© Australia for UNHCR/Benjamin Walton
Ambassadors help raise awareness of the humanitarian emergencies which Australia for UNHCR supports and educate Australians about how they can help.
Our Ambassadors come from a broad range of areas. Some are leading humanitarian advocates, often refugees themselves who now call Australia home. Others are high profile supporters from sectors such as the arts, entertainment, finance and sport.
Meet our Ambassadors:
Emeritus Professor Gillian Triggs is an Australian academic specialising in public and international law. In a career spanning over five decades, she has worked in private practice, academia, as President of the Australian Human Rights Commission and most recently as Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and Assistant High Commissioner for Protection with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Among her many other accomplishments, Gillian was also the recipient of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Medal in 2021 and is the author of Speaking Up, a memoir. She became Patron of Australia for UNHCR in 2024.
Michael Dwyer has been a leader in the investment and financial sectors for more than 30 years. He is currently Chairperson of TCorp, the financial services partner to the NSW public sector, and the Chair of the People and Remuneration Committee and Member of Board Investment, and Audit and Risk Committees. In 2011, he was named a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the superannuation industry, and to the community through Australia for UNHCR. Michael served on the Board of Australia for UNHCR for 22 years and was Chairman from 2018 to 2022.
Yarrie Bangura’s early years in Sierra Leone were peaceful, before civil war forced her family to flee the country when she was eight years old. She lived in a refugee camp in Guinea before arriving in Australia with her parents and siblings on humanitarian visas. Today, Yarrie runs a beverage business making Aunty’s Ginger Tonic, inspired by the country she left behind. She also contributed two of her family’s favourite recipes from Sierra Leone to our cookbook, Flavours of Hope. Yarrie became an Ambassador for Australia for UNHCR in 2015.
Read more: Beverage entrepreneur Yarrie Bangura meets her hero
Anjilla arrived in Australia in 1989 with her family after fleeing the Soviet-Afghan war. She earned a degree in international law and worked as a human rights lawyer before transitioning into the world of fashion. Today, Anjilla is known for sophisticated designs inspired by her Afghan heritage. In recent years, Anjilla has played a key role supporting Australia for UNHCR’s Islamic Philanthropy program, generously hosting and helping to organise our annual Iftar dinners.
Carina Hoang was 16 years old when she fled Vietnam by boat. She endured extreme hardship in Indonesia until the USA accepted her for resettlement. In 2007, she moved to Australia. Her first book, Boat People, published in 2010 tells the stories of Vietnamese refugees. She was appointed a Special Representative of Australia for UNHCR in 2012. Carina is an academic, public speaker, actor and historian.
Raja Yassine is a passionate advocate and supporter of young refugees from minority communities. Starting her career in teaching, Raja now works as a Scholarship Coordinator at Newington College, Sydney, where she assists young refugees with gaining access to education. Raja joined Australia for UNHCR as an Islamic Philanthropy Ambassador in 2023.
Zaheda Ghani is the Head of Product with the software company Atlassian. She was born in Afghanistan but left with her family when she was only five years old. They moved to New Delhi, before resettling in Australia in 1987. Zaheda was a member of Australia for UNHCR’s Board of Directors from 2017 – 2021 and is now an Ambassador with our Leading Women Fund program. Zaheda is also the author of the novel Pomegranate and Fig.
Read more: From refugee to technology guru
John Denton is a global business leader, international advisor on policy and a legal expert on international trade and investment. He is currently the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Chairman of the ICC Merchants of Peace Fund. In 2022, John was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General to represent the global private sector on the newly formed Steering Committee of the UN Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy, and Finance. He currently serves on the WHO Foundation Strategic Advisory Group and the Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility. John was Chairman of the Board of Australia for UNHCR for more than a decade.
Ian Chappell is a former cricket player who played 75 tests for Australia, including 30 as captain. He is considered one of the greatest captains the game has seen. He moved into sports media on his retirement from playing, and was a celebrated commentator for Channel Nine, Macquarie Sports Radio and ABC Radio. Ian has been a Special Representative with Australia for UNHCR for more than two decades. In 2002 he helped launch our first Afghanistan appeal and has been championing refugee rights ever since.
Read more: Ian Chappell: Batting for Afghanistan
Akec Makur Chuot was born in South Sudan but spent much of her childhood in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. After moving to Perth at the age of 12, Akec began playing sport and went on to become the first woman from an African background to compete in the AFL Women’s league. Aside from football, Akec’s other passion is food. Her love of cooking comes from her remarkable mother; Akec shared two of her treasured family recipes in our cookbook, Flavours of Hope. Akec became an Ambassador for Australia for UNHCR in 2021.
Marta Dusseldorp is an acclaimed Australian stage, film and theatre actor. Her television credits include Crownies, Janet King, Jack Irish, A Place to Call Home and Bay of Fires. She is also a producer, and co-founder and co-owner of Archipelago Productions in Hobart, Tasmania. She has been an Ambassador with Australia for UNHCR since 2012. Marta has travelled to Jordan and Lebanon to meet Syrian refugees and learn more about UNHCR’s work on the ground.
Peter Gould is a leading creative designer. His studio team uses design, research and a deep understanding of Muslim audiences to help purpose-driven organisations create brands and experiences for a more inclusive and representative world – and he credits his personal spiritual journey as a major influence. Peter led a unique digital art fundraising campaign for Australia for UNHCR in 2023, raising funds to support the UN Refugee Agency’s work in Türkiye and Syria following a series of major earthquakes.
Read more: Online community raises $23,000 for Türkiye and Syria
Boost Juice founder and entrepreneur Janine Allis joined Australia for UNHCR as a Leading Women Fund Ambassador in 2020. Janine is a high profile and active supporter of our LWF program, aimed at engaging women professionals and changemakers to support refugee women and girls. In 2022, she visited Jordan to meet Syrian refugee women whose lives have been changed by LWF. More recently, she has spoken about the benefits of supporting and employing people with a refugee background.
Read more: Janine Allis: Reflections from Jordan