Many would look at Deng Atem's life, shaped by conflict and displacement, and wonder why he is not bitter and resentful. Instead, Deng has enabled his experiences as a former “Lost Boy of Sudan” to fuel his pursuit of a more positive reality for others growing up in his homeland.
Deng now lives in Phoenix, Arizona. His impact as a visionary and leader in the global South Sudanese community has been enhanced by recently acquired mediation skills.
From child soldier to mediator, Deng has dedicated his life to inspiring a future characterized by peace and unity, culminating in his memoir, Jumping Over the Ram.
From Boy Soldier to Author
Civil war within what was then Sudan disrupted Deng's childhood and led him to realize the importance of building peace and unity in his community.
In 1986, Deng became one of the youngest recruits of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/SPLA), which sought independence from the north. Like many other so-called “Lost Boys of Sudan” his age, he embarked on a dangerous journey on foot across South Sudan, from the border of Central African Republic to Ethiopia for months. Along the way, he encountered crocodiles, hippos, lions, and other deadly animals. He and other fleeing children survived the unimaginable, including famine, dehydration, disease, violence and other horrors of war.
He would eventually fight in the civil war, as a child soldier for the SPLA, trained and armed by those posing as educators in refugee camps. He survived in the camps for years, until he was relocated to the United States as an unaccompanied minor, and entered the foster care system in Phoenix, Arizona. In the United States, Deng completed high school and a bachelor's degree. He went on to achieve an MBA. He became a recognized leader in the South Sudanese diaspora community. Encouraged by CNN journalist, Anderson Cooper, whom he met in the camps as a child, Deng penned his memoir, with co-author Dr. Kenneth Weene, which is a culmination of Deng’s extraordinary life.
His Journey into Mediation
Deng Atem completed the IMA New Mediator course in the spring of 2021 and continues to participate in our advanced programs, inviting his newfound mediation skills to influence his professional career.
The IMA course includes a carefully curated asynchronous portion and live mediation simulation labs for students to apply and refine their skills with other learners.
Along with his fellow mediator students who completed the training, Deng became equipped to confidently facilitate conversations and spaces for conflicting parties to reach mutually beneficial agreements.
Although Deng lives in the United States, he was delighted to discover the diversity of IMA participants, including many from the African continent.
IMA training has notably refined Deng's ability to use mediation skills to create a future established upon peace and unity in a setting that often allowed differences to stimulate conflict and sustainable resolutions.
After achieving his Certificate of Completion through the IMA New Mediator Course, Deng joined the advanced IMA Mediator Pro program and continues to accelerate his skills.
Unwavering Dedication to Peace and Unity
In his professional career, Deng serves in several roles to invest in a better future for the South Sudanese community. Believing that he owes what he has to those that invested in him throughout his life, his work is a tribute to the past generations that showed him love, kindness, and care. This sentiment motivates and inspires him to help others even when it requires sacrifice.
With deep respect and a sense of gratitude for the people that have come before him, Deng serves in multiple roles to foster peace and unity within the South Sudanese community worldwide.
He is the Fundraiser for the The Lost Boys Center for Leadership Development located in Arizona. The Center was originally established in response to the 20,000 children displaced by the civil war in Sudan in 1983. Many of the children that were initially served by the Center sought refuge in Ethiopia and Kenya, similar to Deng, before coming to the United States. Now focused on leadership building within the diaspora, the Center continues to address the immediate and long-term needs of displaced South Sudanese people. Leaders at the Center created a digital archive of records that were kept by various NGOs and camps throughout the refugees’ lives. The Center also helped coordinate Arizona’s South Sudanese community’s vote for independence from Sudan in 2011.
As the Executive Director of South Sudan Twic Mayardit Community Center, Deng seeks to unite the South Sudanese diaspora by ensuring that younger generations are allowed to learn about South Sudan. It also supports refugees as they adjust to Phoenix through English and citizenship classes. Central to all of his work is the desire to invest in the South Sudanese community, both in the United States and South Sudan.
