This past April, just on the heels of the one-year anniversary of the war in Sudan, The Diaspora Academy hosted a diaspora advocacy workshop for Sudanese-American diaspora organizations and leaders in Washington, DC. 

The workshop was held in partnership with the Sudanese-American Physicians Association (SAPA) and the Sudanese-American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA), two prominent Sudanese-American diaspora organizations responding to the ongoing needs in Sudan and the diaspora communities. 

Workshop Attendees

Together, this workshop convened 40 Sudanese-Americans from across the country to Washington, D.C., to explore the fundamentals of effective advocacy in the United States, with a particular focus on the needs and goals of diaspora communities and advocates.

The open call was extended to all Sudanese-Americans in the United States, and together with SAPA and SAAPA, we led an extensive selection process to determine the inaugural attendees of our workshop.  With such an overwhelming demand for the course, TDA offered two subsequent virtual workshops to accommodate the interest.  

TDA Curriculum & Learning Outcomes

The workshop’s curriculum and course materials were customized and developed by The Diaspora Academy. Participants received TDA workbooks and a copy of the presentation for their future reference.  

The training offered a unique opportunity to understand the fundamentals to diaspora advocacy.  This included assessing their motivations and goals through the TDA 9As Framework, a diaspora-specific advocacy strategy to ensure diaspora advocates success and impact with their advocacy efforts. 

Workshop Testimonials

Semhar has an extensive background in Diaspora Policy and Advocacy, bringing significant value to the workshop. By the end of the session, she completely changed my perspective on what it means to be an effective advocate. I gained valuable insights from Semhar, my peers at the workshop, and the individuals at SAPA and SAPAA, who do so much for Sudanese Americans through their advocacy and education projects, as well as for Sudan through their pivotal aid relief efforts. This experience has taught me a lot about how to focus my advocacy efforts effectively and translate them into achievable goals and action plans for Sudan. I am excited to apply what I have learned here to my work in the future, and to continue connecting and learning with the mentors and partners that I have found through this workshop! - Heba S. 

The Diaspora Academy thanks its diaspora partner organizations, workshop participants and applicants, and its organizational supporters for their unequivocal support and enthusiasm.  We look forward to continuing to strengthening the voice of Sudanese-American diasporas advocating on the issues that matter most to them.