Unity in Diversity – creating a culture for multiculturalism –

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW invites you to participate in a collective forum to create an agenda for constructive change, within the ECC, and within the community.

Over the past few years multiculturalism has become a debate rather than a recognised way of Australian life. This challenge needs to be addressed proactively. We as the peak multicultural body recognise that we need to evolve to respond to your needs as our membership.

As we move to reinvigorate ECC NSW, we would like to see all of our member organisations work together to achieve our collective goals. No one organisation can advocate for change on their own. But as a collective unified voice, we can instill change on a community, policy and political level.

We understand this journey won’t be easy. Every community has specific and differing needs which need to be addressed. However this should not divide us, it should be our source of strength. Our common interest in cultural diversity should unite us in addressing social justice, human rights, education, heath, migration and settlement, housing, industrial relations, transport, cost of living, work-life balance and social inclusion. It impacts on us all as uniquely as multicultural Australians.

In 2008 we want you to join YOUR ECC in developing a program for change.

Sunday 31st of August 2008. Starts 10:00am finishes at 3pm. 221 Cope Street, Waterloo.

See you all there

Best wishes to the Australian Olympic Team!

We look forward with excitement to watching One World come together for the2008 Beijing Olympic games.The Ethnic Communities' Council would like to extend our best wishes to our Australian Olympic Team, to AOC Chief John Coates and Deputy Chef de Mission Lynne Bates (pictured).

Let our migrant communities brighten the tapestry that forms our nation

People rely on hopes and wishes to keep motivated. As I come to the completion of a year as Chair, I have been pondering a wish list for the migrant communities in a country in pursuit of furthering “social inclusion”.

I invite you to add to this list.

The list:

Social Inclusion through all Australians taking pride in our culturally diverse nation

This can be achieved by: (a) education via school and media, leading to an unbiased awareness of diverse cultures and faiths; (b) developing true understanding and acceptance of other cultures and faiths will be the next step; (c) fostering participation in and enjoyment of diverse cultures for all in Australia.

The old must look after the young, so that the young will then look after the old

Young people must be encouraged to become more active in community. They need to be shown the way. We must find the right incentive, in an incentive driven world. Not enough people are willing to give their time to community. Why is it so? Community leaders need to cultivate young to step up to the plate, and take responsibility. We desperately need leaders of the future, especially from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Create more role models for our young people

To enable more opportunities for people from culturally diverse backgrounds in representative roles. Create more role models for our young people, like our NSW Premier, The Hon. Morris Iemma, who is from Italian background, and Governor Marie Bashir A.C., who is of Lebanese background.

Over 25% of the population are from diverse cultural backgrounds. But why is it that the same proportions are not represented on the board of major companies, as judges, in state and federal government, or as ambassadors for Australia.

I encourage you all to add to this list. Put your comments on our blog. Contact the ECC with your ideas. Better still, come along and actively participate.

Progressing from one Chair to the next, together in a council of leaders from richly diverse backgrounds, let’s keep working collectively to keep our hopes and wishes alive for the migrant communities.

Migrant communities brighten the tapestry of our nation. Diversity makes us global.

Ted Quan
ECC Chair

Hong Kong –NSW Business Awards now Open

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council together with the Hong Kong Australia Business Association –NSW Chapter is encouraging participants to enter in the annual Hong Kong –NSW Business Awards of Excellence

The awards acknowledge the achievements of local NSW companies trading with Hong Kong, said Director of HKTDC Australia/ NZ Ms Bonnie Shek “The awards recognize individuals and companies striving for excellence in all aspects of international trade between Australia/NSW and Hong Kong SAR/China,” Ms Shek told “It also provides incentive for other NSW based companies to establish trade links with Hong Kong.” There are six award categories, including export of goods, export of service, imports of goods, imports of service, creative SME, contribution to the industry.

In addition to these awards, there will be a Grand Prize selected from one of the six winners. The independent judging panel is to be chaired by The Hon. Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG QC, and comprises The Hon. Henry Tsang OAM MLC with other professionals and industry heads from Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Austrade, Qantas Airways, Aon Risk Services and CMC Markets.Previous Business Awards Grand Prize Winner was Nature’s Care Manufacturing. Other winners included Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Bluechip Infotech Pty. Ltd, Rockman (Australia) Pty.Ltd, K Square Karaoke Lounge, Informed Investors Magazine and Kairos International Pty. Ltd.

Mr Peter Sinn, President of the HKABA NSW, adds “This year the awards have grown to recognize those companies doing business between not only Hong Kong and NSW but also China, 2008 is the biggest year yet with significant sponsors supporting the event led by Qantas Airways Ltd, Aon Risk Services and CMC Markets, truly making this a not to be missed event” The winners will be announced at the Annual Hong Kong Australia Business Association-NSW Chapter Business Awards of Excellence gala dinner, to be held at the Shangri-La Hotel Sydney on October 17.

NSW Businesses can enter online http://www.hkaba-nsw.com.au entries close mid-late August 2008 or contactMr. Peter Bosevski from Hong Kong Trade Development Council Email: peter.bosevski@tdc.org.hk orMs Coco Li from Hong Kong Australia Business Association (HKABA-NSW)Email: hkaba_nsw@tdc.org.hkPhone: 02-9261-8911

ADVANCING AUSTRALIA FAIRLY MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER COMPETITION 2008

1. Background to the Competition

Today’s young people will be tomorrow’s leaders. They will make a critical contribution to building an Australia that promotes tolerance, respect and understanding, and is dedicated to combating prejudice and discrimination against individuals or groups on any basis.

Advancing Australia Fairly is an annual competition that aims to stimulate university and TAFE students to think about their contribution towards shaping Australia’s future.

The competition organizers come from diverse backgrounds and community groups, but are united in our commitment to work together for the common good. We share universal values of love, compassion, equality, respect for human rights and the rule of law. This competition is a contribution towards building unity in diversity in the Australian community.

2. Competition Theme

The theme of this year’s competition is

GROWING TOGETHER IN HARMONY: MY PROPOSAL

Students are invited to express their ideas as essays or visuals.


