This Refugee Week, the theme is “Courage.”

At RLS, we see the courage our clients are forced to show every day.

Courage isn’t always loud or bold. Speaking up, asking for help, sharing your story, and simply persevering each day are all important forms of showing courage, especially against an increasingly hostile political environment.

This week also marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. This landmark promise of rights to education, housing, access to justice, and legal protection has provided the legal foundation that has saved millions of lives.

However, there’s a significant difference between the promised protections of the Convention, and the actual experiences of people on the move.

At RLS, we remain committed to supporting people on the move to access these protections, find safety, and start rebuilding their lives. Our Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) is one part of this commitment.

Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP)

This Refugee Week, we wanted to share that we’ve recently founded our first Lived Experience Advisory Panel.

LEAP brings together six members with different experiences of migration, to help us better understand communities’ legal support needs, the barriers people face in accessing help, and where our services could be improved.  

It’s an important step in deepening our long-standing commitment to working in solidarity with people who migrate, and ensuring our work is shaped by the communities we support.

In launching LEAP, we acknowledge the significant amount of courage shown by members. They’re drawing on their own experiences that may have been painful or dehumanising, and using their insights to help improve things for others.

We’re deeply grateful to our new LEAP members, and we look forward to sharing more about the work of the Panel in the months ahead.

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