A panel of people with lived experience sharing their stories was among the features of a recent Rural Australians for Refugees Indi forum in Wangaratta.

Held in Rowan Street's Uniting Church Hall on Saturday, 16 August, the forum attracted more than 60 people, drawn from Wangaratta, Myrtleford, Corowa, Wodonga, Shepparton, Mansfield, Alexandra and as far as Marysville.

Highlights of the day included presentations by former Human Rights Commissioner and patron of RAR Australia Gillian Triggs, and by local Independent Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines, as well as the panel of four people with lived experience of being or working with refugees.

Ms Triggs said that in her broad experience, rural communities were the first to welcome and care for vulnerable and traumatised refugees.

She said that following World War 2, about two million people were displaced and sought refuge; in 2025, an estimated 122.6 million people have been forcibly displaced, and 4.3 million are refugees of whom 40 per cent (and rising) are children.

She said less than one per cent of the two million refugees identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had been resettled in the USA, Canada, Australia and European states.

Ms Triggs said it was important to understand and respond to root causes of forced displacement; find local solutions to stabilise populations in their own or safe neighbouring countries; and to include refugees and asylum seekers in national social safety systems, access to work, school, freedom of movement, and building self-sufficiency.

She said the responsibility for refugees should be equitably shared - not only by governments but local communities, faith groups, refugee-led organisations, sports groups, schools and universities, parliamentarians, the private commercial sector, and international financial institutions.

Having the political, legal and moral responsibility to welcome and speedily process asylum seekers, and to address root causes and provide humanitarian and compassionate support, was also vital, according to Ms Triggs.

Dr Haines spoke about the deep commitment expressed to her by Indi constituents through letters and personal representations, and of the advocacy she provides for refugees through her interaction with the government.

She encouraged those attending the forum to write to her about their issues of concern, so that she could gain a true perspective of local attitudes.

The four-member panel of people with lived experience then outlined more of the reality of the refugee and migrant experience.

Hamida Samar, who worked in various local jobs after arriving in Mansfield from Afghanistan, described the barriers experienced by many refugees when seeking employment - including discrimination, and lack of information and follow-up from government-funded agencies.

A member of Mansfield RAR and a strong advocate for women's rights and safety, Hamida is developing accessible information to assist newly-arrived people to apply for work and understand their work rights.

Rabya Jamshaid and her family arrived in Shepparton, and following her university postgraduate studies, she works as a professional migration agent with people and communities in the Goulburn Valley, specialising in refugee visas and family reunion.

She has worked with RAR Indi to develop the innovative regional sponsorship proposal, which has been supported by seven regional councils, and continues to advocate for women and children in Afghanistan.

Rabya said learning to speak English was the main barrier and challenge for women seeking information about services, employment to develop independence, and socialising.

She stressed the importance of overcoming this language barrier, and of the valuable support people can provide to refugees to locate essential and interpreting services, assist with school and TAFE, enrolments, open a bank account, and to share and connect with local community members.

Zahra Khademi arrived in Australia in 2001 with three young children, and lives with her family in Shepparton.

She has worked with the Victorian Education Department in educational support and as a family liaison officer for 15 years, and is a founding member of the Goulburn Valley Afghan Women's Association Shepparton, helping to engage women in the local community.

Zahra also mentioned the language barrier, and spoke about how trauma and mental health issues could isolate newly-arrived people, especially women experiencing domestic and family violence, and the importance of welcoming and supportive services for language, safe housing and health care.

Sam Atukorala, who arrived in Australia as a student and now lives in Shepparton with his family, is the chief executive officer of the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District, and works with regional communities, organisations and groups to help to break down barriers and provide greater opportunities for new arrivals to connect with and contribute to the community.

Sam said he had little understanding of the challenges faced by refugees before coming to Shepparton.

Being actively involved with diverse local communities, through sport, as a volunteer and professionally, has helped him to develop understanding, connections and networks.

He emphasised the importance and value of working with and learning from people with lived experience to identify priorities for local communities and determine how best to address them.

Following a lunch break at the forum, attendees divided into groups to identify and recommend actions for the future strategic plan to the Indi RAR committee.

Anyone seeking more information about RAR is encouraged to contact Suzie on 0428 575 971.