Not ‘helpless’: Kaldor25 Speaker Dor Akech Achiek on dignity, participation and change

‘My involvement in the field of forced migration is deeply personal and rooted in my own experiences as a refugee,’ he says.

As a child, Dor fled war in South Sudan and spent nine years in a Kenyan refugee camp before resettling in Australia. ‘That experience shaped my understanding of the vulnerabilities, resilience and dignity of displaced people,’ he recalls.

‘Having resettled in Australia at a young age, I witnessed firsthand both the challenges of integration and the transformative power of support, protection and opportunity.’

Today, as Group Head of Settlement Services at Settlement Services International, Dor works to ensure that others can access the same opportunities he did. ‘These experiences inspired me to dedicate my professional life to the refugee sector,’ he explains, ‘working to advocate for meaningful protection, expand safe pathways, and ensure that displaced people are treated with dignity and agency.’

Central to his vision is the idea that refugee voices must be heard.

‘There are two important parts of refugee protection that people often forget: giving refugees a say in their own lives and treating them with dignity,’ he says. ‘Real support means including them in decisions and respecting their independence.’

He also emphasises the need to address the bigger picture. ‘We usually focus on helping refugees survive right away, but we need to look at the deeper problems – war, persecution, climate change and inequality – that cause people to flee,’ he argues.

Dor sees promising steps forward in Australia’s commitment to 10,000 additional places through complementary programs, such as scholarships, humanitarian visas and work placements.

'This expansion is not just a numbers game; it signals a commitment to innovation, equity and proactive engagement in global refugee protection,’ he says.

'By increasing these places, Australia can offer protection to a more diverse group of refugees, while also strengthening linkages between refugees and Australian institutions, communities and employers.'

But creating effective refugee protection systems is not only about government policy. Community engagement, Dor stresses, is also vital. 'Fostering clear community-engagement models ensures that host communities are informed, involved and supported,' he says. That, in turn, creates conditions where refugees can integrate successfully and contribute meaningfully to society.

These ideas – of dignity, participation and systemic change – will be at the heart of the Kaldor Centre Conference panel Dor is joining, From rhetoric to reality: Centering the meaningful participation of refugees. For Dor, who holds a Master's Degree in International Law and International Relations from UNSW, this is not just an academic theme, but a guiding principle. Refugees, he argues, must be included in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.

'If we can make that shift – from seeing refugees as passive recipients to recognising them as active participants – we will create systems that are not only fairer but far more effective,' he says.

The upcoming conference, themed Building Bridges – Advancing Refugee Protection in a Divided World, will bring together leaders with lived experience of displacement and other researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

For Dor, it is an opportunity to advance a conversation that has shaped both his personal journey and his professional mission: building refugee protection systems that recognise people not just as vulnerable, but as resourceful, skilled and ready to contribute.

Hear more from Dor Akech Achiek and other leading voices at the 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference on 23 October, at UNSW Sydney and online. Secure your spot here.