GEIFN | CONSOLIDATED | Community Information | Monday 1 December 2025

Fast Facts: Community Responses Victoria & Australia

Topics List

1. Highlighting
2. Granting
3. Employment. Training & Contributing
4. Engaging
5. Collectivising
6. Announcing
7. Supporting
8. Acknowledging

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 1. HIGHLIGHTING 

1. AUSSIEStory | Vive Julienne in Passing: hello, traveller, goodbye!
2. CoPP | EVED | BRIEFING | Parents on Digital Safety and Social Media Delay| Thursday 4 December 2025 | 6pm
3. VIC | GOV | TEACHING | The future
4. AUST | VMC | STREAMING | MFF x SBS On Demand
5. AUST | GOV | OFFERING | Free mental health support
6. AUST | GEIFN | CALLING | LGTBIQA+ Story Tellers for AUSSIE Stories: Downunder the Rainbow

 

 1.1  AUSSIEStory | Vive Julienne in Passing: hello, traveller, goodbye!

Born Julian to loving parents, Vive Julienne learnt from Mum to not be afraid to have fun and from Dad to work together, play hard and be courteous. 

Vive has 2 siblings, 2 daughters, 1 granddaughter and a long-term partner with a kimchi konnection. Join Vive as they recount their journey of discovery, life, love and joy while being a funeral celebrant.

How is it working out? 

• Share Vive Julienne’s Story (20 mins)

Join us with 'humanising the other':

• Share this page with anyone who you think will benefit
• There are many stories making today's Australia. AUSSIEStory is another.
• Share also Vasu’s Story (20 mins)
• Are you or someone you know LGBTIQA+, have a story about reconciliation and wish to share? Please make contact
• Want to contribute to the project in other ways, please make contact.

 

 1.2  CoPP | EVED | BRIEFING | Parents on Digital Safety and Social Media Delay | Thursday 4 December 2025 | 6pm

Parent information sessions on eSafety for young people funded by the City of Port Phillip. 
Sessions are run by Evolve Education (EVED) and of interest to parents and carers of students who are in years 5-12, either living or studying within City of Port Phillip

The November session was an interactive workshop that empowers parents with practical skills to support their teenagers' digital wellbeing. 

The December session looks at the changes in social media age restrictions for under-16s which will be coming into effect on December 10th, exploring ways to help families navigate these changes.

• Where: Port Melbourne Secondary College
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: Registrations essential, online via Trybooking
• Posters to download for your notice board or newsletter:
  • Digital Safety Workshop for Parents
  • Social Media Delay Information Session for Parents

 

 1.3  VIC | GOV | TEACHING | The future

Teachers are the foundation of Victoria’s future, and as classrooms across the state become more diverse, there is a growing need for passionate teachers who reflect the communities they serve.

To encourage more people to choose teaching as a career, the Victorian Government is promoting a series of incentives and supports, including:

• Scholarships, to help support secondary school teachers’ journeys
• Employment-based teaching degrees, allowing participants to earn while they learn
• Mentoring and training, participants will have access to professional development opportunities to support their career progression
• Incentive payments to relocate and teach in regional Victoria

Teachers are highly respected within society and Victoria is keen to welcome more multicultural members of the community to step into this important role in helping to inspire young minds, but also shape the future of Victoria. 

• For more information

 

 1.4  AUST | VMC | STREAMING | MFF x SBS On Demand

Missed the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) iMulticultural Film Festival in person? Now you can watch it from anywhere for 12 months!
We’re excited to announce that the 2025 Multicultural Film Festival (MFF) will be online on SBS On Demand from 10 November!

Enjoy powerful and diverse short films that showcase the richness of multicultural communities worldwide, brought to life by both emerging and established filmmakers.

Don’t miss your chance to experience these incredible stories from the comfort of your own home or share them at your workplace, school or with your local community.

• Stream the MFF film program

 

 1.5  AUST | GOV | OFFERING | Free mental health support

Medicare Mental Health offers free, confidential support for everyone in Australia. This includes people who speak a language other than English.  

If you are looking for mental health support for yourself or someone you care about, Medicare Mental Health is a good place to start.  

If you’re visiting a Medicare Mental Health Centre or calling 1800 595 212 for mental health advice and guidance, the team can connect you with the Translating and Interpreting Service if you need it. A translator will interpret your conversation and help you communicate with staff.

• You can access resources about Medicare Mental Health services in a range of languages.
• Learn more about Medicare Mental Health or call 1800 595 212.
• Find out more about support for people from multicultural backgrounds

 

 1.6  AUST | GEIFN | CALLING | LGTBIQA+ Story Tellers for AUSSIE Stories: Downunder the Rainbow

AussieStory - Collected Video Stories of Identity, Connection and Belonging by First Nations, Settlers and Migrants Downunder the Rainbow.
Global Engagement in Friendlier Neighbourhoods (GEIFN) and I’m From Driftwood (IFD) aim to showcase diverse Australian views by sourcing and producing 8-10min 1st-Person Video Stories of LGTBIQA+ Folk from around Australia. 

Now seeking Storytellers who have demonstrated reconciliation(s) in their own life. Recordings will be done remotely through Zoom or if Melbourne based optionally in a studio. Storytellers will have opportunity to review final edit. Final edit recordings will be hosted individually on IFD website for global audience and bundled in a group of 3 for GEIFN website and local audience. 

Please feel welcome to share with your networks interested in inclusion, reconciliation and equitable coexistence.

• Read more details about AUSSIEStory 
• NOW SCREENING | individual stories (approx. 20mins): Vasu | Vive Julienne

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 2. GRANTING 

1. CoPP | GOV | GRANTING | Youth Access Grants | applications close Sunday 14 December 2025
2. VIC | GOV | GRANTING | Multicultural Infrastructure and Security Programs | applications close Monday 5 January 2026

 

 2.1  CoPP | GOV | GRANTING | Youth Access Grants | applications close Sunday 14 December 2025

For organisations and young people aged 12-18 years.
City of Port Phillip (CoPP)Youth Access Grants are available to increase access to recreational activities for young people aged 12 to 18 years who live, study, work or recreate within Port Phillip. Funding streams are available for individuals (up to $500), and also organisations (up to $15,000)

• More information

 

 2.2  VIC | GOV | GRANTING | Multicultural Infrastructure and Security Programs | applications close Monday 5 January 2026

The Victorian Government is supporting multicultural and multifaith communities to create safer, more inclusive spaces to gather, celebrate and practise their faith.

Grants of up to $400,000 are available through Round 1 of the $5 million Multicultural Infrastructure and Security Program to support renovations, maintenance and security upgrades for community facilities.

The program recognises the essential role of multicultural organisations in strengthening Victoria’s social fabric and fostering cross-community connection.

• For more information and to apply

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 3. EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING & CONTRIBUTING 

1. CoPP | GOV | HEARING | Your say: Supporting Positive Ageing in Port Phillip | submissions close Sunday 7 December 2025
2. CoPP | PPLS | COUNTING | Your vote: Local History Photography Competition | People’s Choice voting closes Friday 12 December 2025
3. CoPP | GOV | HEARING | Your say: Help Shape Port Phillip’s Multicultural Strategy | closes Sunday 14 December 2025
4. CoPP | GOV | HEARING | Your say: Help shape our year ahead | feedback closes Sunday 1 February 2026
5. NSW | GOV | HEARING | Your say: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Survey | submissions close Thursday 11 December 2025
6. VIC | GOV | CALLING | Participants to Forum for truth and recognition | Participate until March 2026
7. AUST | MHFA | CALLING | Applicants to become a National Mental Health Advocate
8. AUST | PHAU | HEARING | Your say: Collective Giving Survey
9. AUST | RGA | SEEKING | Members to Join our team! | applications close Friday 5 December 2025

 

 3.1  CoPP | GOV | HEARING | Your say: Supporting Positive Ageing in Port Phillip | submissions close Sunday 7 December 2025

City of Port Phillip (CoPP) Council is committed to helping older residents age positively, staying connected, independent, and well-supported in our community.In line with this commitment, we're proposing to increase our direct investment in Council-funded aged care services each year and provide services designed locally to better meet the needs of our community.

At the same time, we're considering stepping back from delivering Commonwealth-funded aged care services. This change responds to national reforms that are making it harder for councils—especially those with smaller programs—to continue delivering these services effectively.

We invite you to share your thoughts on this proposal and help shape the future of aged care in Port Phillip.

• For more information or to provide your feedback

 

 3.2  CoPP | PPLS | COUNTING | Your vote: Local History Photography Competition | People’s Choice voting closes Friday 12 December 2025

Thank you to everyone who entered our first Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) Local History Photography Competition!
Our judges are busy choosing their winners as well as creating a shortlist for a People’s Choice vote.

On Friday 28 November 2025, winners for the 18 and over and under 18 categories will be announced on the library website and social media.

Our shortlist will also be available to view in person at the Port Phillip Heritage Centre, and online via our website. Voting will take place online only. 

The winner will be announced on 15 December 2025 on the library website and social media.

We can’t wait to announce the winners and display your wonderful entries!

 3.3  CoPP | GOV | HEARING | Your say: Help Shape Port Phillip’s Multicultural Strategy | closes Sunday 14 December 2025

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) is one of Victoria’s most culturally diverse areas.
Community consultation is now open and runs until 14 December 2025. This four-year strategy will guide Council’s actions to:

• Celebrate and promote cultural diversity
• Build stronger social connections
• Address racism, antisemitism and discrimination
• Improve service access for all residents

Visit the Have Your Say page to:

• Complete the survey
• Join a co-design workshop
• Submit written feedback

 

 Key Insights About Our Community 

Population Diversity

• 33.1% of residents were born overseas (up from 26.9% in 2006)
• People come from 164 different birthplaces and speak 126 languages

Languages & Emerging Trends

• 21% speak a language other than English at home
• Most common languages: Greek, Mandarin, Spanish, Italian, Russian
• Emerging languages: Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Portuguese, French

Religious & Cultural Diversity

• Catholic (27.3%), Buddhism (3.3%), Judaism (3.3%), Hinduism (2.1%)

Suburban Diversity Hotspots

• Montague (Southbank): 38% born overseas
• Lakeside (St Kilda Rd): 36% born overseas

Age & Migration Patterns

• 18% of residents are aged 60+, and 44% of them were born overseas
• Older migrants concentrated in Balaclava, Port Melbourne, Elwood
• Languages spoken by older residents: Greek, Russian, Italian, Polish

Top Countries of Birth (non-English-speaking)

• India, China, Vietnam, Colombia (largest recent increase), Malaysia, South Korea

Future Growth Areas

• Fisherman’s Bend and St Kilda Road expected to see increased cultural diversity

Historical Context

• Migration story begins with First Nations peoples, the Traditional Custodians of this land
• Station Pier was a major arrival point for migrants post-WWII
• Strong Greek and Jewish communities shaped Port Melbourne and St Kilda

 

 How You Can Help 

We encourage you to:

• Display the poster in your centres (links below)
• Encourage your clients to complete the survey online
• Promote the strategy via the social media tiles 

If your organisation or clients are interested in co-designing the strategy, visit the Have Your Say page and click Join a Co-Design Workshop.

