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Refugee Advice Casework Service (RACS) is a Community Legal Service which provides free legal advice and representation to asylum seekers in the community and detention in Australia.

This submission will comment on the Mental Health and development needs of child asylum seekers from an analysis of the interview transcripts from nine refugees who have an experience of detention in Australia. 12th March 2002

As a counsellor of children and families at risk of child abuse and neglect, I have a number of concerns about the children being held in immigration detention in Australia and in our region on the request of Australian authorities. In my professional capacity I see children who have been abused by their Australian families. I find it appalling that Australia as a nation is now systematically…

2.1 Introduction [1] Successive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners (Social Justice Commissioners) have always shown constant leadership and advocacy in reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights to our lands and waters in the 19 Native Title Reports written between 1994 and 2012. [2] These Reports consistently show that social justice…

To those of you who have been following this Inquiry closely, it may be unclear as to why this hearing is taking place as I had said in December 2002 that those would be the last of the Inquiry's hearings. I will therefore briefly set out the history and methodology of the Inquiry to this point which will take us to why we are here today. I will then set out what steps remain to be completed…

When we look at the many issues that face Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, it is easy to get paralysed by their complexity, entrenched nature and the sheer size of the challenge. But as an optimist, I believe that there is a lot that we can do to address these problems. There are many different tools available to suit the varying circumstances that face our diverse communities…

1. The provisions made by Australia to implement its international human rights obligations regarding child asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors.

The consultation was organised by the Illawarra Ethnic Communities Council and chaired by the ECC Executive Officer, Kathy Tzanis. The meeting was facilitated by Meredith Wilkie and Omeima Sukkarieh (notes) from HREOC with Omeima also interpreting parts of the discussion. It was attended by 14 invited participants.

Family violence and abuse is occurring at an unacceptable level in our Indigenous communities. It is a scourge that damages our families and communities, traumatises our women and children and tears at the fabric of our culture.

This chapter explains how the provisions of international human rights treaties protect same-sex couples and their children, in the context of accessing financial and work-related entitlements. In particular, this chapter focuses on the right to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. It also describes how the breach of that right can interfere with a range of other basic human…

Thank you for the opportunity to address an issue, which I believe, is another stain on Australian history. The systematic neglect and abuse of children in our IDCs is shameful and must end. It is intolerable that our senior politicians claim that a simple majority gives them the mandate to practise policies that ignore established standards for the care and nurturing of children.

One of the most important ways to protect human rights is to build community understanding and challenge attitudes which are based on myths and stereotypes. The key to this is education.

...education is the engine room of prosperity and helps create a fairer, more productive society. It is the most effective way we know, to build prosperity and spread opportunity...[1]