Founder and CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM has received an Honorary Degree from La Trobe University.
A leading human rights advocate, he was recognised for his outstanding contributions to humanitarianism and continued advocacy to advance social justice.
The Greek Australian wrote a heartfelt post on is social media accounts on Tuesday, 14 May, in which he acknowledged the sacrifices made by his migrant parents to ensure he had the opportunity to pursue his chosen path.
“Just received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from La Trobe University & couldn’t be more grateful. To be the 1st to go to High School in my fam & to share this today with my mum whose sacrifices with my dad made all this possible is everything. Just wish my father was alive to share this with me,” Kon wrote.
Just received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from @latrobe & couldn’t be more grateful. To be 1st to go to High School in my fam & to share this today with my mum whose sacrifices with my dad made all this possible is everything. Just wish my father was alive to share this with me pic.twitter.com/5rZ5uXtnW6
— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) May 15, 2019
La Trobe has a long tradition of recognising people, namely alumni like Kon, who have made a significant contribution to their field through strong commitment and dedication.
READ MORE: Kon Karapanagiotidis: An architect of hope
In fact it proved to be a big week for the human rights advocate. Used to giving to others, last week the spotlight was on him.
The CEO was also recognised at the University of Melbourne, the recipient of the Alumni Leadership Award.
“Humbled to receive tonight the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne Alumni Leadership Award & to share it with my sister Nola (an amazing Human Rights and Criminal Law Barrister),” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
“Two migrants kids from parents who spoke no English when they arrived & had no formal education. Tell me again how migrants are a burden to our country.”
It’s not the first time Kon has been recognised for his humanitarian and advocacy efforts. In 2007 he was a finalist for Australian of the Year (Victoria), in 2012 he received the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights Medal, and in 2016 was Maribyrnong Council’s Citizen of the Year.
Kon was also awarded an Order of Australia Medal and the La Trobe Alumni Young Achiever Award in 2011.
In recent years, he received a Community Service Award from the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce in 2017; a Distinguished Service Award from the Migration Institute of Australia in 2018; and earlier this year Kon’s work was acknowledged with a Pro Bono Australia Impact Award.
Watch Kon give an inspiring speech to graduates, below:
