A new refugee peak body seeks to inject the authentic views and concerns of real-time refugees into the national conversation.

The fledgling organisation, the ‘Refugee Communities Association of Australia’ (RCAA) says it is ready to give refugee communities in Australia direct representation.

The group’s organisers says it aims to empower refugee communities across Australia, enabling them to take direct, active roles in Australia.

They say the independent peak refugee advocacy agency will work with all governments at all level to develop a positive relationship and provide meaningful services to refugee communities in order to facilitate successful settlement and integration.

The new body appears to be at odds with the Refugee Council of Australia, the long-standing advocacy group for refugee communities.

Inaugural chair of RCAA Mr Juma Peri Peri says the new group is a refugee voice for all people of refugee backgrounds and their organisations in Australia.

“We are an advocacy body that is led for refugees, with refugees, by refugees, with the vision to provide a voice of refugee with the lived experience,” Mr Peri Peri said.

He said the RCAA was a not-for-profit, non-political, non-religious community

Organisation providing an authentic national voice for all people of refugee backgrounds and their organisations in Australia.

Former Refugee and 2019 Queensland Local Hero of the Year Mr Elijah Buol, OAM, said that he was “very pleased to see refugee communities coming together under one umbrella because many of their issues have always been advocated by external agencies who do not understand their challenges and concerns”.

Mr Buol said he hoped the new body would “allow refugee communities to fully participate and take full responsibilities of their needs and collaborate with government in order to facilitate better integration and positive contributions for refugee communities in modern Australia”.

Founding member and General Secretary of RCAA, Mr Parsu Sharma Luital said

that refugee communities knew their issues and RCAA would be run by “former refugees, for refugees, with refugees, by refugee communities”.

He said RCAA aimed to work with all government agencies at all levels by developing a positive relationship and connecting refugee communities directly with the government departments and service providers.

“We, Refugee Communities believe this will create opportunities and platforms that will benefit our communities. We hope to work towards ensuring all voices of refugee are well represented by those with the lived experience on the national, regional and international stage,” Mr Sharma-Luital said.

RCAA Women Chairperson Ms Nasiba Akram said “the pain and suffering of refugees can only be felt by those who have experienced this journey themselves”.

“It is those hands which are best equipped to heal the wounds” Ms Nasiba said.

“Through consultation within our communities we believe that there is a need for refugee communities to have an independent voice that provides voice to their issues. The core objective of forming an independent voice by the lived experience is to ensure that those with the lived experience can contribute actively towards shaping the policies that impact our communities and broader Australia,” she said.

The new body appears to be at odds with the Refugee Council of Australia, the long-standing advocacy group for refugee communities.

Mr Sharma-Luital said RCAA will provide a voice on issues ranging from grassroots to national level.

“Now the time has come for refugee communities themselves to decide on what is best for them and to lead refugee organisations independently. I request government organisations and NGOs to work directly with refugee communities, not through the screening lenses of agencies who pick and choose refugee representation” said Mr Sharma-Luital.