This has been a month of much cultural and religious significance.
With Ramadan, Passover, Easter, and Vaisakhi overlapping for the first time in 30 years, and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, many of Victoria's diverse communities have enjoyed gathering in person and celebrating together.
I was honoured to attend the Premier's Iftar Dinner earlier this month, alongside our CEO Emiliano Zucchi, which was
a fantastic opportunity to connect with and celebrate our state's vibrant multicultural and multifaith communities.
We will soon be entering the home stretch for the Federal Election on 21 May. Aged care and disability are two of our key election priorities, and we hope to see much-needed reform and investment in these sectors from the new government.
The Federation of Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) has published its Policy Platform 2022, which calls for the establishment of an Office for Multicultural Australia to craft a cohesive, effective, and efficient approach to national multicultural policy.
Whether you are a long-time voter or a new citizen voting for the first time, we would like to emphasise the importance of having a say in the democratic process and making sure the voices of our communities are heard in this election.
Eddie Micallef, Chairperson
VicHealth an official sponsor of FECCA 2022
We are delighted to welcome VicHealth as a sponsor for the upcoming FECCA 2022 national conference. This sponsorship will focus on boosting youth participation at the June 16-17 event in Melbourne, building on our work empowering diverse young people through our partnership with VicHealth on the Future Healthy program.
Welcome our new anti-racism ambassadors
We are pleased to announce that three new ambassadors have joined All One Together, ECCV's anti-racism project, which aims to support employers to improve diversity and inclusion practices in their workplace. We warmly welcome The Grove Children's Centre, Smart Start Early Learning & Development Centre, and Fundsnational, who will join our other ambassadors at the Anti-Racism Symposium in June.
Multicultural Chronic Disease Prevention report
ECCV is proud to announce the publication of the Chronic Disease Prevention in Multicultural Communities report, produced in partnership with Diabetes Victoria. The report finalises research gathered from consultations with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds about their views on chronic disease and how to engage CALD communities in prevention education programs.
Disability forum: COVID-19 and mental health
ECCV's Statewide Disability Network is holding an online forum on Tuesday, 24 May from 10:30am to 12:30pm to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of people with disability from migrant and refugee communities. The forum will bring together experts including mental health care providers, practitioners and people with lived experience.
Raise Our Voices program back to face-to-face
ECCV's Raise Our Voices program is excited to return to delivering face-to-face workshops after almost 12 months of holding online workshops. The Broadmeadows peer support group will hold an in-person session next Tuesday, 3 May at St Dominic's Primary School, which will focus on self-advocacy and navigating the NDIS.
- To find out more, contact Project Officer Youssif Assafiri on 0466 448 315.
ECCV at Buddhists of the West festival
Earlier this month, our Multicultural Outreach team held a stall at Buddhists of the West festival, where they handed out free rapid antigen tests and provided information on how ECCV's Multicultural Outreach project can help their communities get vaccinated and stay COVIDSafe.
- To book an information session for your community, email Project Coordinator Shivani Sharma or visit website.
New peer support group for Afghan carers
ECCV's Recognising and Respecting Carers project, run in partnership with Carers Victoria, has been busy delivering workshops and information sessions. A project highlight has been the establishment of a peer support group for Afghan carers, which will hold weekly English classes and fortnightly capacity building workshops, starting in May.
- To find out more, email Project Coordinator Hayat Doughan.
Register now for FECCA 2022 conference | 16-17 June 2022
With the FECCA 2022: Advancing Multicultural Australia national conference less than two months away, we are thrilled to host old and new friends. We look forward to coming together in Melbourne in person to discuss diversity, migration, multiculturalism and more.
Protecting Our Communities video series
Have you seen "Protecting Our Communities," ECCV's COVID-19 video series? The 15-language series features inspiring stories of how community leaders overcame misinformation and hesitancy to support seniors in their communities during the pandemic. We encourage you to watch and share the videos with your networks to help keep our communities safe.
Newsletters
- CALD NDIS Updates Bulletin
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Regular news, events and resources with a culturally and linguistically diverse perspective, for the disability sector, people with disability and their families and carers. Subscribe to bulletin.
- Golden Years
A quarterly eMagazine for seniors and the aged care sector focusing on ethnic and aged care issues. To submit a story idea or any editorial inquiries, read more
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Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV)
Address: Suite 101, 398 Sydney Road, Coburg Vic 3058
Tel: (03) 9354 9555
Email: eccv@eccv.org.au
Website: https://eccv.org.au