About the Role

Community Organiser volunteers are vital to the ASRC’s vision to create fairness and justice for people seeking asylum. In this role, you will work closely with our Community Organisers to mobilise people to take action. Using your knack for connecting with people, you will empower communities to engage in grassroots lobbying, movement building, and strategic advocacy in the lead-up to the Federal Election.

The election campaigner will work in conjunction with the Advocacy and Campaigns team to train community groups to achieve campaign goals in strategic electorates as guided by ASRC’s Federal Election Strategy. Specific duties will be determined according to the unique interests and skills of each volunteer, however, activities may include: recruiting and training volunteers and advocates, delivering election-focused workshops and trainings, and providing campaigning support to local grassroots advocacy groups.

This is a great opportunity for passionate people to learn effective movement-building skills and engage in meaningful advocacy to ensure fairness and safety for people seeking asylum and refugees.

Program: Campaigns & Organising

The Campaigns & Organising Program promotes and empowers the voices and experiences of people who have lived experiences of seeking asylum. This is based on the ‘Words that Work’ framework which helps refugee advocates and supporters to take control and reframe the conversation.

The Organising team works to implement values-based messaging through our ‘Words That Work’ framework across Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. The aim of the ‘Words That Work’ framework is to increase community awareness and shift attitudes on the rights of people seeking asylum.

The Campaigns team oversees key mobilisation strategies and attitude change. The Campaign team is also responsible for key social media content, media engagement, and relationship management.

Stream: Advocacy & Campaigns

The Advocacy & Campaigns team seeks to bring about lasting social, legal, and policy change in regard to people seeking asylum. The team advocates for people seeking asylum to be treated fairly and humanely with their rights respected under international human rights law. As part of the ASRC’s Strategic Plan, a major objective is building a collaborative, diverse, and effective movement that drives change to restore and uphold the rights of people seeking asylum. A key strategy to achieve this objective is to effectively engage, educate and mobilise advocates and supporters to take action and lead change. Our advocacy is driven by ground-breaking research
into the most effective messaging and framing strategies designed to shift attitudes and build broad public support for people seeking asylum.

Key Responsibilities

• Support our changing hearts and minds conversation project aimed at shifting attitudes toward people seeking asylum
• Call and email our supporters to attend events, workshops, and actions
• Support the planning and organisation of community events
• Build local networks and community alliances
• Identify and mobilise our supporters to engage in street stall canvassing and other on-the-ground actions
• Grassroots MP lobbying

Accountability

This role reports to the Community Organiser.

Location

ASRC Footscray, part of the role will be done remotely. Volunteer shifts This role is looking for a commitment of one day per week, for a 4-month period. This may involve half days and weekends

What we’re looking for

Essential

• Knowledge of the Australian political system/state politics, or similar
• Effective communicator with a wide range of stakeholders including community advocates, community members, decision-makers
• Ability to stay calm and well under pressure

Desirable

• Experience implementing an election, social justice, environment, and/ or community social media campaign
• Thrives in a social environment
• An understanding of Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission regulations in an election context

Training & Requirements

• ASRC Volunteer Induction
• Volunteer Agreement
• Working with Children Check
• Program Specific Training

Compliance

All offers of employment, paid or voluntary, are subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check and provision of a valid Working with Children Check prior to commencement.

About Us

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) is both a place and a movement. We are an independent not-for-profit whose programs support and empower people seeking asylum to maximise their own physical, mental, and social well-being. As a movement, we mobilise and unite communities to create lasting social and policy change for people seeking asylum in Australia. We are proud to be owned and run by our community of volunteers and supporters. We pride ourselves on living and breathing our values in all areas of our work – our values are who we are and guide how we operate. The ASRC values are Welcoming, Authentic, Collaborative, and Courageous.

For more information email [email protected] using the subject line: Community Organiser Volunteer - Community Organising enquiry via EthicalJobs.