the centre of growth and resilience of any community.

“We will provide all the advice and in-kind support necessary to assist the South Sudanese community aspirations,” said Theo Markos.

Nick Dallas the Chairperson of the History and Culture Seminars Committee and member of the GOCMV Education Committee said he will “demonstrate to the FSSAV how the Greek community is using remote and on-line learning in this current situation.”

Mr Dallas added that the GOCMV will “support to the work of the CLV in developing curriculums and material” for the South Sudanese Associations’ community schools.

Fotis Kapetopoulos from Kape Communications and consultant to Neos Kosmos who initiated the partnership said, “We know the importance of language and cultural maintenance as a bulwark against bigotry and is necessary to cohesion and development.”