Speaker Information

Youth Session

Panelist

Noor Azizah

  • Director, Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network

    Noor Azizah, a Rohingya refugee, has surmounted immense challenges to become a passionate advocate and educator. At age eight, she and her family resettled in Sydney after fleeing the genocide in Myanmar’s Arakan state. Her early life was marked by homelessness, statelessness, and adversity as they navigated dangerous conditions, jungles, and hunger. Despite these hardships, Noor emerged as a powerful voice for Rohingya women, who have endured atrocities such as systematic rape, torture, and loss. This ongoing plight fuels her dedication to advocacy. Noor co-founded the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network, a women-led organization focused on Rohingya human rights, SGBV, education, and trans local solidarity.

    Academically, Noor holds a Bachelor of Education in Primary and TESOL from the University of Sydney, and a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the NSW Young Women of the Year award and the Global Citizen Youth Leader Award in 2024. Noor is also a One Young World Ambassador and serves on the Indigenous Council and Global Security Council on Existential Threats.

    Noor has collaborated with prominent figures such as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett, human rights activist Craig Andrew Foster, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs, and Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She spoke at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum in Geneva and was appointed as a refugee expert for the 2023 Forum. Noor currently serves on Australia’s Refugee Advisory Panel and contributes to various initiatives, including the Gender Audit Team, UN 30 for 20 Network, NSW Westminster Bridge Young Leaders Network, and the U.S. Consulate General's Sydney Youth Advisory Council.

    As the director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network and an English as a Second Dialect Specialist teacher, Noor continues her work as a refugee consultant and advisor. Her journey exemplifies resilience, compassion, and dedication to creating a better world.