Fast Facts: Community Responses Victoria & Australia
Topics List
1. HIGHLIGHTING
- VIC | VMC | UNITING | Leaders of faith standing in solidarity
- AUST | EQPR | GATHERING | Better Together 2024 | Friday 14–Saturday 15 June 2024
1.1 VIC | VMC | UNITING | Leaders of faith standing in solidarity
Wednesday 1 May 2024, Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) hosted a multifaith service in Parliament, the House of freedom and democracy leaders from diverse faiths gathered in a spirit of unity. This service aims to visibly demonstrate our profound respect for each other's wisdom and shared yearnings. We offered meditations and prayers that echo these common desires for peace and cohesion.They wanted to visibly evidence their respect for the deep wisdoms and to keep doing together what have found to be beneficial at other times of difficulty, that is to come together offer our prayers and listening respectfully to the prayers of others.
In the words of one faith leader…”It is important that we do not allow fear or prejudice to drive a wedge between us, but rather that we respond compassionately and collaboratively. To combat hate in all its forms, and to reject intolerance and discrimination wherever it may appear, we must stand united."
I thank the Minister for Multicultural Affairs as well as the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police for their presence and support along with Victorian faith and community leaders. We can’t be what we can’t see and this visible evidence of unity is incredibly important.
This service also sought to send a broader message. To stand united, quietly reaffirming our commitment to multifaith harmony. It is our shared belief that every individual deserves respect, free from racism, vilification, and violence in all its forms.
1.2 AUST | EQPR | GATHERING | Better Together 2024 | Friday 14-Saturday 15 June 2024
Australia’s 6th National LGBTIQA+ Conference will take place in Djilang, Wadawurrung Country (Geelong, Victoria) at GMHBA Stadium, Kardinia Park.Buy your ticket and join The Equality Project (EQPR) at GMHBA Stadium for Australia's LGBTIQA+ Community Conference.
The conference explores the current issues facing the LGBTIQA+ movement in Australia, and celebrates where we've made progress.
We want to create opportunities to establish meaningful connections so we can work together, shape the narrative and drive positive change.
Tickets are now on sale and more information is available at The Equality Project website.
We don’t have all the answers, but we’re creating the space to ask the questions.
2. GRANTING
- AUST | FRRR | GRANTING | Strengthening Rural Communities | closes 5 June 2024
- TAS | ARTA | GRANTING | Arts Tasmania annual grants for Individuals and groups | closes 3 June 2024
- NSW | ACON | GRANTING | Diversity Day Grants for LGBTQ+ groups and individuals | applications close 17 Jun 2024
2.1 AUST | FRRR | GRANTING | Strengthening Rural Communities | closes 5 June 2024
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)'s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Small & Vital stream gives small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia the opportunity to access funds for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities.Grants up to $10,000 are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities that strengthen local people, places and climate solutions, with a preference for smaller communities (populations under 15,000).
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly.
NOTE: There are two streams of funding available within the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Program: Small and Vital and Prepare and Recover. Organisations may submit their application in one of these streams per SRC grant round, and any other applications in this round will be considered ineligible.
2.2 TAS | ARTA | GRANTING | Arts Tasmania annual grants for Individuals and groups | closes 3 June 2024
This Arts Tasmania (ARTA) program supports activities that further the artistic practice and careers of individuals and groups.For activities commencing after 1 October 2024.
We will contact you about your application within ten weeks of the closing date.
2.3 NSW | ACON | GRANTING | Diversity Day Grants for LGBTQ+ groups and individuals | applications close 17 Jun 2024
NSW is home to thriving and diverse LGBTQ+ communities. We are the sum of resilient First Nations communities, diverse cultural and religious communities, and people of all ages and abilities. We are stronger as a community when we embrace and celebrate our own diversity.LGBTQ+ groups and individuals are invited to apply for a small grant of up to $1,000 to host local LGBTQ+ inclusive activities to celebrate Diversity Days that increase awareness and celebration of LGBTQ+ diversity in priority settings in NSW.
Events must be held between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
- For more information see our guidelines or contact Adrian Mouhajer at amouhajer@acon.org.au
- Complete the Grant Application
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3. EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING
- VIC | GOV | CALLING | Expressions of interest for Board Members at Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) and AMES Australia
- VIC | GOV | CALLING | Directors for vacancies with the Department of Treasury and Finance | applications close Thursday 20 June 2024
- VIC | GOV | CALLING | Members for Senior Victorians advisory committee | applications close 11.59pm Tuesday 2 July 2024
- CoPP | S2b | HIRING | Community Language Storytellers x 4
3.1 VIC | GOV | CALLING | Expressions of interest for Board Members at Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) and AMES Australia
The Victorian Government is inviting expressions of interest for appointments to the Boards of the Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) and AMES Australia.3.2 VIC | GOV | CALLING | Directors for vacancies with the Department of Treasury and Finance | applications close Thursday 20 June 2024
The Victorian Treasury and Finance department is recruiting Board Directors for various agencies they oversee. Expertise in finance, law, IT, property or health & safety is valuable.3.3 VIC | GOV | CALLING | Members for Senior Victorians advisory committee | applications close 11.59pm Tuesday 2 July 2024
Applications are now open for the new Senior Victorians Advisory Committee. Be part of a community voice to government and share your lived experiences.3.4 CoPP | S2b | HIRING | Community Language Storytellers x 4
Are you a Storyteller? It's story time. Space2b Social Design (S2b) are looking for FOUR story time presenters in each of the following languages: Hindi, Arabic, Mandarin, Amharic.The positions are on a casual basis and will be for 20 story time sessions per year. The location, timing and days will be determined by the community needs.
Applicants must have basic communication in English.
Training and support is included for the right applicant. People who live, play or have a connection to PORT PHILLIP are encouraged to apply.
We are seeking
a creative, energetic, vivacious, storyteller who loves working with kids in an engaging way. You need to be organised, motivated, self-directed, and comfortable working in a dynamic work environment and dealing with a diverse cultural community. You will be delivering engaging story time sessions with pre-schoolers (babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and their carers) in your community language.
How to apply:
- View job description
- Write a cover letter addressing the selection criteria and why you want the job.
- Attach an up-to-date CV of 1-2 pages (if you have one).
- Submit by email with the subject line ‘Space2b Storytime (your language group) application’
- Please email your application to info@space2b.com.au
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4. ENGAGING
- CoPP | GOV | COMMEMORATING | Reconciliation Week | Monday 27 May-Monday 3 June 2024
- MELB | MDC | GATHERING | Mabo Day Concert | Saturday 1 June 2024 | 2-4pm
- CoPP | HLE | GATHERING | High Life Expo and Webinar Series | Saturday 1 June 2024
- VIC | MOUN | HEARING | Your say: Racism in Victorian sport
- CoPP | PPLS | OFFERING | One-on-One Device Advice | weekly over 3 locations
- CoPP | KILLARA | SUPPORTING | First Nations Job Seekers
- CoPP | PPLS | SCREENING | St Kilda Cinema and The Red Turtle (2016) | Monday 3 June 2024 | 3-5pm
- CoPP | PPCG | SUPPORTING | City of Port Phillip Residents | every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday | 10am-1pm & 1.30-4.30pm
- DANDENONG | VTMH | WORKSHOPPING | Foundations of Cultural Responsiveness for Mental Health Practitioners | Tuesday 4 June 2024 | 9.30am-4pm
- CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | English Conversation Cafe | Weekly, Every Tuesday | 1.30-2.30pm
- AUST | ETHN | REACHING | Multicultural audiences through community radio | Tuesday 4 June 2024 | 2pm AEST/12noon AWST
- CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | With Author Justine Sless and Writer/Reviewer Stella Glorie | Tuesday 4 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
- CoPP | PPLS | MAKING | Chatty Cafe | Weekly Thursdays, Starting Thursday 6 June 2024 | 11am-12:30pm
- CASEY | CMFN | GATHERING | Interfaith: How does religion promote inner peace? | Saturday 8 June 2024 | 3-5pm
- AUST | VTMH | DISCUSSING | Spirituality & Diversity: Moral stress and is it a part of your working landscape? | Tuesday 11 June 2024 | 10.30am-12noon
- CoPP | PPLS | PLAYING | Music in the Library: Saint Ergo | Tuesday 11 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
- CoPP | GOV | TRAINING | Introduction to Creating Change in the Community - 2 Part Workshop | Wednesdays 12 & 19 June 2024 | 4-6.30pm
- KINGSTON | BPA | COMMEMORATING | World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - WEAAD | Thursday 13 June 2024 | arrive 10am for 10.30am-1pm
- CoPP | OPAC | GATHERING | Ageing Gracefully in Port Phillip Forum | Saturday 15 June 2024 | 1.30-3pm
- CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Warm Winter Read with Author Garry Disher | Saturday 15 June 2024 | 2-3pm
- CoPP | GOV | ADVISING | Elder Abuse Information Session | Monday 17 June 2024 | 10-11am
- MELB | PRUN | TRAINING | Introduction to Mental Health Promotion Workshop (EOI) | Tuesday 18 June 2024 | 9am-1pm
- CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | With Authors Sam Wallman and Jeff Sparrow | Tuesday 18 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
- AUST | VTMH | WEBINAR | PHN Multicultural Health Framework: A national approach to cultural responsiveness | Wednesday 19 June 2024 | 3pm-4pm AEST
- CoPP | HEAU | MAKING | Free Hearing Checks - Hearing Australia | Thursday 20 June 2024 | 9.30am-3pm
- CoPP | GOV | PLAYING | The Adaptation Game. Join to find out how prepared are you for a climate crisis | Saturday 22 June 2024 | 10am-2pm
- MELB | SALAMFEST | GATHERING | A night of Sacred Music for Eid | Saturday 22 June 2024 | 3-7pm
- CoPP | PPLS | CRAFTING | St Kilda Queer Art Club | Fourth Sunday of the month: Sunday 23 June 2024 | 10am-12noon
- CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Heritage and Gasworks: From Chemical Energy to Culture and Community | Tuesday 25 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
- CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Warm Winter Read and No Pressure Book Club | monthly, commencing Wednesday 26 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
- CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | How to slash your energy bills, protect your health & save the planet with Author Tim Forcey | Thursday 27 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
- CoPP | GOV | CALLING | Applications for the 2024 Port Phillip Writes competition | closing Friday 28 June 2024
- VIC | GOV | CALLING | Nominees for 2024 Learn Local Awards | nominations close 11.59pm Monday 1 July 2024
- VIC | VTMH | WORKSHOPPING | Approaching work with interpreters in mental health settings | Tuesday 2 July 2024 | 9.30am-4pm
- VIC | GOV | CALLING | Entries for 2024 Victorian Premier's Design Awards | submissions close 19 July 2024
- VIC | VOVI | CALLING | Nominees for Volunteering Awards 2024 | nominations close 5pm Monday 22 July 2024
4.1 CoPP | GOV | COMMEMORATING | Reconciliation Week | Monday 27 May-Monday 3 June 2024
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will —and must —continue.
There have been many moments in Australia’s reconciliation journey that make us want to turn away. But when things are divisive, the worst thing we can do is disengage or disconnect.
Now more than ever, we need to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation. We know that the 6.2 million Australians who voted YES are committed to better outcomes for First Nations people, and are with us.
Reconciliation supporters must stand up to defend and uphold the rights of First Nations peoples. To call out racism wherever we encounter it, and to actively reinforce the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this continent.
Now more than ever, the work continues. In treaty making, in truth-telling, in understanding our history, in education, and in tackling racism. We need connection. We need respect. We need action. And we need change.
Now more than ever, we need reconciliation.
City of Port Phillip (CoPP) Local events include:
Reconciliation Week Flag Raising Ceremony | Monday 27 May 2024 | 11am-12noon
St Kilda Town Hall Front LawnNational Sorry Day Lunch | Tuesday 28 May 2024 | 12.30-3pm
Port Phillip Citizens for Reconciliation host an annual lunch to commemorate National Sorry Day. This year’s event will be held at South Melbourne Community Centre and will include a performance from Maylene Slater Burns. Maylene Yinarr is an Indigenous songstress hailing from Narrm/Melbourne. Captivating audiences with her soul-stirring ballads, her music is a rich blend of music and healing.RSVP for this free event by 22 May
Mabo Day Celebration | Sunday 2 June 2024 | 10am-2pm
Celebrating Mabo Day. Proudly Presented by the City of Port Phillip and The St Kilda Esplanade Market.St Kilda Esplanade Market
First Nations Storytellers, St Kilda Film Festival | Friday 14 June 2024 | 7pm-8.30pm
First Nations Storytellers | SKFF (stkildafilmfestival.com.au)The Alex Theatre, St Kilda
Through the Moving Lens of Protest and Resistance, St Kilda Film Festival | Saturday 15 June 2024 | 1-6pm
Through the Moving Lens of Protest and Resistance | SKFF (stkildafilmfestival.com.au)The Gershwin Room, The Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda
4.2 MELB | MDC | GATHERING | Mabo Day Concert | Saturday 1 June 2024 | 2-4pm
Celebrate Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. This Mabo Day Concert (MDC) is curated by Meriam/Yidinji/Dutch creative Lisa Maza and headlined by rap, hip-hop, spoken word and pop artist, Mau Power.- Where: Meat Market, 3 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: For more information and to register online via Trybooking
4.3 CoPP | HLE | GATHERING | High Life Expo and Webinar Series | Saturday 1 June 2024
High Life Expo (HLE) in June 2024 is a festival promoting people learning how to make apartments, apartment buildings, and units more comfortable, efficient, healthy, and lovely to live in.The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) is a proud supporter.
There are several online workshops available in the lead up to the festival itself, you can book in via the link below.
WEBINAR | Naturally cool | Wednesday 12 June 2024
Planting for cooling, beautification, and connection in apartment buildings.
WEBINAR | Getting to yes! | Monday 17 June 2024
Navigating good decision-making in owners' corporations.
4.4 VIC | MOUN | HEARING | Your say: Racism in Victorian sport
Are you over 18 and participate in community sport?Monash University (MOUN), Victoria University and the University of Melbourne have developed a survey that examines the extent, nature and impact of racism in community sport as well as current approaches to anti-racism.
4.5 CoPP | PPLS | OFFERING | One-on-One Device Advice | weekly over 3 locations
Book in a 30-minute appointment and have your tech questions answered by Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS)'sfriendly team!Running weekly, these sessions held over 3 locations can assist you with basic troubleshooting and navigation of your personal devices.
Visit webpage for more information and to reserve your sessions.
4.6 CoPP | KILLARA | SUPPORTING | First Nations Job Seekers
Providing information, advice, and support in person, online, and on the phone.Come along and meet James from Killara Foundation (Killara), who can help you to find work, provide referrals and access to a range of services.
- Port Melbourne: Monday and Wednesday | 10am-12noon
- St Kilda: Wednesday and Friday | 1-3pm
4.7 CoPP | PPLS | SCREENING | St Kilda Cinema and The Red Turtle (2016) | Monday 3 June 2024 | 3-5pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) on the first Monday of the month at St Kilda Library for our cinema club!Feel free to stick around for snacks and a chat afterward.
June Screening: The Red Turtle (2016)
Through the story of a man shipwrecked on a tropical island inhabited by turtles, crabs and birds, The Red Turtle recounts the milestones in the life of a human being.Directed by Michael Dudok de Wit
Language: French/Japanese film with no dialogue
Rated: PG
- Read more about St Kilda Cinema
- Where: St Kilda Library Community Room
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.8 CoPP | PPCG | SUPPORTING | City of Port Phillip Residents | every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday | 10am-1pm & 1.30-4.30pm
Port Phillip Community Group (PPCG) are back in Port Melbourne and can offer information, referrals and support, financial counselling, education and recreation activities for local residents.PPCG offer support that is free, confidential and is available for anyone in the City of Port Phillip.
An appointment only service and cannot offer drop-in appointments.
To make an appointment, please phone 8598 6600 or email Info-support@ppcg.org.au
4.9 DANDENONG | VTMH | WORKSHOPPING | Foundations of Cultural Responsiveness for Mental Health Practitioners | Tuesday 4 June 2024 | 9.30am-4pm
An introductory workshop introduces culturally safe and responsive practice, and an intersectional understanding of mental health.Assisting participants to apply human rights, cultural models of health and wellbeing, and participatory frameworks, to mental health practice.
This Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) workshop is designed to stimulate the interest of participants around a range of issues in transcultural mental health. It will complement broader service development initiatives being undertaken by organisations within the current mental health and wellbeing reform environment.
The workshop utilises a variety of facilitation modes, grounded in a reflective practice approach. This will provide learners with the opportunity to explore the knowledge, skills and attitudes that support culturally safe, responsive, equitable and inclusive mental health care, across a variety of service settings and contexts.
Participation is open to a range of staff including program leaders and direct-care practitioners, working in mental health and wellbeing services across Victoria. This includes staff in clinical and community mental health services, as well as people working within mental health programs in community health and social services, such as community rehabilitation and recovery workers, lived experience workers, mental health nursing, social work, occupational therapy, psychiatry, and program leaders/project workers and others.
- Where: Dandenong Civic Center, Formal Meeting Room, Level 2, 225 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong VIC
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: essential. Spaces are limited. Please register early to secure a place. Read more and register online via VTMH
4.10 CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | English Conversation Cafe | Weekly, Every Tuesday | 1.30-2.30pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS)'s Conversation Café where you can practice English in a fun and relaxed environment.Whether you are studying English or just want to drop in for a chat, everybody is welcome.
