RAR Conference 2024 Communities Shaping Change
Speakers’ Details
Behrouz Boochani
Behrouz Boochani is a distinguished Kurdish-Iranian writer, journalist, scholar, cultural advocate, and filmmaker. He penned his memoir, "No Friend But the Mountains" (published by Pan Macmillan in 2018 and translated by Omid Tofighian), during his seven-year imprisonment by the Australian government on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island. His latest book, "Freedom, Only Freedom," was released by Bloomsbury in November 2022.
Zaki Haidari
Zaki Haidari, a 2020 Australian Human Rights Commission Human Rights Hero, is an Ambassador for RACS and a Refugee Rights Campaigner at Amnesty International Australia. Fleeing Taliban threats in Afghanistan, Zaki sought safety in Australia in 2012 and now advocates for refugee rights, challenging the country's "permanent temporariness" policy. Through media, education, and community engagement, he highlights the struggles faced by asylum seekers.
Dr Anthea Vogl
Dr Anthea Vogl is a refugee and immigration law academic at the University of Technology Sydney. She co-leads national projects on community refugee sponsorship in Australia and the health requirements imposed on non-citizens. Her book, Judging Refugees: Narrative and Oral Testimony in Refugee Status Determination, was released in 2024.
Gillian Triggs
Gillian Triggs is an international lawyer and author of Speaking Up. She has been Australian Human Rights Commission President and, recently, a United Nations Assistant Secretary General, appointed as Assistant High Commissioner for Protection with the UN Refugee Agency. She is an Ambassador for Australians for UNHCR and a long-time patron of Rural Australians for Refugees.
Caroline Fleay
Caroline Fleay is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University. She has worked alongside people from a refugee background in Australia for 15 years. She co-convenes the WA Refugee and People Seeking Asylum Network and the Permanency and Family Reunion Network.
Marie Sellstrom
Marie Sellstrom is Secretary of Mansfield Rural Australians for Refugees, Convenor of Indi Supports Refugees, Convenor Afghan Sponsorship, and Co-convenor of RAR’s Afghan Subcommittee. From 2017 to 2019 she was RAR National President, and a member of the ASRC Board from 2019 to 2023.
Hysni Merja
Hysni [“Husni”] Merja is from Albania and studied Islamic Studies in Egypt, later completing a master’s degree in Islamic Studies as well. He has served as the Imam of the Albanian Mosque in Shepparton, the first mosque in Victoria, since 2022.
Aileen Crowe
Aileen Crowe has provided pastoral care and advocated for people seeking refuge in Australia since the late 1990s. Her support for families who arrived by plane whose protection claims the assessment system dismissed has grounded her research into how Immigration employees, AAT members, judges and parliamentarians made negative decisions and her writing of Acts of Cruelty.
Lily Jiang
Lily Jiang is the Stakeholder Strategy and Advocacy Lead at SSI. For more than 17 years, she has advocated on issues affecting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities across public, private and not-for-profit sectors on strategy development, advocacy, international development and impact measurement.
Baz Mohammad Amozgar
Baz Mohammad Amozgar is an experienced human rights expert and social activist with a Master's degree in International Law. He played a pivotal role at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), positively impacting many individuals, particularly women and children. In 2020, Amozgar sought refuge in Pakistan, where he supported the education of refugee children and founded the Creation of Life Institute. He is also the author of The Tool of Speech Influence and is a dedicated refugee and human rights defender.
David Manne
David Manne is a leading immigration and human rights lawyer and CEO of Refugee Legal. He has led Refugee Legal’s legal teams in 11, unfailingly successful, High Court challenges. He currently sits on the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness Advisory Board and belongs to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Advisory Board of Eminent Persons.
Prof Philomena Murray
Prof Philomena Murray is Honorary Professorial Fellow in the University of Melbourne’s School of Social and Political Sciences. She was a founder and joint convenor of Academics for Refugees. She was Director of the Comparative Network on Refugee Externalisation Policies. She writes about refugee policies in Australia and Europe.
Lisa Button
Lisa Button instigated and has led CRSA (formerly CRSI) since its establishment in 2018. She has worked in refugee law, policy and programs for more than 15 years with the Centre for Policy Development, Save the Children and Refugee Legal. Lisa is a member of the Settlement Advisory Council advising the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.
