Sudan Sunrise
| Founded | December 2005 by Tom Prichard |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Website | www.sudansunrise.org |
Sudan Sunrise, Inc. is a 501c3 organization based out of Reston, Virginia. According to their mission statement, Sudan Sunrise strives for grassroots reconciliation, education and community building in order to lift up examples of peace and forgiveness between former enemies as alternatives to the history of violence in Sudan and South Sudan. Sudan Sunrise also facilitates local efforts in Southern Sudan to provide education, health care and community development.
Sudan Sunrise was officially founded in December 2005 by Tom Prichard. The organization emerged from an endeavor in 2004 to help Southern Sudanese Christians living in the U.S. deliver aid to Darfurian Muslim refugees in Chad.
In the wake of the emerging War in Darfur, South Sudanese immigrants in the United States responded to the needs of Darfurians, and organized an emergency effort to take a small shipment of medicine to refugee camps in Chad.
Darfurian soldiers were used by the government of Sudan against the Southern Sudanese in the 22-year civil war, making up one half or more of the army. Darfurian refugees in Chad were surprised by the Southern Sudanese efforts to bring them aid, and asked for Southerners to stand in solidarity with them so that peace might come to Darfur. A video appeal from Darfurians, asking Southerners for forgiveness and appealing to them to stand in solidarity with them was filmed by Sudan Sunrise and distributed widely across the US.
In 2006, Sudan Sunrise continued to work with the Sudanese diaspora community to rally support for Darfur in the spirit of reconciliation by sponsoring various events such as the “Standing Together Against Genocide” banquet in Washington, DC and related events in Denver, Des Moines, and Kansas City. In the same year, Sudan Sunrise began working on reconciliation in South Sudan by overseeing the construction of a community center serving local tribes.
Sudan Sunrise expanded operations the next year by sponsoring a delegation of Lost Boys of Sudan to travel to South Sudan and meet with Darfurian refugees. Later that year Sudan Sunrise returned to Chad to research the educational needs of refugees and to officially register with the Governments of Chad and Sudan. Continuing its efforts in 2007, Sudan Sunrise joined with the Sudanese Diaspora community to organize several events including a rally empowering Sudanese women and a meeting in Washington of leaders within the Sudanese community. As a result a similar meeting was held in Kansas City, which called for Sudanese of all tribes and religions to work together for peace, towards a democratic and just Sudan in a statement entitled “Call to Sudanese Solidarity”.
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