- Read more
- Where: St Kilda Library
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.11 AUST | ETHN | REACHING | Multicultural audiences through community radio | Tuesday 4 June 2024 | 2pm AEST/12noon AWST
Looking to enhance your strategies for connecting with multicultural audiences across Australia? Ethnolink (ETHN) will be hosting a free one hour webinar specifically for professionals working in communications and community engagement roles in government and not-for-profit sector.- Where: Online, please register below
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: For more information and to register online via Ethnolink
4.12 CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | With Author Justine Sless and Writer/Reviewer Stella Glorie | Tuesday 4 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) and Stella Glorie for discussion with Justine of her new collection of short stories exploring loneliness, community and domestic life.In 14 linked stories set in the streets of Melbourne, comedian and writer Justine Sless meditates on themes of loneliness, domesticity and identity. Justine's writing is spare and lyrical but infused with emotional insight, generosity and humour.
Justine will be joined by writer and reviewer Stella Glorie.
- Where: St Kilda Library
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.13 CoPP | PPLS | MAKING | Chatty Cafe | Weekly Thursdays, Starting Thursday 6 June 2024 | 11am-12:30pm
Come along to Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS)'s St Kilda Library and meet some new friends over a cuppa.Chatty Cafe brings the community together for friendly conversation and social connection.
- Where: St Kilda Library.
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: No need to book, just come along and join the chat!
4.14 CASEY | CMFN | GATHERING | Interfaith: How does religion promote inner peace? | Saturday 8 June 2024 | 3-5pm
In these troubled times in the world, what better way to create peace internally than by spreading it amongst others from all walks of life. Please join us for an afternoon of conversation and meeting others.Join this Casey Multi-Faith Network (CFMN) first ever Annual Interfaith Gathering of faith leaders and followers from across the City of Casey as a way to foster peace, harmony and cross-collaboration.
- Where: Uniting Church of Hampton Park
- Cost: Free, afternoon tea will be provided
- Bookings: Please RSVP for catering purposes!
4.15 AUST | VTMH | DISCUSSING | Spirituality & Diversity: Moral stress and is it a part of your working landscape? | Tuesday 11 June 2024 | 10.30am-12noon
Opportunities for mental health practitioners to identify and explore challenges when spirituality or religion comes up during encounters with consumers.While person-centred care models include these domains, workers often feel ill-equipped to support people in these aspects of their lives. This reflective peer group allows mental health practitioners to deepen their understanding about spiritual diversity, which can include beliefs, values, traditions and practices.
A collaboration between Spiritual Health Association (SHA) and Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH).
Eligibility criteria
Sessions in this series are for practitioners working in publicly funded mental health programs across Victoria. This includes staff based in clinical mental health services, community-managed services, as well as people working within mental health programs in community health and human social services. Unfortunately, these discussions are not open to students on clinical placement.
- Where: Online via Zoom – details to be sent to registrants in advance
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: essential. Spaces are limited. Please register early to secure a place. Online via VTMH
4.16 CoPP | PPLS | PLAYING | Music in the Library: Saint Ergo | Tuesday 11 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) for Saint Ergo – a post genre music arts project that at its core, is a deep desire to connect with people and explore the deeper places we all share.Accomplished multi-instrumentalist and producer Joanna Jones weaves together threads of folk, jazz, classical, rock pop and electronic music supported by her truly exceptional voice and a strong lyrical narrative.
Joanna is an award winning, songwriter and performer, having appeared on national television, performed as a showcasing artist at BigSound and receiving a nomination for a VMA Amplify Award.
- Where: St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle Street, Balaclava Victoria 3182
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.17 CoPP | GOV | TRAINING | Introduction to Creating Change in the Community - 2 Part Workshop | Wednesdays 12 & 19 June 2024 | 4-6.30pm
Do you want to make a difference in your community? Are passionate about an issue that needs addressing?Topics explored:
Session 1 | Wednesday 12 June 2024
- What is our community and where do I fit in?
- What is adaptive leadership and how can it create change?
- Understanding the ‘ecosystem’ of issues
- Why are you here?
Session 2 | Wednesday 19 June 2024
- Understanding how to interact and influence local government for change
- The role of ‘self’ in creating change
- What kind of leader are you?
- Strategies for change (vision, mission and goals)
- Anchoring and self-care
Join this two-part City of Port Phillip (CoPP) workshop series designed to support curious individuals and inspire you to express your point of view or to act for change.
- Where: St Kilda Library Community Room, 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: essential, online via Trybooking
4.18 KINGSTON | BPA | COMMEMORATING | World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - WEAAD | Thursday 13 June 2024 | arrive 10am for 10.30am-1pm
Your Life. Your Choice. Come along to this Better Place Australia (BPA) free community workshop for people aged 55+ and learn from legal and financial experts about staying in charge of your finances.Hear stories and professional tips for staying safe and in control. Guest speakers from Peninsula Community Legal Centre and Better Place Australia followed by a Q&A session.
Performances by Monica Dullard and Jimmy Loverocket.
- Where: Kingston City Hall, 979 – 985 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin.
- Considerations: Light Lunch provided. Close to bus stop and train station. Free parking at the rear of the venue.
- Bookings: essential, by contacting Kingston Arts Box Office on 9556 4440 or online
- Poster: Download
4.19 CoPP | OPAC | GATHERING | Ageing Gracefully in Port Phillip Forum | Saturday 15 June 2024 | 1.30-3pm
[Edited extract from public address]Join Older Persons Advisory Committee (OPAC) in this free 90-minute forum is for people in our community, their families and loved ones to learn about their options and plan for the later years of life.
Older residents deserve the best support to gracefully age while living safely and comfortably.
- Where: South Melbourne Community Centre, Corner Park Street, and Ferrars Place, South Melbourne 3205 (Entry from Ferrars Place)
- Cost: free
- Bookings: essential, online via Trybooking
- Poster: download
4.20 CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Warm Winter Read with Author Garry Disher | Saturday 15 June 2024 | 2-3pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) this winter at St Kilda Library to celebrate the release of Garry Disher's latest novel Sanctuary.Garry has published sixty titles across multiple genres. With a growing international reputation for his best-selling crime novels, he has won four German and three Australian awards for best crime novel of the year and been longlisted twice for a British CWA Dagger award. In 2018 he received the Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award.
Garry Disher joins us as one of this year's Warm Winter Reads ambassadors.
- Read more about the Warm Winter Read
- Where: St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda VIC 3182
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.21 CoPP | GOV | ADVISING | Elder Abuse Information Session | Monday 17 June 2024 | 10-11am
At least one in six older Australians experience elder abuse in their lifetime.It can happen to yourself, or an older person you know. Elder abuse is a crime. Join City of Port Phillip (CoPP) for this Victoria Police information session.
- Where: Community Room at the St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: essential, online via Trybooking
4.22 MELB | PRUN | TRAINING | Introduction to Mental Health Promotion Workshop (EOI) | Tuesday 18 June 2024 | 9am-1pm
A half-day training session suitable for anyone who has an interest in mental health promotion or is involved in implementing mental health promotion initiatives in community settings such as schools, early childhood, sport and recreation clubs, arts and workplaces.Those who participate in the training will learn:
- Key terms and concepts in mental health promotion
- What is mental health and what influences our mental wellbeing?
- What is mental health promotion and why is it important?
- What works to promote mental wellbeing, prevent mental health conditions, and build mental health and wellbeing literacy?
- How can I apply this knowledge to my role?
Prevention United (PRUN) is one of Australia’s leading mental health promotion charities. Based in Melbourne and working across Australia, we are committed to building Australia’s capacity and capability in this vital field of practice through training and consulting services and workforce development activities.
- Where: Community Hub at the Dock, Docklands
- Expressions of interest: Fill out form here
- Cost: Free
- Poster: Download
4.23 CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | With Authors Sam Wallman and Jeff Sparrow | Tuesday 18 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) and two entertaining and insightful authors, Jeff Sparrow and Sam Wallman, as they discuss their new book 12 Rules for Strife.This engaging handbook for change explores 12 powerful ideas drawn from historical struggles for better lives and working conditions. Through a uniquely original comic-book format, "Strife" demonstrates how solidarity can bridge divisions without compromising values. In fun, short, and shareable chapters, "12 Rules for Strife" shows how we can collectively transform our world.
This event is proudly presented by the Friends of Emerald Hill Library.
- Where: Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.24 AUST | VTMH | WEBINAR | PHN Multicultural Health Framework: A national approach to cultural responsiveness | Wednesday 19 June 2024 | 3pm-4pm AEST
There are 31 Primary Health Network (PHN) regions in Australia all with different populations, contexts and ways of working. The PHN Multicultural Health Framework was launched in February 2024 to provide high-level guidance and best practices for PHNs in order to improve health system access and equity for multicultural communities across all PHN regions.While this tool is specifically for PHNs, it has a strong focus on collaboration across the health system and other sectors and so this is an important opportunity to learn about the Framework and how you can work alongside your local PHN to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and experiences for multicultural communities in your region.
Speakers
- Andrea Vancia, Cultural Diversity Program Manager (Brisbane South PHN)
- Michelle Ravesi, Access, Equity and Engagement Lead (NWMPHN)
- provide an overview of the PHN Multicultural Health Framework
- showcase PHN activities aligning with Framework action areas.
- Where: Online via Zoom — details to be sent to registrants in advance
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: essential as spaces are limited. Please register early to secure a place online via VTMH
4.25 CoPP | HEAU | MAKING | Free Hearing Checks - Hearing Australia | Thursday 20 June 2024 | 9.30am-3pm
Speak with Hearing Australia (HEAU)'s friendly staff about good hearing healthVisit the Hearing Australia bus outside St Kilda Library and you can receive a free 15-minute hearing check and find information on a range of common hearing issues.
- Where: outside St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda Victoria 3182
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.26 CoPP | GOV | PLAYING | The Adaptation Game. Join to find out how prepared are you for a climate crisis | Saturday 22 June 2024 | 10am-2pm
Are you ready for extreme weather?The Adaptation Game board game (TAG) is a playful workshop to help City of Port Phillip (CoPP) residents prepare to be more resilient to extreme weather events such as flood, heat and storms that our changing climate will bring. Back by popular demand, we are hosting another event in June and invite you all to join.
- Find Out More
- Where: South Melbourne Community Centre, 1 Ferrars Place, South Melbourne Victoria 3205
- Cost: Free.
- Inclusions: Lunch will be provided.
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.27 MELB | SALAMFEST | GATHERING | A night of Sacred Music for Eid | Saturday 22 June 2024 | 3-7pm
The wait is finally over, coming up in June, experience an exclusive free concert featuring the world-renowned Pakistan-based master Qawwali musicians, brothers Fareed Ayaz and Abu Mohammed.Qawwali is a form of sacred Sufi music, and this SalamFest concert will showcase this artform as performed by masters of the form, Qawwal – comprising brothers Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammed Qawwal and an ensemble of musicians from across three generations of their family.
Weaving together hypnotic vocals rich in poetic and mystical symbolism, backed by harmonium, tabla, dholak and handclapping, the brothers and their ensemble seek to transport audiences closer to the Divine.
Travelling from Pakistan for this exclusive concert in celebration of Eid, Qawwal will be joined by Melbourne based Tarab Ensemble, a group dedicated to instrumental classical Arabic music.
Come down to Fed Square to enjoy this special night of sacred music under the stars.
The evening of music will also include food and craft.
A Night of Sacred Music for Eid is presented by SalamFest and Fed Square with City of Melbourne
- Where: Federation Square, Main Square
- Cost: Free
- More Info: Facebook
4.28 CoPP | PPLS | CRAFTING | St Kilda Queer Art Club | Fourth Sunday of the month: Sunday 23 June 2024 | 10am-12noon
[Edited extract from public address]Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS)'s St Kilda Library is now hosting monthly Queer Art Club! A community art-making event for the queer community to come together to share experiences and stories.
The relaxed and casual art-making space sees individuals make art from a place of feeling, not aesthetics and is accompanied by good music and better company.
A quickly booked out event not to be missed.
- Where: St Kilda Community Room, St Kilda Library
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Eventbrite
4.29 CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Heritage and Gasworks: From Chemical Energy to Culture and Community | Tuesday 25 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) for this talk by long-time local resident and environmentalist Rob Youl. A discussion of the historical and social significance of the Gasworks site in South Melbourne.- Where: Emerald Hill Library
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.30 CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Warm Winter Read and No Pressure Book Club | monthly, commencing Wednesday 26 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
Introducing Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS)'s No Pressure Book Club, where we talk all things books and reading.With no set theme or topic, this book club is designed for those who simply like to chat with fellow readers and share what they've been reading or listening to - whether it's books, short stories, poems, audiobooks, or podcasts.
The No Pressure Book Club will be running monthly throughout the Warm Winter Read. Bookings are encouraged.
- Where: St Kilda Library
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.31 CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | How to slash your energy bills, protect your health & save the planet with Author Tim Forcey | Thursday 27 June 2024 | 6.30-7.30pm
Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) and Tim Forcey as he discusses his new book, My Efficient Electric Home.Tim will teach you everything you need to know about how to transform your home – old, new, or rented – for an efficient, comfortable, cheaper electric future.
Tim Forcey is a home comfort and energy adviser, researcher and author. His expertise is widely sought and accessed by individuals, community groups, businesses, government bodies, members of Parliament and media.
- Where: Albert Park Library
- Cost: Free. Copies of Tim's book will be available for purchase on the night.
- Bookings: online via Trybooking
4.32 CoPP | GOV | CALLING | Applications for the 2024 Port Phillip Writes competition | closing Friday 28 June 2024
Port Phillip Writes – Seniors Festival Writing Awards are an annual event showcasing the imagination, writing skills, and creative expression of seniors.In 2024 prizes we will award the following prizes:
- Major Fiction Prize - $300 Book Voucher
- Highly Commended Fiction Prize - $100 Book Voucher
- Major Non-fiction Prize - $300 Book Voucher
- Highly Commended Non-fiction Prize - $100 Book Voucher
- Major Poetry Prize - $300 Book Voucher
- Highly Commended Poetry Prize - $100 Book Voucher
Visit the webpage via the link below to find out more and how to enter.
4.33 VIC | GOV | CALLING | Nominees for 2024 Learn Local Awards | nominations close 11.59pm Monday 1 July 2024
The Learn Local Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in pre-accredited adult community education. Learners, trainers, training organisations and programs are all eligible for nomination.4.34 VIC | VTMH | WORKSHOPPING | Approaching work with interpreters in mental health settings | Tuesday 2 July 2024 | 9.30am-4pm
This advanced in-person Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) workshop is designed for all those working in mental health settings who work with interpreters.Using a variety of facilitation modes, and grounded in a reflective practice approach, the workshop provides learners with the opportunity to explore the challenges and realities in the interpreting environment, and to understand these within broader cultural responsiveness frameworks, including an intersectional lens. The workshop also invites and promotes strategies for adapting practice for working with interpreters in a variety of mental health settings.
The workshop is informed by, and uses materials created as part of the VTMH Approaching work with interpreters in mental health settings resource Project (VTMH, 2019). The resources developed through the Project used a co-design process, involving a variety of stakeholders including consumers, carers, interpreters, clinicians and academics, across the lifespan of the project. Find out more about this project.
Participants will receive hard copies of resources developed in the project including a Practice Tips Poster, Resource Booklet and Full Report.
The workshop is delivered face to face over one day and is complemented with some self-directed learning activities.
VTMH workshops are open to and provided free to staff working in Victoria’s state-funded mental health workforce. This includes public clinical and community mental health services, as well as state-funded mental health programs within community health and social services. Staff working in a range of roles within this workforce, including but not limited to community rehabilitation and recovery workers, lived experience workers, mental health nursing, social work, occupational therapy, psychiatry, program leaders/project workers and administration roles, are invited to register.
- Where: Kathleen Symes Library, Multipurpose Room 1, 251 Faraday St, Carlton VIC 3053
- Cost: Free. Catering will also be provided.
- Bookings: essential, Spaces are limited. Please register early to secure a place online via VTMH
4.35 VIC | GOV | CALLING | Entries for 2024 Victorian Premier's Design Awards | submissions close 19 July 2024
The Victorian Government is celebrating some of Victoria’s leading designers, creators and innovators. Entries and are free to enter for eligible Victorian designers, architects and businesses.4.36 VIC | VOVI | CALLING | Nominees for Volunteering Awards 2024 | nominations close 5pm Monday 22 July 2024
The Volunteering Awards are an opportunity to recognise and thank Victorian volunteers for the incredible contributions they make to our state and local communities. Know an inspiring volunteer or organisation? Nominate them for the Volunteering Awards.5. COLLECTIVISING
- VIC | ASRC | RAISING | Awareness, Funds and Support for Choosing Resilience
- VIC | ECCV | UPDATING | eBulletin #45 | May 2024
- AUST | CUIN | UPDATING | Community, News and Information | April-May 2024
- AUST | GiveOUT | UPDATING | Save the date 17 October 2024 for GiveOUT Day
- AUST | ILF | UPDATING | Community Information | April 2024
- AUST | NJP | RAISING | Awareness, Funds and Support for National Justice Project: Fearlessly Fighting Injustice
5.1 VIC | ASRC | RAISING | Awareness, Funds and Support for Choosing Resilience
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) wishes to say thank you to supporters: whether giving time as a volunteer, passionate support as an advocate or generosity as a donor. However you support the work we do – we are so incredibly grateful!Because of this support the ASRC can continue to provide critical wrap around services that people seeking asylum desperately need right now.
