AWSN Board Chair

Jasmina Bajraktarevic-Hayward is a Social Worker who came to Australia in 1993 as a refugee from Bosnia-Herzegovina.  She manages STARTTS’ Community Services Program which consists of over 100 staff including the teams: Community Development, Rural and Regional Community Development, Youth, School Liaison, Families in Cultural Transition (FICT), Mental Health Community Living Supports for Refugees (MH-CLSR) and Health in My Language; as well as staff covering STARTTS’ LGBTIQA+ Project, volunteer management, policy analysis and input, community development evaluation, community cultural development, grant and tender writing and community capacity building. Jasmina has significant Board experience and is currently the President of the Refugee Council of Australia, a member of the NSW Refugee Communities Advocacy Network, and a member of the World Pride Sydney Advisory Committee.

Email Jasmina Bajraktarevic-Hayward

Morlai has extensive experience in community development, human rights, and public policy across both government and non-government sectors in Sierra Leone and Australia. His areas of expertise include community engagement, stakeholder relations, and strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations. Prior to joining Anti-Discrimination NSW, Morlai worked with the Australian Human Rights Commission, Settlement Services International, and CORE Community Services, where he contributed to a range of initiatives focused on social inclusion, human rights, and community empowerment.

Dr Mubashar Hasan is a passionate human rights and refugee rights advocate and researcher.  He is currently Acting Senior Project Officer for Communities in Cultural Transition (CiCT) at STARTTS, the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, where he leads a team dedicated to building the capacity of refugee and diaspora-led organisations across New South Wales.  His practice spans community development, leadership training, and program delivery.  He is also a researcher with the Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect at the University of Queensland, where his work focuses on atrocity crime prevention.  He holds an honorary adjunct research position with HADRI and teaches at Western Sydney University.  A Griffith University PhD graduate, Dr Hasan was recognised with the University’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2021.  His interviews and commentary have been broadcast and published by the New York Times, Time, The Economist, ABC News, Sky News, BBC News, Al Jazeera and other outlets.

Desiree Leone works for Multicultural Health, Western Sydney Local Health District.  Her portfolio includes women’s health, including the FGM/C program.  She is passionate about equitable health service delivery for migrants, refugees and LGBTIQA+ communities.  Desiree was a drug and alcohol counsellor and also taught this subject in the School of Community Medicine.