2019 Individual Award - Brad Chilcott
As founder of the Welcoming Australia movement, Brad has played a major role in changing attitudes towards refugees and migrants in Australia - and in building communities where everyone is welcome to belong, contribute and thrive.
Welcoming Australia is now a national organisation with staff in four states and a network of councils implementing the Welcoming Cities framework. More than 40 councils are now in the Welcoming Cities network covering more than 25 per cent of Australia’s population.
The organisation’s initiatives also include the Welcoming Centre in Bowden, which offers English lessons, emergency relief and social support to refugees and other migrants. Welcoming Careers connects people seeking asylum with employers willing to hire people on insecure visas. Welcoming Futures is a leadership fellowship for young people of migrant and refugee backgrounds whom our graduates have spent some time with, to everyone’s mutual benefit.
Brad is also the co-founder of National Unity Week, a partnership with the Lebanese Muslim Association, that sees dozens of interfaith and intercultural events take place across the country, including the successful Walk Together marches.
Welcoming Australia has involved people from all sides of politics in changing the narrative, developing policy, and directly impacting on the lives of refugees and migrants in Australia.
