Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services Migrant Settlement Project, in partnership with the Mid North Coast Refugee Support Group, will host the June 23 event at Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie.

Emmanuel Musoni will speak about the resettlement of refugees in regional Australia and the Mingoola resettlement program. 

The floor will then be open to questions and discussion followed by morning tea. 

The event will provide information, encourage thought and spark discussion on the regional resettlement of refugees.

Emmanuel is the chair of Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development (GLAPD).

Emmanuel was born in a refugee camp and raised there until he was 16 years old. 

He has been strongly committed and passionate about advocating for better settlement and integration of refugees and migrants from an African background into the Australian community. 

Through his work at GLAPD, Emmanuel has worked to resettle families from a refugee background, formerly living in cities, to Mingoola, a small country town in regional NSW. 

Together with Julia Harpham of the Mingoola Progress Association, Emmanuel organised the filming of the Mingoola resettlement program, which produced an episode of Australian Story “A Field of Dreams”. 

Migrant settlement worker Jane O’Dwyer said Emmanuel is an engaging speaker with a wealth of knowledge and welcomes your questions and discussion. 

“I am looking forward hearing about how the families in Mingoola are doing,” she said.

The free event runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm on June 23 at Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie in room 2048.

Call Jane on 6553 5121 or 0497 832 079 or email rmw@mvns.org.au to register.

Refugee Week, with the theme of #WithRefugees, runs from June 17 to 23.