From Sudan to Suomi

ABSTRACT

Sudan and Suomi (‘Finland’ in Finnish) are very different nations. Various assessments have rated Finland the best country in the world in which to live while Sudan struggles, mired in poverty and intermittent civil war. Finland is the world’s most northerly nation state while Sudan lies close to equator. But, despite the many differences, Finland began to accept Southern Sudanese – mostly Christian – refugees in 2001 and they have since established a nationwide Anglican community and various other churches. There is a significantly sized Southern Sudanese community in Oulu, in the north of the country.
From Sudan to Suomi is an ethnographic account of the Southern Sudanese Christian churches in Oulu and the first detailed ethnographic account of any Southern Sudanese community in Finland. Through participant observation, it attempts to gain a deeper understanding of Southern Sudanese religiosity and culture and the way in which Southern Sudanese life has developed in its specifically Finnish cultural context. In doing so, From Sudan to Suomi also aims to help those who work with Sudanese refugees better understand the dynamics and nuances of Southern Sudanese Diaspora culture.