Seeking Asylum: Our Stories

On November 30th the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre here and Black Inc. Books here  launched Seeking Asylum: Our Stories, a book that features the voices of people who have lived the experience of seeking asylum in Australia. Twenty-three people tell us why they had to leave their country of origin, how they came to Australia and the challenges they faced when they arrived. Each story is different; each story is remarkable. Truly, as it says on the cover, 'the voices Australia should hear'.

Dr Ghofran Al-nasiri's story is featured in Seeking Asylum: Our Stories and her photo is on the cover. Ghofran tells Judith about her life in Iraq before the family was forced to flee, why education is so important to her and her commitment to social justice. Now a lecturer and researcher at Victoria University, Ghofran remembers the people who helped her to achieve her dream and the woman who was there at the right moment,  She put her hand on my shoulder and said "You'll be fine". Ghofran also speaks about the volunteer work she does with students who have come from similar backgrounds to her own.