South Sudanese and Timorese visitors
"This was a great opportunity to build further connections between countries with a lot in common, namely Timor-Leste and South Sudan. It also is a step in interfaith relations."
St Kilda Shule had the honour of hosting a unique visit late last month by representatives of the South Sudanese community as part of a fact-finding mission to Timor-Leste.
The visit aimed to foster connections between the two countries and promote interfaith relations. Attendees included esteemed figures such as Peter Pal, president of the Union of Greater Upper Nile States (UGUNS); Pech Kuichloch, treasurer of the Voice of Peace for South Sudan; and Ines Almeida, the Timorese ambassador to Australia.
Rabbi Yaakov Glasman expressed his gratitude, stating, “It was an absolute privilege to have hosted delegates from the South Sudanese community together with the Timorese ambassador to Australia during what was a most productive and meaningful tour of our beautiful shule.”
The visit was organised by David Marlow, former CEO of East Timor Hearts Fund, who emphasised the importance of building connections between countries that share commonalities. Marlow highlighted the significance of interfaith relations and their practical implications, stating, “Today demonstrates that interfaith relations can be practical and lead to working on real-world issues, such as peace-building in South Sudan, by learning from the experience in Timor-Leste since independence.”
He said, “This was a great opportunity to build further connections between countries with a lot in common, namely Timor-Leste and South Sudan. It also is a step in interfaith relations.”
Marlow expressed his appreciation to the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation for facilitating the tour of the synagogue, which served as a valuable platform for dialogue and understanding between the South Sudanese delegates and the local Jewish community.
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