Deng Adut’s story is one of resilience and defiance. At the young age of 6 he was taken from his family and his home in South Sudan. At an age when most children in Australia are starting school, learning to read and playing with their friends, Adut was given a gun and trained to be a child soldier in a war that divided his country. He lost the right to his childhood.
After being shot in the back at the age of 12, he was smuggled out of Sudan into a Kenyan refugee camp. From there the UN managed to get him out and he eventually made it to Australia as a refugee in 1998.
The culture shock must have been immense for the young illiterate refugee who didn’t speak a word of english. But that was not about to stop Adut. He taught himself to read, finished secondary school and went on to achieve a law degree at Western Sydney University. It was in a powerful commercial for the university that we first learnt of Adut’s story.
Read more: Child Soldier to Refugee Lawyer: This is Deng Thiak Adut’s Story.
In a The Sydney Morning Herald article, “He said a person was not an Australian because they were born in Australia but because Australia was born in them. What a person did for their country was what made it meaningful," he said. "I am an Australian for the rest of my life," Deng said.
As he told reporter Leigh Sales in a 7:30 Report ABC interview, there is still never a night when he isn’t haunted by vivid nightmares of his past.
However the memories of his violent past have not impeded his success. The 33-year-old is now a criminal defence lawyer with a successful practice in Western Sydney. He specializes in advocating for refugees.
This year Adut is a state finalist for the prestigious Australian of the Year award. The announcement of the national award recipient will be made on the eve of Australia Day 25 January.
An inspirational story of triumph over tragedy – NSW #AusoftheYear@Deng_Adut defied all odds to build a better life https://t.co/WfsLTTikvwpic.twitter.com/ZPiTAq0Rlz
— AusoftheYearAwards (@ausoftheyear) January 23, 2017
Read more: A Tiny Country Town’s Unlikely Refugee Success Story
The annual awards celebrate Australians who have made a contribution, highlighted a particular issue through their work, challenged or inspired the nation. In 2016 David Morrison was awarded Australian of the year for his work as an advocate for gender equality in the Australian army. In 2015 Rosie Batty was given the honour for championing the fight against domestic violence.
Adut is a son, a brother, a former child soldier. He is Sudanese, a refuge, an Australian and a lawyer. He sounds like a global citizen to us. What a fantastic finalist to celebrate as part of the Australia Day Awards.