I am writing to ask for help again because rising cost of living pressures continue to take a real toll on the people we serve who are already dealing with so much past trauma, stress and financial pressure.
I want to share with you Aaliyah’s* story – her family came to Australia seeking safety from Myanmar when she was only 9 years old, fleeing decades long unrest and conflict. Life was uncertain and dangerous, forcing her parents to make a decision that they hoped would transform their lives for the better.
When they arrived in Australia and sought asylum they were granted a bridging visa, with the hope that permanency would soon follow. Yet, a decade later, Aaliyah and her family have been living in limbo, subject to endless reapplications, ongoing delays and living in constant fear of being returned to the place they were escaping.
To make things worse, Aaliyah’s father suddenly passed away earlier this year leaving Aaliyah’s family heartbroken, devastated and with no income.
These are the words of 19 year old Aaliyah*:
"I know I have to be strong. I have to help myNo teen, or young adult should have to bear the burden of supporting their entire family because of the broken system of seeking asylum in Australia. It is unfair, it is shameful, it is a consequence that we cannot accept.
Mum and be there for my Brother and Sister.
Inzali cries at nights and I can see Yeshe
closing off – when our Mum gets really down
it's even harder – we all miss Dad so much."
Aaliyah’s mother Marlar* was already managing complex mental health issues, including severe depression and long-term impacts of trauma. But after her husband passed away Marlar’s mental health spiralled and she started to get debilitating migraines.
“We didn’t have a lot, but mum liked the house spotless. She was shy outside and would always ask me to translate, but she enjoyed going out with me and my siblings. Now, she is quiet all the time, she doesn’t leave the house unless she has to. She still looks after Yeshe and Inzali when they are at home, but she’s like a ghost. It can get really bad when she gets migraines. It’s very tough”
Unfortunately, this is something many people seeking asylum and their families experience during the years stuck in the system.
This winter your donation will help provide refugees and people seeking asylum like Aaliyah and her family a hand up in the form of food, healthcare, counselling and employment support while they rebuild their lives in the community.
I encourage you to watch this 2min video as Aaliyah shares her story of hope for a better future.
I am so inspired by Aaliyah’s resilience. Despite what she and her family are facing Aaliyah is still filled with hope. A day when her whole family will be granted permanency so they can finally rebuild their lives and have the future they always hoped for.
In a world of injustice - will you choose to support resilience?
Aaliyah had no choice but to go to work to support her family. Here is a young person who is navigating the cruel circumstance she finds herself in, yet remains determined to show up for her family, support their basic needs and help look after her brother and sister.
Please give a hand up for families like Aaliyah’s this winter.
Your urgent support will make sure people can access their immediate needs like vital healthcare, medications, food, housing support and emergency relief payments to help with paying rent and bills.
As thousands of people seeking asylum face so much injustice and adversity, together we can choose to support resilience and give people seeking asylum the hand up they need this winter.
In hope,
Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO and Founder
PS: When you donate today, you are providing a hand up to people like Aaliyah seeking asylum this winter - giving them access to food, a health clinic, medication, housing and legal support this winter. Please give before June 30. If you would like to donate by phone before June 30th or if you have any further questions, please call us on 1300 692 772 Monday-Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm. For other donation enquiries please email us on fundraising@asrc.org.au
PPS: If you have recently donated, thank you so much! Please don’t feel pressure to donate again if you are unable to.
*Detail and names changed throughout to protect the identities of people seeking asylum
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) is an independent not for profit whose programs support and empower over 7,000 people seeking asylum each year to maximise their physical, mental and social wellbeing. As a movement we mobilise and unites communities to creating social and policy change for people seeking asylum and refugees in Australia.
5.2 VIC | ECCV | UPDATING | eBulletin #45 | May 2024
It has been seven long months since war first broke out in the Middle East, and we acknowledge the profoundly painful impact this has caused our local communities.
Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) fully support calls from across Australia and around the world for the release of hostages and an end to the war.
In times of global turmoil, we are starkly reminded of the importance of social cohesion. We stand in solidarity with
all Victorians affected by the war, and remain committed to supporting multicultural and multifaith communities to come together with mutual respect and understanding.
There are no winners in war. We unequivocally condemn all acts of violence against innocent civilians, and support the steps being taken to pave the way for a two-state solution. We are hopeful for a future where Palestine can co-exist as an independent sovereign state alongside an independent sovereign Israel, and where the people of both nations can live side by side in peace and freedom.
Closer to home, this week's Victorian Budget outlined a range of targeted initiatives to address the unique challenges and needs of diverse communities, such as $10.4 million for community language schools, and $4 million to fund legal help for asylum seekers, refugees and temporary visa holders, and to assist newly arrived migrants to connect to their new home.
However, we are disappointed and concerned that funding is lapsing for the Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Coordinator programs which provides vital support to regional multicultural communities. ECCV will continue to advocate for the sustainable funding of regional ethnic communities’ councils, recognising the critical role they play in supporting migrant and refugee communities across Victoria.
Eddie Micallef, Chairperson
As we celebrate this milestone, we're also excited to spotlight events which we've mapped using the Diversity Atlas survey and other networking opportunities. We also extend a special invitation to Australian tech companies to join the transformative TechReflects study. Happy reading, everyone!
This news follows a stellar year for us, where our customers — many world leaders in their own fields — have deepened their invovlement with us. Used by more than 250 organisations to date, Diversity Atlas is being deployed across five continents and in more than 40 countries.
This exciting achievement has been picked up by 32 publications that published our story across the globe from London, North America and Australia.
New workplaces were showcased that adapt to changing environments, utilising space to accommodate hybrid settings and maximise space efficiency tuned to workflows and peoples needs. Presentations from Xero, Bookings.com, Gallup, Unwork, Bristol Myers Squibb, ANZ and many others shared these changes and demonstrated how they are adapting to keep teams together remotely, using AI to map and forecast changes in layout and demand for meetings rooms and other workspaces to really understand what people are doing at work. An emphasis on how to make the office experience enjoyable and engaging with consideration to not only how much time spent in the office, but why the workers come and what impact they can have.
Diversity Atlas gave a fun celebratory presentation that showed some of the rich diversity from participants. An exceptional rate of 70% of attendees completed the WORKTECH Diversity Atlas survey with results shown in the afternoon by Michael Walmsley, who also touched on the growing importance to understand the rich diversity of teams that occupy these changing work environments. A report was then sent to delegates after the event.
Incorporating inclusion and diversity isn't just about addressing social issues; it's about fostering growth. When individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives collaborate, they bring a broader spectrum of ideas and experiences. Therefore, diversity is crucially important in the tech industry, and its influence on business is wide reaching.
If you're an Australian organisation with a technology workforce, we invite you to be a part of this collaborative mission of achieving 1.2million tech jobs by 2030.
During the summit, leaders from various sectors convened to discuss tangible solutions for empowering individuals to harness the digital economy's benefits. Key focuses included public-private partnerships, speeding and scaling impact, reforming financial systems, expanding access to information and technology, and addressing artificial intelligence's potential as both a tool for advancing inclusive growth and a source of exclusion.
The summit emphasized the importance of technology and connectivity in promoting inclusive growth while acknowledging the need to bridge the gap for the 2.5 billion people who still lack access to tech tools. Ultimately, the event stressed the significance of understanding and empowering oneself to become agents of change in their communities, highlighting Diversity Atlas's role in supporting marginalized populations and individuals in need of empowerment.
Did you know that Diversity Atlas recognizes Jedi as a religion / worldview within its extensive data set, making it the world's most comprehensive collection of diversity data —and that .2% of all surveyed participants identify as such? As a platform committed to inclusivity, we celebrate diverse identities and languages, ensuring accurate representation for all communities.
This month, we look forward to NAIDOC Week, announce a new touring program, discuss the heavy price of exclusion and more.
As Murri Elder Aunty Monica tells us, celebrating First Peoples culture is not and shouldn’t be exclusive to one week per year.
With his deep connection to his Barkindji heritage, Djarrin offers unique insights and stories. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with culture in a meaningful and immersive way!
NAIDOC Week begins on 7 July this year with the theme Keep The Fire Burning! Blak, Loud And Proud.
Our brilliant presenters have many offerings. We can even tailor a program specially for you.
Our CEO and Founder Peter Mousaferiadis has often spoken and written about the cost of culture-based violent conflict, which is rising steeply. In dollar terms, this came to about $US13.1 trillion dollars in 2022.
Social exclusion has a huge ethical and political cost. It also has a measurable dollar cost – even huger than the cost of conflict! This is due to the loss of innovation, productivity and missed business opportunities plus increased numbers of people experiencing poverty. Even just feeling excluded causes people to opt out of markets, services and spaces.
Looking at the (estimated) figures representing the global cost of gender, disability and ethnic & racialised inequity, they total *US$24.65 trillion* a year – about 26% of global GDP! This doesn’t even factor in many other forms of discrimination based on religion, sexuality, age, caste, class, appearance and more. For sources on these estimated figures, read the post in the link below.
16 May CTO Rezza Moieni participated in the Vietnam ESG Investor Conference 2024.
18 May Marketing & Comms Coordinator Marios Chatzidamianos participated in Live a Legacy Mentoring Day in Athens, Greece.
21 May CXO Michael Walmsley joined Digital Innovation Futures Victoria in Melbourne for an in-depth exploration of the groundbreaking Tech Reflects study.
23 May The Diversity Atlas Team is attending the annual Tech Diversity Awards gala dinner and for the second consecutive year mapping the diversity of the crowd. Did you know that anyone can use our versatile mapping tool Diversity Atlas in this way to reveal the diversity of conference participants? This is the world’s fastest and most reliable tool to support full inclusivity.
25 May Marios Chatzidamianos participated in the European Business Summit in Athens.
30 May The Education and Experiences Team is attending fka Children’s Services’ Early Childhood Language Program Annual Forum. The event is focused on the ‘Early childhood language program’ designed for educators who teach preschool children in a language other than English to help children maintain connection with their culture.
Our popular Multicultural Day Program is a highly engaging and immersive workshop which promotes the importance of intercultural understanding and is available in all states. With interactive activities ranging from critical discussion, dancing and more, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of a variety of cultures.
We also offer a Mini Multicultural Day for pre-primary students across all states which allows the choice of 3 individual pre-primary programs. You can explore one culture, language or topic in depth or travel the world with a program from each continent.
Additionally, our Intercultural Citizenship Ambassador Program (ICAP) available Australia-wide is a valuable and comprehensive program that addresses ethical understanding, critical thinking and global citizenship. In alignment with the aims of the International Day of Education, our ICAP program promotes students to understand various traditions while gaining greater intercultural understanding.)
Together, we raised a whopping $405,000 for 91 organisations in 2023, and the team is gearing up for this year to be the best one yet. Registrations for participating organisations will open in August.
New City Church (NCC) exists to provide a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people and allies to explore faith in new and engaging ways, and help those who have been harmed by religious organisations to find refuge and healing. Amplify Pride Fund enabled NCC to expand their regular social support groups, pioneer a Religious Harm Support Group, and deliver a first-of-its-kind national conference on building safe and inclusive churches.
Paul Ramsay Foundation’s report on domestic and family violence specialist services found that LGBTQIA+ people often feel unsafe accessing mainstream services, and are more likely to engage with services that have LGBTQIA+ staff and that are deeply attuned to the unique needs of rainbow communities.
UK Learnings: The value of pooled funds
A pooled fund, such as GiveOUT and Aurora's Amplify Pride Fund, is when multiple funders contribute to a grant pool to advance a shared objective. Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that pooled funds can increase impact, reduce risk, and champion an innovative approach to philanthropy.
Why current LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion trends should worry us
Dawn Emsen-Hough, Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, shared on LinkedIn that over the last three years, the AWEI Employee Survey has shown a decline in support for LGBTQ+ inclusion, echoing global concerns on the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment (and particularly anti-trans sentiment). These insights show that we can’t be complacent, and that now is the time to step up our support for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Thank you to our generous partners who support GiveOUT's work, including our most recent Patron David Hardie.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@giveout.org.au.
With love,
The GiveOUT team
This award recognises the value of our work in remote First Nations Communities and the special relationships that have enabled us to publish Community stories and provide books and literacy resources in First Languages.
We thank you, our supporters, who have helped us to achieve this. Our work and this award would not have come without the generous support of donors throughout Australia.This award will not change the ILF focus and we remain focussed to expand our work with remote Communities across the country.
This award is an acknowledgement of you all, your commitment and your investment in the Community led approach of the ILF to support Community achieve their literacy aspirations. I thank you for your ongoing support.
In more exciting news, we ask you to mark your calendars for our biggest celebration of the year, Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD). This year, ILD will be held on Wednesday September 4th 2024 and we're excited to celebrate this year's theme - 'Be A Proud Voice For Country'. More information to come shortly!
We also invite schools to register for our newest musical fundraiser, Busking for Change! Schools across the country will learn how to sing and play Shordi Krik in English and Kriol, an Aboriginal language spoken in the Top End of Australia while raising funds for the ILF. Register today and get access to sheet music, charts, videos, lyrics and more!
Mandaang guwu,
Ben Bowen (Wiradjuri/Gandagarra), Chief Executive Officer
This month's word is girrganyi in Bunuba language! Bunuba Country is located in the southern West Kimberley, in Western Australia.
This collection of books features titles for all ages and interests, from picture books for young children to award-winning novels for adults.
Investing in the Reading Opens Doors Library is a great way to support First Nations literature and authors promote diversity and inclusivity in your workplace.
We would like to recognise the longstanding support from the Envato Foundation who have just made another donation - bringing the total donations to $200,000. This is an amazing level of support which has gone towards our Book Supply and Community Publishing programs.
We are indebted to our partner Australia Post for their support with the delivery of Book Supply packs to remote Communities and their ongoing fundraising.
A special thank you to Anjanette Fennell, Anne-Marie Taplin and Megan Close Zavala, editors of The Heart Will Find a Way, who are donating all profits from the sale of the anthology to the ILF. The Heart Will Find a Way is a collection of short stories that share the diversity of emotions we experience within our hearts.
We are so grateful for the support of Erstwilder who are soon launching an exciting collaboration of wearable art accessories with Ngarabal and Torres Strait Islander artist, Lauren Rogers. $5 from the sale of every design on launch day Tuesday 21 May 2024 will be donated. Thank you Erstwilder!
As we approach the end of the financial year, we reflect on the transformative impact of support. Over the past 12 months, we have delivered trauma-informed, culturally safe legal services at no cost, focusing on powerful reforms in healthcare, policing, prison and the broader justice system.
Currently, we are handling 123 matters spread across these critical areas: approximately 13% in correctional, 16% in policing, 36% in immigration and 13% in healthcare, with 68 of these matters currently in court across various Australian jurisdictions.
Thanks to our friends' steadfast support, we've expanded our reach and widened our impact. Help us sustain our advocacy efforts to fight systemic injustice.
We're so proud of the National Justice Project (NJP) community of changemakers, and what we can achieve. Together, let’s make 2024 a year for justice.
Warmest regards,
National Justice Project team
Carer Gateway (CAGA) is a national initiative program funded by the Australian Government that offers a free and diverse range of short term services to help you manage your caring role and improve your wellbeing.
If you are an unpaid carer and wish to get access to Carer Gateway (CAGA) in your language you can call Uniting on 1800 422 737 or visit their website to learn more.
The sessions are bulk-billed or available at low cost, depending on a person’s situation.
This new service aims to help:
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
Ageism
Climate, Environment & Emergency
Community, Connection & Belonging
Difability & Disability
Employment
Family & Neighbourhood Violence
Health, Sickness & Wellbeing
Kids, Youth, Parenting & Education
Racism
Women
AUST | GOV | OFFERING | Resources and Translations on The Voice and Referendum 2023
Australian Government advises in late 2023, Australians will have their say in a referendum about whether to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice would be an independent and permanent advisory body. It would give advice to the Australian Parliament and Government on matters that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have called for members of the Voice to be chosen by First Nations peoples based on the wishes of local communities.
AUST | AICR | ENCOURAGING | YES23. Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through a Voice
Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition (AICR) asks all to consider voting Yes. It’s time to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through a Voice.
What is the 2023 Referendum?
This vote will give all Australians the chance to come together and consider a change to our constitution that will honour and celebrate the rights, history, and ongoing relationship of Indigenous Australians with this land. It’s a rare chance to make a major positive impact now and for future generations.
Australia has been considering constitutional recognition for more than 15 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have asked that the form of recognition come through a Voice to Parliament, which will give advice on laws and policies that affect Indigenous people.
This is what the Australian people are now being asked to decide: Should we recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in The Constitution, with a Voice?
A Voice will provide advice to the Federal Parliament about laws and policies, through a consultative policy making process that delivers meaningful structural change.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people know and understand the best way to deliver real and practical change in their communities. When they have a say through a Voice, we can finally start to close the gap that still exists between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians on practical issues like life expectancy, educational outcomes, and employment.
This is why a “Yes” result is important.
AUST | LWB | TRANSLATING | Resources in 45+ community languages on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
To encourage participation in the Referendum for all Australians, Polaron Language Services with Life Without Barriers (LWB) and several partner organisations have developed accessible translated resources in more than 45 languages.
These are free to download and aim to break down language, literacy and communication barriers among Australia’s diverse communities. This includes:
AUST | REAU | EXPLAINING | Voice to Parliament and Referendum 2023
Reconciliation Australia (REAU) advises First Nations Voice to Parliament protected by the Constitution is a key element of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The Bill to enable the referendum became law in mid-June, but we are waiting for the referendum date to be announced.
