Deng Adut
Mr Adut is a lawyer and advocate for the rights of refugees and other vulnerable citizens. Mr Adut came to Australia as 14-year-old refugee.
About this finalist
- Year: 2016
- Level: Finalist
- Award category: Human rights medal
About the 2016 nomination
Mr Adut is a lawyer and advocate for the rights of refugees and other vulnerable citizens. Mr Adut came to Australia as 14-year-old refugee. He had been conscripted as a child soldier in South Sudan when he was 6. He never had an opportunity to go to school but he taught himself to read, write and speak English, and he won a scholarship to study law at the University of Western Sydney (UWS).
Mr Adut moved won national attention with his 2016 Australia Day address and won more hearts and minds when a short video telling his life story went viral, attracting over 2.4 million views. He graduated from UWS with a Bachelor of Law in 2010 and went onto establish the AC Law Group in Blacktown with Joseph Correy.
About the Human Rights Awards
The Australian Human Rights Awards is an inspirational showcase of the best in all of us. The Awards honour and celebrate diverse human rights heroes and significant achievements in protecting and promoting human rights in Australia.