Anglicare PNG’s Cassendra in Canberra for Pacific-Australian Emerging Leaders’ Summit

Dec 1, 2022

During the past week, Anglicans in Development hosted Cassendra Opiari to come from Port Moresby to Sydney to meet some of the ABM family, and then on to Canberra for a Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders’ Summit.

The Summit, organised by Micah Australia (a Christian advocacy group), brought young people from across the Pacific to come together with First Nations People in Australia to share their stories and learn from each other.

AID’s PNG Program Coordinator, Tim Cleasby, was there with Cassendra.

The group spent the weekend sharing and understanding the challenges all the different communities face. They also spent time preparing to meet members of the Australian parliament with whom they were able to share their combined vision for the future.

The Summit also included a visit to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy where the visitors paid their respects to the First Australians.

The emerging leaders then met with many Australian politicians, including Senators Sue Lines (Labor, President of the Senate) and David Fawcett (Liberal), and Independent MHR, Rebecca Sharkie, inviting them into the group’s understanding of their challenges and visions for Australia and the Pacific.

Congratulations to Cassendra and her fellow emerging leaders!

And thanks to Micah Australia for organising the event.