Or click the following Reconciliation Australia links that interest you:
Embedding a Voice in the Constitution would recognise the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s history, but importantly would also mean that it can’t be shut down by successive Governments.
This is important because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and bodies have called for voice for close to 100 years.
AUST | RJfV | ISSUING | An Open Letter to the Australian Public: The Voice to Parliament would enhance Australian governance
We are individuals representing no political party or political interest. We speak, rather, as retired judges (RJfV) who spent our professional lives listening to, and seeking to evaluate, contending arguments.
We have since considered carefully both the case for, and the case against, the proposed Voice to Parliament. Having done so, we confidently believe that, by raising the quality of our public debate, the proposed Voice will both enrich our democracy and increase the likelihood of governments making correct decisions about matters that affect Indigenous peoples. It will also, and very importantly, give Indigenous Australians their due recognition in our Constitution as this nation’s first peoples.
Democracies are at their best when decisions are made after informed and respectful debate to which all may contribute. Life being what it is, the rich and the powerful have and will retain that privilege to a greater degree than most. Some, among them Australia’s First Nations peoples, have continually battled to be heard at all.
If successful, the referendum on the Voice will not diminish the influence of anyone. But it will help to correct an historic wrong. It will give recognition, and a voice, to those who for thousands of years owned and lived in balance with this land, only to have their rights to it disregarded during the centuries which have followed settlement from other lands. No consideration was given to the deep connections with country which the original inhabitants have incorporated into their very being; and the newcomers who now occupy their land listened, if they listened at all, with none of the empathy to which everyone should be entitled.
Constitutional recognition of the Voice in a successful referendum will acknowledge these facts, and do much to rectify a long-existing injustice. It will not, in our opinion, divide our nation. On the contrary, it will heal a wound which presently divides us. Nor will it disrupt government or destabilise the presently stable and appropriate division of power between the parliament, the executive and the judiciary.
The possibility of disruption and instability is a concern which nevertheless deserves respect (although not when it descends to ridiculous fears such as that Anzac Day will be ‘cancelled’). It is also reasonable to have doubts about the detail of the arrangements which will follow a successful referendum. We nevertheless firmly believe that these are not reasons for voting ‘No’. First, Australia can draw upon its wealth of common sense and its capacity for sensible compromise. The Voice will not waste its time, energy, finances or goodwill with silly claims that have no chance of political or judicial support. And secondly, detailed arrangements must allow for a degree of flexibility which is impossible if incorporated into a less than flexible constitution. The details are properly to be determined by the parliament of the day according to the changing circumstances of the day.
Advocates for the ‘No’ case point to the proposed amendment’s inclusion of a power in the parliament to make laws with respect to the powers of the Voice. The referendum if passed does not confer powers on parliament that it does not already have to pass such laws. We believe that the likelihood of parliament acting inappropriately in this respect is small. In our opinion it fails to justify a ‘No’ vote.
Advocates for a ‘No’ vote also claim that the Voice is a creature of Canberra. That is untrue. The call for the Voice was made in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which is the product of the widest survey of the views of First Nations peoples ever undertaken and which is a deeply respectful call “from all points of the Southern Sky”.
It includes an invitation to all Australians to create a better future. We think this invitation should be accepted.
Signed:
AUST | TLW | CALLING | Those Interested to Lace Up Your Shoes and Come Walk with Michael Long in support of the "Yes" campaign
The Long Walk (TLW)'s Michael Long is once again setting off from Melbourne to Canberra in support of the "Yes" campaign.
Michael Long is one of the most recognisable Aboriginal figures in AFL football. He played for the Essendon Football Club between 1989 and 2001, was a member of two premiership sides and the winner of the 1993 Norm Smith Medal.
Michael championed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cause within the AFL. In 1995, Michael made a stand against racial abuse, following an on-field incident with another player, asserting that racism had no place in sport.
Ultimately this lead to Michael being one of the pioneering forces behind the racial abuse code that was adopted by the AFL in the 1990s. Michael retired from football in 2001.
AUST | WRITERS | ENDORSING | The Voice as a major reform leading to better outcomes for First Nations Peoples
It’s only fair. Writers for The Voice (WRITERS) accept the generous, modest invitation of First Nations Peoples in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk with them towards a better Australia.
We support their call for recognition via a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament because we believe passionately that this major reform, the product of broad grassroots consultation and supported by the great majority of First Nations Peoples, will lead to better outcomes for First Nations Peoples.
AUST | GiveOUT | SUPPORTING | Proudly for a First Nations Voice to Parliament
The GiveOUT Team (GiveOUT) supports Australia saying YES in the Referendum for a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice
LGBTQIA+ people understand the significance of a public vote about their lives, and the importance of allies in advocating for change. It is time for the LGBTQIA+ community, and the Australian people as a whole, to stand in solidarity with our First Nations communities, including our Brotherboys, Sistergirls and other LGBTQIA+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
At GiveOUT, we know that there is no substitute for the wisdom of lived experience when it comes to designing policies and programs.
You can show your support by:
VIC | ECCV | ADVOCATING | Victorian Multicultural Voices for ‘Yes’ campaign
The Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) joins forces with Yes23 and the Multicultural Australia for Voice alliance for Victorian Multicultural Voices for ‘Yes’.
Harnessing the power of multicultural communities to raise awareness about why the recognition of our First Nations People in the Constitution is important and how voting ‘Yes’ will achieve that.
Multicultural and multifaith leaders, along with First Nations Elders, attended the launch, with guest speakers Aunty Esme Bamblett, CEO of the Aboriginal Advancement League and a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Minister for Multicultural Affairs Colin Brooks, and the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Gabrielle Williams.
Victorian Multicultural Voices for ‘Yes’ will be organising community town hall forums and community workshops in the lead-up to the referendum. These engagements aim to empower and equip multicultural communities with how to have conversations about the referendum and why it matters.
ECCV Members will be hosting their own community forums to inform members of their communities about why voting ‘YES’ matters, including the Islamic Council of Victoria and the Greek Community of Melbourne.
The launch follows the success of a national multicultural town hall forum at Springvale City Hall with Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, which was attended by more than 700 people in August 2023.
The ECCV is the peak body for multicultural Victoria, with over 220 organisational members.
VIC | VWT | ENGAGING | Listen and learn together through kitchen conversations. It’s time to say yes
Together, Yes is a kitchen conversations movement by Victorian Women’s Trust (VWT) in support of a YES vote in the 2023 referendum on a First Nations Voice to parliament. It’s a powerful way you can participate in the referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice in our constitution.
But voting ‘yes’ isn’t enough. We need to unite to ensure it’s a resounding YES from every corner of the country.
Is Together, Yes working with First Nations people?
Yes. The Victorian Women’s Trust (creator of Together, Yes) have been working in partnership with Koorie Women Mean Business for more than 30 years, which has guided much of our work since.
Since October 2022 we have been in close collaboration with indigenous-led campaigners to ensure Together, Yes helps achieve a positive referendum outcome.
Together, Yes uses ‘kitchen table conversations’, a model designed by the Victorian Women’s Trust more than twenty years ago. Tried and tested, it arose from a powerfully simple idea: engaging people in respectful and honest dialogue creates real and lasting change.
This civic engagement model is built on a set of important values. People are encouraged to:
Together, Yes invites people from all walks of life to gather in small group discussions and engage in an honest reckoning of the harm and injustice of our colonial past; Australia’s history of constitutional indifference; and how a Voice to parliament can make a difference.
VIC | VTMH | DEMONSTRATING | Solidarity In Context to the Referendum
At an important moment in history, Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) supports the national vote adding an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (The Voice) to the Australian Constitution.
VTMH aligns with the principles of unity and understanding promoted by Reconciliation Australia, and we also endorse the stance taken by St Vincent's Health Australia on this matter.
VTMH sees this as a big chance to bring people together and make things better. We know that health and wellness are connected to making things right between different groups of people in Australia. VTMH thinks this vote can make real changes and respect the different viewpoints of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
AUST | GEIFN | HOW | To Accept No: Contest of Binaries | Sunday 15 October 2023
With any adversarial system where only 2 options (aka binary) are offered, part of informed consent is accepting that for every winner there has to be non-winners.
Binaries (this OR that) is Absolutism. It takes time for people to realise that there are no lasting Absolutes.
To explore further, every thing with a beginning has also got within the seeds of its end. As daybreak begins it has ended night. As night begins it ends daylight. But when we understand fully we understand that the sun is always shining, it is just our personal vantage point that moved while individually we might be standing still. The spherical planet we all call home is spinning on its own axis as it revolves around the sun. It is only the side facing the sun that gets the sun at any given time. The half in darkness hasn't lost, it is just waiting again for its time in the sun. So dark does not exist without light.
With big gains come the potential for big setbacks, obstacles and arguments. With practice, patience and perseverance, wisdom, compassion and non-selfish generosity always prevails.
Terra nullius is a Latin expression meaning "nobody's land". It was a principle sometimes used in international law to justify claims that territory may be acquired by a state's occupation of it. Denying the existence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' existence by the British gave the British permission to land, stay and colonise.
Reconciling this falsehood in Australia's birth began 265 years ago and continues in our minds, hearts and actions. As testimony to this, the Australia today was unimaginable to our forebears. If we accept what we do today influences the future, it is also how brighter futures for a greater benefit is made possible – the real work being undertaken in the majority of ordinary days between the extra-ordinary milestones.
We deeply acknowledge the courage and generosity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and leaders who extended this invitation to the Australian community to walk together in this journey for learning and healing together.
In the weeks since the referendum we have reflected on the impacts that colonisation has had in shaping practices in the mental health sector, including our service, and the continued challenges faced in providing culturally responsive care given the history of these lands.
VTMH deeply admires the strength and resilience of First Nations communities across the country. We commit to rising strong, leaning in, and to finding ways to honour our commitment to learning and healing together.
We encourage teams and individuals in all sectors to continue joining collective efforts to support a more culturally safe and humanistic system and society.
To learn more about what is happening in Victoria towards truth, treaty and voice, we encourage you to visit the links below:
It began in 1997 at a public meeting, at St Kilda Town Hall, convened by Jacki Willox and attended by hundreds of people, including politicians, councillors, indigenous musicians and general public.
Objectives
Children’s Ground vision includes:
YSS is a National Indigenous Educational Consultancy and Training Provider. Indigenous owned and run specialising in Aboriginal Pedagogy, providing authentic Aboriginal training for early childhood professionals, primary school teachers and corporate teams.
YSS are specialists with offering a range of services including:
Other projects include:
When it comes to cultural awareness training, there isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution for education, reconciliation and allyship training.
That’s why Evolve Communities offer different training courses and programs to suit any team’s size or style and let you choose the cultural competency training that is the best fit for your business including:
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia (NGVA) is a home to Australian art, presenting First Nations and non-First Nations art from historical to present day. The name comes from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, supporting the purpose of this space in sharing the work of First Nations artists, from emerging to senior figures, and across time and place.
For First Nations peoples around the world, art and design are part of a continuum where the past intersects with the present, different materials converge, and diverse perspectives come together. The central role of art in passing down important cultural knowledge is celebrated in this display through the diverse approaches that artists take to maintaining and regenerating customary cultural practices and iconography while also creating new forms of expression.
Wurrdha Marra is a dynamic exhibition space in which familiar works from the NGV’s collection of First Nations Australian art and design are displayed alongside new acquisitions. Presented through a series of changing thematics, the works on display offers a series of visual dialogues as a way to explore how parallel innovations and continuities can continue to inspire new ways of thinking about art.
The works included in this inaugural hang are by emerging artists as well as senior figures across both time and place. Each of these artists has in their own way been at the forefront in creating new forms of expression, and in maintaining and regenerating customary cultural practices and iconography. Great individual artists, working in Aboriginal-owned art centres or independently after studying at art school, continue to shape and transform art in Australia, inspiring many others to follow their example.
The following links are currently being used to promote COVID-19 resources in language (via the translations icon):
Individuals can collect up to two packets for themselves plus up to two packets for each household member per visit. People with a disability or their carer can collect up to four packets of tests.
To learn in other ways about Victoria's responses:
Other Resources
Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) fully support calls from across Australia and around the world for the release of hostages and an end to the war.
In times of global turmoil, we are starkly reminded of the importance of social cohesion. We stand in solidarity with
all Victorians affected by the war, and remain committed to supporting multicultural and multifaith communities to come together with mutual respect and understanding.
There are no winners in war. We unequivocally condemn all acts of violence against innocent civilians, and support the steps being taken to pave the way for a two-state solution. We are hopeful for a future where Palestine can co-exist as an independent sovereign state alongside an independent sovereign Israel, and where the people of both nations can live side by side in peace and freedom.
Closer to home, this week's Victorian Budget outlined a range of targeted initiatives to address the unique challenges and needs of diverse communities, such as $10.4 million for community language schools, and $4 million to fund legal help for asylum seekers, refugees and temporary visa holders, and to assist newly arrived migrants to connect to their new home.
However, we are disappointed and concerned that funding is lapsing for the Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Coordinator programs which provides vital support to regional multicultural communities. ECCV will continue to advocate for the sustainable funding of regional ethnic communities’ councils, recognising the critical role they play in supporting migrant and refugee communities across Victoria.
Eddie Micallef, Chairperson
Highlights
EXPLAINING | How the Victorian Budget stacked up
ECCV welcomes the investment in targeted programs for multicultural communities in the Victorian Budget 2024-25 released this Tuesday. Key investments include more than $86 million in education and community language initiatives, and more than $17 million to expand the delivery of the Victorian African Communities Action Plan.- Read ECCV media release and look out for our detailed Budget analysis.
SUBMITTING | ECCV's first response to the Federal Budget
Ahead of the release of the Federal Budget next Tuesday, we are pleased to share ECCV's first Federal Pre-Budget Submission. It draws on our earlier Pre-Budget Submission which made funding recommendations at state and federal levels. Given the current review of the national Multicultural Framework, ECCV has identified new areas for government investment to build the capacity of our diverse communities.PUBLISHING | ECCV's new Strategic Plan 2025-30
ECCV's new Strategic Plan 2025-30 provides a framework for how we can build a more inclusive and equitable Victoria over the next five years. The Strategic Plan was developed in consultation with our members, Board of Directors, staff as well as government and other stakeholders. It charts a clear direction for ECCV, which centres the importance of advocacy, sustainability and capability.Opportunities and Resources
PUBLISHING | Latest Our Golden Years | out now
A new Our Golden Years is out now! Our Golden Years is ECCV's biannual print newsletter which offers hands-on tips and practical information on ageing well plus a round-up of resources and events for migrant seniors and multicultural seniors groups. In the latest issue, you can find stories on financial elder abuse, mental health and more.PARTICIPATING | In our mental health workshops
Do you work in the mental health sector and want to learn how to provide culturally safe services? ECCV is holding workshops to help practitioners understand the factors impacting poorer mental health outcomes for multicultural communities. To arrange a workshop, contact Partnerships & Engagement Lead Surmeli Yesilyurt on 0481 589 664 or via email at syesilyurt@eccv.org.au.RAISING | Voices of diverse people with disability
In partnership with the Migrant Resource Centre North West Region, ECCV is delivering workshops to empower people with disability from migrant and refugee communities. The Raise Our Voices program supports people with disability from multicultural backgrounds to understand what self-advocacy is, why it's important and how they can improve their self-advocacy skills.5.3 AUST | CUIN | UPDATING | Community, News and Information | April-May 2024
Welcome to this edition of Cultural Infusion (CUIN) newsletter! We kicked off the month by making it into business news around the world, announcing a pre series A bridge funding roud. This investment signifies a crucial juncture in our mission to expand and advance diversity and inclusivity efforts in workplaces worldwide.As we celebrate this milestone, we're also excited to spotlight events which we've mapped using the Diversity Atlas survey and other networking opportunities. We also extend a special invitation to Australian tech companies to join the transformative TechReflects study. Happy reading, everyone!
HITTING | A milestone!
We're thrilled to announce a significant milestone: Our diversity data analytics platform has secured a $6 million (AUD) investment from Gener8 VC, a leading Canadian funding platform. This funding marks a pivotal moment as we accelerate our commercial growth and continue to lead the way in diversity analytics.This news follows a stellar year for us, where our customers — many world leaders in their own fields — have deepened their invovlement with us. Used by more than 250 organisations to date, Diversity Atlas is being deployed across five continents and in more than 40 countries.
This exciting achievement has been picked up by 32 publications that published our story across the globe from London, North America and Australia.
CELEBRATING | Rich cultural diversity at WORKTECH Melbourne 2024
The Diversity Atlas team presented at the conference in Melbourne in March. The event was well attended, with presenters and participants from all over the world. The focus was exploring the latest developments and emerging trends for all those involved in the future of work and the workplace across the places people work, in the real estate, technology and innovation rapidly taking place. The event highlighted some innovations in the workforce, transforming the traditional office space for today's organisation.New workplaces were showcased that adapt to changing environments, utilising space to accommodate hybrid settings and maximise space efficiency tuned to workflows and peoples needs. Presentations from Xero, Bookings.com, Gallup, Unwork, Bristol Myers Squibb, ANZ and many others shared these changes and demonstrated how they are adapting to keep teams together remotely, using AI to map and forecast changes in layout and demand for meetings rooms and other workspaces to really understand what people are doing at work. An emphasis on how to make the office experience enjoyable and engaging with consideration to not only how much time spent in the office, but why the workers come and what impact they can have.