Publishing to Inspire a Positive Future
Within two years of gaining independence, conflict and violence broke out within South Sudan. Civil war ensued, which had reverberating effects well beyond Deng’s homeland. Divisions along tribal and ethnic lines were palpable even in the United States. Long-standing friends began to avoid each other for no reason other than persistent political tension in South Sudan.
Unsettled with this new reality, Deng took it upon himself to create positive disruption.
He returned to South Sudan to meet with politicians and civilians to better understand what could be done differently. Ramciel, a South Sudanese magazine, launched by Deng, was born out of these conversations to create a platform that would encourage peace, show a better tomorrow, and establish a sense of unity through the invitation of South Sudanese voices. It also invites members of the diaspora community to share the insights they have gained while living outside of South Sudan. Amplifying the opinions and thoughts of South Sudanese people has benefited both those located in South Sudan and South Sudanese people who are living outside of the country. To capture the attention of the South Sudanese people, Deng showcases celebrities, ranging from musicians to models. He seeks to engage young people and shift their thought processes from conflict to peace and unity. Deng believes that if young people are motivated by peace, a better future will become a reality.
Deng’s Powerful Story is a Lesson for All
With an eagerness to share his own story and encourage others to foster peace and unity, Deng published Jumping Over the Ram. This powerful book has and will continue to inspire readers to overcome challenges that they experience in their lives. I am personally humbled and awed by Deng’s life story.
When I first met Deng through the IMA New Mediator course, I had no idea of the extraordinary experiences that shaped his life. I now have a richer appreciation of the source of his resilience in the face of conflict. The account of his early years, when he herded cows like every young Sudanese boy, gives one a window into what was once peaceful pastoral life, interrupted by unimaginable violence and terror. Without giving too much of the book away, what struck me was how Deng was displaced multiple times throughout his life, and yet he kept moving forward. His childhood was essentially stolen from him, as a naive child trained to be a rebel fighter. Nevertheless, in spite of these traumatic events, he grew into a respected leader and peacebuilder.
Anderson Cooper, CNN Anchor, first met Deng at a refugee camp in Kenya. Deng recalls Cooper and many others who visited the camp urging him to write down his story someday.
Deng later reconnected with Cooper in Phoenix as he accepted the challenge to become an author. In late 2022, Deng's memoir was published.
Anderson Cooper’s forward states:
“What an extraordinary story Deng has to tell! It is not just about South Sudan; it is a universal story about survival and determination - how a child can face the most difficult of situations and find a way through them.”
Deng’s commitment to enabling his remarkable experiences to fuel his pursuit of a better future for South Sudan and the world provides lessons for all readers. Jumping Over the Ram is a must read that left me with a sense of hope for the future. Deng is an inspiration for me, because of his relentless dedication to peace and unity.
Love as a Unifying Force
In 1992, in Kapoeta, South Sudan, Deng with other children on their way to the Border of Kenya and Sudan. Source: Jumping Over the Ram website.
Foundational in the work that Deng has dedicated his life to is a deep desire to bring peace and unity to the South Sudanese community. IMA’s training has built upon his own innate strengths, equipping him to help divisive situations result in connection and love. He can support others to recognize their political, tribal, and ethnic differences and unite around what they have in common. The Ramciel Magazine is a perfect example of how he provides a platform for differing perspectives to be shared but united by love.
Nation-building is hard work. With a desire to see South Sudan become a peaceful and loving state, Deng is intentionally working with young people as they will shape and inform the future. Despite the many differences prevalent within the South Sudanese community, Deng seeks love to be the unifying force.
Amid multiple conflicts, Deng became convinced that he needed to invest in a better future for South Sudan to show appreciation to those that helped him throughout his life. He has handled the burden of peacebuilding with grace and conviction to see South Sudan be a nation characterized by peace, with love as great unifier.
Join hundreds of people, like Deng, from around the world, and build your mediation skills through one of IMA’s courses. The skills gained through IMA’s courses have the potential to allow you to enhance your career and leadership skills. We invite you to create a future characterized by peace in your workplace, community, and family.
We are proud to have Deng in our IMA mediator community. His journey from child soldier to mediator, culminating in his memoir, inspires peace and unity, not only in South Sudan, but for all of us, wherever we are.
