Events
STTARS Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the SURVIVORS of TORTURE and TRAUMA ASSISTANCE and REHABILITATION SERVICE (STTARS Inc.)
will be held on Thursday 17 November 2022 (5.30pm for 6.00pm start)
at Cynthia Poulton Hall, 27 King William Rd, North Adelaide
GUEST SPEAKER
Mohammad Al-Khafaji - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, FECCA
Born in Iraq, Mohammad came to Australia, via Syria, as a refugee at the age of 13 in 2003. Mohammad lived in Iran and Syria and speaks Arabic and Farsi. He completed a Bachelor of Software Engineering at the University of Adelaide in 2012.
After University, Mohammad worked as an IT Business Analyst for several years while volunteering for various organisations. In September 2015 he was appointed as the inaugural CEO of Welcome to Australia, an organisation dedicated to cultivating a culture of welcome towards refugees and migrants in our nation.
Mohammad has held positions at FECCA Executive Board, first as the Youth Chair and later as the Hon. Secretary.
In 2017 Mohammad participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), sponsored by the Department of State (US), to share knowledge and strengthen the Aus.-US relations into the future.
Through his refugee journey to Australia, Mohammad has become passionate about the success of Australia’s Multiculturalism. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role with FECCA. Mohammad believes cultural diversity makes us richer as a society and he is passionate about ensuring the voices of new and emerging communities are heard and are represented.
Mohammad was awarded the South Australian Governor’s Multicultural Award for Youth Achievement in 2012 and was a finalist in the 2018 SA Young Australian of the Year Awards.
Unveiling of the SIEV X Memorial plaque
The SIEV X Memorial in Weston Park, Canberra consists of wooden poles remembering the 353 asylum seekers who drowned in October 2001 attempting to find refuge in Australia.
At the AGM we will unveil a plaque to acknowledge the memorial, those who died, STTARS contribution to the memorial and STTARS values of Humanity and Social Justice.
The Memorial was an effort led by author Steve Biddulph and Uniting Church minister Rod Horsfield, and was put in place in October 2007, on the sixth anniversary of the tragedy, STTARS contributed to this Memorial.
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3rd AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND
Refugee Trauma Recovery in Resettlement Conference
