Monash Global Peace and Security

Monash GPS Affiliate, Delia Paul has been working with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) to amplify the voices of people seeking asylum in shaping advocacy practices and service development.

Social service organisations often refer to the value of “lived experience” in their work, but to date there is little research into how lived experience can apply in advocacy and services for people seeking asylum. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) in Melbourne is seeking to integrate lived experience in its service design, delivery and advocacy. Underpinning the ASRC’s practice is a strong focus on research to gain insights from how others are navigating similar challenges.

Monash GPS members have authored a ground-breaking article on Cambodian–Thai culture clashes in the digital age of nationalism. GPS Fellow Raymond Hyma and GPS Affiliates Suyheang Kry and Phasiree Thanasin have written the first scholarly article on the Cambodia-Thai conflict from a view in online spaces, where everyday netizens from both countries directly interact. To understand the online context, the study went offline using Facilitative Listening Design (FLD); an innovative, participatory research method that simultaneously deepens understanding about conflict dynamics as well as has the potential to positively influence those dynamics by bringing together groups in conflict to lead the research. The article is significant for bringing together 24 Cambodian and Thai co-researchers at a time when tensions are high, and for addressing the overlooked topic of how digital nationalism is shaped and felt in cross-border interactions between Cambodian and Thai netizens.