3. Competition Details

3.1 Competition Categories:
There are two separate sections to the competition – an essay section and a graphic/photo section

The essay should be one page or less (800 words maximum)

The graphic/photo should be a graphic image or photo supported by no more than 300 words. Minimum size is 10cm x 15cm and maximum size is 20cm x 25cm.

3.2 Submission of Entries
Entries may be submitted by individual students or by groups of students attending Universities or TAFE colleges throughout Australia

All entries must be original.

Entries to be posted to
ADVANCING AUSTRALIA FAIRLY COMPETITION
PO Box 443
KINGS CROSS, NSW 1340

3.3 Closing Date
The closing date for all entries will be 8 August 2008. Entries will become the property of the competition organisers.

3.4 Judging
A panel of qualified judges will judge the entries. Decisions made by the judging panel are final.

The entries will be judged on the overall clarity of meaning, focus and relevance of the entry, and its appropriateness relative to illustrating the theme of the competition. Originality and innovation will score highly. Dramatic, beautiful, truthful and creative images will rate highly in the graphic/photo section.

The organisers reserve the right not to award a prize if, in the opinion of the judges, there is no eligible entry that satisfies the judging criteria.

3.5 Winning entries
· Each entrant will receive a certificate of acknowledgement
· Winning entries in each section will receive a prize of $4000
· There will be 6 runners up prizes in each section. Each of these prizes will be $1000
· Winners will be publicly announced in 21 Sept. 2008 to mark the ‘ International day of Peace.
· Winning entries may be published, exhibited publicly, used for promotional purposes or uploaded onto World Wide Web.

4. Organisers

The competition has been initiated by
· The Alfred Dreyfus Unit ( under the umbrella of MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER )
· Australian Baha’i Community
· Australian Law Students’ Association (ALSA)

Community groups and organisations are invited to contribute to the competition as partners or supporters.

Competition partners will contribute, materially or in kind, towards the planning and implementation of the competition.

Competition supporters give their endorsement to the competition and its aims, and commit to promoting it within their organisations and networks.

Supporters of the inaugural competition in 2007 included: Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Uniting Church Education, Buddhist Council of NSW, Hindu Council of Australia, Chinese Australian Forum, Hye Hoki, and the NSW Senior Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC.

Competition sponsors for 2008 include: Meriton, Specialty Fashion Group, Amitran

5. Further Information

Further information and entry forms will be available from the competition website, www.movingforwardtogether.com.au

B’nai B’rith contact person: Ernie Friedlander, tel (02) 9361 6035 or email erniefrbnaibrith@ozemail.com.au
Australian Baha’i Community contact person: Natalie Mobini-Kesheh, tel (02) 9877 5826 or email natalie.mobini@bnc.bahai.org.au

Photo from Chinese Community Beijing Olympics Dinner

Young Australian Olympians for Beijing 2008, divers Alexandra Croak and Matthew Mitcham holding one of the auction items.

Women of Faith Dinner 08

WOMEN OF FAITH DINNER 08
reconciling inwardly, outwardly and in between

Keynote Speaker Coral Oomera Edwards
'Aboriginal Spirituality'
Also featuring will be Jewish, Christian & Muslim speakers

Entertainment: Cultural Music & Dancing
Date: Saturday, 31st May 2008
Time: 7pm for a 7:30pm start
Location: Parra Villa Function Lounge 42 Campbell St, Parramatta (behind Westfield)Cost: $38 per person (includes three course meal plus dessert)
Bookings & Payments are Essential.

Please RSVP by 17th May at registrations@affinity.org.au or by phone on 02 9702 0789

Chinese Australian Forum and Chinese Youth League BEIJING 2008 APPEAL DINNER

The Chinese Australian Forum and the Chinese Youth League are hosting the Supporting the Australian Olympic Team BEIJING 2008 APPEAL DINNER.

Meet Olympians, Parliamentarians, Community & Business Leaders

Celebrating the 1st ever Olympic Games to be staged in China

Dinner & Entertainment
Friday, 13 June 2008 at 7 pm
RSVP 30 May 2008. Booking Essential.

The China Grand Restaurant
Level 3, Market City, 9 Hay Street, Haymarket

Ticket: $100 per person
For a memorable evening and a noteworthy cause

All proceeds go to the Australian Olympic Team Beijing 2008

Enquiries & RSVP:

Tony Pang Tel: 0414512027 email: tonypang@tpg.com.au
Patrick Voon Tel: 9436 6088 email: patrickvoon@bigpond.com
Dominic Cheng Tel: 0412 440 863 email: chinatownpromotions@e-telcom.com.au

Chinese Australian Forum http://www.caf.org.au

Chinese Youth League http://www.cyl.org.au/

All correspondence to P O Box 876, Turramurra, NSW 2074
Cheques payable to: “Chinese Community Supports The Australian Olympic Team Fund”
GST Free

Macedonian play: "Fear & Shame" putting mental health issues in the spotlight

Above: St George Hospital Director of Mental Health David Pearce, Playwright of “Fear & Shame” Dushan Ristevski, and Ted Quan ECC Chair

Mental health is a prevalent issue in our community. Mental health professional and noted Sydney playwright Dushan Ristevski has written a ground breaking play “Fear & Shame” in his native Macedonian language highlighting the complexities that confront a family living with mental illness.

The award winning play opened to full houses. This is an issue that deserves such a creative medium for awareness-raising in all ethnic communities.

ECC Chair Ted Quan was pleased to offer the support of ethnic communities to encourage Mr Ristevski to have the play translated into other languages, along with the support given by St George Hospital in staging the powerfully written play. The barrier of language was transcended by a superb cast along with humour that was laced through the intensity of the dialogue.

We look forward to seeing the play published in English next.

Congratulations go to Dushan Ristevski, the cast, and to St George Hospital Mental Health Service for their support of a worthy initiative for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

ECC participates in 2020 Summit in Sydney

ECC Chair Ted Quan attended the Sydney 2020 Summit seen here with 2020 Summit convenor Tanya Plibersek MP (Member for Sydney; second from right), discussing issues affecting families and community, and affordablepreventative health care for an ageing Australian population.

