Alumni Profile
Luke is a long-time labour advocate and Industrial Officer with the Transport Workers Union, where he assists lawyers in prosecuting unfair dismissal and underpayment matters.
Luke is proud of his life-long commitment to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with workers and marginalised communities, from regional election campaigns to supporting Western Australia’s Burmese community in their fight for democracy through his role as an activist with the Western Australia Myanmar Democratic Network (WAMDN). Since 2022, Luke has also been part of the Qaswa House community – a space that sparked his love for Islamic traditions, dialogue, and spiritual depth.
Luke is proud of his life-long commitment to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with workers and marginalised communities, from regional election campaigns to supporting Western Australia’s Burmese community in their fight for democracy through his role as an activist with the Western Australia Myanmar Democratic Network (WAMDN). Since 2022, Luke has also been part of the Qaswa House community – a space that sparked his love for Islamic traditions, dialogue, and spiritual depth.
Program Highlights
Overall, I loved AIMEP. It was one of the greatest times of my life. The people I travelled with were marvellous people, and the people we met were helpful, informative and inspiring.What I especially loved was that AIMEP didn’t shy away from showing us the challenges that Indonesia faces. But even though the challenges were real and present, the people that we met, and that we travelled with, met these challenges typically with good humour and determination. In short, I love the people, and I have come away with a greater appreciation and understanding of Indonesian culture. Seeing the Indonesians, who were strangers at the beginning of the program, immediately coalesce into a cohesive group was also amazing. An Indonesian friend in Perth said this was representative of the Indonesian spirit of “”gotong royong.””
One fun memory I’ll keep with me from my experience was, before I started the AIMEP tour, I caught up with some friends in Bandung. They took me out to eat Nasi Liwet. A few times they told me “Brother, you know this is a Sundanese speciality?” Later, at Muhammadiyah HQ, we were served Nasi Liwet. Wanting to look smart, I clapped my hands together and said “Ah, a Sundanese speciality!” The Makcik looks at me quizzically and says “No, this is from Solo.” Needless to say, I learned a great lesson, never assume you know, always verify with a second source, and don’t get between Javanese and Sundanese when it comes to their food!
One fun memory I’ll keep with me from my experience was, before I started the AIMEP tour, I caught up with some friends in Bandung. They took me out to eat Nasi Liwet. A few times they told me “Brother, you know this is a Sundanese speciality?” Later, at Muhammadiyah HQ, we were served Nasi Liwet. Wanting to look smart, I clapped my hands together and said “Ah, a Sundanese speciality!” The Makcik looks at me quizzically and says “No, this is from Solo.” Needless to say, I learned a great lesson, never assume you know, always verify with a second source, and don’t get between Javanese and Sundanese when it comes to their food!