There were no new cases of COVID-19 community transmission in Victoria over the last 24 hours. This is great news
Message from the Chairperson
I hope we can all keep up the good work and continue to minimise the spread of the virus. We must also get vaccinated and encourage our friends and family to do the same. Only with a vaccinated population, will we be able to truly begin recovering from this destructive pandemic.
In other news, this week is a special time for us here at the VMC – it's Refugee Week.
Refugee Week is a national celebration of the contributions refugees have made to Australia. Now in its 35th year, the week also raises awareness about important issues currently affecting refugees.
Both the deputy chairperson Bwe Thay and I came to Australia as refugees. Many of our commissioners, our staff and people from the community we serve also have refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. This week is a valuable opportunity for us to share our stories.
I am proud of where I came from and my lived experience has helped shape my values, my motivation and commitment to this country and, importantly, the work in breaking down barriers and promoting engagement, participation and contribution.
In 2021, the VMC has funded several community events across Victoria to share refugee stories, which are being run by the VMC Regional Advisory Councils. As I have previously shared with you, the VMC will also be hosting the Victorian Refugee Awards. Unfortunately, due to the recent lockdown, we have had to postpone the winner announcement gala. Keep an eye out for when we will be sharing the winners with you later this week on our website.
In the lead up to the winner reveal, Bwe has shared his own reflections on being a refugee in Australia which you can watch here. Bwe’s journey to freedom, to Australia is an amazing one. It defies comprehension but shows us all his ability to survive and thrive.
This week's update is packed with other important news as well. The Victorian Government is recruiting 4,000 new teachers, and CALD applicants are highly valued. Also, the Victorian Community History Awards are closing soon for submissions, a new online art exhibition is launching weekly and we have in-language information about mental health services and the Circuit Breaker Business Support Package.
Take care and stay safe.
Viv Nguyen, Chairperson
Refugee Week 2021 has begun
Refugee Week is about raising awareness of the important issues and challenges that refugees and asylum seekers face. It is also about celebrating their positive contributions to society.
The Victorian Multicultural Commission encourages all Victorians to get involved each year, which can include organising or attending events and learning more about refugees in their area. Through meet-ups, education and celebrations, we can gain a greater appreciation for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds and open up vital conversations.
Explore some of the VMC's activities for Refugee Week 2021 by visiting our website. You can also read below to meet two refugees making Victoria a brighter and more inclusive place.
Refugee Lizzy Kuoth finds home on common ground
Some of us are forced to grow up quickly. As a young girl, Sudanese Australian community leader and poet Lizzy Kuoth lost her mother, experienced frequent raids of her home by northern Sudanese forces, and was then forced to escape her homeland to Egypt. Once there, Lizzy had to wait for the United Nations to resettle her to Australia, and take on the role of family leader – all before she had started high school.
The VMC spoke to this inspiring Victorian about her journey and how trying to understand others first can help you forge a great life.
Salvador Nuñez on why he's proud to be a refugee
Through the 1980s, the Salvadoran Civil War took the lives of more than 75,000 people and displaced two and a half million others. Many of the displaced sought refuge in other countries, and Salvador Nuñez was one of them.
Since making Melbourne home in 1984, Nuñez has gained a master’s degree in Social Sciences and International Community Development. He has worked as a social worker for several vital Victorian organisations, including Footscray Migrant Resource Centre, Midway Language Centre, Prahran Community Health Services and Central American Pastoral House. His final job before retiring was leading multicultural policy development for the City of Whittlesea.
The VMC spoke to Salvador to learn more about how he came to live in Victoria and what we can all do to help refugees and asylum seekers feel welcome.
New works from 'Shelter 2' exhibition to be released every week | 16 June-25 August 2021
In June 2020, residents of the Flemington and North Melbourne public housing estates experienced one of the world’s toughest COVID-19 lockdowns.
This sudden hard lockdown, and the unprecedented nature of the pandemic itself, deeply impacted communities in Flemington and North Melbourne. At the same time, we saw the community mobilise and come together in ways they may not have otherwise.
In the months since, many artists and tower residents have been busy creating new digital works for Shelter 2. It's the second edition of Multicultural Arts Victoria's (MAV) innovative commissions program, which responds to the unique challenges presented by COVID-19 for CALD communities.
MAV will be releasing new works from Shelter 2 each week on its website. Click the link below to explore.
A new Anti-Racism Taskforce and over $3.8 million in funding to tackle racism in Victoria
The Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Ros Spence, has announced details on some of the 42 community organisations that will be receiving funding to tackle racism and promote cross-cultural understanding across Victoria.
