Australia’s Response To The Situation in Afghanistan Must Be Inclusive for LGBTIQ+ Forcibly Displaced People

18 August 2021

The Australian GLBTI Multicultural Council (AGMC) extends our heartfelt support to the Afghan community in Australia, especially those who are part of our queer family.

We recognise and feel the pain that conflict brings, with many of our members that we represent, coming from multicultural communities that have also experienced displacement and fled persecution and violence from around the world.

We support in full the 7 steps outlined by the Refugee Council of Australia released on 17 August 2021, and we also urge the Australian Government to take immediate action to provide safety and leadership as the situation in Afghanistan evolves quickly, by:

1. Committing to pathways to permanent residency for Afghans currently in Australia on temporary and bridging visas
2. Ensuring all Afghans currently in Australia on temporary visas are not deported, especially those who may be looking to seek asylum
3. Prioritising family reunion applications for relatives of Afghan Australians, and for the assessment of these applications to be responsive to all family configurations
4. Providing urgent humanitarian aid
5. Ensuring Australia’s humanitarian program assist displaced Afghans, especially those who are of diverse sexual orientations, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics
6. Ensuring all resettlement programs in Australia are responsive to, and inclusive of, LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced people
7. Providing urgent financial assistance and resources to refugee-led organisations, who are leading the work in the resettlement of LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced people in our communities.

We will continue to support the Australian Afghan community and offer our prayers and well wishes.

AGMC will commit to advocating for the non-discriminatory treatment of LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced people from Afghanistan in the coming months, and urges other organisations, especially those providing resettlement services, to recognise and accommodate for the unique experiences of LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced peoples.

Quotes attributable to Giancarlo de Vera, President of the Australian GLBTI Multicultural Council:

“‘LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced peoples’ experiences must be recognised in Australia’s humanitarian program and resettlement services”.

“Cultural and religious challenges are often barriers to family reunion applications. Organisations that provide assistance with humanitarian visa applications, must be properly resourced to support LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced peoples coming properly”.

Quotes attributable to Renee Dixson, Acting Chair of the Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN)

“We anticipate that LGBTIQ+ people will be disproportionately targeted with people being subjected to homophobicly motivated sexual violence, forced marriages, honour killings and other forms of conversion practices. Australia needs to ensure quick pathways to safety to all Afghan people at risk of violence”.

Media enquiries:

Giancarlo de Vera, President, AGMC: giancarlo@agmc.org.au

Renee Dixson, Acting Chair, FDPN: admin@fdpn.org.au

END

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About AGMC

AGMC is the national peak body representing LGBTIQ+ people from multicultural and multifaith backgrounds. Our mission is to advocate for the rights of multicultural and multifaith LGBTIQ+ communities through advocacy, research, education and community events. Our vision to for a world without prejudice and discrimination on the basis of sexuality, sex, gender, race, culture, and religion, and for our diverse, unique and intersectional identities to be celebrated.

About FDPN

Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN) is the first organisation in Australia to dedicate its work to the issues of LGBTIQ+ forced displacement and be driven by the lived experience of it. FDPN is established to promote human rights and inclusion of LGBTIQ+ persons in forced displacement through peer support and strengthening services and policy responses. FDPN builds upon successful work of the Queer Sisterhood Project and the 2019 Queer Displacements Conference.

AGMC Inc Position Descriptions

Roles And Responsibilities for Office Bearers and Ordinary Members of the Committee

All members of the committee must read, uphold and understand the AGMC’s vision, values, mission statement, objectives, focus, purpose, Constitution and lead by example by embracing this in their actions as a committee member. 

The Office Bearers of the AGMC are the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. They are to be elected at the first Committee Meeting following the AGM each year. If no person is elected, then an ordinary committee member may be appointed in the role until a meeting is called to elect a person into the Office Bearer position. Due to the nature of the Office Bearer’s roles, they must be appointed from the committee and not co-opted from the general membership (unless urgency demands). All committee members are expected to behave in a professional manner and uphold the purposes of the AGMC.

President:

• Providing leadership and coordination for AGMC National Committee to ensure AGMC meet its primary vision, objectives and goals as per AGMC Strategic Plan 2017 – 2020 and any Strategic Plans, Annual plans and short term or long term objectives.
• Representing AGMC on public domain (including all forms of media), including conferences, forums, focus groups, and organisational meetings by advocating the rights of multicultural and multifaith LGBTIQ communities and provide input using an intersectional lens.
• Liaising with LGBTIQ community groups and organisations, as well as multicultural and multifaith organisations, to advocate for projects that benefit the multicultural and multifaith LGBTIQ communities.
• Ensuring AGMC’s financial sustainability in consultation with the treasurer.
• Chairing AGMC National Committee meetings and any other meetings unless delegated to the Vice President or any other member if the Vice President is unavailable.
• Work collaboratively with AGMC National Committee across states and territories on decision making process.
• Is a co-signatory to all financial transactions (bank transfers, payments)
• Oversees all processes and procedures and must sign off on any events/ alliances/ agreements – regardless if they involve monies or not.
• Ensures that there are six (6) committee members present to achieve quorum to conduct any AGMC business. Present includes committee members who have Skyped in/ Facetime/ on speaker/ used technology to be present for the meeting and can be heard and hear all discussions.