Lively discussion on the future direction of Federal multicultural and immigration policies

The Chinese Australian Forum hosted a very successful community forum on 8 April 2008 on the topic of “Immigration & Multicultural Policies of the Rudd Labor Government”, which was attended by over 150 people and many leaders from the Chinese and Korean communities (including the first Korean Australian Community Relations Commissioner Vivian Pak).

The guest speakers for the evening were the Hon. Laurie Ferguson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, representing the Federal Government, and Mr Gavin McCain, NSW State Director of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

For 2 hours, a panel comprising of Arnold Conyer, National President of Migration Institute of Australian , Kate Gauthier, A Just Australia's National Director, Ron Kessels, Principal of Kessels and Goddard, and Justin Li, Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia Youth Chair, as well as audience members asked Mr Ferguson and Mr McCain a number of tough questions regarding the new Federal Government's direction on multicultural and immigration policies.

Topics discussed included the "white flight" phenomena recently reportedly occurring in the State's public schools, 457 visas, the Federal Government's plans to more actively promote multiculturalism, family reunion programs, regulations for migration agents and lawyers, and Australia's immigration levels.

Mr Ferguson gave recognition to the contributions made by migrants in Australia and gave a renewed commitment on behalf of the Federal Government to the promotion of multiculturalism.

The Chinese Australian Forum is a non-partisan body dedicated to fostering advocacy and political discussion for the Chinese community. For future activities organised by the CAF, visit
http://www.caf.org.au/

Pictures from Colour Parade, Sydney

The Colour Parade is a small celebration of diversity, freedom of expressionand colour in the City of Sydney, supported by the ECC.

POSITION VACANT: Executive Officer for community organisation

Up to $65K p.a. package (depending on experience and skills)

The Ethnic Communities Council of NSW (ECC) is a non-government peak body representing thousands of people from ethnic communities throughout the State. The Council is looking to employ a full time Executive Officer at its Waterloo office to manage a small team of office and project staff and to oversee the day-to-day running of the organisation.

The ECC is an equal opportunity employer.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the ECC Chair and working under the broad direction of the Management Committee, the role is responsible for the effective day-to-day operation of the organisation and the co-ordination and promotion of ECC projects and work programs.
The position is required to exercise a significant degree of initiative, autonomy and judgement in undertaking the day-to-day management of ECC operations and staff.
Other key responsibilities include representation of the ECC and the migrant community in relevant forums, the development of policy and submissions in relation to CALD communities and liaison with media outlets, government departments, community organisations and members of the public.

Essential Criteria:
1. Experience and demonstrated commitment to working with CALD communities
2. Experience with writing policies and funding submissions
3. Effective interpersonal and communications skills to coordinate the work team, liaise with the Management Committee and coordinate media requests.
The position is subject to the availability of ongoing funding.

HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants should send an expression of interest addressing the criteria to : eo@eccnsw.org.au Enquiries: Helen Scott on 93190288
Applications close Thursday 17 April 2008.

Mental Health Festival at Manly

ECC gave support to the Mental Health Festival held at Manly 30 March 2008.

Pictured are Ted Quan with festival organiser Joan Hunt, and Australian Idol Casey Donovan who performed all day to help raise awareness for suicideprevention in the community.

Speakers included former MP John Brogden who has worked tirelessly making use of his own experiences in providing education to the public, and dispelling the stigma of depression and mental illness.

Inspirational works by Australian school children at Harmony Day Poster Awards at Parliament House

From ECC Chair Mr Ted Quan

I was privileged today to be invited to Parliament House to join theMinister for Education in presenting the Award to students for the annualHarmony Day Poster competition.

There were 3,600 entries.In the attached photo, I am with the overall winner Ashneet Kaur Sethi fromSt Ives High School next to her winning entry.The theme of living and growing in harmony is such a valued notion in ourAustralian community right now.

The Minister, John Della Bosca, spoke of howpeople need to be taught to hate and to be prejudiced. Reflecting on the song "You've gotta be carefully taught" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical"South Pacific".

The organiser of this competition Ernie Friedlander had told of how hestarted the event to honour the German soldier who had the compassion tosave his life and his mother's life during WWII.

The risk taken by this German soldier and his kindness was not forgotten by the then 8 year old Ernie. I just wanted to share with all of you how inspired I was to see so many school children being encouraged to promote harmony... Not prejudice!

HREOC media release: Racial Discrimination Act should reflect contemporary Australia

The Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tom Calma, said today that a fresh consideration of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA) is warranted to ensure it remains relevant to contemporary Australian society.

Commissioner Calma made this comment as he released the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) Background Paper No 1, An International Comparison of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.

“As the first anti-discrimination law in Australia, the RDA declared unambiguously to the Australian people that racism and discrimination were no longer acceptable in our society,’ the Commissioner said.

“After 33 years it is important that the RDA continues to be reviewed against the goals it seeks to achieve, which are equality and non-discrimination,” said Mr Calma. “Yet it is also important that the legislation evolves in response to the changing makeup and reality of Australian society, which is very different today to what it was in 1975.”

Commissioner Calma pointed out that, since 1975, thousands of individuals and organisations have used the RDA to address racism, either by making complaints of discrimination, or by negotiating policy changes based on the broader principles of racial equality.

The legislation has also made possible important developments in the area of Indigenous rights, culminating in the recognition of native title in 1993.’

“The Background Paper analyses the continuing usefulness and effectiveness of the RDA by placing it in context with contemporary race discrimination legislation in other parts of the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union,” Mr Calma said.

The Paper will now be distributed to interested parties is downloadable from the HREOC website at www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/papers/

IMPORTANT new laws for incorporated associations

Proposed changes to the laws regulating incorporated associations will make them easier to run and provide increased protection for their members. The reforms will simplify many of the rules for small associations as well as ensuring greater financial transparency for associations whose annual turnover exceeds $200,000.

There are over 35,000 incorporated associations in NSW, with interests ranging from small hobby groups to large sporting clubs and community service organisations. Overall, the proposed changes will modernise the processes involved in running an association and improve the flexibility for meetings and office holders.

