Speakers – Second RCAA National Conference 2026

OUR Speakers

The Second RCAA National Conference 2026 features an outstanding lineup of sector leaders, policy makers and advocates at the forefront of refugee settlement and multicultural inclusion.

Our speakers bring extensive Australian and international expertise across policy development, academic research, service delivery, and community leadership. Leaders with lived experience and grassroot community connections contribute vital perspectives over two days. Their collective knowledge will drive meaningful dialogue on building inclusive communities and strengthening refugee leadership across Australia.

Mr Behrouz Boochani

Iranian Kurdish Journalist, Human Rights Defender, Writer & Film Producer,
Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury

Behrouz Boochani is a Kurdish writer, political scientist and internationally acclaimed advocate for displaced people. Behrouz is now based in Wellington, New Zealand. His commentary appears in The Guardian, The Atlantic and The Washington Post, and his honours range from the STARTTS Humanitarian Award to Amnesty International and Voltaire prizes. On stage he challenges complacency, offering actionable insight into ethical leadership, human rights and the future of migration. His books are “No Friend But the mountains, transtated by Omid Tofighian” and “Freedom only Freedom, translated and edited by Moones Mansoubi and Omid Tofighian”. His new book will be released on 2026

Dr Gillian Triggs AC

Emeritus Professor, Law School, University of Melbourne
Former Assistant High Commissioner, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Former President, Australian Human Rights Commission

Professor Emerita Gillian Triggs AC recently completed her role as UN Assistant Secretary General and Assistant High Commissioner Protection with UNHCR. She was formerly President of the Australian Human Rights Commission and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney.

An international lawyer, Gillian was awarded an inaugural Ruth Bader Ginsburg medal in 2022 and named 2023 International Law Woman of the Year by the American Society of International Law. She is a board member of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Ambassador for Australians for UNHCR, and lectures in international human rights law at the University of Melbourne.

Ms Anthea Hancocks

CEO, Scanlon Foundation Research Institute

Anthea Hancocks is the CEO of the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute. The Institute is dedicated to making research into social cohesion accessible and understandable while maintaining the highest levels of research expertise and integrity. She has a background in leadership positions in government, professional services, academia, philanthropy and not for profit organisations.

Anthea is a Fellow of Monash University, a Civil Society and Public Administration Fellow with the Toronto Metropolitan University and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Anthea has a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Arts, an MBA and is a PhD candidate at Monash University.

Dr Hass Dellal AO

Chair, Australian Multicultural Foundation Board

Dr Bulent (Hass) Dellal AO chairs the Australian Multicultural Foundation, which he led as Executive Director from 1989-2024. He previously chaired SBS Television and the Australian Multicultural Council, and led the Commonwealth’s Multicultural Framework Review in 2023. With over 30 years’ experience in multicultural affairs, he serves on multiple boards including the Australian National Maritime Museum and Victoria Police Multifaith Council. Internationally, he established the European Multicultural Foundation, launched the biannual Diversity Matters Conferences for Commonwealth Nations, and extensively promoted Australia’s multicultural model worldwide.

Mr Ben Farrell

Head of External Engagement, UNHCR Multi-Country Office for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific

Ben is the Head of External Engagement at the Canberra office of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, covering Australia, New Zealand, PNG and the Pacific. He has previously served with UNHCR in Iraq, Jordan, Geneva and Brussels in a variety of roles including communications and advocacy, emergency response, interagency coordination, government and donor relations, and climate financing. Ben has 30 years’ experience in external engagement and strategic communications at local, national and international levels, having been a political staffer and public affairs consultant in Australia before joining UNHCR.

Melinda Collinson

CEO, AMES Australia

Melinda Collinson is CEO of migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia.
Melindas has considerable senior leadership experience within government and the broader public sector. Previously she served as Deputy Secretary at the Department of Transport and Planning in Victoria and has held a series of executive roles across public agencies.

Ms Collinson has demonstrated experience in leading complex organisations, delivering strategic reform and operating effectively in stakeholder-rich environments.
She is passionate about delivering on AMES’ vision of full participation for all in a diverse and cohesive society.