Resources for You

• Download Poster in English and also available in Russian, Greek, Hindi, and Spanish.
• Download Social Media Tiles

 

 Get Involved 

Email diversity@portphillip.vic.gov.au for multilingual materials or more information.
Together, we can create a strategy that reflects and supports our diverse community.

 3.4  CoPP | GOV | HEARING | Your say: Help shape our year ahead | feedback closes Sunday 1 February 2026

In June 2025, City of Port Phillip (CoPP) Council adopted a 10-year Plan and Budget for Port Phillip. We’re now in the next phase – Year 2 – and want to make sure it still reflects what matters most to our community.
If you or your group have a great idea, or know of something in Port Phillip that could be improved, we’d love to hear from you. Your ideas will be considered as we develop our budget and can help make our neighbourhoods safer, friendlier, and better for everyone.

This year, we’re trying something new: your ideas will be considered earlier in the planning process, giving them the best chance of being included in the draft budget.

Let’s build the community we all want!

• Find out more or give your feedback

 

 3.5  NSW | GOV | HEARING | Your say: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Survey | submissions close Thursday 11 December 2025

The NSW government is hosting a survey to help inform the development of NSW's first LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy. Take the survey by the 11th of December and let's use our voices to support our community. 

• Take Survey

 

 3.6  VIC | GOV | CALLING | Participants to Forum for truth and recognition | Participate until March 2026

The Forum is a safe and respectful space where people can share their experiences of child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools and certain non-government schools prior to the year 2000.

The experiences shared will contribute to an important public record and help Victoria build a stronger shared understanding of the lifelong impacts of child sexual abuse in schools so we can better prevent and respond to it now and into the future.

• To participate, contact 1800 967 933 or contact@truthandrecognition.vic.gov.au
• To find out more 

 

 3.7  AUST | MHFA | CALLING | Applicants to become a National Mental Health Advocate

The Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA) is inviting individuals aged 18+ to apply for the National Mental Health Advocates Program, a three-year opportunity to lead conversations, reduce stigma, and support better mental health outcomes in local communities.

Advocates will represent MHFA at events, connect people to resources, and help shape grassroots awareness and reform across the country.

Participants receive training, join a national network of like-minded advocates, and contribute to a more inclusive and resilient Australia.

• To apply or learn more

 

 3.8  AUST | PHAU | HEARING | Your say: Collective Giving Survey

Did you participate in collective giving this year, Philanthropy Australia (PHAU) wants to hear from you. Collective giving involves individuals pooling their resources, knowledge, and networks to support a cause (or causes) collectively chosen by the group. 

• Take Survey

 3.9  AUST | RGA | SEEKING | Members to Join our team! | applications close Friday 5 December 2025

Rainbow Giving Australia (RGA) is looking for a passionate leader to join our Board as we expand our impact.

• Learn More & Apply

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 4. ENGAGING 

1. CoPP | PPLS | STAYING | Connected with the Community Connector Service
2. CoPP | VPC | OFFERING | Witnessed Document Signing | weekly, every Sunday (excluding public holiday weekends) | 12noon-4pm
3. CoPP | PPLS | TEACHING | One on One Device Advice | 3 locations | weekly
4. CoPP | PPLS | OFFERING | Tech Help at Albert Park | monthly, every Wednesday (excluding school holidays) | 3.30-4.30pm
5. CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Chatty Cafe at Port Melbourne | weekly, every Thursday | 11am-12noon
6. CoPP | PPLS | CONNECTING | With Family History Club | First Thursday of the month | 1-2pm
7. CoPP | PPLS | GROWING | Port Phillip Seed Library
8. CoPP | PPLS | GATHERING | Queer Art Club | monthly, last Sunday | 11am-1pm
9. CoPP | GOV | ENCOURAGING | Seniors Social Connection
10. CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | ESL Conversation Circle | Weekly, 2 Sessions & 2 Locations
11. CoPP | TAPP | UNDERSTANDING | Trauma Aware Port Phillip | Monday 1 December 2025 | 2-3.30pm
12. CoPP | PPLS | MOVING | Gently with live music | Tuesday 2 December 2025 | 1.30-2.30pm
13. CoPP | PPLS | RECITING | The Emerald Hill Poetry and Music Festival featuring Michael Crane and Greg Arnold | Tuesday 2 December 2025 | 6pm
14. BRISBANE | THSE | GATHERING | National Justice Forum | Tuesday 2-Friday 5 December 2025
15. CoPP | PPLS | SCREENING | Film Club: My Salinger Year | Wednesday 3 December 2025 | 11am-1pm
16. CoPP | VPC | PERFORMING | Coming Out for Christmas at the Pride Centre | Wednesday 3 December 2025 | 7.30pm
17. CoPP | PPLS | SCREENING | Journey Home, David Gulpilil and Director Q&A | Tuesday 9 December 2025 | Arrive 5.15pm for 5.30-7.30pm
18. AUST | EQPR | TRAINING | Hone Your Story of Self – A one-day program for changemakers who want to start within | 2 Locations | ADELAIDE Tuesday 9 December 2025 | AND | MELBOURNE THURSDAY 11 December 2025
19. CoPP | PPLS | PERFORMING | Summer Library Sessions: Sing a Song of Sixpence featuring Delsinki, Brooke, and Joyce | Wednesday 10 December 2025 | 6-7pm
20. CoPP | PHAAA | GATHERING | St. Kilda Peace Festival: Healing through Connection | Sunday 14 December 2025 | 2-5pm
21. CoPP | VPC | PERFORMING | Aubrey Haive Yourself a Merry Christmas | Friday 19 December 2025 | 7-8.30pm
22. CoPP | PPLS | COLLECTING | Albert Park College Book Sale | Saturday 21-Sunday 22 December 2025 | From 10am
23. CoPP | HSM | GATHERING | Youth Mental Health First Aid | Thursdays 12 & 19 February 2026
24. VIC | VMC | CALLING | Submissions for MFF 2026 | entries close Tuesday 10 March 2026

 

 4.1  CoPP | PPLS | STAYING | Connected with the Community Connector Service

Looking for support, services, or social connections as you age? The Community Connector Service (CCS) is here to help!
They can assist with: 

• Finding aged care and carer support services
• Connecting you with local services to help you stay independent
• Discovering social groups, programs, and activities
• Accessing council services like delivered meals and community transport

Meet the CCS team at your local Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) library – use the link below for session times and more information.

Tel: 03 9209 6882 or email communityconnector@portphillip.vic.gov.au

• Learn More

 

 4.2  CoPP | VPC | OFFERING | Witnessed Document Signing | weekly, every Sunday (excluding public holiday weekends) | 12noon-4pm

The Victorian Pride Centre (VPC) has launched a Document Signing Centre (DSC) service in St Kilda where legal documents can be witnessed by a Justice of the Peace.
This is the only community-based DSC within a 10 km radius of Melbourne's CBD that's not a police station or law court. The DSC@VPC provides a space where everyone, regardless of their background or identity, can feel secure and supported in having their legal documents witnessed.

This is a free service managed by the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices, and may be expanded next year.

• Learn more
• Where: The Forum, Victorian Pride Centre, 19-81 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda VIC 3182
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: Appointments aren't necessary

  

 4.3  CoPP | PPLS | TEACHING | One on One Device Advice | 3 locations | weekly

Need some help getting started with your new phone, laptop or tablet? Or just need some help navigating the latest apps?
Book in a 25-minute appointment and have your tech questions answered by our friendly Port Phillip Library Service(PPLS) team! Running weekly, these sessions can assist you with basic troubleshooting and navigation of your personal devices.

No question is too simple or silly. These sessions run weekly over three locations to choose from. 

• Where: Emerald Hill, Port Melbourne & St Kilda Libraries
• Cost: Free
• Read more: PPLS
• Bookings: Emerald Hill, Port Melbourne and St Kilda

 

 4.4  CoPP | PPLS | OFFERING | Tech Help at Albert Park | monthly, every Wednesday (excluding school holidays) | 3.30-4.30pm

Need help with digital technology? Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) and Students from Albert Park College who are here to help. 
Young Mentors is an intergenerational program bringing together secondary school students and older people. 

• Learn to use your tablet, laptop, smartphone or computer 
• Learn to send emails and video chat with family online.
• Get directions on Google maps… and much more

You can book one-on-one sessions with Albert Park College students every Wednesday.

• Where: Albert Park Library, 319 Montague Street, Albert Park Victoria 3206
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 4.5  CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | Chatty Cafe at Port Melbourne | weekly, every Thursday | 11am-12noon

Sometimes the most meaningful connections start with the lightest of invitations: a friendly smile, a shared table, a brief conversation. 
Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS)'s Chatty Café has a new home! Join us for friendly conversation, the simple joy of connection, and a few tasty snacks to share.

The Chatty Cafe Scheme embraces encouraging genuine connection, one cuppa at a time.

• Where: Port Melbourne Library, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne Victoria 3207
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: No bookings needed, bring your friends and meet some new ones.
• Learn More

 

 4.6  CoPP | PPLS | CONNECTING | With Family History Club | First Thursday of the month | 1-2pm

Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) Family History Club and connect with others passionate about family and local history. 
In each session, we’ll introduce the fantastic research resources available at our Heritage Centre and take time to share our own stories.

Tea and biscuits are on us!

• Where: Port Phillip Heritage Centre, Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
• Cost: Free
• Learn more

 

 4.7  CoPP | PPLS | GROWING | Port Phillip Seed Library

Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) has a community initiative to help you grow your own garden and support a more sustainable future.
The Port Phillip Seed Library (PPSL) is open to all members of our library service. Each month, members can collect two free packets of seeds with simple instructions to help you grow flowers, herbs or food at home.

Whether you’re planting your first veggie patch or expanding your native garden, this program helps:

• Support local food production
• Preserve heirloom and native plant varieties
• Encourage community knowledge-sharing
• Attract pollinators and support ecosystems

Don’t forget to share your progress and tag us using #PortPhillipSeedLibrary

• Join the PPSL today and start growing something great!

 4.8  CoPP | PPLS | GATHERING | Queer Art Club | monthly, last Sunday | 11am-1pm

Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) Queer Art Club is a space for our Queer Community to come together, share our experiences and stories
With Queer related themes, we will have an opportunity to reflect on our lived experiences – celebrating our joys, expressing our grief and learning about our community. 

Lead by queer arts therapist Don Fazliu, Art club is an open invitation to express, explore, experiment, and engage with different art-making prompts and materials (collage, watercolors, soft pastels, oil pastels, paints and much more.) 

Unlike typical art-making spaces, we don’t instruct you on how to make art – we encourage you to find what feels right, without the pressure of it looking a certain way. 

• Where: St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda Victoria 3182
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 

 4.9  CoPP | GOV | ENCOURAGING | Seniors Social Connection Program

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) Social Connection Program (Better Together) is for older people who want to connect with others and join activities or events based on their interests.
This community based social connection program is delivered through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and supports people to engage in structured activities which are group based. Many of the activities and programs are designed to develop, maintain, and support social connection with others through the programs delivered.

For more information, visit City of Port Phillip's social support and recreation or contact Michelle Kein on 9209 6738 or via email on socialinclusion@portphillip.vic.gov.au. 

