BY GILLIAN DAVY
MELBOURNE — RMIT University has made a landmark commitment to support refugees and asylum seekers, with a range of bold initiatives being implemented this year. RMIT plans to urge other Australian universities, through the Australian Vice-Chancellor's Committee, to follow suit.
This represents a marked change in direction after the university management's controversial proposal to partner Group 4 Falck in a tender to run Australia's immigration detention centres, which hit the headlines last July.
RMIT's plan to deliver educational and recreational services to asylum seekers imprisoned across Australia was met with swift, strident and sizeable opposition from staff and students. The force of sentiment against the tender proposal led vice-chancellor Ruth Dunkin to renounce it.
In response to the strong support for refugees and asylum seekers, Dunkin established the RMIT Refugee Support Taskforce, with representation from the staff and student organisations that campaigned against the tender. The taskforce was asked to identify ways in which RMIT could more constructively support refugees and asylum seekers in Australia and elsewhere.
The report of the taskforce was handed down in late 2002. It recommendations included:
- an education campaign to increase the RMIT community's awareness of the issue of refugees and asylum seeker issue;
- support the refugees' rights campaign by disseminating information about events and activities, encouraging staff and students participate in the campaign, inviting community organisations to hold forums and stalls on campus and providing free venues for these;
- support the provision of welfare and support services to refugees and asylum seekers by facilitating the involvement of staff and students in volunteer service programs, delivering training programs to volunteer service providers and providing support to front-line organisations;
- provide free professional and specialist support services for refugees and asylum seekers; and
- provide free "educational options" to temporary protection and bridging visa holders, including vocational training and English language programs.
The boldest recommendation is for a commitment to provide temporary protection and bridging visa holders with access to higher education programs. Temporary protection visa holders are currently able to undertake state government-funded TAFE courses, but they cannot access to federally funded higher education. RMIT's decision to open such programs is a direct challenge to the federal government's policies.
RMIT has demonstrated its commitment to the implementation of the Taskforce's recommendations with the establishment of a refugee support coordination centre and the appointment of a dedicated project officer, at a cost of around $70,000 per year. A steering committee has also been established to guide RMIT's engagement with refugees and asylum seekers, which includes representation from a range of welfare organisations, as well as temporary protection visa holders.
From Green Left Weekly, February 26, 2003.
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