Refugees and communication technology
Linda Leung, Cath Finney Lamb · 2011
The report of the Refugees and Communication Technology Workshop, held in 2009 is now available. The workshop looked at issues in refugees' use of communication technology in the contexts of displacement and settlement. While not all of the ideas and recommendations summarised in the report could be actioned, participants and readers are welcome to use and apply them for the provision of services to their own communities or clients. The workshop was an outcome of Linda Leung's Shopfront research fellowship. The workshop was facilitated by Cath Finney Lamb co-author with Linda of the research monograph Technology's Refuge. In addition to the workshop report, an article by Linda that summarises the issues raised and solutions proposed in the workshop will be published in the November edition of the Telecommunications Journal of Australia. Linda has also been awarded funding to conduct further research on refugees’ telecommunications literacy upon arrival in Australia and devise a consumer education program on telecommunications products and services targeted at newly arrived migrants from refugee backgrounds. She is collaborating with community partner WorkVentures and its i.settle.with.IT! program on the research and program development. WorkVentures is providing free IT skills training workshops to refugee communities and organisations interested in participating in the research project.