• Download Poster for your community notice board

 

 4.10  CoPP | PPLS | TALKING | ESL Conversation Circle | Weekly, 2 Sessions & 2 Locations

Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) for a free, fun reading program to improve your English language skills.

• Read aloud with others and practice pronunciation 
• Improve your English comprehension and vocabulary 
• Meet new friends in a safe, welcoming environment 

These free, informal sessions will run each week at our two libraries but only during school terms. 

This program is aimed Intermediate-level English speakers. 

Please Note: These sessions do not run during school holidays.

• Where: Tuesdays | 1.30-2.30pm | St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda Victoria 3182
• Where: Wednesdays | 1.30-2.30pm | Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne Victoria 3205
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: No bookings required, just drop in!

 

 4.11  CoPP | TAPP | UNDERSTANDING | Trauma Aware Port Phillip | Monday 1 December 2025 | 2-3.30pm

The Port Phillip community is known for its strong networks of connection and care, supported by over 200 local groups and services. 
However, City of Port Phillip (CoPP) community faces complex challenges, including housing insecurity, discrimination, family violence, mental health issues, and the effects of trauma.

Trauma Aware Port Phillip (TAPP) is a community-led, evidence-informed project designed to strengthen resilience and reduce the impact of trauma and shame in our community.

Learn about concepts of trauma awareness and trauma informed approaches. Be guided through the Trauma Aware Port Phillip Toolkit, its contents, aims and tools to help you engage with the material. This will also be an invitation to follow TAPP and future trauma awareness sessions run through TAPP. Presented by Holly Jane.

• Where: Location: Training Room, St Kilda Town Hall , 99a Carlisle St , St Kilda  VIC 3182
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: Register now, online via Trybooking

 

 4.12  CoPP | PPLS | MOVING | Gently with live music | Tuesday 2 December 2025 | 1.30-2.30pm

Unwind at Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) by de-stressomg through gentle movements accompanied by soothing live music. Whether you're a beginner or experienced, this event is suitable for all levels.  
We will practice simple preventative and restorative body movements that can be used in everyday life. There will be elements of Tai Chi, Qigong, Yin Yoga and breathing exercises, and meditation with live music. 

Participants will have the option to remain seated, in case of difficulties standing up or lying down and the session will be accompanied by a musician playing viola.

• Where: Albert Park Library, 319 Montague St, Albert Park Victoria 3206
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 

 4.13  CoPP | PPLS | RECITING | The Emerald Hill Poetry and Music Festival featuring Michael Crane and Greg Arnold | Tuesday 2 December 2025 | 6pm

Celebrate with Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) the power of words and music with a special event featuring Greg Arnold, ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter of Things of Stone and Wood, and acclaimed Melbourne poet Michael Crane.
Curated by Michael and supported by Arts Access, the Palais Theatre Community Fund and the South Melbourne Community Chest, this festival brings together heartfelt songs, vibrant poetry and rich storytelling in a welcoming library setting.

• Where: Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne Victoria 3205
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 

 4.14  BRISBANE | THSE | GATHERING | National Justice Forum | Tuesday 2-Friday 5 December 2025

Breaking the cycle of incarceration via systemic reforms, cross-sector collaboration and lifelong support
Third Sector (THSE)’s 4th National Justice Forum is your essential platform for tackling the drivers of incarceration through bold systemic reforms, powerful cross-sector partnerships, and targeted, practical interventions. This dynamic program puts cultural safety, lived experience leadership, and community-led solutions at its core, moving beyond talk to real, lasting change.

Through inspiring keynotes, practical workshops, and meaningful networking, you’ll gain the strategies, partnerships, and insights you need to deliver more effective, equitable, and culturally safe justice responses for every community. 

• Where: Stamford Plaza Brisbane/Meanjin, 39 Edward St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
• Cost: Varies Check for Pricing
• Bookings: online via National Justice Forum

 

 4.15  CoPP | PPLS | SCREENING | Film Club: My Salinger Year | Wednesday 3 December 2025 | 11am-1pm

Timetravel with Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) back to the mid-90s: idealistic twenty-something Joanna (Qualley) impulsively quits graduate school and arrives in New York to pursue her dream of becoming a published poet. 
She manages to get her foot in the door, landing a coveted role as assistant to Margaret (Weaver), a brusque and old-fashioned literary agent.

My Salinger Year is a memorable and compassionate depiction of a pre-digital world on the cusp of disappearance, the value of mentorship, and the lasting impact of self-expression in all its forms.

Directed by: Philippe Falardeau | Rating: M | Language: English

• Where: Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne Victoria 3205
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 

 4.16  CoPP | VPC | PERFORMING | Coming Out for Christmas at the Pride Centre | Wednesday 3 December 2025 | 7.30pm

Get ready for laughter, love, and a little festive chaos with Coming Out for Christmas, performed live at the Victorian Pride Centre (VPC).
This heartfelt comedy follows a queer young Greek-Aussie woman who brings her Aussie girlfriend home for Christmas lunch – only to discover her conservative family has a few secrets of their own. 

What unfolds is a funny and touching story about family, identity, and the courage to live your truth.

Performed in English, Coming Out for Christmas combines spoken performance with live singing and evocative sound effects. Originally part of the Greek Community of Melbourne’s Storytelling Project in 2022, the show played to sold-out audiences. 

Expect big laughs, heartwarming moments, and a celebration of culture, love, and the wonderfully unpredictable nature of family.

• Where: Victorian Pride Centre, 79-81 Fitzroy Street St Kilda, VIC 3182
• Cost: from $30.96
• Bookings: online via Eventbrite

 

 4.17  CoPP | PPLS | SCREENING | Journey Home, David Gulpilil and Director Q&A | Tuesday 9 December 2025 | Arrive 5.15pm for 5.30-7.30pm

Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS)for a special screening of Journey Home, David Gulpilil, followed by a Q&A with director Maggie Miles.When Australia’s most renowned Indigenous actor David Gulpilil passes away far from his Homeland, his family struggle against huge logistical challenges to fulfil his final wish, to bury him on his Homeland, over four and a half thousand kilometres away.

Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised this event and film contains images and names of Indigenous Australians who have died.

• Where: Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne Victoria 3205
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 

 4.18  AUST | EQPR | TRAINING | Hone Your Story of Self – A one-day program for changemakers who want to start within | 2 Locations | ADELAIDE Tuesday 9 December 2025 | AND | MELBOURNE THURSDAY 11 December 2025

How often do you pause to reflect on who you are as a changemaker?
We spend so much time looking outward; leading projects, supporting others, and driving change in our communities. But the most powerful shifts begin when we look inward.

The Equality Project (EQPR)'s Changemaker: Know Thyself is a one-day experience designed to help you reconnect with your story, uncover the unseen patterns that shape your leadership, and leave with renewed clarity and energy for the year ahead.

Why Join?

• Reconnect with your story and the "why" behind what you do
• Notice the hidden influences that shape your leadership and impact
• End the year with reflection, step into the new one with purpose

This program is for community leaders, advocates, and changemakers – whether you’ve joined our Masterclass before or are stepping into this work for the first time.

End the year with clarity. 

• Adelaide | Tuesday 9 December 2025 | 9.30am-4.30pm
• Melbourne | Thursday 11 December 2025 | 9.30am-4.30pm

Start 2026 with purpose.

Agenda at a glance

Morning

• Story of Self: We’ll dive into the power of personal story to unpack your "why".

Afternoon

• Unconscious Bias: We’ll explore the hidden influences and unseen patterns that shape how you make decisions and lead.

Spaces are limited. Take a day for the inner work every changemaker needs and start 2026 grounded in who you are and the change you’re here to make. Join us!

• Where: 2 locations: Adelaide, South Australia | OR | Melbourne, Victoria
• Cost: Workplace-funded $249, Self-funded $149, Scholarship $99 + GST and transactions fees.
• Bookings: online via The Equality Project | Adelaide | Melbourne

 

 4.19  CoPP | PPLS | PERFORMING | Summer Library Sessions: Sing a Song of Sixpence featuring Delsinki, Brooke, and Joyce | Wednesday 10 December 2025 | 6-7pm

Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) to enjoy an evening of live music in the round, where three acclaimed singer-songwriters share their songs and the stories behind them.
Brooke Taylor delivers fiery alt-country with a mix of rock, blues and soul, known for her commanding stage presence and heartfelt performances. Delsinki, the creative mind behind Sing a Song of Sixpence, blends folk and storytelling to capture life in contemporary Australia. Joyce Prescher’s music is rich and evocative, with poetic lyrics and a timeless sound that has drawn national attention.

• Where: St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda Victoria 3182
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 

 4.20  CoPP | PHAAA | GATHERING | St. Kilda Peace Festival: Healing through Connection | Sunday 14 December 2025 | 2-5pm

Join Planetary Healing Artists Association of Australia (PHAAA) in celebrating the solstice. 
A multicultural all inclusive Peace Festival with the theme ‘Healing through Connection’ contributing to our shared vision of peace and harmony.
Featuring: diverse cultural (Persian, Indian & Chinese) Traditional Music & Dance Performances, Foods, Storytelling Sessions and Interactive Cultural Workshops to connect the community, exchanging cultural traditions.

• Where: The Well, 12B Chapel Street, St Kilda VIC 3182

 

 4.21  CoPP | VPC | PERFORMING | Aubrey Haive Yourself a Merry Christmas | Friday 19 December 2025 | 7-8.30pm

Looks like Christmas came early at Victorian Pride Centre (VPC)! Come hear your favourite Christmas carols sung live by the RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under star Aubrey Haive!
Immerse yourself in the festive spirit with a mesmerising showcase of Christmas carols, live singing, and dazzling costumes.

Aubrey is known for combining her theatre background with her drag to create campy and inventive performances. She’s no stranger to the stage, having just toured Australia in ‘Here You Come Again’ the hit Dolly Parton musical, and previously starring in musicals such as ‘Ride The Cyclone’ and ‘RENT’.

Gather your friends, don your most fabulous holiday attire, and join us for a spectacular evening filled with joy, sequins, and the unmistakable sound of Christmas!

• Where: Victorian Pride Centre, 79-81 Fitzroy Street St Kilda, VIC 3182
• Cost: $33.08 incl. $3.08 Fee
• Bookings: online via Eventbrite

 

 4.22  CoPP | PPLS | COLLECTING | Albert Park College Book Sale | Saturday 21-Sunday 22 December 2025 | From 10am

Join Port Phillip Library Service (PPLS) in looking for your next great read. Don’t miss the Albert Park College Book Sale.
Thousands of pre-loved books will be available, including art, history, novels (with many current 2025 titles for just $5 each), children’s and young readers, cooking, gardening, Australiana, classics, self-help, sport, biography, and poetry.

Why it matters:

• Your purchases help make a real difference in our community. Funds raised are distributed locally through scholarships and local charities. Plus, 25% of all sales go directly to Albert Park College literacy programs.
• Last year, they raised over $6,000, and since starting more than 25 years ago, this small club has raised an incredible $1,000,000 for community initiatives.

Your support, whether by buying books or helping spread the word keeps this tradition alive.

