I was a leader in my community, and Nelson Mandela was my role model for that leadership.

I was born in Eritrea, in Africa. When my town was attacked during the civil war, I fled with friends to a refugee camp in Sudan. I was able to study at a school funded by UNHCR. After that, I was able to do my first degree in Egypt, and at the age of 22 I came to Australia for a new life. Coming from war and other hardships, I still went through hell in Australia. I was stuck in a life that I tried to get out of – I tried so hard to get ahead, but was struggling. The more you get into little thinking you realise you can overcome adversity if you have the right mind frame. In 1993 I saw Mandela released from jail, and immediately forgiving anyone and everyone even the ones who treated him terribly. Why was he able to do this? I thought if he can do it, I can too! Over time I developed a way of positive thinking that works for me, that revolves around compassion, honesty, and trust in others.

My first impression of Australia was the best thing – I saw that being able to communicate with everyone gives you a great start in life.

In Australia, there is a mentality that no one is smaller or bigger than anyone else. There is also an openness – in most cultures people keep things to themselves and hide information. Honesty, humbleness, trust, accepting and being accepted are typically-Aussie traits. People need to cultivate qualities that make you become a better person and a contributing citizen. I believe that in the right environment, anything is possible. In 2004 I tried to establish a umbrella organisation to bring African-Australian communities and cultures together. I tried to work out ways to make my ideas visible to other Australians, from within the African-Australian community and to those outside of it. That created a lot of questions – how to deal with my enemies was the biggest thing I had to deal with. Coming from civil war, it was hard to trust people from the other side. When people from the other side of war also came to Australia I had to learn how to deal with them as fellow humans. Australia has offered me this platform of openness. I believe the future of Australia is bright for this reason. If we as a country esnure we have more openness and mateship, this will help all Australian communities to come together and live better lives together.

It’s not easy to get rid of mental barriers from living in Africa, but I found it easier than most.

Most Africans still see the hierarchy from their previous lives. In Australia, there is no strict hierarchy system. In Ethiopia, the church had its power structures, and the King was on the top of it all. That was a barrier in moving forward for the country and its people. For African-Australians the gap is shrinking though over time, as people learn to come together rather than stay separate, and are learning to trust and value each other. The African-Australian communities have so much to offer each other and to others in Australian society.

Keeping our culture and traditions alive in this country is important. Dancing and singing is something that is just commonplace in Africa – in Australia, dancing and singing is less of a social event, and instead are treated as more of a profession. In Ethiopia and other African cultures, music and dance is done for fun. Dancing at school is normal in my culture. Singing and being able to express youreself in a relaxed public or communal setting is one of the things that is different to Australian culture. I believe these things should be celebrated, and be part of every day life.

I had the fortune of having access to higher education, which inspired me to be a professor myself and teach others.

Learning a new language and how to deal with others was challending, but those skills have helped me become the person I am today. Work is a great way to learn skills and meet new people. Working as a tram conductor enabled me to quickly become part of the the Australian community. As a refugee, being a tram conductor created a network for me. It brought up my confidence, and my journey from this point onwards was positive. That encouraging environment, along with the philosphies that I adopted from Mandela, gave me the tools to change myself. At first I worked as a tram conductor to improve my English, but I received more from it than I had imagined. With that momentum, I was able to commence my Masters Degree at Melbourne University and continue my academic journey.

In order to support myself, I drove taxis – I was one of the first African taxi drivers in Victoria. After I completed my degree, I was offered work at the CSIRO, where I worked for ten years. However, I still drove a taxi to make extra money, because there were so many people in Sudanese refugee camps who depended on me. After completing my PHD, I gained my present position as Senior Research Fellow, Department Forest Ecosystem Science, Melbourne School of Land and Environment at The University of Melbourne. Then in 2004, I was the first African-Australian in history to stand for Parliament.

Forces around you can make you or break you – in my case I was made through the adversity I faced.

If I was still in Africa I would not have had the chance to follow my dreams. Australia has helped me to fulfil my life’s goals and to give back to my Australian and African communities. Australians offered me acceptance from the beginning, and taught me that it doesn’t matter what education, wealth, gender or background differences, everyone has the right to be accepted and be heard in society.

Coming to Australia as a refugee then becoming the Victorian Australian of the Year in 2009, on top of a successful career, shows what you can achieve with a positive attitude and a supportive community.