In This Issue:                                                 

These can be downloaded from our website at www.fecca.org.au/Media_Releases.cfm for Media Releases, or http://www.fecca.org.au/submissions.cfm for Submissions.

If you wish to subscribe or renew your subscription, please download and complete a subscription form and fax it to (02) 6282 5734.

Snippets for issue 19 will be available on the website shortly, where you’ll be able to view and download selected articles.

Mosaic issue 20 will be titled "Australia's CALD Seniors: Meeting the Challenge" and comes out end of October.

Keep visiting the website for more information.
 

Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is calling for nominations for the 2008 Human Rights Medals and Awards.

Since, 1987, the Human Rights Medal has recognised the achievements of an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights in Australia.

This year the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission are introducing a new award, the Young People's Human Rights Medal.

Human Rights Awards are also presented to an individual or organisation that has made significant contribution in the areas of the Media (Print Media, Television and Radio), Literature (non-fiction), Community (individual abd organisation) and the Law.

Nomination forms and details of previous year's winners are available from:
www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards/index.html

Entries close at 5pm on Friday 3 October 2008.

The Awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, 10 December 2008, at a luncheon ceremony from 12:00pm to 3:00pm, at the Sheraton on the Park hotel, Sydney.

Nomination forms and ticket order forms for the awards are available from:
www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards/index.html

For further information please contact Allyson Campbell, Public Affairs Office for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission on (02) 9284 9681 or email at hrawards@humanrights.gov.au.

Department of Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs (FaHCSIA)

The Federal government, through the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), is undertaking a review of the pension system. The Pension Review will investigate measures to strengthen the financial security of seniors, carers, and people with disability by considering the:

a. appropriate levels of income support and allowances, including the base rate of the pension, with reference to the stated purpose of the payment;

b. frequency of payments , including the efficacy of lump sum versus
ongoing support; and

c. Structure and payment of concessions or other entitlements that would improve the financial circumstances and security of seniors, carers and people with disability.

Public meetings are being held around Australia to make sure people can have a say. The dates and locations for the meetings are:

Thursday, 28 August 2008 Sydney
Friday, 29 August 2008 Newcastle
Monday, 8 September 2008 Brisbane
Tuesday, 9 September 2008 Rockhampton
Tuesday, 16 September 2008 Hobart
Wednesday, 17 September 2008 Adelaide
Thursday, 18 September 2008 Canberra
Monday, 22 September 2008 Melbourne
Tuesday, 23 September 2008 Wangaratta

Written submissions are also being accepted until 26th September 2008. For further information please call the FaHCSIA hotline number 1800 663 011 or visit:
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/seniors/pension_review_guide.htm.

Review Points to New Ways to Help Australians Back to Work

The Minister for Human Services, Senator Joe Ludwig announced that the Rudd Government plans to improve the quality of the assessment that unemployed Australians receive to ensure they get the right assistance to get them back to work.

The new approach will see higher quality assessments in more locations made by better trained assessors.

It will also include new performance benchmarks to ensure jobseekers receive the best quality interventions.

Senator Ludwig outlined the strategy in opening the National Conference of the National Employment Services Association in Cairns.

The Government’s response is based on contributions from community and industry groups to the review of the Job Capacity Assessment process – the basis of how people are assessed for employment support.

The Job Capacity Assessment is a gateway used to assess and refer people with significant barriers to finding work. On implementation it will help people to access employment support services for their situation which will ultimately lead them to re-engage with the community.

The plan includes:

• New quality assurance frameworks for those who carry out Job Capacity Assessments.

• New performance measurements for assessors.

• An overhaul of training materials and methods to focus on the competency of assessors.

• 5000 extra Job Capacity Assessments a year to help disability support pension recipient’s access employment services.

• Changes to support and improve services in remote and regional communities.

The practical improvements to the Job Capacity Assessment process highlighted by this review are critical to reducing the barriers faced by many Australians in finding a job.

More information visit http://www.humanservices.gov.au/jca/jca-review.html on the Human Services website.

Attorneys-General take a Stand on Violence Against Women

On the 25th July 2008 all Australian Attorneys-General took a stance on one of the most widespread and serious human rights abuses in Australia by becoming White Ribbon Ambassadors.

White Ribbon Ambassadors play a key role in the White Ribbon Campaign as positive role models encouraging men to speak out about violence against women. All Attorneys-General made a personal pledge to not commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women.

Andrew O’Keefe, Chairman of the White Ribbon Foundation said that men must know that when they speak out about violence they are not speaking alone, and by speaking in one voice, the Attorneys-General have done exactly that.

The Commonwealth Attorney-General, The Hon Robert McClelland said, “This is an important act by the nation’s first law officers. It says with a clear, unequivocal voice that violence against women in any form is wrong and should be condemned.”

The White Ribbon Campaign welcomes the Attorneys-General and hopes that their personal commitment will help in moving towards consistency and better practice across the judicial system nationally in how violence against women is handled by the courts. White Ribbon sees it as essential that violence against women is always treated as a human rights violation and a criminal offence.

