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Community Conversations

Discover why people seek asylum, understand the situations they face, and hear from those who've experienced it themselves.

Photo: Australian Red Cross/Conor Ashleigh

Who seeks asylum? Why do they come to Australia? What is life like for them now?

There are many questions and misunderstandings about people seeking safety. That’s why Red Cross is offering schools, workplaces and community groups a chance to discuss the issues they hear about on the news.

Our workshops offer a neutral and impartial space to ask questions, encourage conversations and foster empathy. They combine facts, thought-provoking presentations and enlightening stories from people with first-hand experience of seeking safety and being granted protection.

In Search of Safety gives primary school students a valuable insight into why people seek asylum. 

Each session runs for 90 minutes and includes:

  • a pre-presentation activity for teachers to gauge students’ existing understanding
  • an overview of why people seek safety and the challenges they face in Australia 
  • an engaging role play that allows students to walk in the shoes of someone seeking asylum
  • individuals’ experiences of seeking safety and the challenges they faced in settlement
  • an evaluation activity for teachers to gauge shifts in students’ knowledge.

Our program for secondary schools, Pathways to Protection, offers issue-rich engagements, critical discussion points and interactive scenarios.

Each session includes:

  • a pre-presentation activity for teachers to gauge students’ existing understanding
  • an overview of human rights, refugees and people seeking asylum
  • an engaging role play that allows students to walk in the shoes of someone seeking asylum
  • individuals’ experiences of seeking safety and the challenges they faced in settlement 
  • an evaluation activity for teachers to gauge shifts in students’ knowledge.

Sessions are also available to groups in the community wanting to learn more about the situation faced by people seeking safety in Australia

Open to clubs, organisations, workplaces, communities and higher education institutions, these sessions give participants an opportunity to share, learn, and contribute to meaningful discussion about people impacted by migration.

These conversation aim to provide insights, encourage critical thinking, and foster an appreciation of diversity. Generating discussion and equipping participants with information, they empower people to create change in their community by promoting understanding.

From small and informal gatherings to large forums and conferences, sessions can be tailored to any group.

"Empathy is an important ingredient in the fabric of a healthy society. In Search of Safety assists in giving people the capacity to share and recognise emotions and issues experienced by asylum seekers and refugees, possibly assisting in creating a more loving, flexible and understanding society in general."

- Carsten Ostergaard Pedersen, In Search of Safety volunteer presenter

Volunteer for In Search of Safety

In Search of Safety is only possible with the generous assistance of our volunteers. If you would like to get involved, please contact Red Cross in your state.

Have you experienced life as an asylum seeker yourself?

If you have experience of seeking asylum in Australia yourself and would like to know more about how you can become involved with In Search of Safety, please contact your nearest office.

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