Who are the ChilOut organisers?

There are six people running ChilOut at this stage (October 2011). All six have been involved in the issue of caring for children in immigration detention for a number of years. All six celebrated the removal of children from immigration detention in July 2005. And all six shared in the honour of being awarded the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's Organisation (Community) Award on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2005. These days we communicate via regular teleconferences and constant emails. After a much needed injection of funds we have been able to employ a Campaigns Manager and are pleased to welcome Sophie Peer to the ChilOut team. Sophie works part time and her ongoing employment is dependent on funds we raise!

Kate Gauthier is our Chair. Kate is an associate lecturer with the Migration Law Program at the Australian National University and a fellow with the Centre for Policy Development. Formerly, Kate has been the National Director of refugee policy lobby group A Just Australia and the immigration and refugee policy adviser to Senator Andrew Bartlett. Kate has sat on a variety of government advisory panels on asylum seeker issues. Kate was a co-founder of the Refugee Assistance Project, a board member of PolMin (Political Ministry network), a member of the NSW Legal Aid Review Committee, was a 2020 participant and is currently on the ACT Nursing and Midwifery board. Kate has a Masters degree in International Social Development and has played many roles in this arena and has written for a variety of journals and magazines on immigration, human rights and multicultural issues.

 

Dianne Hiles was our former Chair, one of our founders in 2001 and a tireless worker for ChilOut. Most recently she was CEO of the Evatt Foundation. Last year she received an AM for her role in human rights. Dianne has a Master degree in Human Rights.

 

Jo Hind is a former ChilOut director, a former High School teacher and back in the 1960s, the days of the Peace Corps Movement was a volunteer teacher in what was then The New Hebrides and is now Vanuatu. She has lived in Asia and Europe and first saw stateless men and women behind bars in Bangkok airport in 1970. That led to her interest in and concern about Immigration Detention ever since, especially the detention of children. She has three grown-up children and three grandchildren.

Alanna Hector is a lawyer, a past diplomat and played a major role in researching and writing the 2004 HREOC Report  "A last resort?" the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention. She set up a group of ChilOut Youth Ambassadors to both mentor others and inform the community about their experiences. Alanna's knowledge of people and issues involved in this arena is vast. She is a Chilout director and a great advocate for the rights of children. She has two small children herself.

Jo Gow is a ChilOut director who has been involved in both the practical and theoretic issues of children in immigration detention for a long time. Over the years she worked in the area of child protection, has written reports, has spoken on our topic during government hearings and recently submitted a grant application which will help the reactivated ChilOut to spread the word. She has two sons.

Jessica Perini is involved in publishing and is a published writer herself, on both the topic of refugees and the environment. Recently she has used her network of friends and colleagues to source toys and goods for children in detention and has been overwhelmed by their responses and generosity.

Sophie Peer comes to ChilOut with years of experience as a Campaign Coordinator for Amnesty International Australia and recently as Communications Manager for the Refugee Council of Australia. Sophie's career began at the Migration Review Tribunal and so couples her passion for humane treatment of asylum seekers with practical experience of the Migration Act and the Department of Immigration! Sophie is mum to one growing toddler.