The NSW Office of Fair Trading is seeking public comment on the proposed reforms which can be found on the Fair Trading website at http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ or by calling 13 32 20. Submissions close Friday 11 April.

POSITION VACANT- Ethnic Communities Council of NSW Administration Officer / Office Coordinator

Administration Officer / Office Coordinator for a State-wide Community Organisation based Sydney Office in Waterloo

• 35 hours per week, or part time, commencing as soon as possible
• Commitment to cultural diversity and working with CALD communities
• Provide receptionist duties, and administrative support to Chair, Executive Officer and other staff
• Assist in various community projects
• Maintenance of office supplies, resources, filing systems and information on website
• Effective communication skills required, and competence in coordinating correspondence and appointments

For further details regarding this position, Phone ECC on 9319 0288.

Email application outlining your experience in the above areas to: admin@eccnsw.org.au

Chinese Cultural Day 2008

Chinese Cultural Day 2008 will take place on Tuesday, April 15 in the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour. “Culture & Harmony IN Australia” is the theme of this year’s free event. Activities, performances and talks to suit all ages will be presented from 10:00am to 4:30pm.

The program includes a lion dance, kung fu workshops, opera singing, costume display, Chinese musical instrument performances, folk dances and magic shows. Other program highlights are Late Spring in Southeast China, Chinese calligraphy and painting demonstrations, Chinese paper cutting and folding, Kids Talent Time and a children’s art workshop.

Talks will be given by Dr Yow Yit Seng on “Understanding Chinese Names” and “Interpreting Chinese Zodiac Signs,” while City historian Dr Shirley Fitzgerald’s talk “From Market Garden to Fragrance Garden” presents a brief overview of the Chinese in Sydney. There will also be a “Living Library” with live books where borrowers are able to talk to and ask questions of these books.

As one of the celebration events of the City of Sydney’s Living in Harmony Program, the overall aim is to foster harmony in a multicultural society. The program and Chinese Garden setting promotes cultural understanding and awareness, by providing an opportunity for the wider community to have a deeper understanding of Chinese Australians.

Chinese Cultural Day is coordinated by the City of Sydney in association with the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Chinese Australian Services Society Co-operative Ltd, Chinese Senior Group Ultimo Community Centre, Chinese Cultural Friendship of Australia, Jing Lao Tang, Australian Chinese Community Association of NSW Inc, Chinese Heritage Association of Australia Inc, University of NSW Community Development Program and Super ‘V’ Multicultural Volunteer Program.

Bookings: Tickets from City of Sydney Multicultural Development Officer Phone (02) 9246 7874 or email sng@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Media Contact: Daphne Lowe Kelley 9719 3080 lowekelley@bigpond.com
Chinese Heritage Association of Australia Inc.

Properly funding public schools the answer to "white flight"

In the last month, the Sydney Morning Herald published a number of front page articles on a report by the NSW Secondary Principals Council revealing how white Australian students are increasingly fleeing public schools, leaving behind those of Aboriginal and Middle Eastern origin.

The article reported that "Around Sydney, the parents of some Anglo-European students are avoiding what they perceive as predominantly Lebanese, Muslim and Asian schools" and that "Not only have some public schools lost enrolments; they have become racially segregated. In pockets of rural and remote NSW, Aboriginal students fill public schools and white students attend Catholic and other private schools in the same town." See full article here.

The findings of the research, if true, are obviously of concern to us. The success of Australian multiculturalism has always relied on Australians from all cultures interacting with each other in everyday life activities. An important aspect of that interaction is found in the education system, which for many people represents their first real opportunity to experience meeting someone from a different cultural background. Polarisation of schools based on ethnicity or faith undermines those opportunities, and with that, multiculturalism.

What can be done to address this trend? Racists would probably seize on those reports as supporting evidence that people of different cultures cannot peacefully co-exist. But that would be a simplistic analysis. It assumes that students are leaving pubic schools as a result of fear of other students from another ethnicity.

There is however another more optimistic explanation. Parents, no matter from what ethnicity or religion all want their children to receive the best educational opportunities possible. And perhaps they are not confident that the public education system is currently providing those opportunities. Hence, the movement to private, religious, and selective schools by those who are most able to afford to do so. Statistically, they are more likely to be Anglo-celtic Australians. On the other hand, many families from migrant backgrounds are still the most likely to face financial disadvantages. The latter do not have the luxuary of choice. Financial circumstances could therefore be a major contributor to the segregation.

Thus part of the solution to this issue, and one supported by the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW is for increased funding and support to public schools and its teachers. If parents can be confident that their children will receive the same high quality educational opportunities no matter where they are schooled, that will go a long way towards addressing the white flight phenomena.

Closing the Gap must remain a daily priority

Closing the Gap must remain a daily priority

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma has used national Close the Gap Day today to urge the federal government to make closing the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians a daily priority.

"Just over a month ago we witnessed the historic signing of a Statement of Intent between the Australian government, Indigenous and non-Indigenous health experts and the reconciliation movement to work together to Close the Gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians by the year 2030," Commissioner Calma said.

“We must do everything in our power to build on this momentum and to put flesh on the bones of the rhetoric and sentiment of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations in February.

"While the Prime Minister's commitment to report on progress in closing the gap on the first day of federal Parliament each year is welcomed, I implore all governments around Australia to continue consulting, planning and implementing the steps along the way towards ensuring that benchmarks and targets for achieving these fundamental human rights for Indigenous Australians become a reality."

Commissioner Calma said the ‘Close the Gap’ campaign, launched in April last year, involved more than 40 organisations pushing for government commitments to fixing the tragedy of Indigenous health.

"The Close the Gap coalition has put the crisis in Indigenous health under the national spotlight and I call today on all Australians to look beyond 2020 and realise that together we can work to ensure that an Indigenous baby born in 2030 has the same life expectation, the same access to quality health services and the same life outcomes as non-Indigenous Australians,” Mr Calma said.

HREOC endorses moves by government to address alienation of Muslim people in Australia

Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tom Calma, today welcomed proposed federal government initiatives which aim to take a more socially-inclusive approach to help address the complex issues faced by many Muslim Australians.