Diversity Atlas gave a fun celebratory presentation that showed some of the rich diversity from participants. An exceptional rate of 70% of attendees completed the WORKTECH Diversity Atlas survey with results shown in the afternoon by Michael Walmsley, who also touched on the growing importance to understand the rich diversity of teams that occupy these changing work environments. A report was then sent to delegates after the event.
REPORTING | Impact on diversity on startup success
Our CEO & Founder Peter Mousaferiadis was hosted by Iryna Manukovska during her podcast in which they spoke about diversity's effects on business, innovations and startup process.Incorporating inclusion and diversity isn't just about addressing social issues; it's about fostering growth. When individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives collaborate, they bring a broader spectrum of ideas and experiences. Therefore, diversity is crucially important in the tech industry, and its influence on business is wide reaching.
- Watch the video (45 mins)
HEARING | Your say: Tech Reflects Study
We invite tech leaders to participate in a groundbreaking national effort that intersects Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Big Data. This initiative benchmarks workforce diversity against the broader Australian community, fostering a more inclusive tech sector where everyone can thrive.If you're an Australian organisation with a technology workforce, we invite you to be a part of this collaborative mission of achieving 1.2million tech jobs by 2030.
PUBLISHING | The importance of developing inclusive data sets
Our CEO and Founder, Peter Mousaferiadis, and our Cultural Ambassador in the EU, Mario Chatzidamianos, co-authored an article on the importance of developing inclusive data sets to serve the UN’s Resolution on “The right to development” and the SDGs, published in the latest issue of Allilon magazine, produced by Allilon NGO in Greece.GATHERING | Mastercard’s Global Inclusive Growth Summit 2024
The annual Global Inclusive Growth Summit, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, brings together entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, and changemakers to collaborate and address today's most pressing challenges. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the EU-based Cultural Ambassador Mario Chatzidamianos shared key insights on inclusive economic development.During the summit, leaders from various sectors convened to discuss tangible solutions for empowering individuals to harness the digital economy's benefits. Key focuses included public-private partnerships, speeding and scaling impact, reforming financial systems, expanding access to information and technology, and addressing artificial intelligence's potential as both a tool for advancing inclusive growth and a source of exclusion.
The summit emphasized the importance of technology and connectivity in promoting inclusive growth while acknowledging the need to bridge the gap for the 2.5 billion people who still lack access to tech tools. Ultimately, the event stressed the significance of understanding and empowering oneself to become agents of change in their communities, highlighting Diversity Atlas's role in supporting marginalized populations and individuals in need of empowerment.
HIGHLIGHTING | Calendar Spotight — International Star Wars Day
International Star Wars Day, affectionately known as “May the Fourth Be With You,” is a beloved annual celebration cherished by fans worldwide, paying homage to the iconic Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. This informal commemorative day, observed on 4 May each year, transcends geographical and cultural boundaries, uniting enthusiasts in their shared love for the epic saga set in a galaxy far, far away.Did you know that Diversity Atlas recognizes Jedi as a religion / worldview within its extensive data set, making it the world's most comprehensive collection of diversity data —and that .2% of all surveyed participants identify as such? As a platform committed to inclusivity, we celebrate diverse identities and languages, ensuring accurate representation for all communities.
- If you'd like to see our platform, book a demonstration.
- More cultural events
UPDATING | Learning Lands: The Adventure Continues
Our fantastic offer of 3 months’ free educational resources from our Learning Lands platform continues for those who book a program with us.This month, we look forward to NAIDOC Week, announce a new touring program, discuss the heavy price of exclusion and more.
CELEBRATING | NAIDOC Week Outside of NAIDOC Week
‘We would love NAIDOC Week to be every week.’As Murri Elder Aunty Monica tells us, celebrating First Peoples culture is not and shouldn’t be exclusive to one week per year.
ANNOUNCING | New Touring Program for New South Wales!
First Nations Educator Djarrin is launching a touring program for New South Wales 22-26 July 2024 to help you extend your NAIDOC week celebrations and it’s booking out fast.With his deep connection to his Barkindji heritage, Djarrin offers unique insights and stories. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with culture in a meaningful and immersive way!
SHARING | Testimonial
Arcadia College in Queensland sent us this testimonial for our online Professional Development session, Introduction to Embedding Aboriginal Perspectives, which we recently ran for 70 teachers:“The entire team thoroughly enjoyed the delivery approach and Aunty Gabby’s ability to be raw and honest. From the start of the booking process until the completion of the PD, the team were very approachable, supportive and showed genuine care and passion towards providing a meaningful experience.”
BOOKING | In advance for NAIDOC Week | 7-14 July 2024
Book Early for NAIDOC WEEKNAIDOC Week begins on 7 July this year with the theme Keep The Fire Burning! Blak, Loud And Proud.
Our brilliant presenters have many offerings. We can even tailor a program specially for you.
REPORTING | Excluding Anybody Is Bad for Everybody
There are big reasons to centre cultural diversity and ensure inclusion in all our social decisions.Our CEO and Founder Peter Mousaferiadis has often spoken and written about the cost of culture-based violent conflict, which is rising steeply. In dollar terms, this came to about $US13.1 trillion dollars in 2022.
Social exclusion has a huge ethical and political cost. It also has a measurable dollar cost – even huger than the cost of conflict! This is due to the loss of innovation, productivity and missed business opportunities plus increased numbers of people experiencing poverty. Even just feeling excluded causes people to opt out of markets, services and spaces.
Looking at the (estimated) figures representing the global cost of gender, disability and ethnic & racialised inequity, they total *US$24.65 trillion* a year – about 26% of global GDP! This doesn’t even factor in many other forms of discrimination based on religion, sexuality, age, caste, class, appearance and more. For sources on these estimated figures, read the post in the link below.
PARTICIPATING | May Events and Appearances
1–3 May Peter Mousaferiadis participated in two days of discussions at the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, Azerbaijan. He says the discussions offered: ‘insights rarely heard in the West. One stark reminder from this region was Australia's less-than-stellar reputation concerning its handling of asylum seekers and irregular migrants.’16 May CTO Rezza Moieni participated in the Vietnam ESG Investor Conference 2024.
18 May Marketing & Comms Coordinator Marios Chatzidamianos participated in Live a Legacy Mentoring Day in Athens, Greece.
21 May CXO Michael Walmsley joined Digital Innovation Futures Victoria in Melbourne for an in-depth exploration of the groundbreaking Tech Reflects study.
23 May The Diversity Atlas Team is attending the annual Tech Diversity Awards gala dinner and for the second consecutive year mapping the diversity of the crowd. Did you know that anyone can use our versatile mapping tool Diversity Atlas in this way to reveal the diversity of conference participants? This is the world’s fastest and most reliable tool to support full inclusivity.
25 May Marios Chatzidamianos participated in the European Business Summit in Athens.
30 May The Education and Experiences Team is attending fka Children’s Services’ Early Childhood Language Program Annual Forum. The event is focused on the ‘Early childhood language program’ designed for educators who teach preschool children in a language other than English to help children maintain connection with their culture.
HIGHLIGHTING | Calendar Spotlight: Refugee Week | 17-24 June
Refugee Week provides a platform, especially for people with lived experience, to raise awareness in the general community.Our popular Multicultural Day Program is a highly engaging and immersive workshop which promotes the importance of intercultural understanding and is available in all states. With interactive activities ranging from critical discussion, dancing and more, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of a variety of cultures.
We also offer a Mini Multicultural Day for pre-primary students across all states which allows the choice of 3 individual pre-primary programs. You can explore one culture, language or topic in depth or travel the world with a program from each continent.
Additionally, our Intercultural Citizenship Ambassador Program (ICAP) available Australia-wide is a valuable and comprehensive program that addresses ethical understanding, critical thinking and global citizenship. In alignment with the aims of the International Day of Education, our ICAP program promotes students to understand various traditions while gaining greater intercultural understanding.)
5.4 AUST | GiveOUT | UPDATING | Save the date 17 October 2024 for GiveOUT Day
Join GiveOUT (GiveOUT) for GiveOUT Day Thursday 17 October 2024 to celebrate and raise vital funds for the Australian LGBTQIA+ community sector!Together, we raised a whopping $405,000 for 91 organisations in 2023, and the team is gearing up for this year to be the best one yet. Registrations for participating organisations will open in August.
Our Grantees In Action
“New City Church has given me a community that has been family for me, when my blood family feels distant”
New City Church (NCC) exists to provide a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people and allies to explore faith in new and engaging ways, and help those who have been harmed by religious organisations to find refuge and healing. Amplify Pride Fund enabled NCC to expand their regular social support groups, pioneer a Religious Harm Support Group, and deliver a first-of-its-kind national conference on building safe and inclusive churches.
GiveOUT Board spotlight
Richard Brett is an experienced leader in marketing communications, corporate communications and communications agency management. He is currently the CEO for Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health, working to deliver iconic, culture-changing campaigns for clients. Richard was named CommsCon’s Leader of the Year 2019 and in 2020 co-authored his first book ‘The Decade of Do’. As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Richard is very proud to work as a member of the GiveOUT board to help further the organisation’s mission and aims through effective engagement and communication.LGBTQIA+ Community News and Resources
Upcoming Events
- Equality Project, Better Together Conference (14-15 June, Geelong)
- USYD, LGBTQIA+ Executive Leadership Fellowship (3-7 June, Sydney)
- Leadership Institute, LGBTQIA+ Leadership Summit (22-25 August, Sydney)
Upcoming grants
- ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants by FRRR (Closes 29 May)
- Wear it Purple Financial Assistance Grants (Closes 31 May)
- Northern Territory Arts and Culture Grants (Closes 31 May)
- Outback Australia - social and economic outcomes (Closes 15 May)
- Strengthening Rural Communities by FRRR (Closes 5 June 2024)
- Arts Tasmania annual grants for arts organisations (Closes 4 June)
- ACON Diversity Day Grants for LGBTQ+ groups and individuals (Closes 17th June)
Philanthropy News - What we are reading
“When you start talking about the family violence, [victim survivors] don't necessarily want to go to the mainstream services … they want to come to a service where the worker is an LGBTQIA+ specialist, and you know that they are gonna be safe.”DFV case study: The importance of funding LGBTQIA+-led services
Paul Ramsay Foundation’s report on domestic and family violence specialist services found that LGBTQIA+ people often feel unsafe accessing mainstream services, and are more likely to engage with services that have LGBTQIA+ staff and that are deeply attuned to the unique needs of rainbow communities.
UK Learnings: The value of pooled funds
A pooled fund, such as GiveOUT and Aurora's Amplify Pride Fund, is when multiple funders contribute to a grant pool to advance a shared objective. Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that pooled funds can increase impact, reduce risk, and champion an innovative approach to philanthropy.
Why current LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion trends should worry us
Dawn Emsen-Hough, Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, shared on LinkedIn that over the last three years, the AWEI Employee Survey has shown a decline in support for LGBTQ+ inclusion, echoing global concerns on the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment (and particularly anti-trans sentiment). These insights show that we can’t be complacent, and that now is the time to step up our support for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Thank you to our generous partners who support GiveOUT's work, including our most recent Patron David Hardie.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@giveout.org.au.
With love,
The GiveOUT team
5.5 AUST | ILF | UPDATING | Community Information | April 2024
Yamandhu marang, this month we experienced one of our most incredible achievements to date, the ILF was awarded the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.This award recognises the value of our work in remote First Nations Communities and the special relationships that have enabled us to publish Community stories and provide books and literacy resources in First Languages.
We thank you, our supporters, who have helped us to achieve this. Our work and this award would not have come without the generous support of donors throughout Australia.This award will not change the ILF focus and we remain focussed to expand our work with remote Communities across the country.
This award is an acknowledgement of you all, your commitment and your investment in the Community led approach of the ILF to support Community achieve their literacy aspirations. I thank you for your ongoing support.
In more exciting news, we ask you to mark your calendars for our biggest celebration of the year, Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD). This year, ILD will be held on Wednesday September 4th 2024 and we're excited to celebrate this year's theme - 'Be A Proud Voice For Country'. More information to come shortly!
We also invite schools to register for our newest musical fundraiser, Busking for Change! Schools across the country will learn how to sing and play Shordi Krik in English and Kriol, an Aboriginal language spoken in the Top End of Australia while raising funds for the ILF. Register today and get access to sheet music, charts, videos, lyrics and more!
Mandaang guwu,
Ben Bowen (Wiradjuri/Gandagarra), Chief Executive Officer
SINGING ALONG | To Shordi Krik Lyric Video
Thank you to Studio Gilay who created the Shordi Krik lyric video in both English and Kriol. This will be an amazing resource for the remote Communities we work with where Kriol is the First Language as well as for schools participating in this years Busking For Change.SPOTLIGHTING | Word of the Month
To celebrate second year of UNESCO's Decade of Indigenous Languages, each month we encourage readers to learn a new word in an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.This month's word is girrganyi in Bunuba language! Bunuba Country is located in the southern West Kimberley, in Western Australia.
- Brown Falcon = girrganyi
- Phonetics: girr-gan-yi
Our News
RECEIVED | Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
We are so pleased to be awarded the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award which was announced on 9 April 2024 at a press conference in Stockholm and at the Children's Book Fair in Bologna.ATTENDED | Bologna Children's Book Fair
ILF's Head of Publishing, Nicola attended the Bologna Children's Book Fair for the first time ever! It was so great to have the opportunity to spread awareness of the ILF to overseas publishers and agents, who are considering licensing the rights to publish our books in many countries, including Spain, China and North America.CALLING | Registrations for Busking for Change 2024
Primary schools are invited to register and commit to learning Shordi Krik, in English or Kriol, an Aboriginal language spoken in the Top End of Australia. Once students master the song, they ‘busk’ or perform the song collectively or individually to their friends, family, school, or post a video online.ANNOUNCING | Sydney Trivia Night | Wednesday 17 July 2024
Our Sydney Trivia Night will be held at Marrickville Town Hall hosted once again by the incredibly talented radio presenter, journalist and author, Richard Glover. It is always an hilarious night of fun, frivolity and friendly competition while fundraising to support our programs in remote Communities.CALLING | Volunteers for ILF at Sydney Marathon!
We are pleased to announce that for the second year, The Sydney Marathon will be donating $40 to the ILF per volunteer who helps to run our drinks station on the marathon route on Sunday 15 September, 2024.ASKING | Would your school love a visit from Andy Griffiths?
Simply host a Great Book Swap with funds submitted by 1 November 2024 and your school will be guaranteed a virtual visit from beloved ILF Ambassador and children's author, Andy Griffiths! This visit will be a digital livestream with all participating schools in November 2024. If you cannot attend the day, you will receive a recording to watch at any time.SUPPORTING | The ILF at Gold Coast and Melbourne Marathons!
Thinking of participating in the Gold Coast Marathon (6-7 July) or the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival (18 October) this year? Why not register and raise funds for our the ILF!ANNOUNCING | First Nations stories for the workplace!
The Reading Opens Doors Library is the perfect way to inspire and educate your staff and workplace about First Nations cultures, histories, and stories.This collection of books features titles for all ages and interests, from picture books for young children to award-winning novels for adults.
Investing in the Reading Opens Doors Library is a great way to support First Nations literature and authors promote diversity and inclusivity in your workplace.
CLICKING | For more stories
Work in Community
CREATING | Books by Women from Fitzroy Crossing to Preserve Language
Learn more about the four new bright, fun and bilingual children's books written by women from Fitzroy Crossing that will help to preserve their First Nations Languages and also share a snapshot of life in a remote Community.ATTENDING | Ceduna Workshops
This month, our team travelled to Ceduna to host workshops in collaboration with Far West Languages Centre and led by ILF Ambassador Jared Thomas and Wirangu, Kokatha and Mirning children's author, Susan Betts. Our team will revisit Ceduna later in the year to work on developing the Communities stories into published books. Watch this space!ADVANCING | Copies of Who Sank the Boat? and Who's Hiding?
This month we received advanced copies of Who Sank the Boat? in Ngaanyatjarra and Who’s Hiding? in Ngaanyatjarra, Kriol and Walmajarri. Who's Hiding? is also the first lift-the-flap book published for Community!Ambassador News
Justine Clarke
Congratulations to ILF Ambassador Justine Clarke who will return to star in the play, Julia. The brilliantly talented Justine Clarke returns to step into the shoes of Australia’s first female prime minister and deliver a performance that will be remembered for generations.Emma Donovan
Congratulations to ILF Ambassador Emma Donovan on her newly released album, Til My Song Is Done. Emma is also currently touring Australia with her new album. Learn more.Josh Pyke
Congratulations to ILF Ambassador Josh Pyke who is currently touring the country with his new album, Revisions. Learn more about the tour dates and locations.Special Thanks
Thinking of writing your will? The ILF has partnered with Safewill to provide our supporters with the ability to write their will for just $80 (half price).We would like to recognise the longstanding support from the Envato Foundation who have just made another donation - bringing the total donations to $200,000. This is an amazing level of support which has gone towards our Book Supply and Community Publishing programs.
We are indebted to our partner Australia Post for their support with the delivery of Book Supply packs to remote Communities and their ongoing fundraising.
Community Fundraisers
A big thank you to the team at Rethink Change who donated to the ILF at their Rethink Change Conference. Each year, the conference donates to a charity of choice and this year they donated $2,000 on behalf of their generous pro bono presenters.A special thank you to Anjanette Fennell, Anne-Marie Taplin and Megan Close Zavala, editors of The Heart Will Find a Way, who are donating all profits from the sale of the anthology to the ILF. The Heart Will Find a Way is a collection of short stories that share the diversity of emotions we experience within our hearts.