Ms Helena Kyriazopoulos OAM

CEO, Multicultural Communities Council of SA

Helena Kyriazopoulos OAM is CEO of the Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia (MCCSA), bringing over 35 years of leadership in multicultural, ageing, health and community development. She serves on the Australian Multicultural Council and boards of COTA SA and ARAS. With three decades identifying culturally and linguistically diverse community needs in aged care, settlement and wellbeing, she has developed evidence-based programs securing State and Commonwealth funding with measurable outcomes. Previously, she worked 22 years at Alzheimer’s Australia as Access and Equity Coordinator. Of Greek heritage and child of post-WWII refugees, Helena champions multicultural voices in South Australia’s policy and community directions

Ms Hafsar Tameesuddin

Co-Secretary, General Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network

Hafsar is co-secretary general of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, a social worker, human rights defender, and Rohingya activist with over 15 years’ experience. Drawing on lived experience, she advocates for refugee rights, statelessness, gender equality, SGBV prevention/response, and ending child marriages. She served as interim UNHCR Advisory Group member and holds advisory/board positions with the Global Movement of Statelessness, Forces of Renewal Southeast Asia, and Azadi Project. Her work centers on improving SGBV prevention/response while promoting rights of refugees, stateless people, and displaced communities across the Asia Pacific, emphasizing power shift, inclusion, and diversity within systems.

Dr Berhan M. Ahmed

Chief Executive Officer, Africause
Chairperson, African Think Tank

Dr Berhan M. Ahmed arrived in Australia as a refugee at 23 after fleeing at 14. He is 2009 Victorian Australian of the Year, founder and CEO of Africause Youth & Community Services, Adjunct Professor at University of Melbourne and Victoria University, and founder/Chair of the African Think Tank. Australia’s first African Senate candidate (2004), he previously served on boards including AMES (2007-2016) and Flemington-Kensington Community Legal Centre. Guided by social justice, sustainable development, Aboriginal reconciliation, community building, and democratic action, Dr Ahmed champions African Australian participation, challenges community division, promotes positive youth engagement, and fosters cross-cultural harmony through leadership, mentorship, and advocacy in mainstream media.

Ms Noor Azizah

Co-Executive Director, Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network
Member, Australian Refugee Advisory Panel, Australian Government

Noor Azizah is an award-winning Rohingya human rights advocate, academic, and educator. A genocide survivor who fled Myanmar at eight and resettled in Sydney, she is Co-Executive Director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network (RMCN), a refugee-led, women-led organisation addressing human rights, SGBV, education, and solidarity. She specializes in supporting Rohingya women survivors and ensuring refugee-led leadership in decision-making. An academic at the University of Sydney with degrees in Education and Peace/Conflict Studies, Noor focuses on refugee participation and education in displacement. Named Marie Claire Woman of the Year (2025), she serves on Australia’s Refugee Advisory Panel, participates in UN processes, and contributes regularly to international media, championing community-led policy.

Ms Iryna Kushnir

Community Facilities Officer, Cairns Regional Council

Iryna Kushnir fled war-torn Ukraine to Australia with basic English and uncertain prospects. Despite five years’ legal experience in Ukraine, she initially worked on Cairns banana farms to survive while learning English through workplace interactions. She participated in Queensland’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work program through Centacare FNQ’s settlement services, which significantly improved her language skills. Now employed as a Community Facilities Officer with Cairns Regional Council, Iryna has achieved permanent residency and found both security and belonging in Australia. Her journey exemplifies the resilience required to rebuild after displacement and the transformative power of targeted settlement support in achieving meaningful employment and integration.

Ms Rana Ebrahimi

National Manager, Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network Australia (MYAN)

Rana Ebrahimi, National Manager of MYAN, champions the rights of refugee and migrant youth and is an expert in social inclusion, influencing policy and practice. She is the first Iranian woman to serve as National Head of Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran. Rana was appointed as a reference group member for the Multicultural Framework Review, is the former President of the Equal Employment Opportunity Network, treasurer of Conversation at the Crossroad and member of several advisory groups, including SBS Community Advisory Committee, Welcoming Australia and National Youth Employment Body. She is a recipient of the Multicultural Award of Excellence 2024 and has been recognised as a Rotary Champion of Change.