Vice President:

• Acts on behalf/as the President if the President is unable to preside/attend/speak.
• Provides guidance and support to AGMC President and AGMC National Committee.
• Oversees a Project list in consultation with the Secretary who creates the document.

Secretary:

• Respond to AGMC’s general email and forward enquiries to the AGMC National Committee.
• Maintain record keeping, including documentations, in AGMC shared folder (Google Drive).
• Dispatch correspondence with AGMC members and stakeholders regarding AGMC meetings, forums, seminars, events, and special notice.
• Sending agendas (at a minimum one week before) and taking minutes at AGMC National Committee meetings. Minute taking is to be a factual representation and no personal bias or views of the minute taker should ever be in the minutes. Objections can be noted but minutes are always to be a true and accurate record of the meeting.  Minutes must always have the names of persons present at each meeting.
• Working with AGMC President to organise AGMC Annual General Meeting, including venue hire, catering, and sending notifications to AGMC members.
• Maintain and update a register of members that has the name and address of each member as well as the date on which the member was entered into the register and whether the member’s details are to be kept confidential. The Secretary will work in collaboration with AGMC Treasurer as to which members are financial or not and will send a reminder for payment before AGM as only financial members can vote.
• Administer AGMC social media platform, including Facebook page, secret group, YouTube and twitter accounts.
• Work collaboratively with AGMC National Committee to dispatch information regarding committee meetings and extraordinary/special meetings.
• Renew and manage AGMC registration with the all relevant bodies and associations, including Consumer Affairs Victoria, FECCA, LGBTI National Health Alliance, ILGA, ECCV.
• Create a Project list so that all projects are clearly allocated to a committee member, have timelines and deliverables/outcomes (note the Vice President will oversee this list but the Secretary creates and updates).
• If the Secretary is unable to fulfil duties (illness, away, other issues), tasks may be delegated by the President to one or more people. In the first instance, volunteers from the committee are encouraged to assist the temporary role.

 

Treasurer:

• Manage AGMC bank accounts, including bank statements, income and expenditure.
• Has financial responsibilities as a co-signatory with the President/Vice President
• Recording and banking money received, including through fundraising events, tins, and donations.
• Managing membership payment and in conjunction with the Secretary, keeps an up to date list of financial members and those who are unpaid.
• Keeping up to date as to when registrations/ yearly fees are due so as to accurately budget for payments.
• Paying invoices as authorised by AGMC National Committee or President (e.g. renewals).
• Keeping records of invoices, cheque payments, receipts, electronic transactions (EFT), bank statements and other relevant financial documentations for audit purpose.
• Liaise with a professional accountant for annual financial report.
• Preparing and reporting an annual financial report at the AGMC AGM.
• Providing (at a minimum one week before) an updated financial report at each AGMC National Committee meeting.
• Working collaboratively with all Project Managers for grants and funding allocation, including financial report and accounts keeping.
• All records must be accessible to the committee members at any time (uploaded on to a platform for access)
• If the Treasurer is unable to fulfil duties (illness, away, other issues), the President (or Vice President) is to fulfil the role or delegate to a committee member with financial understanding/ any qualifications or experience in the role of treasurer.

The above four roles are the Office Bearers of the Committee. They are expected to attend every meeting always unless they have provided an apology (or proxy if appropriate).

Ordinary Members of the Committee (Non-Office Bearers)

• All ordinary committee members are expected to attend at least 75% of the scheduled meetings for the year and these meetings are generally decided at the first meeting following the AGM (if not organised via email before the first meeting).
• If a member is unable to attend a meeting, they must provide written reasons (exceptional reasons such as unwell, overseas) as to why they cannot attend and this will be put to the committee to accept or not.
• Not attending 75% of scheduled meetings without a written reason (exceptional reasons such as unwell, overseas), the committee member is deemed to have resigned from the committee and the Executive/Office- Bearers will need to inform the committee member in writing.
• Ensuring they have the executive (AGMC Office Bearer) approval prior to making decisions relating to AGMC. Exploring and initiating projects through grants applications, partnerships and communicating the purpose to AGMC National Committee before proceeding.
• Actively participating in AGMC activities (e.g. attending AGMC events, liaising with stakeholders.
• When required, taking leadership as the Project Manager for a specific activity, program, initiative. This includes managing a grant budget (income and expenditure).
• Bringing to the AGMC National Committee any possible activities in line with the AGMC focus.
• When required, represent AGMC at forums, conferences, events and other community gatherings by stating their role as an AGMC representative.