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.

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.

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.

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

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.

New Arabic Collection at Panania Library Launch

ECC Vice Chair and convenor of the ECC's education subcommittee Raymond Arraj launched a new Arabic Collection at Panania Library late last year along with Clr Richard Maclaughlin, Deputy Mayor of Bankstown City Council. Below is an excerpt of his speech:

I wish first to thank Ferial, for the invitation to be part of this important day.

My name is Raymond Arraj and it gives me great pleasure, as Vice-Chair of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW, to welcome you all here today, to launch a new Arabic Collection, or shall I say, to launch a new milestone in the life of Panania Library and to celebrate a new achievement of Bankstown City Council.

Let me tell you that this day brings back many fond memories of my involvement with the Arabic Language for over 25 years; having been one of the driving forces behind the introduction of the Teaching of Arabic in NSW both in Primary and High Schools, in addition to being a writer of the Arabic Syllabus for the NSW Board of Studies, as well as a HSC Senior Examiner of Arabic and a lecturer of Arabic at both of Macquarie and Western Sydney universities.

Today’s launch of a new Arabic Collection which offers a new range of items to the Arabic-Speaking Community, means a great deal to us at the ECC and it is indeed our role and duty to support it and even boast about it, because it epitomises what we have advocated and continuously lobbied for.

The Ethnic Communities Council of NSW which supports and encourages cultural activities like this one, is the peak representative body of the NSW multicultural community, and is recognised as such by the State and Federal Governments.

Our past achievements include, and just to mention a few:
-The establishment of the Federation of Community Languages Schools
-The Association of Translators and Interpreters
-And SBS Television and Radio.

More importantly, the ECC is involved in the process of settlement and integration, a process that the whole of Australia must be involved in. And Bankstown Council is thankfully playing a key role in the process and in ensuring that cultural diversity is accepted and respected within our democratic framework, where English is our common language.

In Bankstown, Arabic speakers are by far, the largest non-English speaking group. I know that many members of the Bankstown’s Arabic community are keen library users, and are very appreciative of what Panania Library has achieved for them. The new Arabic collection comprises mostly fiction and non-fiction books on a variety of subjects and themes. I encourage the members of the Arabic-speaking Community, to take their place in the “information society” and this includes making use of the range of services provided in Bankstown public libraries.

There is evidence that some Ethnic groups and indigenous Australians are greatly disadvantaged in terms of education, health, employment and accommodation.

These social problems must be overcome and require initiatives like the one we are launching today. This will contribute towards achieving a fair and equitable multicultural Australia.

On behalf of the ECC of NSW and on behalf of the Arabic-speaking Community in particular, I commend and congratulate Bankstown Council and Panania Library on their most appreciated initiative and on their continuing efforts to meet the important information needs of community language groups.