Youth Talk Peace

About Peace 

The Youth Peace program run at Sunnybank High School by Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) and Kyabara Community Association.  It is a 10-week program designed for young people from a refugee background to explore peace and discuss their experiences of the past, present and future.  It is also an opportunity to discuss issues, ideas and suggestions for increasing peace. Following are some ideas from the group.

Who are We?

• We are a group of young men in Year 10 at Sunnybank High School.  We came to Australia as refugees from Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Yugoslavia and Pakistan.
• “We are older than other students in year 10 and some students and teachers don’t seem to understand why we are only in year 10”.

We would like everyone to know that…

• If we were still in our own country, we would be in uni or have a job. 
• We are not dumb but we came from another country where we spoke another language. Here we have to start again.     
• We are very clever in our first language and will be in our second language too.
• “Although there is no war in Australia and it is a peaceful place, we still have experiences of racism”

We would like everyone to know that…

• People in Australia have come from many different countries to live peacefully together. We are all the same. If you can help us now when we need help, we will help you and others in the future.
• “We sometimes remember our past experiences and feel sad or angry”

Something we could do is…

• Remember the good things we left behind and try to create a bright future.

Something that countries could do is...

• to help each other to find peace.
• “We sometimes feel that we should be at uni or making money because we were further ahead in school in our home countries.  It feels like it’s going to take a long time here”

Something we could remember is..

• While it is hard to start again, with help we will finish our studies and get a good job.

We can imagine peaceful future where..

• We can speak English and be understood &  People are friendly and listen to us
• We can feel excited and happy & We can live in our own house
• We can joke and laugh
• We can understand what our teachers are trying to teach us or give us for homework
• We can talk to our neighbours
• We can see our family and friends from our home countries again.
• Australia welcomes refugees genuinely
• The media show the good stuff about refugees
• Our sad past seems like a dream & We can be what we want to be
• We can do what other Aussies do and fit in