The Future We Want: World Refugee Day 2020

Join the UNAA Young Professionals Queensland Division ‘The Future We Want: World Refugee Day 2020’. This online webinar will unpack the key issues surrounding refugees and asylum seekers, and celebrate the work of refugee advocates and community leaders here in Brisbane.

In our third annual World Refugee Day Event, our panel will engage the issues of refugee and asylum seeker rights, the current Australian political and legal landscape, the morality of detention centres and community action. Most importantly, we seek to shine a light on the incredible work being done in Brisbane and energise young professionals to join this important cause.

During these especially difficult times, we recognise the vital work of those in the humanitarian sector who protect human life. Our event will engage the issues, create discussion between experts and the community, and inspire the change we need to make the next decade one of compassion and justice. We hear from activists and change-makers to understand their thoughts on what is important, what should be changed and how we can help. 

Join us online for an engaging panel conversation and interactive Q&A. Bring along your questions and prepare to engage in creating a future we can all be proud of.

OUR PANEL:
🔹 Bill Gamack: CEO of Multicultural Australia, working with refugees and migrants and creating a welcoming, inclusive and economically stronger community in Queensland. Bill has held senior leadership positions across a range of industries and has worked in the UK and the Middle East. 

🔹 Councillor Jonathan Sri: A writer, musician and community worker who was elected in March 2016 as Brisbane's first ever Greens city councillor, representing the Gabba Ward. Jonathan’s father, uncles and aunties left Sri Lanka due to the civil war and ongoing persecution of Tamil Sri Lankans. Prior to becoming a city councillor, Jonno worked as a carer and youth worker for asylum seeker children who had travelled to Australia by boat without their parents.

🔹 Councillor Ogy Simic: Advocacy Manager of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Councillor representing the City of Port Philip. Ogy arrived in Australia as a refugee when he was 11 years old. He trained as a lawyer and has worked in a range of campaigning and advocacy roles to promote diversity, inclusion and human rights.

🔹 Wei Wei Shih: Acting President of VoRTCS (Volunteer Refugee Tutoring and Community Support), a special program of St Vincent de Paul Queensland. Wei Wei Wei has over 5 years of volunteer and professional experience supporting Refugees through community integration, rights advocacy, tutoring and pro-bono work. 

🔹 Sanam Ahmadzada (MC/Host): Research Officer within the Policy and Epidemiology Group of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR), an adjunct fellow and PhD candidate in the School of Public Health at The University of Queensland (UQ). Sanam is interested in transcultural mental health, especially focusing on refugee and migrant communities, as well as mental health promotion and stigma reduction.

👉 Full panel bios can be viewed on the Virtual Event Hub once you register! 

This event is free of charge, however if you are able we would greatly appreciate your donation to UNAA Young Professionals Qld towards the costs of running this and future events!
We also encourage donations to:

• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre 
• Red Cross - Refugee & Asylum Seeker Appeal 
• Refugee Council of Australia

As always, we at the UNAA respectfully acknowledge that this online event will be hosted by individuals on the land of the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples, as well as watched by others from across the many Nations. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and fully commit to working together now and in the future. 

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EVENT TECHNICALITIES: 

This event is occurring online via the Zoom video-teleconferencing software. You will be emailed Zoom dial-in details upon successful registration. You do not need a Zoom account to listen in, however we recommend you to create a free Zoom account so that you can automatically access the meeting hyperlink/avoid any minor tech, wifi or device issues. We ask attendees to dial-in at least 5 minutes before 5PM AEST. The Host will admit you in through the online waiting room. 

If you have any questions for our panelists, there will be a dedicated time in the event to ask them. If you wish to reach out to any of the panelists after the event, the panelists will indicate what their best method of communication is. Please understand if our panelists wish to respect their privacy and emphasize their boundaries with communication.