Refugee Newsletter - unhcr

Alen O’Hran with Queensland Premier PeterBeattie.Accolades for AustralianYouth Put Focus on RefugeesYoung Australians are being recognised fortheir work with refugees or achievementssince arriving as refugees.Young Queenslanderof the year“Having flown on many previous occasionswith my parents, I thought it would be theusual ‘tea or coffee’ affair!” recalls 24 yearold Alen O’Hran of his flight from war-tornBosnia “But to my disbelief, this was aplane with no windows, no seats – it was acargo plane!”With his cargo of life experience, Alenultimately came to Australia under thehumanitarian programme, picked up an Irishsurname and, this year, he landed himselfthe title of Young Queenslander of the Year.When he arrived in Brisbane eight yearsago Alen spoke no English. Since thenhe’s become the first member of his familyto graduate with a university qualification,started a Masters in Law, been appointedAssociate to a Queensland Supreme CourtJudge, been an ambassador forQueensland University of Technology,been part of the 2004 National YouthRoundtable, and also heavily involved withvoluntary and community activities. Nowhe’s Young Queenslander of the Year 2005and couldn’t be happier.“The award means so much more to meas it’s a recognition of a lifetime struggleon my part to make something out of mylife. Hopefully I’ll get to meet young peoplearound Queensland and share my storywith them and at least show them what awonderful journey life is, and how, despitebeing tough, challenging and hard, it isindeed rewarding!Alen’s family name gained anapostoprohe courtesy of an enrolmentofficer at a Brisbane high school. ”Theenrolment officer asked me to spell thename to her. So I did O-H-R-A-N. Shethought I was Irish so she put an extraapostrophe in it and capitalized one of theletters. So now it’s O’Hran. So figure this –I’m half Serbian, half Bosnian, with anAustralian passport containing an Irishsurname!,” said Alen.All Sails are up for Victorian YoungAustralian of the YearAt the age of 24, Matthew Albert has donemuch already. He has been aphotojournalist, a UNHCR Protection Internin Kenya, graduated in law, was co-founderof the Sudanese Australian IntegratedLearning (SAIL) Program and was namedVictorian Young Australian of the Year 2005.SAIL started with Matthew and his friendAnna Grace helping out a Sudanese familyin Melbourne. Soon, the word spread andthe participant numbers grew. SAIL nowhas 350 Sudanese and 250 volunteers,collectively known as SAILors. SAIL runs sixmini-programs, providing services to all agegroups from toddlers to adults at threecampuses every week.On paper, the SAIL Program providesEnglish tutoring and support to theSudanese community but in practice, itprovides a venue and the means for peopleto create friendships."SAIL has fulfilled many of ourexpectations with tutors and studentscoming together. Tutors attend parentteacherinterviews and invite their studentsover for Christmas. This is priceless and isa testament to the incredible welcome fromthe Sudanese community and to thededication and commitment of the volunteerthat makes SAIL work", said Matthew.The experience in Kenya as a UNHCRprotection intern helped Matthewunderstand what life is like beforeresettlement for Australia’s fastest growingethnic community. "This was a valuablelesson and it helps us tailor SAIL’s programstowards the Sudanese community," he said.“The UNCHR Internship gave meperspective on the how the internationalcommunity operates and what the Sudanesecommunity have survived. I also learnt aboutmy place in the world. Like all of us inAustralia we are very fortunate,” he said.For more information about the SAILProgram visit http://www.SAILProgram.cjb.netVictorian Young Australian of the YearMatthew Albert at the Tuggeranong ArtsCentre Sudanese photographic exhibition.Photo: The Canberra Times20 Refugee Newsletter No. 2/2005