Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia

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FECCA - Georgie's Snapshots

GLIMPSES OF AUSTRALIA’S CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Having lived in Australia since the beginning of 2004, Georgie Wiles spent one year working in Melbourne before moving to Sydney. Born in South Africa to British parents, she was raised in Hertfordshire, England, where she completed high school in 2002. Following school she left home to work on a voluntary conservation project in Northern Ecuador. She spent the remainder of 2003 learning Spanish and travelling in South and Central America and Southern Africa.

The diverse media Georgina encountered on her travels sparked an interest in journalism and its role in any community. It was this learning experience that encouraged her to study communications after settling in Australia. Having always enjoyed writing, she found new focus in using this skill in a media environment.

Australia’s cultural mix has proven fertile ground for Georgina’s interest in social justice and public affairs, and in the future she hopes to be involved with media that supports and celebrates Australian diversity. Georgie was one of the top three finalists in the FECCA/SBS Student Journalism Awards for 2006.

In this series, she will feature aspects of Australia’s rich cultural diversity through interviews and stories. You can contact Georgie via email at ghw597@uow.edu.au.

	*Forward Policing* Wonthaggi’s police station, in the rural Gippsland region of Victoria, is a long way from war torn Sudan. Yet as a member of the Victoria Police’s Multicultural Liaison Unit, Senior Constable Joey Herrech, has the formidable task of bringing these two very remote realities closer together. Read the full story here.

	*An Image of Africa* David Kuel is tall and bookish, and a huge youthful grin comes easily to his face. So tall, so dark, so young and so unmistakably a member of the growing Australian-Sudanese community, David struggles with the idea that the people who surround him in his new home may always see him as a refugee. Read the full story here.

	*Leader of the 'Lost Boys'* Akoc Akei Manheim, Director of the Sudanese Lost Boys Association of Australia, is worried about the effects of the Federal Government’s new citizenship test on young African refugees who face enough barriers to acceptance in their new home of Australia. Read the full story here.

	*Water, Lost in Translation* Sydney Water has developed the wondrous waterless wok. Research has shown that Chinese restaurants using a traditional wok stove use up to 8000 litres a day. The waterless wok has the potential to save each restaurant thousands of dollars a year, as well as improve the sustainability of the industry as a whole. Read the full story here.

	Charmaine Solomon and the many flavours of Multiculturalism Australian cuisine is as diverse as its people, however this was not always the case. Over time, Australians have been tempted by their sense of smell and taste to open their mouths and their minds to other cultures. Read the full story here.

	Stephen's Stone A self-proclaimed “Boat Person” Stephen was the first of his extensive family to escape the oppressive regime in Vietnam, which had imprisoned his mother and forced him, his father and brothers into hiding. Read the full story here.

	*Aziza's Story* Aziza Abdel Halim’s reputation precedes her. Put her name into Google and countless articles will champion her as the ‘most prominent Islamic woman in Australia’. As I wait for her in an ornate Turkish cafe of her choice I mentally list her achievements in preparation for the interview. Read the full story here.