Abstract:
Coming from backgrounds where issues of trust have often been violated, accessing reliable information from resettling refugee populations can be fraught with dilemmas. Those trying to document these people,s lives without recognising the politics of memory and the danger of re-traumatisation can potentially serve to further silence the narratives of those who have experienced difficulties associated with forced migration. This paper reports on the research process and the necessity of elevating the voices of Southern Sudanese men resettling in Adelaide, Australia to better understand how they have responded to traumatic experiences. Finding empowering approaches that assist these men in expressing their lived experience and future aspirations in sensitive and respectful ways can make progress towards further realising the liberation and well being of those beginning to create a new life far from home. The process of accessing ,authentic, knowledge is discussed by forwarding an imperative to establish a relationship with the refugee community. This relationship is further qualified by differentiating ,being, and ,doing, for those wanting to support and better understand resettling refugee populations.