Carmel Guerra OAM

Carmel Guerra OAMCommunity Facilities Officer, Cairns Regional Council

Carmel Guerra OAM is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY), the first and largest organisation in Australia to work exclusively with migrant and refugee young people. CMY is recognised both within Australia and internationally as a leader on multicultural youth and family issues.

Carmel is also Chairperson of the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) Australia, the national peak body representing multicultural youth issues. For more than 35 years, Carmel has been a leading advocate for young people of refugee and migrant backgrounds in Victoria and is widely recognised for her expertise.

Blur Abdulla

Senior Manager Settlement Support and Community Care (SA), AMES Australia

Blur Abdulla is an accomplished leader in settlement support, community care, and advocacy for refugee and migrant communities. Currently Senior Manager Settlement Support and Community Care (SA) at AMES Australia, Blur has extensive experience across AMES and Australian Red Cross, leading programs and partnerships that deliver meaningful outcomes.

Her work focuses on building inclusive services and supporting vulnerable individuals with dignity and respect. Driven by human rights and social justice, Blur’s leadership is grounded in cultural responsiveness, collaboration, and empowerment, enabling families to build confident, independent futures.

Vivana Luzochimana

Slam Poet

Vivana Luzochimana is a Burundian storyteller who uses language and self-expression to foster connection and community. Her work spans spoken word, theatre, and dance. Highlights include the 2021 ‘Journey’ Fringe show, performances at the Mental Health Coalition of SA’s poetry event, and co-producing the 2022 Adelaide Festival Centre-supported Unheard project, which explored colorism through poetry and dance. She most recently played Ananse in The Deep North Musical, produced by South Australian Playwrights Theatre.

Mr Elijah Buol OAM

CEO, Asylum Seekers Centre

Elijah Buol OAM is a distinguished advocate and CEO of the Asylum Seekers Centre, with extensive experience across the NGO and public sectors, including as former Executive Director and General Secretary of the Refugee Communities Association of Australia. Having spent years in a Ugandan refugee camp before arriving in Australia as an unaccompanied humanitarian minor in 2002, his lived experience deeply informs his advocacy. He was instrumental in removing under-18s from adult prisons in Queensland and has received numerous honours, including the OAM in 2019, Queensland Local Hero Australian of the Year, and an Honorary Doctorate in Leadership, Human Rights and Peace in 2025. He holds qualifications in law and human services from QUT and ANU. Elijah chairs the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, serves as Senior Deputy Chairperson of FECCA, and strongly believes in uplifting lived experience voices in decision-making to create lasting, compassionate change.

Ko Yeh

Settlement Worker, Wyndham Community and Education Centre (CEC)

Ko Yeh is a Settlement Worker at Wyndham Community and Education Centre and a former refugee whose lived experience drives his commitment to newly arrived communities. Over five years, he has supported refugees and migrants across regional Victoria and metropolitan Wyndham, helping individuals and families build confidence and belonging. Through his leadership of the Ararat Resettlement Program, he has enabled successful transitions to regional life and strengthened community connections. His advocacy has been recognised through representation at national and international Welcoming Cities Forums.

Andrew Gai

Co-ordinator, South Sudanese-Australian Academic Society Inc

Andrew Gai is a South Sudanese-born social services practitioner and advocate who arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2006. With over 15 years of experience in family violence prevention and youth work, he is deeply committed to social justice and empowering culturally diverse communities. He co-founded the South Sudanese-Australian Academic Society and has served on several advisory bodies. His contributions have earned him multiple awards, including the Victorian Refugee Achievement Award (2022). Andrew holds a Master of Public Policy from RMIT and currently works within an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation in Victoria.

Refugee Communities Association Of Australia

For Refugees With Refugees By Refugees