• Where: Albert Park College, 83 Danks St, Albert Park, 3206
• More Information: online via PPLS

 

 4.23  CoPP | HSM | GATHERING | Youth Mental Health First Aid | Thursdays 12 & 19 February 2026

For 18-25 years old, gain the skills to recognise, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges in young people. 
This accredited Headspace South Melbourne (HSM) training provides evidence-based strategies for supporting friends, peers, or colleagues who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. Ideal for young leaders, peer supporters, or anyone wanting to better understand youth mental health.

• Where: Headspace South Melbourne, 329 Dorcas St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
• Cost: Free
• Bookings: online via Trybooking

 

 4.24  VIC | VMC | CALLING | Submissions for MFF 2026 | entries close Tuesday 10 March 2026

The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology and SBS, is calling all filmmakers to share their stories. Whether you're an emerging filmmaker or an experienced creator, we want to hear your story.

Anyone is welcome to submit a short film of 10 minutes or less. The premiere event will screen in Melbourne during Refugee Week on 18 June 2026 at ACMI Cinemas. Films in the Official Selection will screen at multiple venues and on SBS On Demand.

Prizes of $2,500 to be won per category!

• For more information

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 5. COLLECTIVISING 

1. CoPP | S2b | ADVISING | What's On | December 2025
2. YARRA | YEF | UPDATING | Stories, events and more | November 2025
3. VIC | ECCV | UPDATING | Community News | eBulletin #58 | October 2025
4. AUST | CUIN | UPDATING | Technodiversity Champions and more | December 2025
5. AUST | NJP | UPDATING | Community News | November 2025
6. AUST | RGA | UPDATING | Community news, funding, opportunities & more | November 2025
7. AUST | THCO | UPDATING | Awareness, Funds and Support for independent media and more | November 2025
8. WORLD | PWR | RAISING | Awareness, Support and Funds for Investment in Women's Leadership and Empowerment

 

 5.1  CoPP | S2b | ADVISING | What's On | December 2025

WELCOMING | Festive Cheer, New Faces & Gift Baskets 

As spring arrives and the festive season draws near, Space2b Social Design (S2b) is buzzing with creativity, community, and celebration.

This month, our shop, gallery, and café are full of colour and inspiration —from gift baskets supporting talented refugee and new migrant artisans to fresh faces joining our graphics team.

Scroll down to see what's in the basket, what’s happening on the floor and the wall.

OPENING | Friday Festive Shopping Night & A3ffordable Art Show | Friday 5 December 2025 | 6-9pm

Discover something special at A3ffordable Art Show, opening with an exclusive preview during our Festive Shopping Night. Explore 60+ original A3 and smaller works from emerging and established artists. 

All affordable and full of surprises!

• Meet the Makers – clothes & gifts
• Explore art – 104 Affordable Artworks all under $450
• Taste Tibetan Mo-Mos, African BBQ
• Tibetan Momos
• Champagne Bar
• Special Gift Offers
• Sip classic cocktails & enjoy DJ tunes at The Gardeners Apothecary
• Pop in for 10 minutes or stay three hours to taste, enjoy, and connect

Enjoy a full-sensory experience! Everyone is welcome!

• More Info

 

CUSTOMISING | What's In The Basket?

Give a Gift That Gives Back

Support talented refugee and new migrant artisans with our six beautifully curated gift baskets — ethically made, great value, and perfect for summer gifting.

• Personal Shopping
• Corporate Sales

 

INTRODUCING | Who's Training

We’re excited to welcome our new Graphics & IT Intern, Hazel!

A huge THANK YOU to Drea, who’s off to an exciting new role. Your creativity, patience, and energy have been amazing — we’ll miss you! 

Here’s to new beginnings and fresh ideas!

CALLING | EAL Members to Meet, Mentor, Make A Difference

Join Our EAL (English as Another Language) Mentoring Team!
We’re excited to welcome Roxy, who brings teaching experience and great energy to our Friday conversational English program.

We’re also seeking more ESL mentors for next year. Love helping others practise English? Join our welcoming community!

• Get In Touch

 

REVEALING | What's On The Floor

Bring festive cheer with Tara Treasures Fairies, M.Y.E Aloe Hair Growth Aid, and Hinako's Maple & Cinnamon Christmas Candle (back by popular demand!). Plus, discover our limited new Space2b designs in gorgeous Japanese fabrics.

OPENING | Hours

• Space2B Shop | Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm + Saturday, 10am-2pm
• The Gardener's Apothecary | Tuesday-Friday, 9am-3pm + Saturday, 10am-3pm

Together we make a difference

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 5.2  YARRA | YEF | UPDATING | Stories, events and more | November 2025

REPORTING | Three hours of free electricity

On 4 November 2025, the Australian Government announced "Solar Sharer", which will require energy retailers to offer a competitively priced energy plan that includes at least three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day. 
 
The offer will initially be available to homes with smart meters in New South Wales, South Australia and South-East Queensland from July 2026, with plans to extend to the other states and territories in 2027. 

Industry and consumer groups have responded positively, with renters and those living in apartments set to benefit, including those without solar. The free electricity incentive aims to shift malleable demand from the evening to the middle of the day.

Just as batteries time-shift renewable energy, Solar Sharer will help time-shift demand, which will make better use of and reduce costly upgrades to the grid.

More options for consumers is excellent! But – and tell your friends – it may not be the right retail plan for those who may be better off on a single-rate tariff if they can’t shift electricity use to the middle of the day.

• Read the Solar Sharer media release

 

ANNOUNCING | Electrification events

Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) and Melbourne Community Electrification Roadshow continue with a packed calendar of fantastic community events across the region.

See full list of events and partners on our website, there’s lots more happening in 2026!

This project is supported by the Community Electrification Engagement Program. The Program is delivered by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government.

REPORTING | YEF at All Energy Australia 

Recently, we joined the whirlwind at the All Energy Australia conference, the largest energy industry event of the calendar. Thanks for coming to say hi! 

Energy and Storage Project Manager, Finn Buchhorn presented on YEF's recent feasibility study of a microgrid for the town of Trentham as a case study. Learn more about feasibility study. 

Solar and Electrification Project Lead, Lloyd Heathfield presented 'Local Councils and Working with Community', highlighting that $1 of Council rebates can unlock an additional $4-5 of State and Federal rebates and a better deal for customers.

• Learn about our solar and electrification projects

 

TALKING | Toolbox TechTalk with Glen Morris

YEF recently did a technical feasibility study for a low-voltage network connected microgrid in Trentham, Victoria.

We caught up with Jo Oddie from Trentham Sustainability Group and Glen Morris(SolarQuip) on his show, Toolbox TechTalk, about the project. 

The town of Trentham in West Central Victoria is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts and extreme weather events. The project was part of an effort to find new solutions to energy reliability and resilience in Trentham.

• Watch YEF and TSG on Toolbox TechTalk (60mins)

 

ATTENDING | Future Grid Summit 2025

Next month we’re joining networks, regulators, policymakers and technologists in Sydney to tackle the real barriers facing the grid, batteries, and distributed energy resources.  
 
The Future Grid Summit will take place 3-4 December 2025, and YEF's Commercial Program Manager, Chris Wallin, will be speaking on a panel about energy storage, from community batteries to large-scale storage projects.

Session: Rethinking the role of batteries in a resilient, distributed grid | Wednesday 3 December 2025 | 4.10pm

The discussion will include governance and ownership models, the role of networks, market operators and communities, and how to balance rapid deployment with long term planning. 

• Register for Future Grid Summit

 

ALTONA | YEF | DELIVERING | Community battery offer for Altona residents

YEF is delivering a community battery in Altona to reduce pressure on the electricity grid and support more households to install rooftop solar. Learn more about Altona Community Battery

Through our partner Diamond Energy, Altona residents can apply for a $240/annum credit every year for up to 10 years. Noting that the offer will be available to a limited number of households, with priority given to concession card holders.
 
Please note: this offer is only available to Altona residents who are Diamond Energy customers.

• Express your interest in the offer by completing this survey

 

VIC | VEU | EXPANDING | Commercial and industrial solar discounts

The Victorian Government has expanded the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program to include discounts for commercial and industrial premises to install solar PV systems.

Solar PV systems between 30 kW - 200 kW on any non-residential building in Victoria can apply for the discount through an accredited provider.

Great to see this extra support for businesses, as well as community buildings, schools and hospitals, and we hope to see a greater uptake of solar in these areas. 

• Learn more about the Commercial and Industrial VEU program

 

AUST | CEG | PUBLISHING | Rooftop solar and storage report 

Last month, the Clean Energy Council (CEG) released their Rooftop solar and storage report.

Highlights for the first half of 2025:

• 115,584 Aussie homes installed rooftop solar, with the country's total being over 4 million
• Rooftop solar contributed 12.8% of Australia's total energy generation for the period
• 85,000 battery units were sold, a huge jump on the previous period

• Read the Clean Energy Council's report

 

AUST | EVC | REPORTING | State of electric vehicles 2025 

The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) released their State of Electric Vehicles report, sharing data from January to June 2025. 

Highlights:

• 24% increase in EV sales in Australia
• EV's make up 12% of all new cars sold
• More than 370,000 EVs on the road, up from 180,000 just two years ago
• ACT has the largest EV uptake of all states and territories while Victoria saw the largest growth in EV sales for the period

• Read the State of Electric Vehicles report

 

SHARING | Our Services

Find out more about the services that Yarra Energy Foundation offers including:

• Feasibility studies
• Community Engagement
• Community battery strategies for local councils
• Consulting & advice
• Project management 
• Solar & electrification programs

We are a small team of extremely passionate energy experts with decades of combined industry, governmental, business, and sustainability experience.

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 5.3  VIC | ECCV | UPDATING | Community News | eBulletin #58 | October 2025

Victoria's Treaty Legislation, which has now been passed by the State Parliament, marks a historic step for truth, reconciliation and racial justice for Aboriginal peoples in Victoria. 
As we reflect on what justice and belonging means, it’s important to acknowledge that we are all migrants on this land, except the First Peoples.
 
The Treaty, the first-ever for Australia, is expected to become law this year, and for our multicultural communities, this really matters.
 
At Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV), we believe that justice for First Peoples is the foundation for justice for all of us. Victoria is setting a standard for how we value all cultures, histories and identities.
 
Treaty will deliver a formal apology and embed Aboriginal truth-telling about past injustices and the ongoing legacies of colonisation. It will also restore traditional names to parks and waterways.
 
Treaty will establish Gellung Warl, a new representative body ensuring that government decisions are guided by fairness and accountability. 
 
When the oldest living culture on Earth is respected and empowered in this way, every community benefits from a stronger, fairer and more inclusive Victoria.
 
As we work towards the key issue of reconciliation, we should also recognise everyday challenges faced across our state. Like so many others, multicultural families say they are feeling the pressures of rising living costs, housing insecurity and access to essential services.
 
ECCV continues to call for stronger social housing investment and culturally responsive support across services, so that no one is left behind as we build a fairer Victoria.
 
Abiola Akinbiyi, Chairperson

 News & Advocacy 

ECCV | REMINDING | Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 25 November 2025

Our AGM is an opportunity to come together, reflect on the year’s achievements, and help shape ECCV’s priorities for the year ahead. It is also offers an exceptional networking opportunity to meet and connect with our diverse communities.

If you’re not yet a member, there’s still time to join and receive your invitation. ECCV members play a vital role in strengthening our advocacy and ensuring the voices of multicultural communities are heard. This year we will also be electing a new board.

