This year’s Refugee Week theme ‘Restoring Hope’ is an apt one for us here at STARTTS. For us, restoring hope for refugees and people who have survived trauma is at the heart of what we do. Refugee Week (16-22 June) is a particularly important reminder not only of why we do what we do, but also of the remarkable contributions of people who have overcome incredible odds.

The month of June is always a busy time for us here at STARTTS, and 2013 is proving to be no different, with a string of great events coming up, as well as an expansion of our services to meet an ever growing demand.

Read on to find out what’s happening in June and beyond.

Richard Walker
STARTTS Public Affairs Coordinator

Saturday 15 June, 2-5pm, Pitt St Uniting Church (264 Pitt St, Sydney)

Refugees are resilient, courageous and talented. In the face of overwhelmingly negative public discussion about refugees, Refugee Week is a time to remember this. Every year STARTTS, together with the Refugee Council of Australia, launches Refugee Week in NSW with the goal of celebrating all the positive contributions that refugees make to our society.

Join us at the Launch and be inspired by a great line-up of activities that remind us of everything that refugees can bring to make our country richer:

This year, don’t miss the keynote speech by Yarrie Bangura, star of the sold out play Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe, plus a performance by the uplifting South Sudanese Women’s Choir. Plus, our regular activities…

The Dario Palermo Refugee Art Exhibition

The exhibition brings together more than 50 works by refugee artists – some deal with beauty and celebration, others with loss and hardship.  Together, they are a powerful expression of diverse and creative refugee voices.

In 2013 we will be exhibiting work from exciting new refugee artists, as well as new work by some of our regular contributors.

The Humanitarian Awards

Most people who work with refugees don’t do so to be rewarded. But for those who are doing exceptional work, Refugee Week is the perfect time to recognise and thank those who truly stand out. Join us as we present awards to 10 deserving recipients.

The Australian Refugee Film Festival

Every year ARFF receives submissions from around the globe from film-makers wanting to highlight the situation of refugees. A selection of these films – some inspiring, some challenging – will be shown at the Launch of Refugee Week.

Read more on our website

Thursday 27 June, 6:30-8pm

Amnesty Action Centre, 79 Myrtle St, Chippendale

To mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, STARTTS and Amnesty International will be holding a Q+A discussion panel about if, and how, film has influenced our perceptions of and opinions about torture. Have films such as Zero Dark Thirty contributed to a shift in people's attitude about torture and it's acceptability?

Hear what the experts have to say. MC'd by Richard Ackland, with panellists Jason di Rosso (Radio National's The Final Cut) and Cynthia Banham (journalist and foreign correspondent), plus a third guest yet to be announced!

Download the poster

Saturday 29 June, 2pm

Fairfield City Museum and Gallery,   cnr. The Horsley Dr & Oxford St, Smithfield

Continuing Dario Palermo's legacy to support the development of refugee artists, STARTTS Community Cultural Development has teamed up with Fairfield City to host 'Solid Ground'.

If you can't make it to the Launch of Refugee Week, this is your chance to see the Exhbition in Western Sydney!

From 29 June - 17 August 2013

Download the invitation

Refugee Ball 2013

9 October, 7pm, Dockside Darling Harbour

Refugee Ball 2012 was our biggest yet, with 340 guests, great entertainment and a fantastic $22,000 raised for the Capoeira Angola project at STARTTS.

Join us again in 2013 for what is sure to be another sensational evening!

Check out our website to see photos and info from last year, and stay tuned - tickets for 2013 will be on sale soon!

STARTTS 25th Anniversary

6 December, 10am to 12pm

Imperial Paradiso Room, 58 Spencer St Fairfield

Join us to celebrate 25 years of STARTTS providing services to torture and trauma survivors.

It has been a long and challenging journey, and we will be celebrating not only everything that has been achieved over the past 25 years, but also our incredible clients, who have taught us so much about courage, hope and resilience.

It’s a busy time for STARTTS at the moment as we welcome a number of new counsellors and other staff to the organisation. Recently STARTTS has seen an increasing demand for our services, both in terms of the number of clients and the severity of the symptoms they present with. These clients come from across the spectrum and have faced a range of different experiences, but all of them now face the difficult task of coming to terms with the torture or trauma they have faced before making their way to STARTTS.

Practically, the expansion of the Direct Services team will mean an increased number of counsellors in each team, as well as two entirely new teams in our Auburn and Liverpool offices. Additionally, each team will have a child and adolescent counsellor, and there will be an expansion of our clinical group work program. With these changes STARTTS is aiming to more effectively provide the specialised service that our clients need.