Commissioner Calma said a revival of the Council for Multicultural Australia, as well as a new-look Muslim advisory body that would feature leaders and role models from a cross-section of ethnic backgrounds and focus on everyday Muslim Australians, would be a positive step.

"The level of social alienation faced by many Australian Muslim people, particularly young Muslims, has to be turned around," said Commissioner Calma. "Racist, religious or cultural hatred directed towards any member of the community is a breach of human rights and is absolutely unacceptable,"

Commissioner Calma referred to the concerns covered in a 4 Corners television program this week which focused on the need to promote social inclusion, multiculturalism and zero tolerance to racism in order to avoid the continuing alienation of young Muslims.

"Ongoing fear and misinformation in the wider community remains a major threat to social harmony," said Mr Calma. "Social inclusion measures are likely to be much more successful at protecting the community from violence than many of the tough security initiatives advocated under the 'war on terror'.

"Failure to take action to improve social inclusion and combat racism will only fuel frustration within Muslim communities and continue to reinforce discriminatory perceptions of threats to national security among non-Muslim communities."

Mr Calma noted that the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) has been working for several years to form strong partnerships between Muslim communities, NGOs, universities and government agencies in an effort to build awareness and engagement with Muslim communities.

"We require whole-of-government and whole-of-community approaches to building community capacity, cross-community and cross-cultural respect and social inclusion," said Mr Calma.

"The HREOC approach, mixing 'coal-face' community partnership projects, with human rights education resources, research, and communications is an important model that complements this targeted approach to working with communities."

"For these initiatives to work, we require a major rethink on security and social inclusion, which this government appears to be working hard to achieve," said Mr Calma.

FAMILY STORIES: BELGRADE

By Biljana Srbljanovic
Translated and Directed by Bojana Novakovic
15th Oct – 2nd Nov 2008
At the Stablemates Griffin Theatre Darlinghurst

Family Stories: Belgrade is a violently skewed ‘Family Portrait’ of a developed nation in the process of imploding. It gives voice to a generation of people who grew up during a ten-year civil war and articulates what they lost over that time: an identity, a voice and the ability to develop opinions of their own.

A war is over, or it might not be. It is any time after 1999. The inflation rate is absurdly high, there are demonstrations in the streets, politicians wives are publishing self-help books, families are rationing food and kids are left unsupervised in their concrete playground.

On stage, or at the back of an apartment block, four adult actors play children who in turn play adults; mum, dad, son, daughter and the family dog. This is the game of Family Stories, a thrilling, hilarious, devastating parable of post war society.

It is vital to consider that only a couple of decades ago Yugoslavia was very much like Australia seems now; an intellectual and cultural epicentre. Its citizens well-educated, it was a final destination for all Europeans looking for freedom, opportunities, intellectual and artistic expression, and an exciting night-life. In a country that still has this potential, the impact of a work like Family Stories: Belgrade cannot be underestimated.

This play is, at heart, an allegory of Yugoslavia under Milosevic, and one of the most original, contemporary and honest theatrical dramatizations of the unrest that came under his regime. More than that however, it is a depiction of the dehumanization of a society - any society - under the boots of repression, nationalism, corruption, and war.

Ride On Theatre

Fringe theatre doesn’t get much more exciting and disturbing than this.
Cameron Woodhead, The AGE

Ride On is a collective of young professional theatre makers, performers, designers, technicians and musicians who share a passion for theatre as a vital source of our collective cultural conscience, our identity as individuals and as a community. Steered by the artistic vision of Tanya Goldberg and Bojana Novakovic, Ride On’s vision is the creation of challenging, innovative theatre works, which always draw upon the vitality of the medium and resonate and expand the boundaries in our distinctive culture.

"Compelling… refreshingly accessible … inventive… such theatrical conceit seems perfectly matched to the politics of today"
Mark Hopkins, Sydney Morning Herald

Ride On’s 2004 production of LOVEPLAY was a B Sharp sell-out and set an unprecedented box office record for the Downstairs Belvoir Street Theatre, only superceded in 2007 by Ride On’s The Merchant of Venice. After shaking up Sydney audiences during its April 2006 season, Debris had a sell-out second season at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in October, hosted by our friends The Black Lung Theatre. Debris received Green Room Award nominations for Best Independent Production and Best Actress (Bojana Novakovic) With our acclaimed 2006 production of Bone, the production was invited for a return season at the Seymour Centre as part of the Best of Independent Theatre BITE season. Bone received a Sydney Theatre Award nomination for Best Actress (Vanessa Downing) 2006. With The Merchant of Venice, Ride On returned to B Sharp, at Downstairs Belvoir, once again welcoming new members into the company for a fresh, invigorating and highly acclaimed theatrical experience. Thematically and artistically, The Merchant of Venice continued the Ride On tradition of pushing creative boundaries for our team as well as personal ones for our audience. Our 2008 plans continue in the same direction, with ideas for original work and rare contemporary adaptations. We hope you are enjoying the ride!

… Ride On Theatre have certainly ticked the biggest box on their mission statement – providing “a community of artists who believe in theatre’s enlightening and transforming power” Debris indeed enlightens and transforms, and gives hope where you least expect it.
SydneyStage.com


Bojana Novakovic : translator and director.

Bojana graduated from NIDA in 2002. In 2004 she won the AFI award for Best Leading Actress on Television for the ABC mini series Marking Time. This year she is about to star along side Will Smith in the film 7 POUNDS. Other film Credits include Optimisti, Solo, Thunderstruck, The Monkey’s Mask, Strange Fits of Passion, Blackrock and The Eye Inside. Theatre credits include These People, Away and Strange Fruit at the Sydney Theatre Company; The Female of the Species at the Melbourne Theatre Company; Criminology (Greenroom nomination for best actress 2007), Eldorado (Helpman nomination for best supporting actress, 2006) and Necessary Targets at the Malthouse, Death Variations and Loveplay (Ride On) for B Sharp, Romeo And Juliet with Bell Shakespeare and Debris for Ride On Theatre which received a Greenroom Award nomination for best Independent production and best actress in 2006. TV includes the Showtime series Satisfaction and The Cooks, Wildside, Water Rats, Big Sky, Heartbreak High and Murder Call.

