Henry Zwartz

Media Manager, United States Studies Centre | Award-winning Journalist
Australia
This is a two-way process because, with each opportunity to discuss using media to empower communities, I also learn from those communities. It's an invaluable experience.

Henry Zwartz is an award-winning journalist who recently became a DTP trainer in a special DTP human rights and advocacy program for migrant and refugee community leaders in Australia. DTP organised the special two-day training in collaboration with STARTTS (the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors).

Henry is studying postgraduate law and is passionate about international and media law. He’s interested in the intersection between law and media, and their use as a force for good.

Henry focused on developing media skills as part of advocacy strategies, generating much interest and engagement among the participants – who represented many communities including Uyghur, Khmer, Karen, Hazara, Assyrian and many others.

“It was a real privilege to work with the Diplomacy Training Program and to meet such a wonderful group of community leaders and experts as well as people with lived experience in a huge range of issues, including navigating the refugee system here in Australia.”

Henry says he is looking forward to continuing to work with the DTP as he strongly believes in the power of education.

“This is a two-way process because, with each opportunity to discuss using media to empower communities, I also learn from those communities. It’s an invaluable experience.”

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Henry has been passionate about human rights from a young age. “My parents played a big role in that, as well as some key mentors like Phil Thornton, a respected journalist who does work with a range of organisations, including the International Federation of Journalists.”

While studying Politics and Arts at the University of Sydney as an undergraduate student, Henry volunteered for a refugee-run ethnic news media organisation in SE Asia – KarenNews.

“This was a great training ground as a young reporter, and it required me to work in difficult environments across Thailand and Myanmar. It exposed me to challenging conditions, including areas of active conflict, and I saw the worst and, more importantly, the best in people. It was a foundational experience and has guided me ever since.”

Henry has already had a successful career as a reporter, winning four awards, including the 2019 Young Walkley for Regional Affairs coverage and the Pete Davies Memorial Campaigning Journalism Award, and has been a finalist in a further seven other journalism awards. Henry now works for a politics and foreign policy think tank and as a freelance journalist with SBS, which strives to provide a voice for multicultural Australia.

“I am also passionate about human rights and education, which I think is part of what motivates me.”

Henry looks forward to future collaborations with DTP, as this work brings his passion for human rights and education together, and he knows the power of the media to help make people care and drive change.

March 2023

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