The White Ribbon Campaign looks forward to significant improvements in this area with the pending National Plan to reduce Violence against Women and Children. The Attorneys-General making the White Ribbon pledge and signing up as Ambassadors are together at a Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) meeting in Auckland.

Creating a new partnership between
the Commonwealth Government and
the Not-for-Profit Sector

Tell us your views on an Australian compact. The Not-for-Profit Sector and the Commonwealth Government are exploring ways to develop a new and stronger relationship with each other, based on partnership and respect. It has been proposed that this could be done through the development of a National Compact.

The Sector and the Government want to know what you think about the proposal to develop a National compact. We want to know what you think the value of a compact is, what a compact should focus on, and what should be in one.

The Government has asked the Australian Council of Social Service to consult Not-for-Profit organisations, and the people who use them, about a compact and prepare a report for the Government and the Sector.

This is the first stage of the development of a National Compact. The Sector and the Government will use the results of this consultation to decide how best to move ahead on the development of a compact, including consulting on a draft National Compact.

We look forward to hearing your views.

How to take part in the consultation

See www.acoss.org.au for more information on the National Compact Forums.

The closing date for written responses is Wednesday 17 September 2008.

Help Shape Victoria's Multicultural Policy

The Premier of Victoria John Brumby called on all Victorians to have their say on the Victoria’s multicultural policy by providing feedback on a new discussion paper to be launched.

Mr Brumby released the Multicultural Affairs in Victoria: a discussion paper for public comment on Friday 29th August at a special forum hosted by the Governor of Victoria Professor David de Kretser and attended by 40 of Victoria’s most influential cultural leaders.

Mr Brumby said “Immigration has been an important part of Victoria’s past and will continue to play a critical role in our future. It is one of our key strengths and gives us a distinct advantage socially, culturally and economically.”

Mr Brumby also said the discussion paper was the first stage of the development of a new multicultural policy framework that recognises the social, cultural and economic contribution of Victoria’s multicultural community and sets future directions for the State’s activities in multicultural affairs.

Expert advice will be sought in a variety of fields including education, arts, aged care, support services and health. The Victorian government will actively be seeking views from individuals and organisations over the next two months through targeted discussion groups and community consultations across Victoria.

Mr Brumby stated that Government is committed to making Victoria the best place to live, work and raise a family – and providing refugees and multicultural groups with the support and services they need to thrive in Victoria is critical to this aim.

Submissions open on Friday 8 August and close on 8 October, 2008. For a copy of the discussion paper visit www.multicultural.vic.gov.au.

Chronic Conditions Self-Management 2008-10 Project

As part of the Australian Government’s Australian Better Health Initiative, the Consumers Health Forum (CHF) of Australia is undertaking a two year project on Chronic Conditions Self Management. The project will establish links between health consumer networks, health professionals, service providers and other interested groups to develop a sustainable model for consumer engagement at a local and a national level to implement chronic conditions self management initiatives. Key outcomes of the project include the development of resources for health consumers, and developing strategies to assist health consumers and health professionals in working together to support chronic conditions self management.

On August 28th, FECCA participated in a planning workshop with CHF and have recommended strategies to ensure the perspectives of local CALD communities, organisations and individuals are included in the development of a national strategy for chronic conditions self management. CHF have also produced an information paper which provides consumers with background information to this project and seeks input on project directions, strategies and outputs. Feedback from a range of perspectives is vital to ensure the project is developed and implemented in a way that is inclusive and responsive to the needs of people from CALD backgrounds.

If you would like a copy of the Chronic Conditions Self Management Project discussion paper, please email Corinne on mcqum2@fecca.org.au. CHF are seeking feedback on this paper, with responses to be received by Tuesday 23 September 2008.

This training program is designed to provide participants information and insights for effectively working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) staff and clients.

The training will explore attitudes and behaviours and the complex and fascinating challenges that we face in intercultural communication, cooperation and conflict. It will examine the business case for creating a skilled workforce of culturally intelligent professionals who can effectively navigate the global realities of the 21st century.

Legal obligations will be reviewed, theory will be presented, and there will be hands-on exercises designed to increase awareness and competency in cross-cultural situations within the workplace and in delivery of services to the community. The dynamics of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination will be introduced, with key data describing the impact on organisational productivity and staff and client safety.

Learning areas

• Spheres and types of diversity

• Stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination and ‘race.’

• Creating an inclusive workplace and service environment.

• The definition and elements of culture.

• Exploring our personal cultures.

• Exploring Australian stereotypes, history and culture.

Package
Date:         25 September 2008, 01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Location:   Melbourne
Facilitator: Fiona Jewell

For any queries in relation to this program, please contact Donna de Zwart on (03) 9608 0900 or via email at donna@diversityatwork.com.au.

The Awards Night Update

Please feel free to contact the Cultural Diversity @ Work CEO directly on (03) 9608 0900 or email at mark@diversityatwork.com.au.