Bojana was a producer for the 2004 Ride On sellout season of LOVEPLAY at the Downstairs Belvoir Street Theatre and the 2006 award nominated production of Debris. She was director and writer with Melbourne’s Black Lung Theatre for the critically acclaimed production of Sugar at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe Festival. She was an anti-nuclear testing protest organiser all throughout high school and appeared on the news! As well as fundraising for anti communist protests in Belgrade from 1997-2001. She has worked extensively with refugees in Australia. She is a professional translator for theatre and film (Serbian/ Croatian).

JAPA - Justice Access Programs Alert

JAPA - Justice Access Programs Alert is a free bi-monthly electronic alert published by the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW.

It covers innovative programs improving access to justice for economically and socially disadvantaged people throughout but not limited to NSW. Program evaluations are included if available.Each issue will include a focus on a specific theme.

Programs for Aboriginal people are featured in the first issue, which is available on the web at http://www.lawfoundation.net.au/publications/newsletters/japa.

To subscribe go to http://www.lawfoundation.net.au/publications/newsletters/japa.

Contributions and feedback are welcome and can be sent to arussell@lawfoundation.net.au

Migrant communities participate in Clean Up Australia Day

Across NSW, migrant communities enthusiastically participated in this year's Clean-Up Australia Day on Sunday 2 March 2008.

In Sydney's West, over 30 volunteers from the Lebanese Moslem Association (LMA)met at Lakemba Mosque and spent the day cleaning specific locations around the local area. Sites marked for cleaning included Wangee Rd, Lakemba St, Haldon St and Lakemba Train Station. The day was an overwhelming success. A BBQ for all participants who took part was a great way to relax after a hard day’s work.

"The day showcased the community spirit that exists within the local area and we were ecstatic to be apart of such a great initiative with over 50 bags of rubbish being collected on the day” said LMA president Tom Zreika. The LMA is now looking forward to lending a hand at next year’s event.

In the North West, members of the newly established Australian Asian Association of Bennelong (AAAB) spent time cleaning BBQ stoves and tables at a park in Eastwood (pictured above). Eastwood has become home to an increasing number of Chinese, Korean and other Asian Australians in recent years.

AAAB founding member Justin Li said "Unlike other countries, Australia does not have many paid street cleaners. It is therefore important for volunteers to help maintain a clean environment.”

Established on 25 January 2008, AAAB is a new non-profit organisation set up to represent the Asian community in Eastwood, Denistone, Marsfield, Epping, Carlingford, Macquarie Park, and Ryde.

It is pleasing to observe that more and more migrant communities are participating in Clean Up Australia Day each year as an annual tradition.

A BRAND NEW TELEVISION SHOW FOR SBS

Do you know any Sydney families whose adult children live at home?

We’re offering $500 to anyone who refers a family to us that we ask to appear on the program!
(Please talk to the family in question before putting them forward)

We are looking for Sydney based families from various cultural backgrounds to feature in a new television production for SBS.

We need families whose children aren’t in any rush to leave the parental home. There may be some tension but, by and large, the parents like having their kids around and believe they are doing the right thing by helping them out a little; the kids like living under their parents’ roof.

In this exciting new series, families will be asked to break their daily routines and take on new roles while an observational documentary crew capture the events as they unfold. Expert advisors will be on hand to guide them through the process and offer them a unique insight into their lives. The resulting television programs will be thought-provoking for all families, for you it will be the opportunity to learn about and assess your futures. Whatever conclusions you draw from the experiences you’ll be given, it’ll certainly be a positive learning curve for all the family.

If you are interested in taking part in this amazing TV show and would like more information please get in touch with Fabio Basone at casting@freehandtv.com.au or call on 02 85145427

Urgent reform to Indigenous policy and service delivery needed

Australia has reached a ‘crossroads’ in Indigenous policy and service delivery, according to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma, who said today that modifying the existing system must be an urgent priority for reform.

Delivering his ‘Reform’ speech at the Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) Queensland’s Annual General Meeting, Mr Calma said the new federal government had been left with a system limited in its capacity to meet commitments to Indigenous affairs and reconciliation.

“At some point, as a nation we stopped believing that equality of opportunity for Indigenous peoples was a realistic goal. And so we stopped trying to achieve it,” Commissioner Calma said.

He added that the commitment of the previous government to make a real difference could not be questioned, but they had made the mistake of not learning from their past, and not appreciating the importance of undertaking action in partnership with Indigenous communities.

“The new Australian Government should harness the urgent desire of the previous government to reform Indigenous affairs. Reform is necessary to ensure standards of accountability are upheld and that a clear, consistent vision is applied with a guaranteed capacity to deliver,” he said.

“There are some essential elements to this reform. First and foremost, Indigenous peoples must fully participate in policy making processes.

“Secondly, it is not good enough to rely on ‘record levels of expenditure’ as the measure of progress. We should instead be setting ambitious targets that have bipartisan support and form the basis of inter-governmental cooperation.”

Mr Calma said the recently announced Joint Commission on Indigenous Policy provided the vehicle for this to occur. He added that this could be enhanced with support from state and territory governments, business leaders, academics, community workers and others, to ensure that its work is evidence-based and informed.

“Once goals and targets have been set, government processes must be reformed and re-engineered to ensure that they are capable of meeting these challenges,” Mr Calma said.

“It is also essential for Indigenous policy making to be based on a commitment to human rights and human dignity. This requires a focus on gender equality, the rights of children and a focus on the best interests of the child, as well as providing recognition and protection for cultural diversity.

“The first step on this road to reform is mutual respect and partnerships,” he said.

Saying Sorry: Towards an equal partnership for all Australians

It was indeed heartening to see today at the 42nd Opening of Federal Parliament, our Prime Minister taking the reconciliatory step forward in acknowledging the ill treatment of the Stolen Generations, their descendants and families.

In his speech, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlined his vision of : “A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.” ECC whole-heartedly supports this goal for our nation.

