Vanessa Lam
20 June 2017: The University of Canberra hosted a morning tea in honour of refugees living in the community and around the world for the United Nations’ (UN) World Refugee Day on 20 June.
UC alumna Diana Abdel-Rahman was the special guest speaker at the morning tea, which was organised by the University of Canberra’s Student Welfare office. All proceeds from the event went towards Companion House, a non-profit organisation that works with people who have sought refuge in Australia from persecution, torture and war-related trauma.
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UC alumna Diana Abdel-Rahman was the special guest speaker at the University's UN World Refugee Day morning tea. Photo: Vanessa Lam.
Ms Abdel-Rahman spoke of her father’s decision to immigrate to Australia from Lebanon to start a new life following World War II.
“The idea that you could leave everything behind, come to a new nation and start a new a life was an accepted form of migration. When my father arrived in 1952, he only had a couple of pounds to his name and he built himself up. Australia provided him that opportunity,” she said.
World Refugee Day is celebrated annually on 20 June and commemorates the strength, courage, and resilience of men, women and children who are forced to flee their home under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.
Ms Abdel-Rahman reminded the audience of the importance of supporting and having empathy for refugees.
“Imagine one day you may come from a family that is relatively comfortable and you find yourself suddenly with nothing, absolutely nothing. It is a horrifying idea to know that you could lose everything and there is no one there to support you,” Ms Abdel-Rahman said.
“But if all you had is the idea that you could start again in another country, you would jump at that idea. You would do absolutely everything and anything within your power to survive.”
Ms Abdel-Rahman is a human rights campaigner and peace activist campaigner for human rights and multicultural issues, peace activist and President of the Australian Muslim Voice in Canberra.
She also helped establish Canberra’s dedicated multi-lingual radio station, Canberra Multicultural Service. In 2016 she received a Medal of the Order in the Australia Day honours for her role in the Muslim and wider multicultural community.