The local initiatives are supported by the newly formed Anti-Racism Taskforce, which features VMC Chairperson Vivienne Nguyen AM as a member, along with a diverse range of community members with professional and lived experience.
The Anti-Racism Taskforce will provide high level advice and recommendations to the Victorian Government on how and where racism occurs, and best practice responses that can be used to reduce its prevalence.
Recipients of this exciting grants program, which is a landmark initiative for Victoria, include Youth Activating Youth. This non-profit organisation will use $110,000 to increase young people’s knowledge of their rights in the face of racism. The Tenants Union of Victoria will also receive $70,000 to empower the South Sudanese community to combat racism in the rental housing market.
Victoria needs 4,000 new teachers
The Victorian Government is looking for 4,000 new teachers to support and inspire the next generation of students.
Whether you’ve just left school or have an established career, there are pathways for you to enter teaching – some post-graduate options could see you teaching within 18-24 months.
If you are from a diverse background and want to empower students and make a difference in your community, you are encouraged to enrol in a teaching course.
As a new teacher, you’ll get the professional development and support you need to succeed in a career that combines good pay with great opportunities.
There are more than 1500 schools in Victoria offering a range of teaching jobs. You could work in primary or secondary schools, or specialist education.
Victorian Community History Awards submissions closing soon| | all entries must be received by 5pm Wednesday 7 July 2021
The Victorian Community History Awards are held annually to recognise the contributions made by Victorians in the preservation of the State’s fascinating history – and the deadline for 2021 is fast approaching.
Presented by Public Record Office Victoria and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, the awards celebrate the people involved in community history projects who are dedicated to telling their local stories and helping Victorians to better understand their past. Categories include:
- Victorian Premier's History Award - $5000
- Collaborative Community History Project - $2000
- Local History Project - $2000
- History Publication - $2000
- Local History - Small Publication - $1500
- Digital Storytelling - $1500
- Community Diversity - $1500
- Historical Interpretation - $1500
- Oral History (presented with Oral History Victoria) - $1500
- History Article - $500
A new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act for Victoria | feedback via Engage Victoria until 4 July 2021
The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System final report was released in March 2021. Its recommendations set out a ten year reform vision for creating a balanced, flexible and responsive system. The Victorian Government has committed to implementing all recommendations.
In June 2021, the Department of Health provided an update on the development of the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act and an overview of its proposed content in a paper available on the Engage Victoria website.
The Department of Health welcomes contributions on the questions outlined in the paper. Anyone can make a submission. This includes people with lived experience as consumers, carers, and family members, service providers, advocates and other relevant stakeholders.
Summaries of the paper are available in Easy English and 18 community languages on the Engage Victoria website.
- Read Mental Health and Wellbeing Act: Update and Engagement Paper PDF (1,008.42 KB)
- Read Mental Health and Wellbeing Act: Update and Engagement Paper MS Word (938.31 KB)
- Read Easy English - Update and Engagement Paper PDF (5.36 MB)
In-language information about Circuit Breaker Business Support Package
With safety nets such as JobKeeper no longer available, the Victorian Government has committed more than $500 million through the Circuit Breaker Business Support Package and Regional Tourism Support Package to support small to medium businesses and sole traders most affected by the May-June COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria.
The Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two will assist eligible small to medium businesses most affected by COVID-19 restrictions that have been unable to operate between Friday 28 May and Thursday 17 June 2021.
Eligible businesses with an annual payroll of up to $10 million can receive payments of $2500 or $5000. Additional payments are available to eligible businesses through the Tourism Supplement and the Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two Top-up Payment, bringing the total grant to $7000.
If you would like to read in-language information about this package, please email us and tell us which your language brochure you would like sent to you.
The program is now open for applications but will close on 11:59pm on Thursday 24 June 2021.
Watch in-language videos about maintaining good mental health through the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all. Some people may be finding it hard to cope. It’s okay to seek help.
To help spread the message of looking after our mental health during COVID-19, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) partnered with The Multicultural Health & Support Service (MHSS) and Multicultural Alcohol and Drug Partnership (MDAP) to produce videos encouraging people to get help for their mental health.
The videos are available in Hindi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Dinka and Vietnamese.
Coronavirus hotline
- Coronavirus hotline: 1800 675 398 (24 Hours).
- Interpreting service: If you need an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450.
- Testing locations: Find a testing location near you.
- Triple Zero: Please keep Triple Zero (000) for emergencies only.
- Coronavirus in-language information
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Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC)
Address: Level 3, 1 Macarthur Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9651 5901
Email: contact@vmc.vic.gov.au