Last weekend, we witnessed the record gathering of 80,000 people in Sydney streets to celebrate and share in a cultural event – Welcoming in the Lunar New Year.

It is a vision of the ECC to work towards encouraging all communities to celebrate and share many other festivals in our Multicultural calendar. 2008 looks to be a positive year for social inclusion and multiculturalism.

Ted Quan ECC Chair

Do migrants really volunteer less?

Last Monday's Sydney Morning Herald featured a front page story about a study by Melbourne academic Ernest Healy which supposedly shows that migrants from non-English speaking countries are less likely to be volunteers than Australian-born people or migrants from English-speaking nations.

"When you create societies from mixed backgrounds it may not lead to overt violence … but to something scarier, a withdrawal from the civic sphere," Dr Healy said, "a feeling of less connectedness."

While the study was done in Melbourne, Dr Healy said the results were likely to be similar for Sydney. See the full article here.

The story triggered many responses in the Herald's letter page the next day and once again highlighted the dangers of making broad-sweeping statements, which can unfairly prejudice entire communities.

It is open to challenge how the study defined "volunteering". It would appear that the criteria used was one of participating in organised civic, sporting, and welfare organisations. While it may be true that there are less migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds taking part in traditional institutions such as the Salvation Army or Surf Life Rescue, many migrants do regularly volunteer in their local churches, synagogues, mosques, and ethno-specific institutions.

Indeed, the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW itself, which celebrated its 32nd anniversary last year has primarily depended on the work of volunteers in its executive and management committees- and all of these people have been from migrant backgrounds. This is also the case with many of the ECC's organisational members

If truth be told, there has been a general decline in volunteering in Australia in recent decades. That is why the Department of Disability Ageing and Home Care (NSW) is currently funding The Future of Volunteering project, via New South Wales Meals on Wheels to address this issue. Clearly, the blame cannot be laid on any particular communities.

It is instructive to observe that over 80,000 people enjoyed the public celebrations of Chinese New Year over the last weekend in the City of Sydney. No doubt the success of the event came about due to the hardwork of many volunteers. It is not implausible to suggest that most of these will be people from Chinese Australian (and therefore non-English speaking) backgrounds.

Grants from Mental Health Council of Australia

The Department of Health and Ageing has provided the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) with $6 million to assist in the development of the capacity of non-government mental health organisations and other organisations delivering services relating to mental health. There are two opportunities:

One-off grants of up to $40,000.
14 free, full day workshops around the country, designed to build stronger organisations;

ABOUT THE GRANTS:

MHCA invites a broad range of services to find out more and apply. MHCA is keen to hear from organisations working in: drug and alcohol rehabilitation, counseling, telephone help lines, family support services, men’s services, asylum seeker support, eating disorders, suicide prevention and addiction.

Grant application forms & info available at www.mhca.org.au from 1st February 2008.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS:

Providers of mental health services can also attend the 14 free, full day workshops around the country designed for building smarter and stronger not for profit organisation and also better projects. Everything from HR, IT and maintaining staff in a not for profit organisation will be covered.
For more information or to book please contact Rachelle Irving at rachelle.irving@mhca.org.au or (02) 6285 0812

Disaster unlikely even if Don dropped from Test

During the last month the Federal Government announced that it would review the questions migrants are asked when sitting the Australian citizenship test amidst figures showing 18 per cent failed on their first attempt, with the highest failure rate recorded amongst refugees and humanitarian entrants.

The Ethnic Communities Council of NSW supports this review and hopes that it will result in a better understanding of why certain groups are failing and what could be done to assist them.

The ECC had in the past consistently questioned the need for the test at the time of its introduction, which some had tried to justify on the basis that Australian immigrants were not sufficiently integrating into the country. That was an incorrect perception because the vast majority of migrants in fact does integrate very well into the country and make significant contributions to our society.

At the time, the ECC had also expressed its concerns that migrants without a good educational background, and those from non-Anglo or European countries will struggle with parts of the test. The statistics now appear to confirm those initial fears.

The ECC maintains that in order for the test to achieve its intended effect of helping migrants to settle into the country, the questions must be more relevant and useful to migrants' every-day lives. It is more useful for migrants to learn for example, the name of particular Government agencies and departments in order to access various services, rather than to know exactly what year the first European settlers arrived in the country.

Of course, sometimes when new laws are introduced, they cannot be easily repealed. The GST is an example. In the case of the citizenship test, millions of dollars have already been spent implementing the test. If the Federal Government is committed to keeping the citizenship test, then the ECC hopes that changes will be made to the test in a fair and non discriminatory way, so that vulnerable groups applying for citizenship will not be excluded.

In the meantime, it would also be helpful if the media did not whip up hysteria over the review of the test. During the last month, mainsteam media reported headlines like "Don Bradman to be dropped from test", calculated to provoke community sentiments. While the topic generated some intense debate, it turned out to be a non-issue as it was soon revealed that Don Bradman was never part of the exam questions anyway (he was just in the booklet). But in any case, even if knowledge about Australia’s greatest cricketer was dropped from the list of things prospective citizens are required to learn, I really doubt migrants will for that reason struggle with life in Australia.

The Future of Volunteering

The Future of Volunteering is an innovative project which will, for the first time in the world, use narrative research processes, tools and proprietary software Sensemaker TM developed by Cognitive Edge to explore an issue of critical public policy. The project is funded by the Department of Disability Ageing and Home Care (NSW), via New South Wales Meals on Wheels. It is supported by the Minister for Ageing, Disability and Home Care (Minster Keneally), the Minster for Volunteering (Minister Burney), and Premier and Cabinet as well as peak organisations in the community care sector. The Society of Organisational Learning Australia and Cognitive Edge are providing the software and facilitation expertise. (SoLA is the learning partner for Cognitive Edge in Asia Pacific).

The key objectives of the project are to develop an understanding of policy issues and implications given the changes in demographics and patterns of volunteering, as well as guidance for those organisations funding and managing volunteers. The project may assist in providing answers to such questions as:

Is volunteering a doomed activity?
Where will the volunteers of the future come from?
What will motivate them?
What might volunteering look like in the future?
What forms might volunteering take (eg corporate volunteering, time-limited or project-based etc)?

