Nyadol Nyuon

Nyadol Nyuon (born 1987) is an Australian lawyer and human rights advocate, who was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, of a family fleeing the Second Sudanese Civil War. She works as a commercial litigator in Melbourne and is a regular media commentator.

Early life and education

Nyuon was born in the Itang refugee camp in Ethiopia in 1987, where she lived until the age of four. The family was forced to leave the camp due to conflict in Ethiopia, taking 40 days to walk back to an area then in southern Sudan (since 2011, part of South Sudan). Not long after arrival, Nyuon was separated from her mother. She rarely saw her father, Commander William Nyuon Bany, one of the founders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, as he was away fighting, and died in 1996.[1]

She was raised by various step-mothers in Nairobi, Lodwar and at the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where she did her primary and secondary schooling. It was also at Kakuma where she was inspired by the work of UNHCR lawyers and decided that she too wanted to be a lawyer.[1] Her mother came and found her after her father's death and when she was about 14 years old, and brought her other siblings to Kakuma. Eight of them lived in a mud house.[2]

In 2005 the family was accepted as migrants to Australia, and Nyuon was 18 years old when they arrived in Melbourne, penniless.[1] After attaining her Victorian Certificate of Education, she earned a Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University before being accepted into Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne, where she achieved Juris Doctor. She was helped to achieve a scholarship by one of her professors, and was later given $10,000 by a woman she met by chance at a dinner, who was touched by her story.[2] The generous donor was a retired graphic designer Juliet Tootell, who later became a close friend and godmother to her daughter.[1]

Career

Nyuon works as a commercial litigator for law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler.[3][2]

She was drawn into fighting for the rights of African Australians after a number of racist incidents targeting her, her friends and others.[4] She was trolled mercilessly after speaking out about Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton's allegation in 2018 that Victorians were “scared to go out in restaurants” because of “African gang violence”.[5] She is determined to create a fairer Australia, pointing out the serious effects of racism on the victim's health.[4]

Nyuon is also a writer, a regular media commentator on programs such as ABC’s The Drum and Q + A , a volunteer and a keynote speaker.[2][6]

She has written for The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Saturday Paper,[6] The Guardian[7] the Australasian Review of African Studies, Australian Mosaic (quarterly magazine published by the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia[8]) and Offset (Victoria University’s annual literary magazine).[4]

After an appearance on Q+A on 15 June 2020, Nyuon was sent abusive messages on Facebook which were later found to have come from a serving police officer in South Australia Police. After this had come to light, the officer was put onto administrative duties and became the subject of an internal investigation. She said that she was regularly sent abusive messages after appearing on television, and would be taking some time off.[9][10]

In September 2020 Nyuon was appointed chair of Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change, a national coalition of migrant and refugee women in Australia.[11][12]

Recognition and awards

Selected works
  • "From the wreck of the pandemic we can salvage and resurrect an inner life". The Guardian. 8 August 2020. An essay written during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, to be published in the forthcoming anthology Fire, Flood and Plague, edited by Sophie Cunningham and due to be published in December 2020.

Personal life

Nyuon has two children.[2]

References
  1. Rayson, Hannie (24 May 2019). "I feel free: Lawyer Nyadol Nyuon's journey from horror to hope". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  2. Dent, Georgie (17 June 2020). "Nyadol Nyuon is a lawyer, a former refugee & an incredible advocate". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  3. Spierings, John (1 October 2019). "Australian Financial Review Women of Influence Awards". Reichstein Foundation. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  4. Gill, Sonia (4 January 2019). "Rights Activist Wins". F Magazine. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  5. Allman, Anna (16 April 2019). "A day in the life of Nyadol Nyuon". Law Society Journal.
  6. "Nyadol Nyuon". Speaking Out. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  7. "Nyadol Nyuon". the Guardian. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  8. "Australian Mosaic". FECCA. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  9. Farhart, Claudia (18 June 2020). "SA police investigating officer for racist messages to Sudanese-Australian lawyer Nyadol Nyuon". SBS News. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  10. Davies, Richard (17 June 2020). "SA Police officer investigated for racist messages to Sudanese-Australian Q+A guest Nyadol Nyuon". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  11. Brancatisano, Emma (28 September 2020). "New Harmony Alliance chair Nyadol Nyuon on Australia's African communities being heard". SBS News. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  12. "Harmony Alliance". National Women's Alliances. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  13. "Awards". Future Justice. Retrieved 19 June 2020. Winner Future Justice Prize 2016
  14. "Harmony Alliance First Anniversary Celebration". Harmony Alliance. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  • Nyuon, Nyadol (27 June 2019). "One Plus One: Nyadol Nyuon" (video). ABC One Plus One (Interview). Interviewed by Hutcheon, Jane. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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