Community Speakers
A key goal of the ASRC is to bring about the fair and just treatment of asylum seekers by engaging with as many and as broad a group of community members as possible. The ASRC Community Speakers Program seeks to bring the facts about asylum seekers to all people in our community.
Raising awareness in the community about issues facing asylum seekers is an important part of the ASRC’s work. Whether it’s information about the Australian refugee determination process, the work of the ASRC or the experiences that force people to leave their homes, better awareness and understanding within the community is crucial to achieving the goal of a fairer system and more inclusive society for asylum seekers.
What We Do
The Community Speakers Program offers a team of engaging and experienced speakers woh are available to speak to groups including schools, businesses and other community groups.
The work of the Speakers Program is undertaken by a network of community speakers who are experienced in working with asylum seekers and passionate about building a better community understanding of asylum seeker issues. Speakers are available to talk to groups about a range of issues, including the work of the ASRC, the Australian refugee determination process, health and welfare issues facing asylum seekers and best practice models for working with asylum seekers.
Our speakers have presented at a range of organisations and events to groups of all ages and backgrounds. If you are interested in having a speaker give a presentation at your organisation or event, please email speakers@asrc.org.au or call the ASRC on 03 9326 6066 and ask for the Speakers Team.
Volunteer - Catherine
In addition to volunteering at the centre every week, Catherine frequently visits schools and other community groups to spread the word about the ASRC. She says: "To me, anything that takes the work of the ASRC and extends it beyond its four walls is really important. If people understood better what asylum seekers were going through then hopefully we wouldn’t see some of the attitudes we currently see."
Asylum seeker - Wondatir
Wondatir is a member of the ASRC who is also involved in educating the public about the plight of asylum seekers. He says: "To provide information sessions students and teachers about asylum seekers’ lives and the problems which they have faced through their journey of asylum is very important. The feedback was very positive and some of them said they had never heard such information before."
Audience Member and ASRC Supporter
"It was a real eye opener for our group to hear about the plight of asylum seekers in Australia, I had no idea! We had no understanding of what people go through even after they have escaped to supposed safety here. And the emphasis on the strong volunteer base of the ASRC and how far the money goes directly to support asylum seeker needs was effective. Giving examples of how even small donations can translate into tangible benefits really cut through to the audience and a number of people told me that they had really learnt something from his address."