The project will result in:

· a data base that contains the experience of volunteers, funding bodies and organisations that use volunteers
· identification of themes and issues, that will inform policy development for government and agencies that use volunteers
· an agreed set of priorities for further research and action


The project was launched in June 2007 and an on-line survey developed which went “live” in August 2007. The initial story-collecting phase ran from August through to mid-September 2007

The initial project plan was ambitious, expecting completion by December 2007. We underestimated the time required to inform, mobilise and facilitate volunteers and others to share their experiences and stories. We probably also over-estimated the ability of many of our target audience (particularly volunteers themselves) to easily access the internet to complete an on-line survey.

We currently have some 800 stories on the database and would like to generate 3 or 4 times that many stories as quickly as possible, to inform planned workshops for February and March 2008.

How can you help?

That’s where you and your organisation come in. We would like to enlist your support in generating stories about volunteering from your own volunteer base and from those staff who work with and manage volunteers. We also invite you and your volunteers to participate in the sensemaking workshops, set for February 25,26. A separate invitation to this event will be forwarded shortly.

What is in it for you?

Well firstly, you will be contributing to building the database and the body of knowledge around volunteering that will come from working with the stories on the database. This information will be in the public domain, and be available to all participating organisations.

However, if you are able to supply at least 300 stories from your own organisation, we will be in a position to “tag” your organisation’s stories and provide you with an analysis of the stories that reflects the issues around volunteering “as they apply specifically to your organisation”. This analysis would include comparisons with the overall data.

It should be noted that individuals can supply multiple stories about volunteering if they wish. We are interested in the experiences of volunteers, and their managers.

How to collect stories:

Recognising the difficulties of only using an on-line survey format, we have now developed 5 options for collecting stories: Whatever option is used, we need the data to be with the project team no later than 1 March 2008.

The survey is still available on-line. To visit the survey website, please point to the following web address: https://60.242.186.37/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cognitive-edge.com/surveys/fov/ . For those who previously found this difficult to complete, some changes have been made based on feedback that is more user friendly.

The survey is available in hardcopy. Survey forms can be distributed to your volunteers and staff and completed forms sent back to the Future of Volunteering Project at the following address:
Future of Volunteering Project
NSW Meals on Wheels
Level 4, 80 Cooper Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010

Ideally completed surveys would be sent back in batches as soon as they are ready so that we have maximum time to arrange for their transcription and up-loading to the database. However, the last date for receipt would be 1 March 2008, as we also plan to hold an “Intervention Design” workshop in mid-March to start to design interventions to address some of the issues which emerge from the sensemaking workshops.

Stories could be recorded and indexed at the time on a variety of recording media. The recorded stories could be sent to the project where they will be transcribed and up-loaded to the database. We can receive the recordings in any format eg as cassette recordings, as audio files via e-mail (viv.read@cognitive-edge.com) or on CD etc. If you wish to use this option please contact one of the project team members on the numbers listed below to discuss.

If the above methods prove difficult, but you have people in your organisation that would like to tell their stories, you could send a list of names and contact phone numbers to the Future of Volunteering Project at the above address and we will have someone call them back and record their stories over the phone.

Alternatively, one of our project staff could attend a meeting/workshop/seminar/other event that your organisation is running and arrange to record stories on the spot.

For further information:

If you are able to assist, require any additional information, have a question or would like clarification, please contact of the following project team members:

Viv Read 0414294339
Chris Fletcher 0402308403
Steve England 0418638873

ACCA Chinese New Year Banquet 2008

The Australian Chinese Community Association Chinese New Year Banquet 2008 will be held on Thursday 14 February 2008 at Marigold Restaurant. Details attached (Note, date is now 14 February 2008, not 15 February 2008).
http://www.acca.org.au/pdf/CNY%202008%20Flyer.pdf

Culturally Diverse Youth of Australia facebook group

Help us build Australia's largest online network of young Aussies from culturally diverse backgrounds!

Culturally Diverse Youth of Australia is an online forum on popular social network tool Facebook designed to allow young people across Australia from diverse cultural backgrounds to talk about what issues are important to them.

Young people will have an opportunity to have their voices heard or just to share experiences and get to know other like minded people.

You can join Culturally Diverse Youth of Australia HERE. all you need is a facebook account.

Culturally Diverse Youth of Australia is an initiative of FECCA Youth.

Upcoming Talks for City of Sydney’s 2008 Chinese New Year Festival

Organised by the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia:

Chinese Australians in Film and Theatre

Date: Sunday 17 February 2008
Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Venue: AGL Theatre
Museum of Sydney on the site of First Government House
Cnr Bridge & Phillip Streets, Sydney
Cost: Free
Bookings: lowekelley@bigpond.com
9719 3080 (Daphne Lowe Kelley) or 9449 2453 (Kathie Blunt)

What opportunities are there for Chinese Australians in the Australian film and theatre world? Come and hear the stories of Gabrielle Chan and others from the cast of The Home Song Stories, plus that of writer and director Jon-Claire Lee, Annette Shun Wah and Jacqueline Lo.

Interpreting Chinese Zodiac Signs

Date: Monday 18 February 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Venue: Customs House Library, Meeting Room Level 2
31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay
Cost: Free
Bookings: Customs House Library 9242 8555

An interesting and entertaining session by Dr Yow Yit Sing on all you want to know about the 12 Chinese zodiac signs and the Year of the Rat.

Understanding Chinese Names

Date: Tuesday 19 February 2008
Time: 10:30am – 12 noon
Venue: Customs House Library, Meeting Room Level 2
31 Alfred St, Circular Quay
Cost: Free
Bookings: Customs House Library 9242 8555

Dr Yow Yit Seng, author of Chinese Dimensions: Their Roots, Mindset and Psyche will answer all your questions about Chinese names.

OAM for Tasha Vanos

Long time ECC member Tasha Vanos has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his many years of service to the Greek community, particularly through the Australasian Hellenic Educational Progressive Association and through the promotion of Hellenic culture and traditions in Australia.

The ECC congratulates Mr Vanos for this great achievement.