Who gets to belong: Culture, rights and a fairer Australia

Name: Who gets to belong: Culture, rights and a fairer Australia
Start: 2026-09-21T17:30:00+1000
End: 2026-09-21T20:00:00+1000
Location: Belvoir St Theatre

Mon, 21 Sep, 5:30pm - 8pm AEST

Belvoir St Theatre

Surry Hills NSW, Australia

Description

Who gets to belong?

Join writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law, community leader and refugee advocate Shabnam Safa OAM, Plate It Forward founder Shaun Christie-David and Walkley award-winner Sarah Malik as they explore what belonging means in Australia today, how our understanding of identity and community is shaped, and what we really mean when we talk about Australian values.

Whether you care about human rights, have your own migration story, or you're simply curious about these questions, this conversation is for you.

Hosted by RACS (Refugee Advice & Casework Service) in collaboration with Belvoir St Theatre.

About the speakers

Benjamin Law

Benjamin Law is an Australian writer, broadcaster and journalist. Best known for The Family Law, he has spent his career exploring identity, family, culture and belonging through books, television and public conversation.
Shabnam Safa OAM

Shabnam Safa OAM is a policy, advocacy and systems-change leader with more than a decade of experience working across refugee and migrant affairs, community-led policy and social change. As a former refugee from Afghanistan, she contributes to national and international refugee policy processes, advises governments and institutions, develops community-led advocacy structures and strengthens the participation of people with lived experience in systems that affect them.
Shaun Christie-David

Shaun Christie-David is the Founder and CEO of Plate It Forward, a Sydney-based social enterprise creating employment opportunities for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds while tackling food insecurity. Through hospitality, he is helping build stronger, more connected communities across Australia.
Sarah Malik

Sarah Malik is a Walkley Award-winning Australian journalist and writer. She has written for The New York Times and The Guardian Australia; and she has presented and produced programs for ABC Radio National.