We are so grateful for the support of Erstwilder who are soon launching an exciting collaboration of wearable art accessories with Ngarabal and Torres Strait Islander artist, Lauren Rogers. $5 from the sale of every design on launch day Tuesday 21 May 2024 will be donated. Thank you Erstwilder!
CALLING | Donations of Auction Items | Sydney Trivia Night
If you or your workplace have any items (this can include physical products or vouchers) you would like to donate as auction or raffle items to our Sydney and Melbourne Trivia Night we would be grateful if you could contact us at fundraising@ilf.org.au5.6 AUST | NJP | RAISING | Awareness, Funds and Support for National Justice Project: Fearlessly Fighting Injustice
As a human rights law firm fearlessly fighting to end discrimination, donations empower us to continue this vital work, so we can walk with the community to uphold justice where it's needed most.As we approach the end of the financial year, we reflect on the transformative impact of support. Over the past 12 months, we have delivered trauma-informed, culturally safe legal services at no cost, focusing on powerful reforms in healthcare, policing, prison and the broader justice system.
Currently, we are handling 123 matters spread across these critical areas: approximately 13% in correctional, 16% in policing, 36% in immigration and 13% in healthcare, with 68 of these matters currently in court across various Australian jurisdictions.
Thanks to our friends' steadfast support, we've expanded our reach and widened our impact. Help us sustain our advocacy efforts to fight systemic injustice.
We're so proud of the National Justice Project (NJP) community of changemakers, and what we can achieve. Together, let’s make 2024 a year for justice.
Warmest regards,
National Justice Project team
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6. ANNOUNCING
- AUST | CAGA | SUPPORTING | Unpaid carers
- AUST | RHC | SUPPORTING | Women and families following pregnancy loss
- VIC | QUIT | TAKING | Action today for a healthier tomorrow
6.1 AUST | CAGA | SUPPORTING | Unpaid carers
There are more than 2.65 million unpaid carers in Australia, and 1 in 12 are under 25 years old.Carer Gateway (CAGA) is a national initiative program funded by the Australian Government that offers a free and diverse range of short term services to help you manage your caring role and improve your wellbeing.
If you are an unpaid carer and wish to get access to Carer Gateway (CAGA) in your language you can call Uniting on 1800 422 737 or visit their website to learn more.
6.2 AUST | RHC | SUPPORTING | Women and families following pregnancy loss
Rural Health Connect (RHC) has launched a new service to provide telehealth psychology sessions to women and families who have experienced stillbirth or miscarriage.The sessions are bulk-billed or available at low cost, depending on a person’s situation.
This new service aims to help:
- multicultural families
- women aged under 20 years
- migrant and refugee communities, and
- people living in rural and remote Australia
6.3 VIC | QUIT | TAKING | Action today for a healthier tomorrow
Taking the first step towards quitting is a big milestone in itself. Stopping smoking can bring numerous benefits to your health, wellbeing, and overall quality of life. If you need support to take action today visit quit.org.au for more information.Back to Topics List
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7. SUPPORTING
- AUST | MANY | Helpers and Reliable Sources Along the Way
- AUST | MULTI | Supporting Voices, Treaty and Meaningful Reconciliation with First Peoples, Settlers, and Those Who Come After
- VIC | GOV | UPDATING | Coronavirus Response
- AUST | MULTI | UPDATING | Coronavirus Response
7.1 AUST | MANY | Helpers and Reliable Sources Along the Way
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
- Ageism
- Asylum Seeking & Refugees
- Climate, Environment & Emergency
- Community, Connection & Belonging
- Difability & Disability
- Employment
- Family & Neighbourhood Violence
- Health, Sickness & Wellbeing
- Kids, Youth, Parenting & Education
- LGBTIQA+
- Men
- Racism
- Women
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
- Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation school teaches Aboriginal kids in their own language started in 2022 with just 15 students and this year they already have 74 enrolments plus a waiting list!
- Call It Out: A First Nations Racism Register App – University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, in partnership with the National Justice Project, are proud to announce the launch of the Call It Out App, a ground-breaking platform aimed at documenting and addressing racism against First Nations Peoples in communities across Australia. Download on Apple and Android now to report racism anytime, anywhere.
- From the Heart (FTH) views a Voice to Parliament as a body enshrined in the Constitution would enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide advice to the Parliament on policies and projects that impact their lives.
- The Healing Foundation (THF) – a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation providing a platform to amplify voices and lived experience of Stolen Generations survivors and their families.
- Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) Book Supply – creating and translating books with the collective storytelling of First Nations authors, illustrators and Elders
- Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program (PNABCP) – Canberra not-for-profit group helping make life easier for people in need. As part of its many programs, it helps provide free birth certificates and registrations for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community
- Reconciliation Victoria – promoting reconciliation across Victoria, promoting deeper understanding, respect and justice for and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
- The Torch Project (TORCH) provides art, cultural and arts industry support to First Nations people currently in, or recently released, from Victorian prisons.
- Call It Out: A First Nations Racism Register App – University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, in partnership with the National Justice Project, are proud to announce the launch of the Call It Out App, a ground-breaking platform aimed at documenting and addressing racism against First Nations Peoples in communities across Australia. Download on Apple and Android now to report racism anytime, anywhere.
Ageism
- Ageism and reducing its impact – reframing the discussion to help everyone better understand how to communicate about age, ageing and issues affecting older people. Download the Framing age message guide and Download the quick reminder Cheat Sheet
- ‘Ageing well in Victoria: An action plan for strengthening wellbeing for senior Victorians 2022-2026' supporting older Victorians from all backgrounds to connect socially and live healthy, active, and purposeful lives.
- Southern Metro Elder Abuse Prevention Network (SMEAPN) free online course: Framing Age Self-Paced Training: 5 Online Modules – EAPN LMS
Climate, Environment & Emergency
- Better Health – Surviving Extreme Heat In-language video
- Australian Islamic Centre (AIC) has co-produced award winning Fired Up (36 mins) short documentary which tells the story of AIC volunteers who travelled to areas impacted by the devastating 2019-2020 bushires to provide essential supplies to communities in critical need.
- Country Fire Authority and Fire Rescue Victoria recommend your smoke alarms are tested regularly, that batteries are replaced once a year, and smoke alarm units are replaced every 10 years. Learn more
- Country Fire Authority advises Reduce fire risk by using lithium-ion battery powered devices safely
- Country Fire Authority – Summer Campaign Communications Kit includes a range of resources in different languages to help you stay safe during a bushfire
- Crime Stoppers Victoria (CSV) with Ethnolink – video on how to report a crime, now available in our 11 priority languages: Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Dinka, Farsi, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Watch videos
- Emergency management improvement report with engaged multicultural communities, government and emergency services
- Fire season preparation in Regional Victoria – visit Country Fire Authority's website, sign up to MyCFA to get local information on how to plan and prepare for fires and other emergencies in your area or learn more
- Royal Life Saving – a handy checklist to help identify any areas of drownings concern, allowing everyone to be fully prepared for the upcoming summer.
- State Emergency Service – SES flood guide – Be aware of your risk, check your local area or call VIC SES on 132 500 for support
- Vic Emergency app or Call 1800 226 226 for Vic Emergency hotline
- Victoria Health Department – in hot weather or extreme weather, be neighbourly, check in on vulnerable neighbours
- Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) and sustainability consultancy Point Advisory have produced a comprehensive document full of relevant information, step-by-step advice, and guidance on how to tackle the roadblocks faced by apartment tenants, owners, and management companies when approaching solar for apartments. Download guide
Community, Connection & Belonging
- The Boîte is a cornerstone of Victoria's multicultural music scene and champions diverse artists and musical experiences, enriching Australia's cultural landscape.
- Carer Gateway – an Australian Government website for carers that provides practical information and advice, and connects carers to services and support.
- Carer Gateway Real Carers, Real Stories - In Their Own Words digital photographic exhibition.
- City of Port Phillip (CoPP) Neighbours and Seniors Register creates links between Port Phillip residents over 55, enabling getting to know each other and better supporting each other. Register by using the seniors registration form (PDF 78 KB)
- The Conversation (THCO) – continuing to grow, making an important contribution to public knowledge
- Cultural Infusion (CUIN)'s online Cultural Calendar is designed to assist schools with organising cultural incursions throughout the year.
- Equality Project (EQPR) Better Together Training Academy – for LGBTIQ+ and Allies to hone advocacy, transform leadership Initiate, activate, lead to make a positive impact in your community.
- Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) Speak My Language podcasts feature people sharing stories and practical advice about living well with disability in a range of community languages.
- Ethnolink Language Services – Multi-lingual resource library with information available on coronavirus in 71 languages.
- Expression Australia – Keep up to date with regular Auslan videos on COVID-19, breaking news in Victoria, Australia and abroad.
- Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) have published their annual multifaith calendar outlining major holy days and festivals for Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism and Sikhism. View 2024 Multifaith Calendar (pdf) and view 2025 Multifaith Calendar (pdf)
- Faith and LGBTQA identity can coexist resources kit developed Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC).
- Foundation House – The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture for a world without torture and where communities respect, embrace and empower people from refugee backgrounds to thrive
- Mungo Explorer – online learning platform by Cultural Infusion (CUIN). An inquiry based resource aligned with the Australian curriculum and covers Year 4 First Contact and Year 7 Ancient History. Allowing teachers to share Indigenous perspectives, historical and scientific thinking to teach students about the remarkable story of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady.
- National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters' Council (NEMBC) is the peak organisation representing ethnic community broadcasters across Australia. Listen to news
- Paramount Chief Kuol Adol Foundation (PCKAF) aiming to improve the livelihoods of South Sudanese communities through programs in both South Sudan and Melbourne.
- Port Phillip Men’s Shed provides a safe and caring mateship environment. Our members hail from all walks of life and from different age groups. Women are welcome to participate.
- St Kilda Repair Cafe (SKRC) – free monthly repair cafe sessions at the Port Phillip EcoCentre on the second Sunday of each month from 2-5pm. Volunteers fix or mend, offer their time and skills to help make possible repairs free of charge to damaged items from home
- SBS عربي News streams live at 8pm on weeknights and SBS ä¸æ–‡ News is live from 8.30 pm on weeknights and available to stream at any time on SBS On Demand.
- SBS Interactive 2021 Census Explorer
- SBS 2023 Multicultural Film Festival via SBS OnDemand!
- Scanlon Foundation Research Institute's (SFRI) 2022 Mapping Social Cohesion
- Scanlon Foundation Research Institute (SFRI) – Voices of Australia podcast explores all things interesting in the world of social cohesion. Listen
- Spiritual Health Association (SHA) in partnership with Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) has been running The Spirituality & Diversity Discussion Project since 2019. Read More
- Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) is an interpreting service provided by the Department of Home Affairs for people who do not speak English and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients. Over 70 years' experience in language services and access to more than 2700 interpreters in more than 150 languages. The phone interpreting service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year for the cost of a local call for any person or organisation in Australia who needs an interpreter.
- Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing has recently launched 37 profiles of cultural communities. The profiles are designed to be a snapshot of each community, showing their diverse and unique needs.
- Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), free voter education sessions about elections can be delivered in some community languages and we can provide interpreters. Free online education sessions to your community or Learn to vote | Victorian Electoral Commission
- Volunteer West (VOWE) – culturally inclusive toolkit.
- Victorian Multicultural Commission have published Victorian Multicultural Commission Impact Report. or Watch 40 years of the Victorian Multicultural Commission video (6 min)
- Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH)'s new podcast episode 'Diversity Of Communities: Who Is Left Behind?' Read More or Listen to podcast (38 mins)
Difability & Disability
- Arts Access Victoria (AAV) offers Future Reset – Maker Space is a year of free in person and online visual and digital arts workshops and is for young Deaf and Disabled people aged 18–25 who live in Victoria. Beginners welcome!
- Aspergers Victoria (ASVI) – support groups and events for people who have Aspergers, autism, or other similar neurodiverse profiles.
- AUSLAN – Updates by Expression Australia - Regular Auslan only videos on updates of breaking news in Victoria, Australia and abroad.
- Australian Government Department of Social Services – Daily update on NDIS participants and workforce and easy English information on COVID-19.
- Autism friendly workplaces – We all deserve a workplace that works and sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference. Find out how you can start to make your workplace more autism inclusive by learning more at amaze.com
- Blind Citizens Australia – Information on coronavirus for people who are blind or vision impaired.
- Disability, Engaging Australians with Ask Me First and How to – 16 mins episode of a discussion on support and advocacy for people with disability and inclusion from CALD communities.
- Disability Gateway Service – the Australian Government provides free information and services to help people living with disability, their families, friends and carers in key areas including finance, employment, health and equipment. Translated fact sheets and videos
- Down Syndrome Australia – Easy Read guide about using money on the internet.
- IncludeAbility: employment for people with disability – an initiative of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), designed to support employers who want to create meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability, and people with disability seeking employment, developing a career or considering self-employment. Learn more
- LGBTIQ+ Health Australia – free training activities for LGBTIQ+ people with disability
- MiACCESS Multilingual Information Access to resources & information – A purpose-built website for CALD people with disability, carers and communities.
- Migrant Resource Centre North West Region (MRCNWR) – Diversity and Disability YouTube Channel
- National Disability Gateway – a one-stop shop from the Department of Social Services assisting all people with disability, their families and carers to locate and access services across Australia
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – Information about changes to how the NDIS work during the COVID -19 pandemic in 12 languages.
- National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) – free training activities for LGBTIQ+ people with disability
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission – Information contains links to updates, training, alerts, and resources for NDIS participants and providers.
- Self Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU) supports Victorian self-advocacy groups run by and for people with intellectual disability, people with acquired brain injury and people with complex communication support needs. Watch 'Live Our Lives' (4 mins music video).
- Summer Foundation (SUFO)'s Reasonable & Necessary podcast series helps simplify the NDIS for participants, their families and anyone supporting NDIS participants.
- VALID – 16 Page plain language guide to NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation
- Vietnamese resources supporting people with disability and their families, friends and carers – a suite of Vietnamese resources available in English and Vietnamese informing how to articulate rights and entitlements, negotiate service agreements and conditions with support providers.
Employment
- Equal pay matters – educational resources for organisations by Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC). For small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to understand and implement equal pay in their workplaces.
- Jobs that Matter campaign highlights a range of roles available across the community services sector in Victoria.
- Social Services Jobs Guarantee program - Victorian Diploma of Community Services graduates 1 September 2022–31 August 2024
- The Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee provides 38 hours a year of sick and carer's pay at the national minimum wage ($21.38 per hour). Translations available in 19 different languages.
- Victorian Volunteering opportunities available.
Family & Neighbourhood Violence
- Domestic and family violence and your visa Department of Home Affairs web page. Learn more
- Orange Door – for adults, children and young people experiencing family violence
- Respect Victoria (REVI) – brings light to common types of non-physical violence that can be used in intimate relationships, how to spot the warning signs, and how to look out for yourself and your friends.
- Safe and Equal (SAE)'s Are You Safe at Home? website features lots of helpful information around family violence and where to go for help. Learn about family violence. Watch a video in your language
- Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre – Victoria’s statewide first response service for women, young people and children experiencing family violence. Tel 1800 015 188 – family violence specialists available 24/7
- Safer and Stronger Communities Pilot, South East Community Links (SECL) – In-language videos for family violence prevention and multilingual resources for Dari, Hazaragi, Hindi, Punjabi and Tamil speaking community members. View on SECL website
Health, Sickness & Wellbeing
- Australian Psychological Society Referral Service – Tel 1800 333 497
- Be You is the national mental health in education initiative delivered by Beyond Blue, in collaboration with Early Childhood Australia and headspace. Offering a range of online, evidence-based tools, resources and professional learning aimed at improving the skills and knowledge of educators to support mental health and wellbeing in children and young people.
- Beyond Blue – translated information on managing your mental health during COVID-19 in 63 languages.
- Cancer Council Victoria (CCV) – online resources in simple English to support linguistically diverse Victorians learn about bowel cancer screening. Watch video (10 mins)
- Dementia information for multicultural communities
- DirectLine alcohol and drug counselling - 1800 888 236 - confidential drug and alcohol counselling and referral
- Gambling Help Online (GHO). Free, confidential and available 24/7. Take a step forward
- GP Expert Advice Matters – a website for patients translated into Arabic, simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Hindi and Vietnamese, and has practical information on how to access a local GP, telehealth and interpreter services
- Headway – a small business package of free wellbeing services and resources for all Victorian sole traders and small business owners, their employees and advisers.
- Health Translations – Australian health and wellbeing information - free online library multilingual translations including Auslan and Easy English.
- Hepatitis B In-language videos – allowing people in CALD communities to access clear and simple information about liver health, available in Arabic, Burmese, Khmer, Mandarin Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese.
- Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) is a free state-wide non legal advocacy service for people at risk of or subject to compulsory treatment in Victoria.
- Lifeline – 13 11 14 – crisis support available 24/7 via phone, text or online chat
- Mental Health & Wellbeing Hubs – 1300 375 330 – appointments for anyone feeling overwhelmed or in need of support with mental health.
- Mental Health Complaints Commission (MHCC) – Digital and print resources in 20 languages through community-approved translations that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for each community.
- Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA) – Small Business Engagement Program to benefit business owners, staff, and customers.