If you’re not yet a member, there’s still time to join and receive your invitation. 

• Become an ECCV member

If you are a member and haven't received your invitation, please email membership@eccv.org.au

REPORTING | Seniors Month and the Victorian Seniors Festival

October has been a wonderful opportunity to recognise the contributions of older Victorians throughout Seniors Month and the Victorian Seniors Festival.
 
ECCV's Ageing Well team joined in at Celebration Day - the Seniors Festival's official launch - in Federation Square, the Living Well Expo in Dandenong, and Spectrum’s Making Connections event in Broadmeadows.
 
Our CEO, Farah Farouque, also attended the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards, honouring the remarkable achievements of seniors across the state.
 
ECCV congratulates all award recipients and nominees, with a special mention to Dilnaz Billimoria, recipient of this year’s Promotion of Multiculturalism Award.
 
Supporting the rights and wellbeing of older people from migrant and refugee backgrounds has been central to ECCV’s mission since our founding in 1974. 

•  For more information on ECCV's work on Ageing

 

PROMOTING | Mental Health Awareness Month

We’ve continued our work to promote culturally safe mental health care across Victoria during Mental Health Awareness Month.
 
We kicked things off with our free Lunch & Learn Multicultural Mental Health Webinar at the end of September, which drew 113 attendees and received fantastic feedback.
 
Throughout October, our mental health team delivered Multicultural Mental Health Training sessions in Brimbank, Doveton, and Broadmeadows (twice), building skills and confidence among community leaders and service providers.
 
We also launched an Instagram campaign sharing the real-life stories of Melisa, Don, Shahin and Anna, each showing how inclusive, culturally safe mental health care can change lives.
 
As part of ECCV’s Diverse Communities – Mental Health & Wellbeing project, we invited migrant and refugee community members with lived or carer experience of mental ill-health to share their stories navigating mainstream mental health services. 

• Watch Together We Can: Breaking Down Barriers in Multicultural Mental Health (6 mins)

ECCV thanks the storytellers who shared their lived experience. We also warmly thank Dr Judy Tang and Invictus Health for their participation and guidance throughout the project.

• Read more information on ECCV's work on mental health.

 

 Opportunities and Resources 

• JOINING | Dumplings Against Depression ECCV will be joining this unique event at the Immigration Museum to connect over something we all love – dumplings! There will be the opportunity to hear from panels of multicultural mental health experts and community voices, connect with local service providers and learn about culturally safe, community-based mental health and wellbeing supports. Please come by our stall and say hi!
• Treaty Resources Learn more about Victoria’s Treaty process from the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria
• Opinion: Treaty and Us Read Neos Kosmos columnist Dean Kalimniou’s piece on how Victoria’s Treaty process speaks to multicultural communities and shared justice.
• Thrive: Multicultural Women’s Festival- Saturday 1 November 2025 Celebrate women’s leadership, creativity and community at Thrive: Multicultural Women’s Festival in Federation Square this Saturday
• Refugee Education Scholarships Apply now for the 2026 SSI Allianz Refugee Education Scholarships, offering $500–$4,000 for students and participants in skills programs. Applications close 14 November 2025
• Multicultural Youth Prize Young Victorians aged 18–30 can enter the TAC Multicultural Youth Prize by creating a short film on road safety. Entries close 18 November 2025.
• Multilingual Mental Health Animation Videos The Victorian Refugee Health Network has launched animation videos about free mental health local services for people aged 26+, now available in 12 languages.
• Join the VACC Committee Applications are open to join the Victorian African Communities Committee (VACC), advocating for African Victorians. Apply by 9 November 2025.

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 5.4  AUST | CUIN | UPDATING | Technodiversity Champions and more | December 2025

Introducing Cultural Infusion (CUIN)'s new inclusion benchmarking system, and new programs to delight and educate. 
We also bring the latest insights and news from Prague, Melbourne, Sydney and Paris, where we shared ideas with some of the leading voices in technodiversity and inclusion. So, read on!
     
Contents

1. Technodiversity: Practical Insights for Everyone
   • OFFERING | Data-Driven Tools for Today’s Inclusion Leaders
   • BUILDING | Together
   • BRINGING | More of Yourself to Work
   • BEING | Captured by Algorithms
   • IDENTIFYING | People Are the Most Important Asset of a Team
   • REVEALING | Data That Reshapes How You See Diversity
   • ADVOCATING | For Technodiversity
2. Education & Experience News
   • DISCOVERING | A Better Way of Seeing Diversity with the Atlas
   • SHARING | New Programs and Highlights for Schools and Communities
   • CREATING | Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (ICAP)
   • WELCOMING | 10% Off for First-Time Schools and Educators
   • ATTENDING | LTV Conference 2025
   • EXPLORING | Eat. Celebrate. Experience Asia by the Yarra!
3. Voices of Cultural Infusion
   • QUANTIFYING | Language Disparities
   • ASKING | What Instrument Is That?
   • DISCUSSING | Elusive Inclusion
4. Calendar Spotlight
   • HIGHLIGHTING | Christmas, 25 December 2025 and 7 January 2026

 

 5.4.1  Technodiversity: Practical Insights for Everyone

‘Technodiversity’ perfectly describes everything we do in the digital sphere. We picked up this term at Tech Show Paris from Olivia Heslinga, Founder of AI for Good Denmark.

In this segment we share our latest insights, tips and innovations.

     

OFFERING | Data-Driven Tools for Today’s Inclusion Leaders

PCI for Self-Assessment and Benchmarking
How does your organisation rate – in the eyes of your own people – in terms of representation, data, leadership, talent retention and attraction, and culture?
Find out with our new tool, PCI, available on Cultural Infusion's Atlas platform, based on our scientific methodology to give you the full picture.  

• Find out more

GDEIB Digital for All Your Self-Assessment and Reporting Needs
Are you looking for an easy way to view and share your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion data? Cultural Infusion is GDEIB certified, and we are proud to announce the launch of GDEIB Digital to enable you to effortlessly self-assess and benchmark, underpinned by the Atlas's scientific methodology and unrivalled expertise in cultural and demographic diversity data.

• Learn more

 

BUILDING | Together

Peter Mousaferiadis participated in a lively panel session at Melbourne Build 2025 with Marion Celeste Olen, Lisa Goodman, Justine Moss, Adelaide Cowan.

BRINGING | More of Yourself to Work

Highlighting the importance of workplaces that make space for people to bring more of themselves to work. We heard that for First Nations workers in construction, this is a two-way street: feeling more comfortable at work benefits their workplace and connects it to millennia-deep local culture.
     

BEING | Captured by Algorithms

Mainstream AI and its algorithms assume everyone is starting from the same place but the reality is completely different: we each have a different context and story. We took this discussion to OPIM’s DEI Forum in Prague to show the liberating power of holistic data that reveals the actual complexity of cultural identity.
     

IDENTIFYING | People Are the Most Important Asset of a Team

The actual value of diversity is that our differences cause us to come up with different solutions and approaches. So it’s worth knowing who your people are, as we discussed with the Project Management Institute in Melbourne.
     

REVEALING | Data That Reshapes How You See Diversity

At the Local Government NSW 2025 Human Resources in Sydney, Blacktown City Council reported that the Atlas’s data ‘reshaped how we see diversity’. Blacktown City Council serves about 435,000 people representing around 188 birthplaces and 182 languages and is enjoying its super-enhanced vision.
     

ADVOCATING | For Technodiversity

The consensus from Tech Show Paris 2025, in a nutshell?

• Data sovereignty and values risk erosion under techno-imperial pressures.
• Sovereign ecosystems can emerge if sufficiently prioritised and funded.
• Investing in local AI is operational risk management.
• AI must treat cultural understanding as a technical requirement.

Want to support technodiversity and learn how the Atlas could help your team or organisation gain super-enhanced cultural understanding? 

• Book a demo with us!

 

 5.4.2  Education and Experiences News

DISCOVERING | A Better Way of Seeing Diversity with the Atlas

Bring your school’s cultural story to life with the Atlas: the world’s unrivalled leader in demographic and cultural diversity data!

Find out how many languages and dialects your class or school speaks! What belief systems, places and heritages are there to learn about? Discover all the amazing hidden diversity in your school!
Supported by the Victorian Government, we still have some limited free spots for government schools.

• Apply now to avoid disappointment!

 

SHARING | New Programs and Highlights for Schools and Communities

• VIC | Rhythms and Movements of Newar Culture
• NSW | Buddhist Chanting and Mindfulness Through Song
• VIC, QLD | Africa Meets the Middle East
• VIC | Celebrate Christmas with Chris!

• Contact us for more info

 

CREATING | Tomorrow's Leaders Today (ICAP)

Our Intercultural Citizenship Ambassador Program (ICAP)* is a flexible 4- or 8-week program designed for students in Years 7 to 9. It can be delivered after school, before school or during class time, making it easy to integrate into your school’s timetable.

*Available in Victoria only.
FREE for Year 7, 8 and 9 students at Victorian government schools.

• Contact us for more details

 

ATTENDING | Languages Teachers Victoria (LTV) Conference 2025 | Friday 5 Dec 2025 | 3.15-4pm

Join Cultural Infusion’s Elizabeth Mousaferiadis for the workshop From Data to Drumming and discover how hidden diversity within classrooms can inspire more inclusive and engaging teaching practices. This interactive session combines live data-mapping using Cultural Infusion’s Atlas with a vibrant French-infused drumming showcase!

Where: Catholic Leadership Centre, 576 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002

•  Register here

 

WELCOMING | 10% Off for First-Time Schools and Educators

Book your first program with us by 19 Dec 2025 with code 1STBOOK to receive 10% off! Offer valid for first-time bookings by new teacher customers.

Already booked with us?
Forward this email to a fellow teacher who might love our programs!

All bookings also include 3 months’ free access to lesson plans and our award-winning digital tools via our Learning Lands platform. 

• Book now and save

 

EXPLORING | Eat. Celebrate. Experience. Asia by the Yarra | Thursday 4-Sunday 7 Dec 2025

The Asia Street Food Festival returns!

Wander through a vibrant culinary wonderland along the Yarra River, savor authentic dishes from over 40 passionate vendors, enjoy lively performances by local artists, and join in traditional folk games and cultural celebrations that bring friends, families, and new acquaintances together!

Where: Alexandra Gardens, 3 Boathouse Drive, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004

• More details here

 

 5.4.3  Voices of Cultural Infusion

QUANTIFYING | Language Disparities

Look out for our forthcoming paper ‘Quantifying Language Disparities’, proposing an evidence-based method to support research and strategies involving linguistically diverse people. Can you guess which are closer to each other, Mandarin and Cantonese, or simplified Chinese and Korean?

ASKING | What Instrument Is That?

Have you ever listened to a track and wondered which instruments you’re hearing? CTO Rezza Moieni published a paper in the Open Journal of Social Sciences based on a multi-instrument detection model he helped build, trained on 300+ traditional instruments.

• Contact us for a demo

 

DISCUSSING | Elusive Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion Specialist Ifeanyichukwu Eze wrote for the blog about the value of 'hi-res' data and need for predictive cultural analytics to help predict the causes of violence, exclusions and discrimination.

