Elijah Buol OAM officially joins the Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) on 1 August and undertakes a handover period with outgoing CEO Frances Rush OAM.
Buol brings a mix of lived and professional experience, a track record of successful campaigning and a deep commitment to supporting people seeking asylum to the role, alongside significant leadership, advocacy and fundraising expertise.
Born in war-torn South Sudan, Buol spent eight years in a refugee camp in Uganda before arriving in Australia in 2002 as an unaccompanied minor. He has since built an incredible career supporting and advocating for people seeking asylum, refugees and multicultural communities.
Buol currently serves as, among others, General Secretary of the Refugee Communities Association of Australia (RCAA) and as a member of the Australian Government’s Settlement Advisory Council. He was previously CEO of Act for Peace and Queensland State Manager of Migration Support Programs for the Australian Red Cross.
In 2019, Buol was Queensland Local Hero of the Year and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his contributions to multicultural communities and youth advocacy. He became the youngest Queenslander in history to receive the accolade.
Buol spearheaded a decade-long campaign to remove children under 18 from adult prisons in Queensland. This campaign was successful, with the last juvenile released from an adult prison in the state on 12 December 2018.
“We are delighted to welcome Elijah to the Asylum Seekers Centre as our new CEO,” said Peter Waters, Chair of the ASC, the largest organisation supporting people seeking asylum in NSW. “Among a field of committed and talented applicants, Elijah’s drive, commitment and passion shone through. He shares our mission to advance and invest in humanity and is the perfect person to help bring this to life.”
Meanwhile, Abang Anade Othow, Deputy Chair of the ASC, said that Buol’s combination of lived and professional experience means he brings a unique perspective and set of skills to the organisation.
“Elijah joins at a time of immense challenge, change and opportunity for both the ASC and the people we support. He is the perfect person to lead the organisation into a new era, and we’re excited to work with him,” Othow said.
In response, Buol said that he’s honoured and humbled by the opportunity to become the new CEO of the ASC.
“My journey in seeking asylum and being a refugee is one of many. It has given me a valuable and deeply personal perspective on the millions of people who are forced to flee their homes and arrive here in Australia with nothing but hope and aspiration,” he said.
Guided by that very hope, fuelled by compassion and driven by the injustice he witnesses every day, Buol vows to work with the ASC’s staff, volunteers and supporters to overcome the societal, economic and systemic challenges people seeking asylum face.
“I believe that by investing in humanity, we advance it. I believe that together, we will,” he added.
Buol was chosen from more than 120 initial candidates, and following a robust and comprehensive recruitment process, was supported by executive search firm Tobin McClintock.
Read also: Study shows refugees are settling well in Indigenous communities
Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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