Refugee Week 2026: Ali’s resilience
14 June – 20 June is Refugee Week, with the week culminating on World Refugee Day on 20 June. This year’s theme is “A Million Stories.” The million number isn’t random, it celebrates the milestone of one million permanent humanitarian visas provided to refugees seeking safety in Australia. One of those million stories is Ali’s. He has written a reflection of his own journey as a refugee and his time with us at CMY.
My name is Ali Yousuf.
I am from Afghanistan, and like so many Afghan families, mine was forced to leave everything behind in search of safety. We found refuge in India, where we stayed for nearly a decade. Those years shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand until later; they taught me patience, resilience, and the quiet strength it takes to keep moving forward even when the future feels uncertain.
“Resilience isn’t about forgetting the hard years, it’s about turning them into the foundation for everything good that comes after.”
Those years in India were hard, but I often think of it like the moon, it stays bright because it doesn’t avoid the night. Looking back, I can see how facing those difficult years, rather than running from them, is what carried me through.
When I was finally resettled in Australia in 2024, it didn’t just feel like arriving in a new country, it felt like stepping into a second home. I was met with a kindness I wasn’t expecting, and I quickly noticed something special about this place: people here genuinely care about their community, and they show up for one another.
I found out about CMY through Youth Resources Services (YRC), and that introduction changed everything for me. I started as a Youth Advocate, and it has been an absolute pleasure working alongside the incredible Reverb 2.0 team. Later, I joined Speak Up, which gave me the opportunity to contribute real value in the gender equality space, something I care deeply about.
Through Speak Up, I came to understand just how important gender equality really is, and how much of a difference it makes when young people are given the space to talk about it openly. I’d always had some confidence speaking publicly, but the program pushed that even further, while also showing me how my own voice could be used to advocate for something bigger than myself. Meeting others who cared just as deeply about these issues showed me I wasn’t alone in wanting to see change.
One of the most meaningful parts of being a Reverb Youth Advocate has been the workshops. Every session, I’d meet teenagers who were going through experiences that echoed parts of my own journey, the same uncertainty, the same feeling of being caught between two worlds. Being able to connect with them through that shared experience, and actually help them work through it, has been the standout part of this role for me. It’s where I felt like my own story stopped being just my own and started becoming useful to someone else.
Gender equality matters to me because of what I’ve witnessed firsthand, growing up across different cultures where people weren’t treated equally simply because of their gender. To me, that’s never made sense. We’re all human, and everyone deserves the same respect, the same opportunities, and the same chance to be heard, regardless of gender.
Mental health is just as important to me, because in both India and my home country of Afghanistan, it’s an issue that often isn’t taken seriously. I’ve seen people suffer quietly because there isn’t enough understanding or support around it. That’s something I really want to help change starting conversations, breaking the stigma, and making sure people know it’s okay to ask for help.
Looking back at everything, the migration, the suffering, the hope, the happiness, the sadness, and ultimately the resilience and opportunities that followed, I’m proud of the journey that brought me here. I hope that by sharing it, others can see a little of themselves in it too.