Jonathan Strauss
Jonathan Strauss, from Cairns for Refugees, is the past President and current Vice-President of RAR. Jonathan is a university worker, unionist (Queensland NTEU assistant secretary) and social justice activist. He has researched progressive politics in the 1980s and 1990s, and writes occasionally on labour and social movement and political questions for Green Left.
Betia Shakiba
Betia Shakiba is a refugee and Human Rights Lawyer at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, helping refugees navigate the Australian immigration system. Her advocacy includes speaking in the media, lobbying with government officials, and collaborating on refugee law reform. As an Iranian refugee herself, Betia's commitment is deeply personal, driven by her family's ongoing struggles with their immigration status even after a decade in Australia. This personal connection fuels her mission to push for meaningful changes in refugee policies.
Nasrullah Kohzad
Nasrullah Kohzad holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. As an IT and security systems expert, he has managed significant projects, including 3G/4G network deployments and system integrations. With numerous telecommunications certifications and several awards for his contributions, he is also a dedicated advocate for refugees, supporting and teaching refugee children computer, internet, and technology skills.
Dr. Paul Dalzell
Dr. Paul Dalzell is a retired Anglican Priest, currently president of Rural Australians for Refugees. He has been active in support and advocacy for those who are subject to forced migration since the early 2000s. Paul has worked in Switzerland and the United States, and enjoys lots of activities, including learning Languages and doing embroideries.
Kieran Magee
Kieran Magee has been a dedicated member of the Refugee Action Collective - Victoria for over 10 years. He serves as an organizing committee member for the Big Walk 4 Refugees 2024 and coordinated Neil Para's Walk from Ballarat to Sydney in 2023, advocating for refugee rights through grassroots activism.
Dr. Mark Zirnsak
Dr. Mark Zirnsak is the Senior Social Justice Advocate for the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. Since joining in 1999, he has led efforts in climate change, refugee advocacy, modern slavery, tax reform, and more. Mark also serves on several advisory bodies to the Commonwealth and Victorian governments, playing a key role in shaping social justice policies. His work reflects a deep commitment to addressing systemic inequalities.
Dr. Mark Zirnsak
Dr. Mark Zirnsak is the Senior Social Justice Advocate for the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. Since joining in 1999, he has led efforts in climate change, refugee advocacy, modern slavery, tax reform, and more. Mark also serves on several advisory bodies to the Commonwealth and Victorian governments, playing a key role in shaping social justice policies. His work reflects a deep commitment to addressing systemic inequalities.
Lida Hazara Nayeeb
Lida Hazara Nayeeb is a Hazara from Afghanistan who moved to Australia in early 2004. She is married and has two children. In 2019, she founded Hazara Women for Change with invaluable support from her friends. Lida advocates for the rights of Afghan girls who have been deprived of education since 2021 and is a passionate social activist and advocate for refugees. Currently, she is pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University while also working as a case manager at Settlement Services International.
Kevin Sweeney
Kevin Sweeney is the Convenor of the Refugees Off PNG and Nauru Working Group, Convenor of the National Amnesty Refugee Network, and Co-convenor of the Amnesty Newcastle and Central Coast group. He is passionate about the just and humane treatment of refugees and people seeking asylum.
Linda Cusworth
Linda Cusworth has been a Combined Refugee Action Group Committee Member since 2014. She has a background in the community services sector and volunteers as Team Leader of the Wesley Asylum Seeker Welcome Place in Geelong. Through these roles, Linda's particular focus has been supporting and advocating alongside people who have been caught up in the unfair Fast Track refugee determination process.
Benham Satah
Benham Satah is a survivor of the Manus Island detention center and a refugee leader. Along with Behrouz Boochani, he organized hunger strikes and various forms of resistance during their time on Manus Island. Currently, Benham is advocating for the men still in Papua New Guinea, many of whom have families, to be brought to Australia for urgent medical care. A Kurdish refugee, he now resides in Chamberon, France, where he is also actively supporting Ukrainian refugees.
Jon Morley
Jon Morley has been an educator in the Victorian state secondary system for over 30 years. An English and Literature teacher, Jon later moved into leadership as an Assistant Principal and then Principal. Now retired, Jon is teaching English with refugees in Victoria and an online class in Kabul.
