Wednesday 10 December 2003 - Release No. 3
Community Award for Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Australia’s largest asylum seeker aid, health and advocacy organisation, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), has won this year’s Human Rights Award for Community.
The quality of entries in this important category was very high, and the judges considered that each and every entry contributed significantly to the promotion and advancement of human rights in the Australian community.
ASRC was chosen due to the breadth and volume of their work and the day-to-day practical assistance provided to asylum seekers. They are a registered charity with no government funding. The service has three paid staff and over 250 volunteers that work in partnership with asylum seekers.
Since opening in June 2001, they have assisted more than 2000 asylum seekers from over 80 countries and have provided welfare and advocacy service valued at approximately $10 million. They opened Victoria’s first health service for asylum seekers and provided medical care to about 200 asylum seekers who have no Medicare.
ASRC provided direct financial aid of over $100,000 to asylum seekers, as well as food parcels. They also established Victoria’s first employment service for asylum seekers, as well as a range of other services including home tutoring and playgroups.
A wide range of community organisations were nominated for the Community Award covering issues such as: children in detention, trafficking of women, support of people with schizophrenia, human rights education, advocacy for asylum seekers, support of people with mental illness, resources for asylum seekers, settlement services for refugees and training of Arabic equal opportunity advocates.
The Judges highly commended SANE Australia - an independent national charity established in 1986 dedicated to the promotion of the rights of people affected by mental illness. The judges considered their work had, over a long period of time, made a difference to people with mental illness and had highlighted the issue to the wider community.
Last updated 21 June 2004.
