Expert insight into refugees' plight: Refugee Week
The theme of this yearâs National Refugee Week, coordinated by the Refugee Council of Australia, is âshare a meal and a storyâ.Â
Before people begin to break bread and exchange life experiences, ±ŹÁÏÍő academics have described some of the biggest challenges refugees face.Â
A philosophical take
 draws a link between the dangers refugees experience, and political policies that target them.Â
âThe reason why refugees are often exposed to extremely perilous journeys and conditions is a direct result of the fact that recipient states will try and minimise their refugee intake to the greatest extent possible,â the lecturer in Political Philosophy said.Â
âThere is very little appetite for a generous refugee intake on the part of citizens in most political communities, despite the strong moral claim that refugees have for inclusion in a recipient state.â
She thinks the discipline of philosophy is uniquely suited to address this issue, as it can answer questions like âwho counts as a refugee?â, and âwhy and how should states help them?â
Engineering solutions
On the other hand,  takes a practical approach to contemporary refugee difficulties. As a civil engineer who specialises in humanitarian engineering, he seeks to emphasise the role construction can play in this global issue. By working with social scientists, he believes amenities like shelter and access to clean drinking water can be re-designed for maximum efficiency and output.Â
âThe engineering solutions that can improve lives of refugees are not rocket science, however, the social problems they are facing and the reasons why they might not have access to safe drinking water are much more complex,â he added.
Hear the voiceless
, meanwhile, wants there to be more refugees in the border politics conversation. The English translator of Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochaniâs lauded book, No Friend But The Mountain, and an Honorary Research Associate in the Universityâs philosophy department, Dr Tofighian stated that refugeesâ voices are largely dismissed by those with power â including the media, politicians, and even academics.Â
âUntil the publication of Boochaniâs diary leading up to and during the 23-day siege on Manus Island, beginning 31 October 2017, he remained on the fringes of political and scholarly debates,â he said.Â
âConnections to authorities, gatekeepers, and networks of production and distribution influence whose perspective and theorising is valued.â
 runs from Sunday 16 June to Saturday 22 June.Â