South Asian Research and Advocacy Hub

The South Asian Legal Research and Advocacy Hub (SARAH) is an undergraduate legal research centre run by South Asian students for the South Asian diaspora. Our aims are as follows:

1. To research the condition, identity, and future of the Australian diaspora;

2. To understand and create awareness of South Asian legal systems;

3. To apply our lived experiences and knowledge to advocate on behalf of the communities; and

4. To empower South Asian youth to become leaders in legal research and advocacy.

Our current goal is to refine the panjayam/panchayat into a modern inquiry method to elevate communities and privilege their voices.


How it works

SARAH works closely with the College of Law and collaborates with academics, NGOs, and communities to develop theory and research that is beneficial for the diaspora. We also create submissions to advise federal and state parliaments on South Asian issues and perspectives. Additionally, we hope to collaborate with South Asian law schools internationally to build networks of future lawyers who are passionate about the diaspora, their culture, and their communities. Our teams meet regularly depending on the needs of their project and hold other events to promote an understanding of the law among the communities. 

Getting Involved

While SARAH will always protect and centre the South Asian community’s voice, it is an open and non-autonomous space that strongly encourages everyone to join, regardless of their community affiliation. Our projects are inherently interdisciplinary, and therefore, we have space for people with a wide variety of interests, backgrounds, and skills. The only requirement is a passion for supporting the communities and their aspirations. To join SARAH, drop an email to lrsj.anu.sarah@gmail.com, and we will email you back with information about how you can best get involved. 

Updates

Current Projects

  • The Panjayam Project
  • International Students Project (ISP)
  • Framework for South Asian Engagement on Campus
  • Nursing and Midwifery as South Asians in Australia
  • Agency in Exploitation: A Snapshot of South-Asian Australian Transport Workers
  • Submission to the Select Committee on Cost of Living
  • Submission to the Inquiry into Loneliness and Social Isolation in the ACT
  • Submission to the Review of Australia’s Visa Significant Cost Threshold (SCT)
  • Submission to the Inquiry into Immediate Trauma Support Services in the ACT
  • Threat Perception in Diaspora
  • Youth Diplomacy: The potential of young people to take up the multilateral touch and promote regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific 
  • Rekindling the India-Australia Relationship
  • Dating in Diaspora
  • The Price of Prejudice: How the Legacy of White Australia Has Defined Australia’s Relationship with ASEAN
  • TikTok: The new Zeitgeist of Malaysian politics
  • SARAH – Realizing the Power and Potential of South Asian Student Advocacy

Completed Projects

  • Submission to the Inquiry into Recovery Plan for Nursing and Midwifery Workers: read our submission here.
  • Submission to the Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework: read our submission here
  • May 2023, ‘The struggle for ‘Indian’ Australians Souls’, Alexander Titus, Sashini Liyanage, Angela Paulson and Harshitha Peddireddy. Questions of national (be)longing – critical and theoretical engagements with citizenship Symposium.
  • Oct 2023, ‘Agency in Exploitation: A Snapshot of South-Asian Australian Transport Workers’, Harshitha Peddireddy, Angela Paulson, Dhannya Phillip and Alexander Titus. Migrant life narratives as place-making in post-colonial Australia Workshop, ANU Centre for European Studies and ANU Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies.

  • 15 May 2023, Championing change: ANU students advocate for South Asian diaspora, ANU College of Law. 
  • Alexander Titus, Appearance on ABC Canberra to Talk about the Recovery Plan for Nursing and Midwifery Workers. Tue 21 Feb 2023 at 3:30pm.

Coming soon.


Communities

SARAH hopes to become a hub for all the South Asian communities to find their voice and passion for research and jurisprudence. Therefore, we partner with community associations to elevate their voices within the ANU and to work with them to develop their understanding and use of the law.

 

Any community or association that wishes to partner with SARAH should reach out to lrsj.anu.sarah@gmail.com, and we will be in touch.