Our mission at Rally has always been to not only tell stories, but use storytelling to shift power back towards those on the sidelines.
Our mission at Rally has always been to not only tell stories, but use storytelling to shift power back towards those on the sidelines.
As you finish enjoying this issue of Rally, we invite you to take collective action with Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN).
Please take the time to read, learn and rally behind the incredible work that they do.
Who is FDPN?
Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN) is Australia’s refugee-led peak body on LGBTIQA+ forced displacement, advancing protection and settlement through lived experience, advocacy, policy expertise, and systemic change.
This means that they are a leading national voice on LGBTIQA+ forced displacement. They drive change in how these issues are understood, addressed and responded to in Australia.
As an organisation, their work focuses on:
As an organisation, their work focuses on:
Policy – how can we influence change for better protection, services and solutions?
Advocacy – how can we build understanding with decision makers so LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people can access safety, services and support.
Practical support – what do LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people need right now, and how can we as a community provide practical support and specialist pathways to protection?
Why should you support them?
Because FDPN is led by people with lived experience of forced displacement, it understands where systems fail and harm LGBTIQA+ communities. FDPN builds responses grounded in community knowledge and real needs, delivering community-led solutions.
This is how policy should be designed. This is how advocacy should be organised. This is how support should be defined.
Why should you support them?
Only lived-experience led organisations can build responses that are trusted, informed and effective.
Stand with FDPN. Help build a world where LGBTIQA+ displaced people can live in safety and thrive.
Stand with FDPN. Help build a world where LGBTIQA+ displaced people can live in safety and thrive.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO RALLY BEHIND THEM?
We all have something we can do to help drive change. Think about what skills, abilities and resources you have to explore the best action for you.
Educate
Mobilise
Lead
Read a report
Donate to the National program
For those with lived experience
Access free courses
Donate to the community program
For those in leadership
Attend a conference
Explore and endorse the Roadmap for Action
For individuals
Educate
Read a report
Access free courses
Attend a conference
Tap to learn more
Mobilise
Donate to the National program
Donate to the community program
Explore and endorse the Roadmap for Action
Lead
For those with lived experience
For those in leadership
For individuals
Click to learn more
Read a Report
In 2022, FDPN published a report called Inhabiting Two Worlds at Once. This is Australia’s first comprehensive survey capturing the experiences of LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people.
Why this action is for you:
By reading this report, you will gain insight into how systemic barriers shape the lived experiences of LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people. Building more inclusive communities and services are essential for the wellbeing and cohesion for not just LGBTIQA+ people but society as a whole.
FDPN has an incredible e-learning platform called the Settlement Hub. Most of the courses are free, and all are designed with lived experience.
Why this action is for you:
If you work in social or community services, or are a policy or decision maker, you are likely already working towards intersectional inclusion. But even well-intentioned services can unintentionally be exclusionary if intersectional experiences aren’t actively considered. These courses are designed to help ensure your work is safe, accessible and responsive to those who need it most.
Queer Displacements Conference is the only biannual conference in Asia and the Pacific focused on solutions to emerging challenges and gaps affecting LGBTIQA+ people. It brings together communities, government, services, researchers, and other stakeholders to advance solutions and systems change.
Why this action is for you:
LGBTIQA+ displaced communities are part of every area of life. Come learn how you can help build safer, fairer systems in your workplace and community. Everyone has a role to play.
LGBTIQA+ refugees are often excluded from safe settlement options. The Bridge to Safety is a national program dedicated to supporting priority visa processing for LGBTIQA+ people facing persecution from Asia and the Pacific. FDPN receives requests, checks safety and urgency, verifies information where possible, and decides what to do next.
Why this action is for you:
Donations help cover travel and arrival costs so people can actually reach safety. This is not abstract. It can mean the difference between remaining in danger or starting a life where someone can live openly, work, study, and sleep without fear. With your donation, you can help create safety, dignity and belonging.
Partnering with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA), FDPN gives individuals the tools and resources to sponsor LGBTIQA+ refugees in their first year of resettlement.
Why this action is for you:
You can help LGBTIQA+ refugees have a better settlement experience and create a more inclusive society. Without exaggeration, your practical support is life changing.
The Roadmap for Action aims to establish a collective, cross-sector and comprehensive approach to achieving asylum and migration justice for LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people.
Why this action is for you:
This is your guide to creating meaningful change for LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people. By reading, endorsing, and aligning with it, you can contribute to a united, cross-sector approach that advances asylum and migration justice, amplifies the leadership of people with lived experience, and strengthens inclusive policy and practice across government, social, and community services.
If you have lived experience as an LGBTIQA+ refugee, your lived experience makes you an expert. Because FDPN is led by lived experience, it doesn’t only provide services to LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people. It gives you opportunities too.
Why this action is for you:
If you want to connect with community, find services, get training, advise advocacy and initiatives, and share your perspective, FDPN is here for you.
FDPN has a range of services to help organisations better create a welcoming, safe and inclusive space for LGBTIQA+ displaced people. From bespoke training to content and policy reviews, they are here to support.
Why this action is for you:
If you are a leader in your workplace or relevant services, use your position as an opportunity to educate your team, mobilise action, and drive meaningful change. You become directly responsible for making services safer and more inclusive for LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people.
We all have the potential to shift power and affect change in our communities. We encourage you to gather friends and family to discuss what changes you’d like to see for LGBTIQA+ displaced people in Australia and beyond, and how we can be part of that force for change. Download the Conversation Starter Pack we’ve designed in collaboration with FDPN.
Why this action is for you:
If you want to increase visibility for LGBTIQA+ displaced people and inspire action with those around you – start the conversation.
