Stories of Refugee Resilience – Refugee Week 2024 [Film screening and panel discussion]

Australian Red Cross is hosting a special event this Refugee Week to celebrate the resilience of refugees and asylum seekers in our Australian community and beyond. 

Join us for a special screening of Watandar, My Countryman at the Library at The Dock in Melbourne CBD on the evening of 18th June, followed by a panel event hosted by Australian Red Cross State Director for Victoria, Nichola Krey, and featuring guest speakers who will share the journeys and experiences of refugees and asylum speakers - activist and filmmaker, Muzafar Ali, and human rights advocates Zabi Mazoori and Galia Bastoni. The event will take place from 5.45pm to 8.00pm. 

Date: Tuesday 18 June 2024 

Venue: Library at The Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands 3008 VIC 

Time: 

• 5.45pm: Welcome 
• 6.00pm-7.10pm: Film screening - Watandar, My Countryman 
• 07.10pm-8.00pm: Panel discussion. 

Spaces are limited so please RSVP here sign up to secure a spot.  

About Watandar, My Countryman 

The Afghan Cameleer Descendants, featured in Watandar, My Countryman, are Indigenous, Colonial and Immigrants at the same time. Watandar, My Countryman covers the experience of Muzafar, a former Afghan-Hazara refugee, who set out on a project to photograph Afghan Cameleer Descendants in an attempt to understand his own new Afghan-Australian identity. His experience, along with his wisdom and charisma, presented a rare opportunity to re-examine Australia’s colonial history. 

Watandar, My Countryman touches on some of Australia’s and the world’s biggest geopolitical stories including the relationship between colonial, ancient and immigrant Australians, our treatment of refugees, the division between the world’s dominant religions, the success and or lack of success of the international forces in Afghanistan, and the power of individuals to create change. 

Panel event

After the screening, a panel discussion will take place, offering an opportunity for you to engage with and learn more about the journeys and experiences of refugees and asylum seekers. Feel free to ask questions and delve deeper into their stories. 

We are delighted to welcome the following guests:  

Muzafar Ali is a former refugee and highly-regarded human rights activist, filmmaker and photographer, including Watandar, My Countryman. Between 2004-2011 he worked for the United Nations in Afghanistan. Resettled to Australia in 2015, he uses his art to connect communities and raise the voice of refugees.  

He has starred in and co-produced feature documentaries The Staging Post (2017) and Watandar, My Countryman (2022) and DreamBig Festival theatre production Education Is A Dream (2023). Muzafar has worked as a cultural consultant on many productions including the ABC series Stateless (2020) and Windmill Theatre’s Amphibian (2020). He is the 2022 Fred Hollows Humanitarian of the year, Patron of the Rural Australians for Refugees, Board Member of the Jesuit Refugee Service and has exhibited his photographs in Afghanistan, the Republic of Korea, USA, UK, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia.  

Zabi Mazoori is the Team Leader of Afghan Community Engagement Team at Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (Foundation House). He is also the President of United Cultural Support Inc. Zabi is also a committee member of the Victorian Afghan Associations Network (VAAN) and has worked extensively with refugees and asylum seeker in Australia both in his professional and volunteer capacity. Zabi is a human rights defender who has worked with renowned international human rights organisations in promoting human rights and justice around the world, including as an Australian Red Cross International Humanitarian Law volunteer. For many years, Zabi worked for Physicians for Human Rights, specialising in the forensic documentation of war crimes and serious human rights violations, including the exhumation of mass graves.

Galia Bastoni is a Lived Experience Officer at Australian Red Cross. She is a human rights advocate who is passionate about empowering individuals to access and protect their rights. A former refugee from Syria, Galia sought refuge in Australia in 2012 and has since made significant contributions to the community sector. With eight years of experience working both professionally and as a volunteer with various local and international organisations, Galia has developed her expertise in community engagement, advocacy and support services. Her dedication to human rights and community service was recognized in 2017 when she won the Human Rights Youth Award in Tasmania.  

In addition to her advocacy work, Galia is an authentic content creator, using various platforms to raise awareness and educate others through storytelling. Her work continues to inspire and drive positive change in communities across Australia and beyond. Galia’s journey from refugee to an active storyteller underscores her commitment to ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to live with dignity and respect. Her work, both locally and globally, continues to significantly impact the lives of many. 

Every time you give to Red Cross, it helps to fund critical projects to improve the lives of people experiencing vulnerability in Australia, and overseas.

Together, we can make a real difference to help those impacted by hardship, disaster, conflict and other social issues. To donate, please visit: www.redcross.org.au/donate

 Australian Red Cross’ commitment to migration support 

Australian Red Cross is committed to assisting refugees and asylum seekers in their journeys and providing them with the services to help them rebuild their lives in Australia, while acknowledging the challenges, barriers, and the mental effects they go through during their settlement.  Even after being granted protection to live in Australia, a refugee's journey persists. Among the challenges they face is rebuilding the resilience needed to support their family members while being separated from them. From the search for loved ones to finding safe passage for them, refugees navigate a complex process of settlement in Australia. Balancing adaptation to a new culture with efforts to establish a career, they undertake a multifaceted journey of recovery and integration.