- Moving Pictures launched 12 new short films aimed at raising awareness about dementia, and the importance of early diagnosis to enable better treatment and quality of life. Watch the films
- MyMedicare is a new, voluntary and free way by Australian Government to register with your regular doctor or clinic. These are government-funded telehealth consultations with your regular doctor and it gives your doctor more resources to treat you
- Multicultural Health Connect (MHC) – hotline that can be used to find health services such as doctors, hospitals, and community health centres. The hotline is available 11.30am-8pm, 7 days a week - including public holidays. Call the hotline on 1800 186 815.
- NURSE-ON-CALL – 1300 60 60 24 – expert health information and advice
- Palliative Care Advice Service (PCAS) – supporting people diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses and those who support them.
- Quit Victoria – Tired of letting cravings control you? Beat the cravings, one at a time.
- Staying safe in the water – how to enjoy our state's waterways including beaches, rivers and lakes.
- Survive the heat campaign – raising awareness of the risks extreme heat poses to the health of all Victorians.
- Trans Justice Project (TJP) – building a movement standing up for justice, freedom, and equality for all trans and gender diverse people.
- Victorian Polio immunisation factsheets
- Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) seminars are open to individuals, from all disciplines and working in all sectors, who are based in Australia and interested in diversity and mental health.
- Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) have created the 'Community Engagement with Purpose' resource.
- Water Well Project works with people with migrant, refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to provide health education to improve health and wellbeing. Releasing a series of simple but informative videos on health and wellbeing topics including COVID-19 vaccination, mental health for kids, and preventative healthcare. Learn about The Water Well Project
Kids, Youth, Parenting & Education
- Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is the main way the Australian Government is helping families with the cost of early childhood education and care. For translated materials
- Couch International Student Centre is a safe and free lounge space in Melbourne for international students to socialise, relax, study, and seek assistance
- Courage to Care Victoria (CTCV) has launched a set of six digital ‘How to be an Upstander’ lesson plans for years 9&10, complementing their existing face to face Upstander Programs. Find more here
- Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 – for kids, teens and young adults
- Little Dreamers (LIDR) is Australia’s leading Young Carer organisation, supporting young people who provide unpaid care for a family member affected by disability, chronic or mental illness, addiction or frail age. Watch 3 min video
- Parentline – 13 22 89 – for parents and carers
- Parenting courses by Relationships Victoria (REVI) offers free 6 to 12 week courses for parents to learn better ways to connect with their children and family in a culturally sensitive way.
- Red Earth (REEA)'s School Immersions are all-inclusive, comprehensive programs designed to open the hearts and minds of students to the beauty and realities of life in remote Indigenous Australia. Find out more
- Refugee Council of Australia (RCA) – Face-to-Face program involves presentations to students from a speaker with a refugee background. Learn more
- Study Melbourne (STME) has many free or low cost events for international students who are studying and living in Victoria. Find student events near you
- Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) online community VMConnect is home to a dedicated Group for multicultural young people living in Victoria
- #16DAYS4KIDS | Colouring Your Conversation
- WHISE, in collaboration with the Promoting Respect and Equity Together (PRET) Regional Partnership. Teaching children about respect and gender equality is crucial for their personal and social development. It equips them with essential life skills, fosters positive relationships, and contributes to a more compassionate and harmonious society. Download Colouring Sheets
- Youth and Family Support Network (YFSN) delivering activities and initiatives that empower local African-Australian communities to tackle racism and support social cohesion. Watch video (2 mins)
LGBTIQA+
- The Equality Project – training and conferences
- GiveOUT – growing the pot of gold under the rainbow by supporting LGBTQIA+ organisations to access and use resources for the better.
- I'm From Driftwood – LGBTQIA+ first-person stories
- LGBTIQ+ Health Australia – free training activities for LGBTIQ+ people with disability
- Trans Justice Project – Impact Report 2023
Men
The following crisis and counselling services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week:- 1800RESPECT – Call 1800 737 732 or visit website
- MensLine Australia Call 1300 78 99 78 or visit website
Racism
- Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) have continued their national campaign: Racism. It Stops With Me. Learn more
- Call It Out: A First Nations Racism Register App – University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, in partnership with the National Justice Project, are proud to announce the launch of the Call It Out App, a ground-breaking platform aimed at documenting and addressing racism against First Nations Peoples in communities across Australia. Download on Apple and Android now to report racism anytime, anywhere.
- Courage to Care Victoria (CTCV) has launched a set of six digital ‘How to be an Upstander’ lesson plans for years 9&10, complementing their existing face to face Upstander Programs. Find more here
- Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) is supporting culturally and linguistically diverse community leaders to become Anti-racism Ambassadors in partnership with IndianCare, the Centre for Holistic Health and the Communities’ Council on Ethnic Issues. Learn more
- Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBBACC) is Victoria's independent body responsible for preventing and exposing police misconduct. You can report anything police do to deny your rights to IBAC.
- Prejudice Motivated Crime in Victoria and Reporting – Victoria Police website, an animated video (2 min) and poster. Resources are available in English, Arabic, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Hindi, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Somali, Urdu and Vietnamese. Explore the resources
- Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) partnering with Cinespace developed a fictional short film that tests contestants on their knowledge of racism. Watch the video (6 mins) and how to report racism in Victoria through VEOHRC. Visit Reducing Racism information hub to understand your rights, know the options available to report your experiences, and obtain help.
Women
- Made by Many Minds is a one-stop digital platform that provides migrant women in business with a range of services including legal, finance, marketing and merchandising.
- My Body. My Health – a five-part series of educational presentations to help organisations deliver health information to women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
- SisterWorks is a not-for-profit social enterprise, empowering migrant and refugee women by connecting them with entrepreneurship and employment opportunities. Empowerment Hubs are workplaces and training centres providing opportunities for women to share their experiences with other women and develop pathways to education, employment, entrepreneurship and leadership.
- Women Leading Locally is delivered by the Institute of Community Directors Australia in partnership with Women for Election.
- Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE) – Free support, referral and information for all Victorian women, nonbinary and gender-diverse people.
- Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) – women and non-binary people with disability, sharing a diverse range of experiences
- Respect Victoria
- Safe and Equal
7.2 AUST | MULTI | Supporting Voices, Treaty and Meaningful Reconciliation with First Peoples, Settlers, and Those Who Come After
- AUST | GOV | OFFERING | Resources and Translations on The Voice and Referendum 2023
- AUST | AICR | ENCOURAGING | YES23. Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through a Voice
- AUST | LWB | TRANSLATING | Resources in 45+ community languages on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
- AUST | REAU | EXPLAINING | Voice to Parliament and Referendum 2023
- AUST | RJfV | ISSUING | An Open Letter to the Australian Public: The Voice to Parliament would enhance Australian governance
- AUST | TLW | CALLING | Those Interested to Lace Up Your Shoes and Come Walk with Michael Long in support of the "Yes" campaign
- AUST | WRITERS | ENDORSING | The Voice as a major reform leading to better outcomes for First Nations Peoples
- AUST | GiveOUT | SUPPORTING | Proudly for a First Nations Voice to Parliament
- VIC | ECCV | ADVOCATING | Victorian Multicultural Voices for ‘Yes’ campaign
- VIC | VWT | ENGAGING | Listen and learn together through kitchen conversations. It’s time to say yes
- VIC | VTMH | DEMONSTRATING | Solidarity In Context to the Referendum
- AUST | GEIFN | HOW | To Accept No: Contest of Binaries | Sunday 15 October 2023
- AUST | GEIFN | WHY | To Accept No: Contest of Timing | Monday 16 October 2023
- AUST | GEIFN | WHEN | To Accept No: Contest of Terra nullius | Tuesday 17 October 2023 and beyond
- AUST | VTMH | OFFERING | Reflections following the Referendum
- CoPP | PPCR | STRIVING | Towards Meaningful Reconciliation
- AUST | CHGR | BUILDING | First Nations kids learning and loving to learn. Their families walking beside. Seeing hope for the future
- AUST | YSS | EDUCATING | Aboriginal Pedagogy, Social Justice and Self-Determination
- AUST | EVCO | BUILDING | Stronger, more inclusive organisation through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competence Training Programs
- MELB | NGVA | EXHIBITING | Wurrdha Marra – Many Mobs
AUST | GOV | OFFERING | Resources and Translations on The Voice and Referendum 2023
Australian Government advises in late 2023, Australians will have their say in a referendum about whether to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice would be an independent and permanent advisory body. It would give advice to the Australian Parliament and Government on matters that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have called for members of the Voice to be chosen by First Nations peoples based on the wishes of local communities.
AUST | AICR | ENCOURAGING | YES23. Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through a Voice
Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition (AICR) asks all to consider voting Yes. It’s time to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution through a Voice.
What is the 2023 Referendum?
This vote will give all Australians the chance to come together and consider a change to our constitution that will honour and celebrate the rights, history, and ongoing relationship of Indigenous Australians with this land. It’s a rare chance to make a major positive impact now and for future generations.
Australia has been considering constitutional recognition for more than 15 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have asked that the form of recognition come through a Voice to Parliament, which will give advice on laws and policies that affect Indigenous people.
This is what the Australian people are now being asked to decide: Should we recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in The Constitution, with a Voice?
A Voice will provide advice to the Federal Parliament about laws and policies, through a consultative policy making process that delivers meaningful structural change.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people know and understand the best way to deliver real and practical change in their communities. When they have a say through a Voice, we can finally start to close the gap that still exists between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians on practical issues like life expectancy, educational outcomes, and employment.
This is why a “Yes” result is important.
AUST | LWB | TRANSLATING | Resources in 45+ community languages on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
To encourage participation in the Referendum for all Australians, Polaron Language Services with Life Without Barriers (LWB) and several partner organisations have developed accessible translated resources in more than 45 languages.
These are free to download and aim to break down language, literacy and communication barriers among Australia’s diverse communities. This includes:
- Three social media tiles in 45+ languages that are shareable and easy to disseminate.
- Factsheets in 45+ languages letting communities know about the Referendum
- 30-second in-language videos – with subtitles and voiceovers.
AUST | REAU | EXPLAINING | Voice to Parliament and Referendum 2023
Reconciliation Australia (REAU) advises First Nations Voice to Parliament protected by the Constitution is a key element of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The Bill to enable the referendum became law in mid-June, but we are waiting for the referendum date to be announced.
The referendum question contained in the Bill is:
A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?What is a referendum
Find out more at Australian Electoral Commission.Or click the following Reconciliation Australia links that interest you:
- Why do we need a First Nations Voice?
- How do we get a First Nations Voice to Parliament?
- What work has been done so far?
- What will be added to the Constitution?
- Guiding principles of the Voice
- Do Australians want change?
- Common myths and misbeliefs
- Multilingual information
- See learning resources and information
Why do we need a First Nations Voice?
A Voice to Parliament will give Indigenous communities a route to help inform policy and legal decisions that impact their lives. Giving people a say will lead to more effective results.Embedding a Voice in the Constitution would recognise the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s history, but importantly would also mean that it can’t be shut down by successive Governments.
This is important because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and bodies have called for voice for close to 100 years.
AUST | RJfV | ISSUING | An Open Letter to the Australian Public: The Voice to Parliament would enhance Australian governance
We are individuals representing no political party or political interest. We speak, rather, as retired judges (RJfV) who spent our professional lives listening to, and seeking to evaluate, contending arguments.
We have since considered carefully both the case for, and the case against, the proposed Voice to Parliament. Having done so, we confidently believe that, by raising the quality of our public debate, the proposed Voice will both enrich our democracy and increase the likelihood of governments making correct decisions about matters that affect Indigenous peoples. It will also, and very importantly, give Indigenous Australians their due recognition in our Constitution as this nation’s first peoples.
Democracies are at their best when decisions are made after informed and respectful debate to which all may contribute. Life being what it is, the rich and the powerful have and will retain that privilege to a greater degree than most. Some, among them Australia’s First Nations peoples, have continually battled to be heard at all.
If successful, the referendum on the Voice will not diminish the influence of anyone. But it will help to correct an historic wrong. It will give recognition, and a voice, to those who for thousands of years owned and lived in balance with this land, only to have their rights to it disregarded during the centuries which have followed settlement from other lands. No consideration was given to the deep connections with country which the original inhabitants have incorporated into their very being; and the newcomers who now occupy their land listened, if they listened at all, with none of the empathy to which everyone should be entitled.
Constitutional recognition of the Voice in a successful referendum will acknowledge these facts, and do much to rectify a long-existing injustice. It will not, in our opinion, divide our nation. On the contrary, it will heal a wound which presently divides us. Nor will it disrupt government or destabilise the presently stable and appropriate division of power between the parliament, the executive and the judiciary.
The possibility of disruption and instability is a concern which nevertheless deserves respect (although not when it descends to ridiculous fears such as that Anzac Day will be ‘cancelled’). It is also reasonable to have doubts about the detail of the arrangements which will follow a successful referendum. We nevertheless firmly believe that these are not reasons for voting ‘No’. First, Australia can draw upon its wealth of common sense and its capacity for sensible compromise. The Voice will not waste its time, energy, finances or goodwill with silly claims that have no chance of political or judicial support. And secondly, detailed arrangements must allow for a degree of flexibility which is impossible if incorporated into a less than flexible constitution. The details are properly to be determined by the parliament of the day according to the changing circumstances of the day.
Advocates for the ‘No’ case point to the proposed amendment’s inclusion of a power in the parliament to make laws with respect to the powers of the Voice. The referendum if passed does not confer powers on parliament that it does not already have to pass such laws. We believe that the likelihood of parliament acting inappropriately in this respect is small. In our opinion it fails to justify a ‘No’ vote.
Advocates for a ‘No’ vote also claim that the Voice is a creature of Canberra. That is untrue. The call for the Voice was made in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which is the product of the widest survey of the views of First Nations peoples ever undertaken and which is a deeply respectful call “from all points of the Southern Sky”.
It includes an invitation to all Australians to create a better future. We think this invitation should be accepted.
Signed:
- The Hon Mary Gaudron KC, Former Judge of the High Court of Australia
- The Hon Carmel McLure AC KC, Former President of the Supreme Court of Western Australia Court of Appeal
- The Hon Stephen Charles AO KC, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal
- The Hon David Harper AM KC, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal
- The Hon Robert Redlich AM KC, Former Commissioner of the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC), former Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal
- The Hon Paul Stein AM KC, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW Court of Appeal, former President of the Anti-Discrimination Board
- The Hon Anthony Whealy KC, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW Court of Appeal
- The Hon Margaret White AO, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland Court of Appeal
AUST | TLW | CALLING | Those Interested to Lace Up Your Shoes and Come Walk with Michael Long in support of the "Yes" campaign
The Long Walk (TLW)'s Michael Long is once again setting off from Melbourne to Canberra in support of the "Yes" campaign.
Michael Long is one of the most recognisable Aboriginal figures in AFL football. He played for the Essendon Football Club between 1989 and 2001, was a member of two premiership sides and the winner of the 1993 Norm Smith Medal.
Michael championed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cause within the AFL. In 1995, Michael made a stand against racial abuse, following an on-field incident with another player, asserting that racism had no place in sport.
Ultimately this lead to Michael being one of the pioneering forces behind the racial abuse code that was adopted by the AFL in the 1990s. Michael retired from football in 2001.
"Lace Up Your Shoes and Come Walk with Me. We walked in 2004 for a Voice and a Vision.Walk with Michael Long in support of the "Yes" campaign on one or more legs of the walk from Melbourne to Canberra.
This year I have decided to bring forward my 20th Anniversary Long Walk to support the campaign for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament."
- Register to share with us which legs you'll be joining.
- Subscribe to get special offers, free giveaways, and once-in-a-lifetime deals.
- Make a donation. Financial support will help to make this journey a reality.
AUST | WRITERS | ENDORSING | The Voice as a major reform leading to better outcomes for First Nations Peoples
It’s only fair. Writers for The Voice (WRITERS) accept the generous, modest invitation of First Nations Peoples in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk with them towards a better Australia.
We support their call for recognition via a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament because we believe passionately that this major reform, the product of broad grassroots consultation and supported by the great majority of First Nations Peoples, will lead to better outcomes for First Nations Peoples.
AUST | GiveOUT | SUPPORTING | Proudly for a First Nations Voice to Parliament
The GiveOUT Team (GiveOUT) supports Australia saying YES in the Referendum for a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice
LGBTQIA+ people understand the significance of a public vote about their lives, and the importance of allies in advocating for change. It is time for the LGBTQIA+ community, and the Australian people as a whole, to stand in solidarity with our First Nations communities, including our Brotherboys, Sistergirls and other LGBTQIA+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
At GiveOUT, we know that there is no substitute for the wisdom of lived experience when it comes to designing policies and programs.
“As an organisation that exists to address systemic disadvantage, and provide impacted communities the resources they need to drive their own solutions, GiveOUT fully supports this much needed reform to ensure First Nations people are recognised in the constitution and are given a voice on the issues and interventions that impact them.” – Georgia Mathews, Chair of GiveOUTPolls have demonstrated that over 80% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people support a Voice to Parliament*. We call upon our LGBTQIA+ friends and allies to join this historic movement and vote ‘YES’ in the Referendum. We must take this important step toward a fairer future for this country.
You can show your support by:
- Going public with your support of YES to a Voice
- If you’re an LGBTIQA+ community organisation, adding your organisation’s name to Equality Australia’s statement
- Take action via yes23.com.au
VIC | ECCV | ADVOCATING | Victorian Multicultural Voices for ‘Yes’ campaign
The Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) joins forces with Yes23 and the Multicultural Australia for Voice alliance for Victorian Multicultural Voices for ‘Yes’.