• Visit our blog

 

 5.4.4  Calendar Spotlight

HIGHLIGHTING | Christmas, 25 December 2025 and 7 January 2026

Christmas is on 25 December, and Orthodox Christmas is on 7 January, so we figure, why not celebrate both?

If you are in Victoria, Australia, we have a magical and interactive Christmas program to enjoy, only available in December.

• VIC | Celebrate Christmas with Chris!
• Browse cultural calendar
• Browse all programs

May you be merry and well, and if in the meantime you would like to join any of these conversations, please get in touch or follow our LinkedIn pages and jump in!

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 5.5  AUST | NJP | UPDATING | Community News | November 2025

Content Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised the following includes the names of First Nations people who have passed away.
This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of the National Justice Project (NJP). For a decade, justice has been at the heart of everything we do.  
Through their courage and lived experience, the people at the centre of our work have shown how First Nations people, refugees, and asylum seekers are too often denied the care and dignity that everyone deserves. Their stories demand action, and in our 10th year, we’re more determined than ever to fight for systemic change.

One way we’re doing this is through the Call It Out First Nations Racism Register. Developed with Jumbunna Research, it provides a safe space for First Nations people to share their experiences of racism, hold perpetrators to account, and empower bystanders to act. Next week, you’re invited to the launch of the Call It Out 2024–25 Annual Report, featuring fearless, heartbreaking and motivating stories of racism, along with practical insights into how we can all take action.

We’re also excited to announce the expansion of our AI-powered complaints platform, Hear Me Out, now available in Victoria and NSW. This free, secure tool helps people take the next step toward justice, guiding them on where and how to make a complaint, and helping draft and lodge it safely.

By breaking down barriers to justice, we’re helping more people to be heard and drive real accountability.

As we mark our 10th year, keep an eye out for our Human Rights Day campaign this December - a powerful call to action to help us continue holding systems of power to account.

LAUNCHING | Hear Me Out in Victoria

We’re proud to launch Hear Me Out in Victoria, complete with a brand-new Complaint Writing Tool. The AI-powered complaints tool now helps users navigate the 100+ Federal, NSW and Vic complaint bodies - providing plain-language guidance, drafting complaints and cutting through confusion.

• Find out more

 

REPORTING | National Justice Project leads global discussion on AI and justice at the UN

Our CEO George Newhouse and Principal Solicitor Ashleigh Buckett attended a United Nations Strategic Litigation conference in Bangkok. Here, George showcased a groundbreaking AI platform, the Justice Matrix, which is set to transform access to justice and help close the global justice gap.

• Read more

 

REPORTING | It’s time to put care at the centre of crisis response

Lorena Allam, from the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at UTS, highlighted the devastating consequences of police-led responses and the urgent need for alternative first responder programs that prioritise care over force.

• Read the Guardian article

 

LAUNCHING | Call It Out report

The Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research and the National Justice Project will launch the latest Call It Out Annual Report 2024-25. Call It Out provides a safe space for First Nations people to share their experiences and allows bystanders to take action. Join us on 27 November to hear the fearless and motivating accounts of racism.

• Register now!

 

GATHERING | Join us at the National Justice Forum 2025 and get 20% off

The National Justice Project supports the National Justice Forum 2025 on 2-5 December 2025 in Brisbane. Join 200+ sector leaders and join the National Justice Project’s Ariane Dozer, Head of Projects and Innovation for a discussion on Alternative First Responders. Use code NJP20 to receive 20% off tickets.

• Where: Stamford Plaza Brisbane/Meanjin
• Cost: Varies
• Bookings: online via National Justice Forum

 

PUBLISHING | New blog: Building an ecosystem of care

Despite the clear need for compassionate responses to mental health distress, our current system relies heavily on police as first responders. During our recent Alternative First Responders Symposium, we spoke with fierce advocate Judy Deacon and CEO of BEING Giancarlo De Vera, about the work happening to push for alternatives focused on care.

• Read the blog

 

HIGHLIGHTING | In the Media

The National Justice Project advocates for our clients in the courts as well as in the news media, especially around issues on human rights, discrimination and justice reform.

Here are some highlights from the past month:

• In their darkest moments, too many Australians are being met with lethal force instead of love and care via the Guardian, Tuesday 4 November 2025
• Weapons of Slow Destruction: A new lens on offshore detention via UTS, Saturday 8 November 2025
• High Court immigration test case could result in payouts of millions via Australian Financial Review, Monday 10 November 2025
• As Australia welcomes its millionth refugee, its hardline border policies endure. We can lead by example again via The Conversation, Tuesday 11 November 2025
• AI Insider: navigating justice pathways via Inside UNSW, Tuesday 28 October 2025
• AI Justice Tool Launches In Victoria, Helping People Write And Lodge Complaints via Tech Business News, Wednesday 29 October 2025

Follow our media commentary

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 5.6  AUST | RGA | UPDATING | Community news, funding, opportunities & more | November 2025

What to expect...

1. Rainbow Giving News
2. Other LGBTQIA+ Funding Opportunities
3. Community News 
4. Community Events
5. Ways to Support

 

 5.6.1  Rainbow Giving News

REPORTING | We did it — together!

Because of incredible support, Rainbow Giving Australia (RGA) raised $635,765 for LGBTQIA+ communities across Australia! 

That’s hundreds of projects, programs, and people supported, and a powerful reminder of what happens when love turns into action.

To every donor, Champion, organisation, partner, and supporter: thank you. You’ve built more than just a fundraising campaign — you’ve built a movement of love and collective power.

Donated this year?
Take our short survey to help make next year’s GiveOUT Day even more magical – and go in the draw to win $250 for a cause close to your heart! Winner announced 20 November.

• Complete Our Short Donor Survey

 

FUNDING | LGBTQIA+ Communities 

Funding LGBTQIA+ not-for-profits is at the heart of Rainbow Giving Australia, helping to meet the urgent need in Australia’s under-funded, largely volunteer-led LGBTQIA+ sector. By giving grants to bold, community-led initiatives, we’re driving real change and supporting those doing the work on the ground.

Huge thanks to our incredible funders of our grants programs - Snow Foundation, Brain M Davis Charitable Foundation, Jonathan Marchbank, Pride Foundation Australia, Jeremy of Humanitix, SpencerMaurice, and Aurora Ball donors - for helping us fuel bold, community-led change across Australia.

• Learn More About Our Grants Program

SPOTLIGHTING | Grant Partner: Forcibly Displaced People Network
Last month, Rainbow Giving Australia partnered with Pride Foundation Australia and King & Wood Mallesons to support Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN)’s Community Voices for Funders breakfast in Naarm/Melbourne 

• Read More

 

 5.6.2  Other LGBTQIA+ Funding Opportunities

• AUST | Pride Foundation Australia Small Grants: For projects supporting regional and rural communities | closes Monday 17 November 2025
• AUST | IMPACT philanthropy funding: for not‑for‑profit organisations applying annually for grant funding | closes Friday 5 December 2025
• ACT | ACT Government: Funding to promote connections for LGBTIQA+ people | closes Sunday 18 January 2026
• View All Current Grants

 
 5.6.3  Community News

GRANTING | ICLC Blueprint: Resourcing LGBTQIA+ Legal Centres

We’re proud to have funded the Inner City Legal Centre (ICLC) with a $60,000 Amplify Pride grant (in partnership with Snow Foundation) to deliver A Blueprint for Equality: Resourcing LGBTQIA+ Legal Centres.

This groundbreaking national report highlights the urgent need for dedicated, culturally safe legal services for LGBTQIA+ communities - especially across the five states and territories where none exist. As Australia’s first LGBTQIA+ legal centre, ICLC has created a powerful framework for expanding access to justice nationwide.

• Read Report

 

LAUNCHING | Gender Expansive Faith 

Steff Fenton’s (they/them) new book, Gender Expansive Faith: How Trans Lives Are Illuminating the Divine, Transforming Feminism & Ending Christian Patriarchy, launched in Melbourne and Sydney in August, with over 170 people attending and 130 books sold. We are proud to support Gender Expansive Faith through our Ignite Pride Grants Program. 

Free copies are available for trans and gender diverse readers and nonprofits supporting TGD communities. Email Steff about this. 

• Learn More 

Check out the amazing events that Steff is hosting this month too:

• TransFaith Online Peer Group | Begins Wednesday 5 November 2025
• Christian Parents/Carers Supporting Transgender Loved Ones | Tuesday 11 November 2025
• Pastoral & Spiritual Care with Transgender People | Thursday 20 November 2025

 

REFERRING | Legal Support for LGBTQIA+ Organisations

Does your LGBTQIA+ organisation or initiative require legal assistance? We may be able to connect you with experienced lawyers who provide pro bono legal support across a range of matters.

Depending on needs, urgency and availability, our network includes legal professionals who understand the unique challenges facing LGBTQIA+ organisations and are committed to advancing equality through their expertise.

Ready to explore your options? Contact our team to discuss how we might assist your organisation with accessing the legal support you need. 

Please note that our legal network does not provide accounting, financial or other advice or services.

• Contact Us 

 5.6.4  Community Events

• VIC | Join Transgender Victoria for TRANS MONTH | Friday 7 November 2025 | 7 PM Gender Revel Gala, Naarm (Melbourne). View More Events at Vic Pride Centre
• VIC | Roller Derby Pride Cup, Warragul | Saturday 8 November 2025. See All Pride Cup Events
•  WA | Rainbow Picnic – Part of PrideFest 2025, Hyde Park | Sunday 9 November 2025 | 2pm. See All Rainbow Families Events
• ACT | A Gender Agenda's 20th Anniversary Gala - Celebrating, and highlighting A Gender Agenda's incredible community | Friday 14 November 2025 | 6.30pm
• NSW | Queer Youth Access Zone, Inner West Pride Centre (Gadigal) | Wednesday 19 November 2025 | 2.30–4.30pm. View More Events With Twenty10 Inner West Pride Centre
• ACT | ​Transgender Day of Remembrance at A Gender Agenda's House | Thursday 20 November 2025 | 4pm

 

 5.6.5  Ways To Support

• Make a Donation
• Leave a Legacy of Love By leaving a gift in will, you can help ensure LGBTQA+ communities continue to thrive for generations to come.

Rainbow Giving Australia: Working towards an empowered, sustainable and united rainbow community 

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 5.7  AUST | THCO | UPDATING | Awareness, Funds and Support for independent media and more | November 2025

These days, new technology is presented as inevitable and resistance is futile. Smartphones and social media for kids? It’s just how it is. 

Cynical about crypto? You must be a crackpot. Worried about AI slop? Get on board or get left behind. 

At The Conversation (THCO), we have always taken a sceptical approach to prevailing wisdom, and we’re determined to go about things our own way.

When many in the media were sacking specialist journalists in health, economics or science, we were hiring. When everyone was turning away from experts, we launched a media outlet that only works with academics. When others focused on personality in politics, we appointed an editor to help us do a better job of analysing public policy.

From day one, we have been different because we are guided by values, rather than trends or algorithms. And we will continue to stand out by putting people — real journalists, real editors, real experts — at the centre of what we do. 

At a time when others turn to automation, we’re doubling down on human insight. At a time when people are seeking profits in technological innovation, we’re a not-for-profit media organisation that exists to serve the public.

