Deputy Leader of the Greens, Senator Scott Ludlam, launched the event. “Anytime I think the [refugee] debate can’t get worse, it suddenly does,” Senator Ludlam said. He reflected on the tragic death of Aylan Kurdi and how it put “cracks in the armour” of a dehumanising asylum seeker policy.
The president of the Refugee Council of Australia, Phil Glendenning, said the tide was starting to turn. “We’ve got a battle on our hands. But I do believe there is a shift on.” He said that between 1945 and 1965 Australia found the resources to accept two million European war refugees.
“We’ve never had a refugee crisis in this country. We had a political crisis,” said Dr Graham Thom of Amnesty International, who was joined on a discussion panel by NSW Deputy Labor Leader Linda Burney, Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi and the CEO of Settlement Service International, Violet Roumeliotis.
Ms Roumeliotis said the biggest difficulties faced by recently arrived refugees were language barriers, housing, and having qualifications recognised. Linda Burney, who also delivered the Welcome to Country, said schools had a big role to play in helping new arrivals integrate into the community. “There is nothing more powerful than putting people together.”
Several speakers highlighted the particular disadvantages affecting refugees from minority groups, such as women, Muslims, and LGBTI refugees. Mehreen Faruqi said that Islamophobia and racism were more rampant today than when she arrived in Australia in 1992.
The symposium was directed by Iranian-born poet and filmmaker Saba Vasefi, whose short film Symphony of Strange Waters was shown on the night. “I know the feeling of loneliness and I’m so happy that I’m not lonely any more in Australia,” said Ms Vasefi. “I strongly believe that prominent figures from our arts and cultural communities are capable of initiating change.”
There were performances by hip-hop artist Kween G, cellist Minerva Khodabande, and poets Hani Abdile and Michelle Cahill.
Other speakers featured were Stuart Rees, Wendy Bacon and Sahar Amer, and there was active Twitter commentary taking place with the hashtag #refugeerights2nite.