Harnessing the power of multicultural communities to raise awareness about why the recognition of our First Nations People in the Constitution is important and how voting ‘Yes’ will achieve that.
Multicultural and multifaith leaders, along with First Nations Elders, attended the launch, with guest speakers Aunty Esme Bamblett, CEO of the Aboriginal Advancement League and a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Minister for Multicultural Affairs Colin Brooks, and the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Gabrielle Williams.
Victorian Multicultural Voices for ‘Yes’ will be organising community town hall forums and community workshops in the lead-up to the referendum. These engagements aim to empower and equip multicultural communities with how to have conversations about the referendum and why it matters.
ECCV Members will be hosting their own community forums to inform members of their communities about why voting ‘YES’ matters, including the Islamic Council of Victoria and the Greek Community of Melbourne.
The launch follows the success of a national multicultural town hall forum at Springvale City Hall with Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, which was attended by more than 700 people in August 2023.
The ECCV is the peak body for multicultural Victoria, with over 220 organisational members.
VIC | VWT | ENGAGING | Listen and learn together through kitchen conversations. It’s time to say yes
Together, Yes is a kitchen conversations movement by Victorian Women’s Trust (VWT) in support of a YES vote in the 2023 referendum on a First Nations Voice to parliament. It’s a powerful way you can participate in the referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice in our constitution.
In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future. – Uluru Statement from the Heart, May 2017By voting YES in the referendum, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will finally have a say on the policies and laws that affect their communities.
But voting ‘yes’ isn’t enough. We need to unite to ensure it’s a resounding YES from every corner of the country.
Is Together, Yes working with First Nations people?
Yes. The Victorian Women’s Trust (creator of Together, Yes) have been working in partnership with Koorie Women Mean Business for more than 30 years, which has guided much of our work since.
Since October 2022 we have been in close collaboration with indigenous-led campaigners to ensure Together, Yes helps achieve a positive referendum outcome.
Together, Yes uses ‘kitchen table conversations’, a model designed by the Victorian Women’s Trust more than twenty years ago. Tried and tested, it arose from a powerfully simple idea: engaging people in respectful and honest dialogue creates real and lasting change.
This civic engagement model is built on a set of important values. People are encouraged to:
- Help create a safe place for thinking, talking and taking action
- Acknowledge the experience and wisdom each person brings to the table
- Enter discussions in good faith with an open, constructive spirit
- Engage in respectful discussion, even in the face of dissent
- Be prepared to listen, gain new insight, and test one’s own opinions
Together, Yes invites people from all walks of life to gather in small group discussions and engage in an honest reckoning of the harm and injustice of our colonial past; Australia’s history of constitutional indifference; and how a Voice to parliament can make a difference.
- Watch video (3 mins)
- Visit website
- Stay in the Loop
- Become a Conversation Host. Bring others with you.
VIC | VTMH | DEMONSTRATING | Solidarity In Context to the Referendum
At an important moment in history, Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) supports the national vote adding an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (The Voice) to the Australian Constitution.
VTMH aligns with the principles of unity and understanding promoted by Reconciliation Australia, and we also endorse the stance taken by St Vincent's Health Australia on this matter.
VTMH sees this as a big chance to bring people together and make things better. We know that health and wellness are connected to making things right between different groups of people in Australia. VTMH thinks this vote can make real changes and respect the different viewpoints of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
AUST | GEIFN | HOW | To Accept No: Contest of Binaries | Sunday 15 October 2023
With any adversarial system where only 2 options (aka binary) are offered, part of informed consent is accepting that for every winner there has to be non-winners.
Binaries (this OR that) is Absolutism. It takes time for people to realise that there are no lasting Absolutes.
To explore further, every thing with a beginning has also got within the seeds of its end. As daybreak begins it has ended night. As night begins it ends daylight. But when we understand fully we understand that the sun is always shining, it is just our personal vantage point that moved while individually we might be standing still. The spherical planet we all call home is spinning on its own axis as it revolves around the sun. It is only the side facing the sun that gets the sun at any given time. The half in darkness hasn't lost, it is just waiting again for its time in the sun. So dark does not exist without light.
"To be or not to be – that is the question." – William Shakespeare, English playwright, poet and actor (1564-1616 CE)
And when that gets easy, consider "To be AND not to be – that is the answer."
Accepting No majority means you're ready to continue the national conversation reconciling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' (aka First Nations') existence with Colonialism and those who come after. A No majority result is an acknowledgment that this conversation has now began in earnest. And also being just another day in a functioning civil democracy finding its way, steady as we go, full steam ahead.
When this proposition gets easier to understand, the opportunities for an outcome that benefits everyone becomes self realising. So if not now, then take comfort in the old wise saying "a journey of a 1,000 steps begins with the first but made realisable with the 2nd and subsequent."
With big gains come the potential for big setbacks, obstacles and arguments. With practice, patience and perseverance, wisdom, compassion and non-selfish generosity always prevails.
"Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me."
Sojourner Truth, American abolitionist and activist for African-American civil rights, women's rights, and alcohol temperance (died 1883 CE)
A No majority doesn't mean "never" it just means "not now". For 235 years there has only been 1 resounding No: Terra nullius (nobody's land). Countering this false fact, has now formally recognised a resounding 40% yes to preexistence, a marked improvement from its 0% starting position. Meaning Australia is now ready to begin a conversation reconciling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' (aka First Nations') existence with Colonialism and those who come after.
A No majority result is an acknowledgment that this conversation has now began in earnest. While also being just another day in a functioning civil democracy finding its way, steady as we go, full steam ahead.
When this proposition gets easier to understand, the opportunities for an outcome that benefits a greater number until including all becomes self realising. So if not now, then take comfort in the old wise saying "a journey of a 1,000 steps begins with the first but made realisable with the 2nd and subsequent."
Terra nullius is a Latin expression meaning "nobody's land". It was a principle sometimes used in international law to justify claims that territory may be acquired by a state's occupation of it. Denying the existence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' existence by the British gave the British permission to land, stay and colonise.
Reconciling this falsehood in Australia's birth began 265 years ago and continues in our minds, hearts and actions. As testimony to this, the Australia today was unimaginable to our forebears. If we accept what we do today influences the future, it is also how brighter futures for a greater benefit is made possible – the real work being undertaken in the majority of ordinary days between the extra-ordinary milestones.
"I am my ancestor’s wildest dreams" – Maxine Beneba Clarke, Australian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent (1979- CE)
Accepting No majority means you're ready to continue the national conversation reconciling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' (aka First Nations') existence with British Colonialism and those who come after. A No majority result is an acknowledgment that this Australian conversation has now began in earnest. Celebrate just another day in a functioning civil democracy finding its way, steady as we go, full steam ahead.
When this proposition gets easier to understand, the opportunities for an outcome that benefits everyone becomes self realising. So if not now, then make comfort by applying the old wise saying "Conquer anger through gentleness, unkindness through kindness, greed through generosity, and falsehood by truth."
AUST | VTMH | OFFERING | Reflections following the Referendum
Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) has taken some time following the Voice Referendum to reflect and attempt to find words to express our disappointment regarding this outcome.We deeply acknowledge the courage and generosity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and leaders who extended this invitation to the Australian community to walk together in this journey for learning and healing together.
In the weeks since the referendum we have reflected on the impacts that colonisation has had in shaping practices in the mental health sector, including our service, and the continued challenges faced in providing culturally responsive care given the history of these lands.
VTMH deeply admires the strength and resilience of First Nations communities across the country. We commit to rising strong, leaning in, and to finding ways to honour our commitment to learning and healing together.
We encourage teams and individuals in all sectors to continue joining collective efforts to support a more culturally safe and humanistic system and society.
To learn more about what is happening in Victoria towards truth, treaty and voice, we encourage you to visit the links below:
CoPP | PPCR | STRIVING | Towards Meaningful Reconciliation
Port Phillip Citizens for Reconciliation (PPCR) is a voluntary, not for profit community group.It began in 1997 at a public meeting, at St Kilda Town Hall, convened by Jacki Willox and attended by hundreds of people, including politicians, councillors, indigenous musicians and general public.
Objectives
- To maintain local awareness of the reconciliation agenda, recognising that information, understanding and community discussion are integral to the process.
- promoting an understanding of the history of Aboriginal people, particularly in our local area.
AUST | CHGR | BUILDING | First Nations kids learning and loving to learn. Their families walking beside. Seeing hope for the future
Children's Ground Limited (CHGR) introduces you to our ongoing bold vision for change – a future in which every First Nations child can experience a lifetime of opportunity, entering adulthood strong in their identity and culture, connected to their local and global world, and economically independent.Children’s Ground vision includes:
- First Nations people across Australia having self-determination and enjoying social, cultural, political and economic justice.
- First Nations' next generation of children knowing and celebrating their culture and identity, having freedom of choice and expression and living with opportunity, peace, harmony and wellbeing.
- Australians recognising our shared history and celebrating First Nations' culture and strength.
- Watch video (4 mins)
- Make a donation
AUST | YSS | EDUCATING | Aboriginal Pedagogy, Social Justice and Self-Determination
Yarn Strong Sista (YSS) has over 20 years of experience and excellence in Aboriginal pedagogy, social justice and self-determination.
YSS is a National Indigenous Educational Consultancy and Training Provider. Indigenous owned and run specialising in Aboriginal Pedagogy, providing authentic Aboriginal training for early childhood professionals, primary school teachers and corporate teams.
YSS are specialists with offering a range of services including:
- visits to Early Childhood environments to facilitate storytelling and arts workshops with children,
- hosting Professional Development training for Educators
- facilitating arts experiences and face-painting at festivals and events, and
- providing First Nations-designed resources and educational tools on our website.
Other projects include:
- Foregrounding Anti Bias Perspectives
- Yarn Strong Brutha
- Enterprise for Empowerment.
AUST | EVCO | BUILDING | Stronger, more inclusive organisation through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competence Training Programs
Be part of the big 10 year goal to inspire 10 million Allies to create a kinder, more inclusive Australia.
Build a stronger, more inclusive organisation through Evolve Communities Pty Ltd (EVCO)'s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competence Training Programs.When it comes to cultural awareness training, there isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution for education, reconciliation and allyship training.
That’s why Evolve Communities offer different training courses and programs to suit any team’s size or style and let you choose the cultural competency training that is the best fit for your business including:
- 7 Steps Online Course
- Yarning Circle Workshops
- Ally Accreditation
MELB | NGVA | EXHIBITING | Wurrdha Marra – Many Mobs
Welcome to Wurrdha Marra – meaning ‘Many Mobs’ in the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language.The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia (NGVA) is a home to Australian art, presenting First Nations and non-First Nations art from historical to present day. The name comes from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, supporting the purpose of this space in sharing the work of First Nations artists, from emerging to senior figures, and across time and place.
For First Nations peoples around the world, art and design are part of a continuum where the past intersects with the present, different materials converge, and diverse perspectives come together. The central role of art in passing down important cultural knowledge is celebrated in this display through the diverse approaches that artists take to maintaining and regenerating customary cultural practices and iconography while also creating new forms of expression.
Wurrdha Marra is a dynamic exhibition space in which familiar works from the NGV’s collection of First Nations Australian art and design are displayed alongside new acquisitions. Presented through a series of changing thematics, the works on display offers a series of visual dialogues as a way to explore how parallel innovations and continuities can continue to inspire new ways of thinking about art.
The works included in this inaugural hang are by emerging artists as well as senior figures across both time and place. Each of these artists has in their own way been at the forefront in creating new forms of expression, and in maintaining and regenerating customary cultural practices and iconography. Great individual artists, working in Aboriginal-owned art centres or independently after studying at art school, continue to shape and transform art in Australia, inspiring many others to follow their example.
- Read More
- Where: NGV Australia (NGVA), The Ian Potter Centre, Fed Square, Melbourne
- Cost: Free entry
- Bookings: no booking required. Now showing 10am–5pm daily
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7.3 VIC | GOV | UPDATING | Coronavirus Response
Stay up to date on the latest health advice and please consider both the COVID-19 and flu vaccinations if eligible. If you need access to food or financial relief, there is information available for how to get this support.UPDATING | COVID safe and vaccination information to support CALD people with disability
The COVID safe and vaccination information to support CALD people with disability translated fact sheets are now obsolete and will not be updated or maintained.The following links are currently being used to promote COVID-19 resources in language (via the translations icon):
- Protect yourself and others from COVID-19 | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) translated information | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Free RATS Now Available to everyone through your local council
The Victorian Government has now made Rapid Antigen tests free and available at more than 200 local council distribution sites such as libraries and council customer service centres. The program is open to all Victorians, with all eligibility requirements removed.Individuals can collect up to two packets for themselves plus up to two packets for each household member per visit. People with a disability or their carer can collect up to four packets of tests.
- To find out if your local council is participating, check the collection sites in your neighbourhood at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/get-a-covid-19-test
- For simple tips on staying ahead of COVID-19 and staying well this summer, visit: coronavirus.vic.gov.au/health-advice
- Coronavirus in-language information
To learn in other ways about Victoria's responses:
- Call the Victorian Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. International, interstate and mobile callers can phone (+613) 9096 9000.
- Department of Health's website in English or Other Languages
- What to do if you are a close contact
- Financial support for coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Isolation and quarantine – extra help and support
- Mental health resources
- Mental health support services
- Information for people with disability - coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Emergency relief packages
- COVID business information
- COVIDSafe religion and ceremony guidance
- Safe accommodation and support for family violence is available. Call Safe Steps on 1800 015 188 or email safesteps@safesteps.org.au for help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- People with a high risk of getting very sick with COVID-19 can get medicine to help them stay well. There are medicines to reduce your chances of getting COVID-19 and treat COVID-19 symptoms if you get infected. Only people most likely to need hospital care can get COVID-19 medicines. This includes people who are aged 70 and over; are aged 50 and over with certain health conditions (or 30 if they're Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander); or have a weakened immune system, disability or are born with heart disease. Learn more
7.4 AUST | MULTI | UPDATING | Coronavirus Response
- Coronavirus hotline: If you are concerned, call the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398 (24 Hours).
- Coronavirus in-language information
- If you are an NDIS participant you can also call the national hotline on 1800 020 080.
- Information and referrals for people with disability and their supporters about Coronavirus: Contact the Disability Information Helpline on 1800 634 787.
- If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can also call the National Relay Service on 133 677.
- Interpreting service: If you need an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450.
- Testing locations: Find a testing location near you.
- Call-to-Test-at-Home service, providing in-home coronavirus testing to Victorians who would otherwise be unable to get tested, call the DHHS Coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398.
- Triple Zero: Please keep Triple Zero (000) for emergencies only.
Other Resources
- Australian Government Department of Health – Translated resources into 60 different languages, informing communities about COVID-19 vaccines and how they will be rolled out across Australia.
- Access Easy English – Over 70 resources developed on coronavirus.
- Amaze – step-by-step social scripts outlining the COVID-19 vaccine process to help people with autism.
- Better Health – COVID-19 and flu vaccinations health information available in more than fifteen languages. Learn more
- Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health (CEH) has translated Long COVID fact sheet into nine in-language written resources and five in-language audio recordings. The Long COVID project focuses on priority CALD communities particularly impacted by COVID-19 in 2020. Read the factsheet
- Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) – Easy English information for people with intellectual disability and videos about COVID-19.
- DHHS – Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services advice and information on coronavirus available in 56 languages
- Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) – Multicultural COVID-19 Outreach Program
- Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) – COVID-19 video series Protecting Our Communities
- MyAus Covid-19 app – Multilingual resource application produced by Migration Council Australia (MCA) for Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse communities about COVID - 19, it's impact and available support.
- National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters' Council (NEMBC) – translated audio explainers of COVID-19 and flu vaccinations on SoundCloud. Translated audio available includes Arabic, Cantonese, Dari, Dinka, Hindi, Mandarinand Vietnamese. Listen today
- NWMPHN Maintaining good mental health through the pandemic through in-language videos. Help spread the message of looking after our mental health in Hindi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Dinka and Vietnamese.
- Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) – promoting The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line (OPCSL) within ethno-specific communities.
- SBS – news and information about coronavirus (COVID - 19) available in 63 languages.
- Scope - Key word sign video, posters and easy english resources on communicating COVID-19.
- StarHealth fact sheets on COVID-19 are now available – using only valid information sources for its fact sheets, distilling the key points from only trusted sources.
- Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) surveyed 1500 Victorians and targeted follow up interviews were used to create the commission’s new research pandemic snapshots – Supporting workers with disability and Juggling parenting, caring and work. Explore the research snapshots, FaceBook
8. ACKNOWLEDGING
8.1 Acknowledgment to Sources
This is a consolidated account of information current at time of issuance, sourced, collated and provided by Victorian Multicultural Commission, Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria, various Government Authorities, community organisations, public domain and individuals, received with gratitude.
8.2 Bye bye to Essentialists
Us non-essentialists will endeavour to manage our expection of miracles and do our best to follow rules while staying out of the way.
Contact your closest friendly non-essentialist if you need anything that can be done remotely. Bye bye to Essentialists for now, please leave to attend to the essential work. That is all from the Caretaker at this time.
8.3 Self-Isolators, Non-Essentials And The Homebound
Meanwhile, if with a surplus of time, this and the following is offered. Discuss with sincerity. Deny untruth. Dismiss unuseful. Accept useful. Adapt to change. Adopt least effort most benefit. Adept with sharing. Enjoy throughout. As each case may be. Round about. And again. Or not.