Lifetime of advocacy: Kuranda Seyit receives Order of Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (MNTV) —  When Kuranda Seyfettin Seyit received a call from Canberra earlier this year, he assumed it was a routine call. Instead, the call brought unexpected news, he had been selected to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), recognizing decades of service to multicultural communities in Victoria, reports Star Journal.

“I was very surprised,” he said. “I thought maybe I hadn’t been successful because I’d heard nothing for so long. It was a pleasant surprise.” 

While the honor acknowledges a remarkable career of community advocacy, leadership and social justice work, he is quick to shift the focus away from personal recognition and towards the people and causes that have shaped his journey.

Growing up as a young Muslim in Australia in the 1980s, Kuranda experienced firsthand the challenges faced by culturally diverse communities seeking acceptance.

Those experiences fostered a lifelong commitment to social justice, beginning with advocacy for refugees during Australia’s heated debates over asylum seekers in the early 2000s. “We were going to Parliament House, meeting politicians and advocating for refugees,” he recalled. “That was really where it all started.”

Following the Sept. 11 attacks, his work took on renewed urgency. As public scrutiny of Muslim communities intensified, he became a prominent voice promoting understanding and challenging stereotypes. 

“I made it my goal to build better relationships between Muslims and the broader Australian community,” he said. 

One of his most significant achievements emerged from that mission.

In 2002, he helped establish the Goodness and Kindness campaign, bringing together Muslims, Christians and Jews to foster interfaith understanding in schools across Australia. 

Thousands of students participated, learning about common values shared across faith traditions.

The initiative culminated in a powerful visual statement: a giant patchwork quilt featuring messages of kindness written by schoolchildren. The quilt was later draped across the front of Parliament House. “That’s definitely one of the highlights of my community work,” he said. 

Over the years, his focus expanded to mentoring the next generation of leaders. Through leadership programs, international exchanges and youth development initiatives, he has worked with hundreds of young Australians, many of whom now occupy influential roles in law, community services and advocacy. 

“There’s something very fulfilling about seeing young people develop into leaders who are making a positive contribution,” he said.

Today, he continues that work through leadership programs in Melbourne and through humanitarian initiatives that take young Australians overseas to participate in aid projects.

His recently established charitable branch, Islamic Care Global Aid, combines practical assistance with leadership development, helping participants gain a deeper understanding of global inequality and human suffering. “We want young people to see these realities for themselves and develop empathy,” he said. 

Despite ongoing challenges, including rising social tensions and Islamophobia, he remains optimistic about Australia’s future. “We have to remain hopeful,” he said. “Australia is a beautiful country because of its diversity. The different cultures here enrich the fabric of society.”

For Kuranda, the OAM is not the culmination of a career but a reminder of the work still to be done. His focus remains unchanged, nurturing ethical leaders, breaking down misconceptions and building bridges between communities. “Ultimately, it’s about creating a better society for everyone,” Kuranda says.