Abdullah Arifi
Abdullah Arifi is a former teacher assistant at Kabul University, where he served for two years before transitioning to a role as a translator with the World Bank. In December 2021, he relocated to Australia, where he currently works in a factory. Alongside his employment, Abdullah is committed to community engagement through his volunteer work with VAYA, contributing to various initiatives and support programs.
Janet Joss
Janet Joss is a dedicated advocate for people seeking asylum, refugees, and women's rights, having served as a member of the national executive of Grandmothers for Refugees for two years. With a professional background in midwifery and women's health in the public sector, Janet has worked extensively with culturally diverse and marginalized communities. Now retired, she leverages her extensive management and strategic planning experience to further her advocacy efforts.
Jean Ker Walsh
Jean Ker Walsh is the Chair of Macedon Ranges Rural Australians for Refugees, where she leads initiatives to support and advocate for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. A committed social justice advocate, she is also a member and former Co-Chair of Grandmothers for Refugees, an organization focused on raising awareness of refugee challenges and promoting policy changes for their well-being. Through her leadership, Jean engages her community in meaningful discussions and actions, demonstrating her dedication to creating a more just and inclusive society.
Louise Redmond
Louise Redmond is an advocate with five years of experience on the RAR National Committee, where she has represented the organization with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) and contributed to community sponsorship initiatives, including a successful work visa application. She has extensive experience in direct support for refugees, advocacy for social justice and climate action, and community development, along with significant volunteering efforts in Australia, Nepal, and Vietnam.
Dr. Nathan Gardner
Dr. Nathan Gardner is a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, focusing on the history of migration, diasporas, and multiculturalism in Australia. His forthcoming monograph, In the Face of Diversity: A History of Chinese Australian Community Organisations, 1970-2020, is the first major study of Chinese Australian history since the ‘White Australia Policy.’ He is currently involved in an ARC Discovery Project with Professors Susan Kneebone, Kate Ogg, and Associate Professor Anthea Vogl to create a comprehensive history of community sponsorship initiatives for refugee resettlement in Australia.
Neil Pharaoh
Neil Pharaoh, B Comm, LLB, GAICD, is a founding Director of Tanck and an expert in government engagement and campaigning, with a focus on social purpose and public policy advocacy. He co-founded the LGBTIQ+ philanthropic group GiveOUT and served as the national co-convenor of Rainbow Labor, where he led campaigns that achieved over 200 legislative reforms, including the Labor Party’s shift on marriage equality. Recognized in Deloitte's 2018 Outstanding 50 LGBTI Leaders list, Neil has also run for State Parliament in 2014 and 2018. His work at Tanck has produced numerous successful advocacy and government engagement initiatives.
Daney Faddou
Daney Faddoul is an advocate at the Human Rights Law Centre, where he joined in March 2020 to focus on the campaign for an Australian Human Rights Act. A law graduate from the University of Western Sydney, Daney is deeply committed to this initiative, believing it will prevent human rights violations, empower individuals and communities to challenge injustices, and foster a greater understanding and respect for human rights across Australia.
Marie Hapke
Marie Hapke has been actively advocating for fair and compassionate refugee policies since 2001. She began her journey with the Refugee Action Collective Victoria and, in 2010, co-founded the Refugee Advocacy Network to engage a wider array of community and human rights groups. In 2017, Marie furthered her commitment by helping establish the Australian Refugee Action Network (ARAN), which focuses on building stronger connections and promoting coordinated action among grassroots organizations nationwide.
Dr. Louise Olliff
Dr. Louise Olliff is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), where she has focused on research, policy, and advocacy related to refugee settlement and resettlement since 2009. In addition to her role at RCOA, Louise serves as a Senior Research Associate at the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW, where she is involved in an Australian Research Council Linkage grant that examines skilled employment opportunities for refugees in regional Australia.
Farhan Khudher
Farhan Khudher is a young Yazidi man who began volunteering with the Dignity Project in 2021 and now serves as an administrative assistant, interpreter, and community liaison. The Dignity Project, operating under the Social Justice Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba since 2015, supports refugees and people seeking asylum.
Moira Boyle
Moira Boyle has been with the Dignity Project since its inception and currently serves as the Volunteer Coordinator. The Dignity Project, operating under the Social Justice Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba since 2015, is dedicated to supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.