On ‘Welcome’: Migration, First Nations and Refugee Communities

Shabnam is the current Chair of the National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group (NRAAG), a refugee led entity that envisions to create spaces, platforms and strong voices led by former refugees, people from refugee like backgrounds and people seeking asylum in key decision making tables, policy,  public and media discourse. NRAAG's aims to inform key policies, service delivery, campaigns, research, and key initiatives affecting the lives of its constituents with a range of partners and allies.

Shabnam is also a Project Officer at the Centre for Multicultural Youth working to eliminate barriers faced by young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds and helping them become influential agents of change.

Shabnam was fifteen when her family arrived in Australia as Afghan refugees. Since then Shabnam has eagerly worked towards shifting the refugee narrative by highlighting, and drawing from, community strengths and expertise in creating solutions for the complex challenges rising from forced migration and settlement. She co-founded Noor Foundation, a youth-led organisation to support newly arrived individuals and families in Australia and Project ReConnect, a global initiative connecting refugees in transition with locals from their host communities to promote empathy and social cohesion. With experience across Australia, India and Europe, Shabnam is passionate about leadership and capacity building frameworks, with a focus on culture and diversity, within the not-for-profit, public service and education sectors.

Shabnam has previously represented Australia at the UN and several other international summits presenting key social policy issues and currently serves on multiple government and community advisory boards.

In her spare time, Shabnam enjoys breaking a sweat at the dojo – she is a national and international champion with a black belt in Karate.

Born and raised up in a refugee Camp following the Rwandan Genocide, Amiel Nubaha migrated to Australia in 2009 aged 14 through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Resettlement Program. Despite his recent refugee ordeal, Amiel recently graduated with a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice from Griffith University.

Amiel is the Managing Director of Workforce Diversity Consultancy Inc, Founder of Thousand Hills Inspire Initiative and also a founding member of Rochedale South-East Technology Park Rotary Club, Amiel is a recent former President of the Rwandan Association of Queensland, currently sits on the Youth Advisory Committee of the Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, and a former Youth Member for Woodridge Electorate.

Amiel is an active member of the Queensland Multicultural Youth Council, a not-for profit organisation that initiates targeted services and programs to improve life outcomes for young people aged between 12 and 30 in Queensland. Amiel was nominated by the Queensland Government to be one of the three 2019 Multicultural Young Achiever Finalists because of his outstanding work within communities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Amiel is a 2019 Coax- Scholars Program (Switzerland) Alumni, and currently works for the Department of Youth Justice.

Gheran-Yarraman is currently undertaking his Juris Doctorate at Monash Law Chambers and has completed his MBA (Executive) at RMIT Graduate School of Business and Law, where he gained a passion for Design Thinking and Cultural Intelligence. As a purpose-driven Indigenous professional, Gheran now utilises these proven innovation and design methods to create culturally smart opportunities for organisations who strive to become leaders in reconciliation and cultural competence, a future where First Peoples’ culture and heritage is not only valued and respected but integrated into our shared Australian way of life.

Gheran draws from 20 years of experience in operations and people management in the commercial sectors, as well in the not-for-profit sector, where he proudly served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Boon Wurrung Foundation Limited, the Boonwurrung community's representative body.

A proud Ngiyampaa, Wiradjuri and Ngemba woman from far west New South Wales, Ashlee was born and spent most of her life on Dharug country in Auburn, NSW. 

She studied a Bachelor of Educational Studies and an Associate Degree in Indigenous Education at the Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW. Ashlee has also completed postgraduate studies in Public Policy at the Australian National University, Acton, ACT.

Her professional background spans across the education, social and community work sectors and in the political and policy fields. Ashlee is the Disability Royal Commission Project Manager at the First Peoples Disability Network.

She is committed to making a difference for all Australians, especially the First Nations peoples and women through education. Ashlee is extremely passionate in policy and politics and was until recently a Policy advisor for both Senator Patrick Dodson and the Honourable Linda Burney MP.

Ashlee aims to demonstrate her skills and lived experiences to improve the lives and well-being, especially to empower and support women, children and First Nations communities.