We take this approach because it’s in our DNA, and we know that you value it. Many of you write to us or respond to our surveys, and you tell us every year how much you appreciate our work, such as the eloquent reader who recently described The Conversation as a “lake of sanity amid mountains of clickbait.”

We’re proud of what we do, and with your support, we can continue to take the path less travelled. Please consider helping us by:

• becoming a monthly donor or 
• making a one-off donation.

And thank you for reading us and supporting our efforts to create something different.

Kind regards, 
Misha Ketchell, Editor

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 5.8  WORLD | PWR | RAISING | Awareness, Support and Funds for Investment in Women's Leadership and Empowerment

Parliament of the World's Religions (PWR) workis throughout the year to build on the momentum of our global Convenings with ongoing programs of dialogue and collaboration. 

"Women’s leadership is key for the creation of just and lasting peace." – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

The Parliament of the World’s Religions’ guiding document, Towards a Global Ethic calls for a transformation of consciousness and lifting up women is a critical component of this. 

We invite you to join us in our mission by making a donation today, just $25 will have an impact and support women's leadership programming at the Parliament.

The Parliament’s Women’s Leadership Task Force delivers programs that uphold women’s empowerment, transformational leadership, and gender equality. Highlights of 2025 include holding three events at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, including The Power of Grassroots & Global Movements, Building Game-Changing Partnerships, and a one-woman play titled Not a Man’s World. The Women’s Leadership Task Force also celebrated Mother’s Day with a special virtual Sacred Circle Conversation: Honoring Mother Earth, Our Mothers, Ourselves, and One Another.

Looking forward to 2026 and beyond, the Women’s Leadership Task Force will be hosting online programs dedicated to Jane Goodall. Intergenerational grassroots women leaders will hold provocative conversations about their work, their dreams, game-changing partnerships, next-level solutions and life-giving actions for people and the planet. These events will be open to all with opportunities to join in the conversation.

We encourage you to learn more about the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the work we are doing with and for women’s leadership.

In gratitude,
Rev. Charline Manuel, Chair, Board of Trustees

• Make a Donation

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 6. ANNOUNCING 

1. VIC | VMC | PUBLISHING | Annual Report 2024-25
2. VIC | VMC | REPORTING | Multifaith Advisory Group

 

 6.1  VIC | VMC | PUBLISHING | Annual Report 2024-25

The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) is proud to share its 2024–25 Annual Report, tabled in State Parliament last week.
The report showcases a year of impactful achievements and milestones, at a time of frequent global and local tensions.  

Despite these challenges, the report underscores the VMC’s importance and ongoing role as a leading advocate for multicultural communities. Through collaboration with government, community groups, multicultural and multifaith forums, the VMC ensures that the voices of Victoria’s diverse communities are heard and valued when shaping policies and programs.

• Read the report

 

 6.2  VIC | VMC | GATHERING | Multifaith Advisory Group

The VMC Multifaith Advisory Group came together recently to break bread, renewing connections and reinforcing a shared commitment to peace, harmony, and social cohesion. Senior representatives from diverse faith communities joined in open and respectful dialogue, highlighting the vital role of interfaith understanding in strengthening a compassionate and united Victoria.

This gathering comes amid growing concern about rising hate and threats to community safety. Faith and multicultural leaders across Victoria are responding with grassroots initiatives, peace forums, and data-driven approaches to discrimination.

From shared dinners and frontline outreach to new registries tracking incidents of racism, communities are prioritising connection and collective action.

• To read more about the gathering and reflections from Melbourne’s Anglican Bishop

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 7. SUPPORTING 

1. AUST | MANY | Helpers and Reliable Sources Along the Way
2. AUST | MULTI | Supporting Voices, Treaty and Meaningful Reconciliation with First Peoples, Settlers, and Those Who Come After
3. VIC | GOV | UPDATING | Coronavirus Response
4. AUST | MULTI | UPDATING | Coronavirus Response

 

 7.1  AUST | MANY | Helpers and Reliable Sources Along the Way

1. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
2. Ageism
3. Asylum Seeking & Refugees
4. Climate, Environment & Emergency
5. Committee Training
6. Community, Connection & Belonging
7. Difability & Disability
8. Employment
9. Family & Neighbourhood Violence
10. Health, Sickness & Wellbeing
11. Kids, Youth, Parenting & Education
12. LGBTIQA+
13. Men
14. Migrant
15. Racism
16. Women

 7.1.1  Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

• BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation (BLAQ) – National service provider and NSW State Peak Organisation supporting and representing community living with the intersection of a Cultural life and LGBTQ+SB identity.
• 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
• Koorie Women Mean Business
• 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 Justice Project (NJP)
• 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.

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 7.1.2  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

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 7.1.3  Asylum Seeking & Refugees

• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) – independent not for profit supporting and empowering 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.
• Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP) – providing food, housing, English classes, employment assistance, legal and medical support, and donations of money.
• City of Whittlesea (CoW) – offering a 12-week placement program for newly arrived non-student migrants and refugees. Learn more and apply

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 7.1.4  Climate, Environment & Emergency

• Better Health – Surviving Extreme Heat In-language video
• Climate Ready Communities – an innovative program empowering you and your neighbours to tackle climate challenges head-on, right where you live. Through this partnership from City of Port Phillip (CoPP) with The Resilience Canopy, you will be supported to establish, sustain and grow climate action projects for your local community. 
• 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
• Fired Up (36 mins) short documentary which tells the story of Australian Islamic Centre (AIC) volunteers who travelled to areas impacted by the devastating 2019-2020 bushires to provide essential supplies to communities in critical need.
• Fire Safety – translated information
• 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
• Life Saving Victoria (LSV) – remembering safety is everyone’s responsibility – especially around water. If you're new to pools or water settings, please take a moment to speak with a lifesaver or lifeguard before entering the water. Always read and follow the safety signs at your location to ensure you're fully informed.
• Port Phillip Eco Centre (PPEC) –  events, educational programs and community projects.
• Royal Life Saving Society of Australia with The LOTE Agency (LOTEA) – Make Safe Decisions Around Water campaign highlighs five key messages to keep our multicultural and multilingual communities safe in and around water while swimming, boating, and fishing. Resources: Water safety information in community languages or  Download: RLSSA-Stakeholder-Pack-2024.pdf or resources by Language
• Scamwatch – Scams targeting people from non-English speaking backgrounds remain a serious concern. To help protect all Australians, free information and resources has been developed in 22 languages, empowering people to recognise and report scams using three simple steps: Stop. Check. Protect.
  
• Solar Savers – Start saving on energy bills with City of Port Phillip
• 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

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 7.1.5  Committee Training

A series of free educational volunteer training videos designed to educate and empower nonprofit organisations. 

These engaging Cardinia Shire Council resources are available thanks to the Non Profit Training and provide essential skills and knowledge, helping volunteers and committees maximise their impact and enhance their contributions to the community. 

Grant Writing

• Developing a project plan
• The budget
• Evaluations
• Acquittals
• SMART goals

Conflict of Interest

• Understanding conflict of interest
• Managing conflicts of interest
• Conflict of interest scenario - Committee contractor 
• Conflict of interest scenario - Local contractor

Financial Records and Reports

• Budgeting and using the budget effectively
• Financial record keeping
• Understanding GST
• Financial reporting

Running Successful Meetings

• Important information about your AGM
• Holding the AGM
• Meetings of the Committee
• Making decisions at meetings
• Positive Committee meetings

Contractor Management

• Before you select a contractor
• Selecting a contractor
• Contractor accountability

Managing Difficult Conversations

• Difficult conversations
• Why do difficult conversations arise
• Tips for dealing with difficult conversations
• Where to get support

Governance

• Recruiting committee members
• Committee legislative responsibilities
• Planning and implementing
• Governance and risk 
• Governance framework

Risk Management

• What is risk 
• Risk management process 
• Documenting risk
• Crisis management

For more information

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 7.1.6  Community, Connection & Belonging

• Australian citizenship test resource booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond is developed by Department of Home Affairs. Available for download, it has all the information you need to help you pass the test. Australian Citizenship: Our Common​​ Bond - Testable - English (14MB PDF)​​​
  
• Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC) – Living and Loving in Diversity: An anthology of Australian multicultural queer adventures. Read More and buy
• Australian National Anthem in more than 60 different languages by  Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Videos, Audio and text and Multilingual text versions of the citizenship pledge.
• Better Boards Australasia (BBA) – free online minute-taking course.
• 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 (CAGA) Real Carers, Real Stories - In Their Own Words digital photographic exhibition. 
• Carer Gateway (CAGA) is a national initiative program funded by the Australian Government – free and diverse range of short term services to help you manage your caring role and improve your wellbeing. There are more than 2.65 million unpaid carers in Australia, and 1 in 12 are under 25 years old. If you are an unpaid carer and wish to get access in your language you can call Uniting on 1800 422 737 or visit website to learn more.
• 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)
• Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) – ‘Know the Funda-rentals’ campaign to help renters across the state understand their rights and access support.
• 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.
• Embrace Access – Easy Read books
• 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 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
• The Jeder Institute - Toolkits for creating positive change for individuals and communities, around the world, by bringing people together to realise their full potential, build on their existing networks and community strengths and to empower individual’s choice and control.
• Multicultural Film Festival | 10 November 2025-9 November 2026 by Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) streaming on SBS On Demand
• Multicultural Framework Review (MFR), ‘Towards Fairness – a multicultural Australia for all’ – towards realising Australia's full potential as a nation made up of many cultures, faiths and lived experiences.
• 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 Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) is an activity of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission(ACCC) – Australia's national competition, consumer, fair trading and product safety regulator. Read more and hear or download The Little Book of Scams a useful resource available in 18 languages. Other translated resources include posters, audio recordings, and short videos.
• 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.
• Professional Migrant Women (PWM) – Undefeated is a collection of 118 stories from 90 migrant women, who against all odds, overcame the challenges and barriers of living in a foreign land, speaking a different language, and being singled out for the wrong reason. Find out more and buy
• Social Connection - Explore Practice Toolkits brimming with actionable strategies, tips, and guidelines to foster stronger community bonds.
• 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 中文 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
• Spiritual Health Association (SHA) in partnership with Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH)  has been running The Spirituality & Diversity Discussion Project since 2019. Read More 
• Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 has been introduced into the Victorian Parliament. It is the first time in Australia's history a Treaty has been negotiated with First Peoples.
• Transport Accident Commission (TAC) encourages our communities to drive responsibly. Speeding is the most prevalent risky behaviour on the roads and is a factor in approximately 30% of casualty crashes. Exceeding the speed limit by just 3 km/h is associated with a 25% increase in crash risk. At 5 km/h over the limit, crash risk increases by close to 50%. Learn 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)
• Voices of Australia - Scanlon Foundation Research Institute (SFRI) podcast exploring all things interesting in the world of social cohesion. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch the recording on video, in addition to audio-only! Tune in every Thursday at 10am for a new episode!

