Last week, the CRSA team brought together local community supporter group members, refugee newcomers, supporting community organisations, sector leaders, academics, government officials and others from across Australia for our Choose Welcome events in Sydney, thanks to the generosity of our hosts at UTS.
Community Sponsorship Awards Night – 11 June
Thursday night opened with our Community Sponsorship Awards Night, celebrating the everyday Australians and newcomers whose kindness, persistence and courage keep this work going, often without much recognition, with a special video message from Julian Hill MP, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs.
These contributions are not symbolic or performative; they are practical, sustained and grounded in real relationships, from early morning airport pickups to navigating systems and supporting families through moments both joyful and challenging. See the list of award winners and special mentions below!
We also used this occasion to launch CRSA’s inaugural Newcomer Panel – a group of special people who have arrived in Australia through the CRISP and who are keen to use their skills and insights to help us build and strengthen the community sponsorship movement into the future.
We were also delighted to share the good news that CRSA has been reappointed by the Department of Home Affairs to deliver the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Program (CRISP) as a permanent program from 1 July 2026. This reflects the time, energy and leadership that so many communities have invested in welcoming refugee newcomers, and the shared responsibility we carry to continue growing this work in a challenging global context.
A recording of the evening’s live stream as well as the names of award winners and nominees can be found here on our website. And a
National Gathering – 12 June
Friday’s Gathering brought the same group together for a full day of panels, stories and discussions, exploring themes such as:
- How we talk about this work in ways that acknowledge complex power dynamics, and which centre the strength, agency and contribution of refugees.
- How collaboration between different people and organisations is strengthening this movement.
- What we can learn from regional communities about the realities, and possibilities, of settlement across Australia.
Across these conversations, there was strong reflection on the importance of relationships. Participants spoke about the need to listen well, to be aware of power dynamics, and to approach this work with curiosity rather than stereotypes and assumptions.
Themes and call to action
Across both days, one message came through clearly: ‘welcome’ is not a slogan or a line on a banner. Nor is it passive. It is something people must choose to action in real, tangible and day-to-day ways.
Underneath the systems, partnerships and evidence is something simple but powerful: people standing alongside one another at significant moments in their lives. For refugee newcomers, arrival is just the beginning of a complex process of moving from survival to belonging, with support from those who are committed to helping them thrive. And the benefits flow both ways. The act of welcoming newcomers changes the welcomer and their communities for the better in so many ways.
A strong theme throughout the events was courage. This work asks people to step into uncertainty, ‘walk the talk’ of their values, to build relationships across difference, and to stay engaged even when things are complex or imperfect.
In a broader context of rising global displacement and increasingly contested public conversations about migration, there was also a clear message: now is not the time to be quiet. The stories, actions and leadership of communities matter, not only for the individuals directly involved, but for shaping the kind of society we want to be.
Community sponsorship has a unique role to play here. It does not sit outside the broader system; it helps to strengthen it. By demonstrating what welcome looks like in practice, and by making visible the contribution and human connections that grow from it, local communities help build the trust, confidence and authentic connections that can help to sustain a strong humanitarian program into the future.
For this successful model to grow and achieve its full potential, the next stage depends on widening the circle, reaching those who may share the values but have not yet found a way in, and making community sponsorship feel practical, accessible and achievable.
So, the final ask was a simple one: think of one person, one group, or one community you could invite into this movement. Tell them what you heard. Tell them what is possible. Invite them to get involved.
Thank you to everyone involved for helping make these two occasions such a success!
2026 Community Sponsorship Award Winners
- Outstanding Team Spirit Award: Linda Munro, Ballina Refugee Resettlement and Welcome Network (NSW)
- Above & Beyond Award: Jan Bradnam, River Heads Resettlement Group (QLD)
- Tough Under Pressure Award: Lisa Natoli, Inner Northies (VIC)
- Quiet Achiever Award: Marilyn Smith, Refugee Organisation of Milton – ROOM (NSW)
- Creative Problem Solver Award: Sherrie Robless, Sydney Refugee Welcome Group (NSW)
- CRISP Newcomer Leadership Award: Abolfazl Bakhtiari (NSW), Feisal & Naima Ali Farah (VIC)
Special Mentions
- Susan Milne, Northern Rivers Work + Welcome
- Jane Kennedy & Isini Puhula Gamayalage, Deakin University Student Welcome Group
- Marnie Lassen, Kangaroo Paws
- Nicole Schlesinger, Hope for Eden
- Helen Sheppard, Moreton Bay Friends of Refugees
- Sylvia Davey, Bass Coast Refugee Sponsorship Group
Newcomer Panel Members
- Ana Peters Hernandez
- Ayat
- Daniel
- Juan Santamaria
- Julian Ibrahim
- Kimo
- Luisana Rivero
- Naima Ali Farah
- Ousama Bloudani
- Walaa Allahham
Let our Newcomer Panel members introduce themselves – learn more about this special group people by watching this video: CRSA’s Newcomer Perspectives Panel – YouTube