RAR thanks Louise Redmond, welcomes new leadership

Jonathan Strauss and Louise Redmond at the 2022 Annual General Meeting, Katoomba, NSW.

In September’s AGM, the RAR community welcomed a change in leadership for the coming year. Louise Redmond will step down from the presidency after three years in the role and hand the baton to Jonathan Strauss from Cairns, QLD. Louise has been a passionate, committed leader of the national committee and will leave big shoes to fill for the year ahead.

“Louise enthusiastically undertook the role of RAR President and immediately embraced RAR campaigning,” Marie Sellstrom, national committee member and founding member of RAR said.

“Louise's leadership was obvious the night representatives of 30 RAR groups spent on the lawns outside parliament house to protest the overturning of the Medivac legislation. Louise used valuable contacts in PNG and Australia on the continuing campaign to resettle people on Manus and Nauru in New Zealand.

“She steered RAR through many challenges, was instrumental in implementing a strategic approach to planning, and fostered unity through her visits to RAR groups throughout Australia. Louise gained the admiration of all RAR members because of her determination to work for the social justice and the rights of refugees and asylum seekers despite the heartbreaking loss of her beloved partner Anthony.”

Jonathan Strauss comes to the role after three years as secretary on the RAR national committee and is keen to build on the momentum established by Louise’s leadership. Despite having had a change of government, Jonathan urges RAR groups and communities to stay focused in applying pressure on Labour and the cross bench to ensure broader, more meaningful action in changing Australia’s policies.

“Rural Australians for Refugees has had dedicated and dynamic leadership through the last three years,” he said. “It wasn’t an easy time, with a government which wanted to stare down the refugee rights movement, but the movement’s work did have an impact, as an agreement was eventually reached with New Zealand for refugee re-settlement there, and the hotel detention was closed down.

“The new government doesn’t mean our job is done. I like what Angela Fredericks has been saying about the need for fundamental changes in policy around refugees. For example, the issues facing people coming from Afghanistan are huge, in terms of helping get people out and pushing for enough visas and these being issued quickly enough. What can we do to make this more of a public discussion?

“I feel we could help provide a platform for the voice of people with lived experience through a regional tour of public meetings, if there are refugees who want to do this. I would like to hear from member groups would like to host this. We also have great opportunities to work with refugee groups that are leading work, such as Cisarua Learning and Women for Change. 

“In taking on the President’s role for the coming year, I feel I have big shoes to fill. The National Committee has had a strategy discussion which will help it nut out how RAR can provide leadership for refugee campaigning in regional Australia.

“From an organisational point of view, however, how can we bring more people into doing the work, nationally and at a regional level? Perhaps we can make this a bit easier through a leadership workshop in the first half of next year.”