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 7.1.7  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.
• Extended Families (EXFA) – vibrant social events for children and young adults with a disability in Melbourne’s Southeastern suburbs.
• 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.
• Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) – women and non-binary people with disability, sharing a diverse range of experiences

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 7.1.8  Employment

• Bicultural workforce toolkit - The Victorian Government toolkit is an online resource that aims to educate public sector organisations so they can harness the value bicultural workers bring to the workforce.
• 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.
• Fair Work Ombudsman – language help
• Jobs that Matter campaign highlights a range of roles available across the community services sector in Victoria.
• Middle Years and Youth Services (MYYS) are now offering a platform for local businesses or organisations to advertise job opportunities that would suit young people. The jobs appear regularly on the Port Phillip Youth Instagram page.
• Migrant Workers Centre –  resources
• Modern slavery is when a person forces someone to work, marry or do other things through coercion (like manipulation, control or violence), threats or lies. What is modern slavery, Types of modern slavery, Warning signs, Modern slavery in Australia & Research and data
• Professional Migrant Women (PWM) – Undefeated is a collection of 118 stories from 90 migrant women, who against all odds, overcame the challenges and barriers of living in a foreign land, speaking a different language, and being singled out for the wrong reason. Find out more and buy
• Social Services Jobs Guarantee program - Victorian Diploma of Community Services graduates 1 September 2022–31 August 2024
• The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) – supporting employers in fostering safer, more inclusive environments with Guideline: LGBTIQA+ Inclusive Workplaces.
  
• 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.

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 7.1.9  Family & Neighbourhood Violence

• Domestic and family violence and your visa Department of Home Affairs web page. Learn more
• Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) – free online training to help you safely support those affected by family, domestic and sexual violence (FDSV), while strengthening leadership and fostering positive change in the community. Learn more
  
• Orange Door – for adults, children and young people experiencing family violence
• Our Watch (OURWATCH) – Australia’s leader in the primary prevention of violence against women. We work to embed gender equality and prevent violence where Australians live, learn, work and socialise. Download Change the story summary (698 kb); Download Change the story full suite of graphics (4 mb); Change the story: Three years on (2018) reflecting on the uptake and impact of Change the story since publication in 2015.
• Public Transport Victoria (PTV) – STOPIT aims to educate public transport users on what constitutes inappropriate behaviour while empowering vulnerable communities – including women, girls, LGBTIQA+, and multicultural passengers – as well as bystanders to report incidents to Victoria Police’s STOPIT service.
• 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
• Until every Victorian is safe – Victorian Government has committed in 2025 to 106 actions to help prevent and respond to family and sexual violence over the next three years

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 7.1.10  Health, Sickness & Wellbeing

• Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria (ARCVic) – a state-wide, specialist mental health organisation, providing support, recovery and educational services to people and families living with anxiety disorders.
• 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). Download cancer information in Vietnamese and Modern Standard Arabic. Read Victorian Cancer Plan 2024-2028
• 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.
• Eating for your health – at every stage of life. Our bodies need different kinds of food as we grow older – and understanding these changes can help us stay healthy for longer.
• Hepatitis B and the importance of testing and management to reduce liver cancer risk. Protect against liver cancer by raising awareness message by Cancer Council Victoria (CCV)
• 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.
• Influenza vaccines are free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for: children aged 6 months to under 5 years; pregnant people at any stage of pregnancy; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; people 65 years or over; people who have certain medical conditions which increase their risk of serious illness. Translated resources are available in 15 languages. You can also get more information from your doctor or clinic.
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 – crisis support available 24/7 via phone, text or online chat
• LiverWELL advises liver cancer is now the fastest growing cause of cancer death in Victoria, with a 191% increase in deaths over the past four decades. Now is the time to act. Learn more, talk to your doctor about screening, and help spread awareness in your community. Read more information and find culturally appropriate support
• 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
• mpox vaccine – protect yourself and your loved ones
• from this virus. Find out if you qualify for free vaccination and get vaccinated today.
• Multicultural Anxiety Support Group – an inclusive and confidential space for people of varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds who experience persistent anxiety: 
  Regular meetings seek to foster connection and confidence by providing participants with the opportunity to discuss challenges, self-help ideas, and coping strategies.
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• R U OK? is a national suicide prevention charity that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times. Key resources are also translated in six languages Arabic (العربية), Simplified Chinese (中文), Greek (Ελληνικά), Hindi (हिन्दी), Korean (한국어) and Vietnamese (tiếng Việt)
• 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.
• Transport Accident Commission (TAC) - safest way to know for sure that you are under 0.05 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level is to completely separate drinking and driving. Sign up for the Spokes newsletter. Read more about Only Protected for a Moment campaign.
• 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

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 7.1.11  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
• Middle Years and Youth Services (MYYS) are now offering a platform for local City of Port Phillip businesses or organisations to advertise job opportunities that would suit young people. The jobs appear regularly on the Port Phillip Youth Instagram page.
• 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.
• Raising Children Network – Translated parenting resources
• 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
• Smile Squad – school dental program is helping thousands of families save up to $400 per child per year by providing free, high-quality dental care at government schools across Victoria.
• Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) online community VMConnect is home to a dedicated Group for multicultural young people living in Victoria
• 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)
• YouthNav - helping young Victorians understand, plan for and succeed in skills like getting a job, moving out of home, getting around, having their say and managing money.

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 7.1.12  LGBTIQA+

• Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC) – Living and Loving in Diversity: An anthology of Australian multicultural queer adventures. Read More and buy
• BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation (BLAQ) – National service provider and NSW State Peak Organisation supporting and representing community living with the intersection of a Cultural life and LGBTQ+SB identity.
• The Equality Project – training and conferences
• Faith and LGBTQA identity can coexist resources kit developed Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC).
• Gay Asian Proud (GAP) – a social group for same sex-attracted Asian men based in Melbourne and wider Victoria. Find out more
• 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
• Our Point 3 (OP3) – not-for-profit organisation, led by and for LGBTQIA+/queer international students, alumni, and allies.
• Trans Justice Project – Impact Report 2023
• Unsaid Says A Lot is an Australian-first campaign by Victoria's Department of Families, Fairness and Housing(DFFH) in support of trans and gender diverse communities. A nation leading campaign. It was co-designed, produced and created by TGD communities. Watch Video (2 mins) and stay connected via Socials Facebook | Instagram | Linked In | Youtube

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 7.1.13  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
• Lifeline: 13 11 14 or visit website - Counselling, information and referrals for personal crisis
• Mensline: 1300 789 978  or visit website - 24/7 Support for men
• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 or visit website - Advice and support for depression and anxiety.
• Headspace: 1800 650 890 or visit website - National youth mental health foundation, chat, email or speak with a qualified professional.
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 - Counselling for anyone suicidal or affected by suicide
• Tomorrow Man visit website - Australian social enterprise committed to redefining masculinity and improving men’s mental health.
• When No One’s Watching (WNOW) – not-for-profit organisation working to improve men’s health through connection, mateship and community. Learn More in City of Port Phillip

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 7.1.14  Migrant

• Australian citizenship test resource booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond is developed by Department of Home Affairs. Available for download, it has all the information you need to help you pass the test. Australian Citizenship: Our Common​​ Bond - Testable - English (14MB PDF)​​​
• The 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. Eligibility Requirements and Free Translating Service or by calling 1300 847 387
• Migrant Workers Centre –  resources
• Modern slavery is when a person forces someone to work, marry or do other things through coercion (like manipulation, control or violence), threats or lies. What is modern slavery, Types of modern slavery, Warning signs, Modern slavery in Australia & Research and data   
• Professional Migrant Women (PWM) – Undefeated is a collection of 118 stories from 90 migrant women, who against all odds, overcame the challenges and barriers of living in a foreign land, speaking a different language, and being singled out for the wrong reason. Find out more and buy

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 7.1.15  Racism

• Australian Government – Addressing Hate in Our Communities. Everyone deserves to live free from hate and discrimination. Learn more and access reporting links
• Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) have continued their national campaign: Racism. It Stops With Me. Learn more
• Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) – releasing National Anti-Racism Framework, a comprehensive plan featuring 63 recommendations aimed at addressing racism across critical sectors including justice, health, education, media, and workplaces. Read full report
• 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.

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 7.1.16  Women

• Fitted for Work (FfW) – job-readiness services provider for Women and Gender-Diverse Jobseekers with practical skills, knowledge, and connection, so that they can move forward with confidence in their careers.
• Free Pads & Tampons in Public Places Victorian Government program. 
• Koorie Women Mean Business
• National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) - envisioning Zero Deaths from breast cancer
• 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.
• Professional Migrant Women (PWM) – Undefeated is a collection of 118 stories from 90 migrant women, who against all odds, overcame the challenges and barriers of living in a foreign land, speaking a different language, and being singled out for the wrong reason.
• Respect Victoria
• Rural Health Connect (RHC) – telehealth psychology sessions to women and families who have experienced stillbirth or miscarriage. Sessions are bulk-billed or available at low cost, depending on a person’s situation. Find out more 
• Safe and Equal 
• 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.
• Victorian Women’s Trust
• 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

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 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 in late 2023 held 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.

• Read the referendum question and constitutional amendment.
• Multilingual poster

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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.

• Pledge your support
• Volunteer
• Stay up to date
• Stay informed 

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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.

• For more information

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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. 

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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

Thank-you for reading the open letter supporting the Voice. Please forward this letter to anyone you think would be interested to read it.

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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.
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."

Walk with Michael Long in support of the "Yes" campaign on one or more legs of the walk from Melbourne to Canberra.

• 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.

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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.

• Testimonials
• Supporting Writers
• Read more

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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 GiveOUT

Polls 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 

*Source: https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2023/06/ten-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament---answered-by-the-ex 

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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.

• Read full article

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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 2017

By 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:

1. Help create a safe place for thinking, talking and taking action
2. Acknowledge the experience and wisdom each person brings to the table
3. Enter discussions in good faith with an open, constructive spirit
4. Engage in respectful discussion, even in the face of dissent
5. 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.

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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.

• Read More

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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."

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AUST | GEIFN | WHY | To Accept No: Contest of Timing | Monday 16 October 2023
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."

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AUST | GEIFN | WHEN | To Accept No: Contest of Terra nullius | Tuesday 17 October 2023 and beyond
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."

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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: 

• Yoorrook Justice Commission 
• TREATY FOR VICTORIA | First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria

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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.

Mungo, our monthly newsletter, continues to be a good news source for events, circulating annually to over 3,500 as well as members of other networks.

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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

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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.

Working beyond Early Years, customising our programs to meet the curriculum needs of Primary and Secondary students, and work in community contexts supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our Aboriginal Early Childhood Education Resources include: Artefacts, Dolls, Children’s Music, Children’s Books, Games, Felt Hand and Finger Puppets, Felt Mats for Storytelling, Puzzles, and Teachers Resource Guides.

Other projects include:

• Foregrounding Anti Bias Perspectives
• Yarn Strong Brutha
• Enterprise for Empowerment.

Providing relevant resources and books that assist parents, teachers and organisations to acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal Ways of Being. All our resources are ethically made and sourced, in collaboration with Indigenous artists and Fair-Trade partners.

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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

Evolve Communities is a NSW-based Trusted Authority for Australian Indigenous cultural awareness, ally & facilitator training.

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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

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 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 availability 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

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 8. ACKNOWLEDGING 

1. Acknowledgment to Sources
2. Bye bye to Essentialists
3. Self-Isolators, Non-Essentials And The Homebound

 

 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 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.

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