Project aimed at improving the quality of life of newly arrived Brazilian migrants in Victoria

The Brazilian Association for Social Development and Integration in Australia (ABRISA), with the support of ExxonMobil is conducting a study on the Migration and Settlement process of newly arrived Brazilian migrants in the state of Victoria.

In the spirit of one of its key objectives and concerned with the lack of support many Brazilian migrants face upon their arrival in Australia, the ABRISA executive committee decided to commission a study on the Brazilian population who have migrated to Victoria in the past 5 years.

The aim of this study is to better understand the needs of the newly arrived Brazilian migrants, in particular the first 12 months and the issues they face. The study will cover: Accommodation, Employment, Social Interaction, Cultural Differences, English Language Skills and Family Settlement.

A Project Team has been established to conduct this study and community engagement has already started.

Those willing to take part in this survey need to send an email to contactus@abrisa.org.au with the subject line: Migration and Integration Survey and a questionnaire will subsequently be sent.

For more information about ABRISA Please contact Alba Chliakhtine – Project Manager at albaval@optusnet.com.au or visit www.abrisa.org.au.

Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, John Hargreaves, announced that the ACT Government had introduced a new free house hold drop-off service for fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lights.

ACT residents will now be able to drop off their fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) at both the Mugga Lane and Mitchell Resource Management Centres. This initiative comes following requests for a solution to the disposal on energy saving lights.

Fluorescent lights contain small amounts of mercury which can be released as a vapour if the glass is broken. The safest way to dispose of lights that contain mercury is to have them recycled to safely recover and recycle the mercury, glass, phosphor, and aluminium from lamps.

Fluorescent lights collected in the ACT will be sent to a specialist recycler of mercury-containing wastes in Victoria.

This is a free drop-off service for domestic users. It is not proposed to restrict the number of tubes or CFLs that can be deposited per visit, however, Resource Management Centre staff will use their discretion when dealing with customers with large numbers of tubes or globes.

This service is not for commercial operators who will need to continue to make their own arrangements.

For more information about this please contact Kim Fischer on (02) 6205 0300 or 0434 020 498 or email at kim fischer@act.gov.au.

The third AFL International Cup

The third AFL International Cup will be staged in Melbourne and Warrnambool in August 27 / September 6, 2008. This AFL event will feature prominently during the 150 year celebrations of Australian Football.

A key feature of this unique event is that all players must be citizens of their country. No expatriate Australians are eligible to play with teams comprised solely of amateurs who must be nationals of the countries they represent.

In 2008 the following teams will be participating:

International Cup
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, USA, Ireland, Canada, China, India, Peace Team (Palestinian & Israeli), Great Britain, South Africa, Japan, Denmark, Nauru, Samoa, Sweden and Finland

Multicultural Challenge
Team Africa, Team Asia and Kingdom of Tonga

The AFL looks forward to working together to ensure Australian Football remains a strong choice for Australia’s diverse communities.

For further information please contact Nick Hatzoglou (AFL Multicultural Project Coordinator) on (03) 9643 1928 or email at Nick.hatzoglou@afl.com.au.

POVERTY, DISADVANTAGE & SOCIAL EXCLUSION CONFERENCE

The Poverty, Disadvantage & Social Exclusion Conference will be held in Launceston on 14th October 08 during Anti-Poverty Week.

The conference has been jointly convened by Centacare and Door of Hope.

Renowned presenters from a variety of backgrounds will present a host of topics:

• Mental health discrimination and stigma,

• Tasmania specific research regarding indicators of poverty, social inclusion and exclusion policies and practices with international comparisons,

• Community development models as well as

• Global poverty issues.

Come, listen, interact and contribute and be inspired. Please visit our website to obtain an invitation. http://www.hobart.catholic.org.au/centacareconference.html.

Chris Peters, AM, Chief Executive- ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be facilitating and presenting several 5-hour workshops, which will outline the responsibilities of community organizations and practical steps that can be followed by the President and Executive Committee of incorporated organisations.

Some of the areas to be covered include:

• the appropriate administration of a community organization

• the conduct of both executive and general meetings and team management,

• the legal requirements of an incorporated association, including submission of annual reports and the audit of finances, and

• Personal responsibilities and liabilities of committee members.

Sessions will be on:

• Saturday afternoon, 16 August, 1pm to 6pm;

• Tuesday evening, 30 September, 5pm to 10pm; &

• Saturday afternoon, 1 November, 1pm to 6pm

A fourth Q&A session will be organised for participants in one of the above sessions and its details will be announced later.

All courses are held in Meeting Room 1 & 2, Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre.

These are free sessions funded under the ACT Government “Enhancing ACT Multicultural Sector Grant” program.

For further enquiries please call Chin Wong (Secretary CMCF) at 0417 686 096 or 0433 947 888.

Kar Kulture Unites Culturally Diverse Youth in Dandenong and Narre Warren