Welcome to our first bulletin for 2023. We would like to wish a happy Year of the Rabbit and Year of the Cat to all Victorians celebrating lunar new year.
Celebrations are integral to who we are as a community and a nation. We were pleased to see Melbourne's annual Australia Day parade replaced with an event at Federation Square that called on Victorians to "reflect, respect, celebrate."As Victoria moves closer to securing a Treaty with its First Peoples and the country prepares for a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, it is heartening to see growing support for the need to reflect on the complicated history of January 26 and why it is a day of mourning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country.
The referendum is an historic turning point. We share the concerns expressed by the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) about the No campaign’s divisive bid this week to undermine the referendum with an alternative proposal that would add the recognition of migrants to the constitution. This attempt to pit the inclusion of migrant and refugee communities against First Nations recognition is a harmful distraction from the real spirit of the referendum, which seeks to unite all Australians on a path to reconciliation.
We look forward to working with FECCA in a concerted national effort to ensure multicultural communities are engaged and informed about what the referendum truly represents, and can play an important role in achieving a resounding Yes vote.
The year ahead will be a busy one, and we are excited to meet its challenges with energy and optimism. Next month will see the release of our 2023-24 Pre-Budget Submission, which builds on our vision for multicultural Victoria put forward in our State Election Platform.
Eddie Micallef, Chairperson
SUPPORTING | Multicultural regional emergency management
ECCV is working with regional ethnic communities' councils and peak bodies to support regional communities affected by last year's floods. The Multicultural Regional Emergency Preparedness & Response Program also aims to embed engagement with multicultural community organisations and leaders in the regional emergency management response to deliver better outcomes in future emergencies.ESTABLISHING | Multicultural Mental Health Network
ECCV has established a multicultural mental health network to facilitate reforms of the Victorian mental health system. The network, which held its first meeting in December, is chaired by Dr Judy Tang, a clinical neuropsychologist and Victorian Multicultural Commissioner. The network will aim to ensure the voices of migrant and refugee communities are heard and acted on in the reform process.ISSUING | Joint statement against temple vandalism
Last week, ECCV joined fellow members of the Victorian Multicultural Commission's Multifaith Advisory Committee to release a statement condemning the recent vandalism of Hindu temples in Albert Park, Mill Park and Carom Downs. Such violent acts go against our fundamental right to safety in our places of worship and to respect for difference in our diverse communities.AUST | LODGING | Our submission on Australia's migration system
ECCV's submission to the Department of Home Affairs’ review into A Migration System for Australia’s Future looks at how the migration system has become increasingly more complex to navigate in recent years. The submission makes recommendations on how to ensure migrants are seen not simply as solutions to labour shortages, but as future assets across society as a whole.MEETING | New Multicultural Affairs Minister
Earlier this month, ECCV Chairperson Eddie Micallef and CEO Emiliano Zucchi met with Colin Brooks MP, the new Minister for Multicultural Affairs. We look forward to working with Minister Brooks and the Andrews Labor government to continue improving outcomes for Victoria's diverse migrant and refugee communities in 2023 and beyond.HIRING | Communications Assistant
We are seeking a part-time Communications Assistant to join our team. The role involves assisting in the production of high-quality content across ECCV’s platforms to support our policy, advocacy and project work. Our ideal candidate is someone with initiative, attention to detail, and the ability to work across a range of platforms to engage with diverse stakeholders.SUPPORTING | Power Saving Bonus program
Our Multicultural Outreach team is assisting people from migrant and refugee communities to apply for the Victorian government's Power Saving Bonus. Our team can assist in Arabic, English, Hindi, Italian, Punjabi Somali and Turkish. The Bonus is a one-off payment of $250 available until 30 June to all households statewide.MORE:
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