[Edited extract from public address]
Our shared commitment to following the public health guidance has helped minimise the community transmission of COVID-19 and put our state in a great position to continue relaxing restrictions.
Message from the Chairperson
I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend.
I'm excited to think about many of the cultural events and meetups that may be able to go ahead in the coming months, including our very own
Refugee Awards ceremony and the
Multicultural Film Festival gala.
Speaking of the film festival, submissions close this Sunday! If you or someone you know has made a short film that explores themes of diversity and inclusion and meets the criteria, please
submit as soon as possible.
I am pleased to announce that
expressions of interests are now open for new members of our Regional Advisory Councils (RAC).
RAC Members are the VMC's eyes and ears, keeping commissioners informed about the issues that matter to multicultural communities. Their insights and ideas help us to influence and shape legislation and improve government and community services. We value our RACs so much, and hope you will consider becoming a member yourself.
Also in this week's update:
- You can now read the Commission for Children and Young People's inquiry into the Victorian youth justice system. It calls for wholesale changes to the system as it stands today.
- Women can apply to join the Women's Board Leadership Program. It is a scholarship that will give successful applicants board governance training and help them build important networks.
- This coming Thursday, the VMC will partner with the Department of Health to run a multicultural and multifaith community forum focusing on pandemic-related issues. The session will cover the vaccine, QR codes, testing and support available. You will have the chance to ask the questions that are most important to your community.
Finally, on a personal note, I am humbled to become a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), as part of the
Queen's Birthday honours list. The AM was awarded to me in recognition of '
significant service to the multicultural community of Victoria'.
I share this recognition with the many community members and colleagues that I have had the privilege of meeting and working with over the years.
There are many members of Victoria’s diverse communities who have also been recognised. I extend the VMC’s heartfelt congratulations to all, including former Commissioner, Teresa de Fazio; and former Chairperson of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, Phong Nguyen, who both received OAM honours.
Of course, there are many others within our communities who deserve acknowledgement for their contributions and dedication to this state and nation. The VMC will continue to advocate for such honours to be reflective of our incredible multicultural diversity.
Take care and stay safe.
Viv Nguyen, Chairperson
Regional Advisory Council | nominations open, to be submitted online and close Friday 23 July 2021
Victorians from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to join one of the Regional Advisory Councils that help guide the Victorian Government’s work supporting multicultural communities.
There are eight
Regional Advisory Councils from across the state. They provide critical, on-the-ground insights into issues that matter to multicultural communities – including migrant and refugee settlement services, employment, education, housing, citizenship and connection to culture.
The Councils also help identify potential solutions and strategies for achieving change, and provide a forum for other organisations and government bodies to engage with local multicultural communities.
Their work helps the VMC influence policy, and improve government and community services.
We are seeking community members, business and local government representatives and service providers to achieve a balance of experience, diverse backgrounds and expertise.
We strongly encourage people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds, including established and new multicultural communities, refugees and people seeking asylum to apply. Members are appointed for two-year terms.
Final call for entries to the Multicultural Film Festival
The VMC's
Multicultural Film Festival submission period is closing soon! You or your networks have until 20 June to submit a short film to be in contention for some brilliant prizes.
Shortlisted films will be screened at a gala awards presentation at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Federation Square in August.
We are seeking creative short films about cultural diversity and multiculturalism. The stories the films tell can be made by and/or be about people from any cultural background.
Prizes include:
- Tips and ideas industry session from SBS Head of Unscripted, John Godfrey.
- Industry session with SBS Content Industry Diversity Manager, Michelle Cheng.
- An internship with Mushroom Creative House, a creative agency and production house that has unparalleled access to the music and entertainment worlds.
Visit
filmfreeway.com/MulticulturalFilmFestival to read the terms and conditions before uploading your submission.
VMC and Department of Health running multicultural COVID-19 online forum | Thursday 17 June 2021
This Thursday at 7pm, the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Department of Health are holding a multicultural and multifaith briefing to talk through vaccine, QR codes, testing, support available and more.
The forum will be held on Zoom and is a great opportunity to ask experts questions, gaining information you can relay back to your communities.
Women's Board Leadership Program applications open
The
Office of Women has launched the 2021 Women's Board Leadership Program, which will offer scholarships for Victorian women to access board governance training.
The initiative is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to advancing gender equality across all aspects of Victorian society, as outlined in
Safe and Strong – A Victorian Gender Equality Strategy.
The Women’s Board Leadership Program will provide board governance training and network building to enhance gender representation in decision making on government and not-for-profit boards.
Scholarships are offered for participation across three streams:
- Starting with board skills: For women without prior governance experience.
- Strengthening board skills: For women with between one and three years’ experience serving on government or not-for-profit boards.
- Mastering board skills: For women with more than three years’ experience serving on government or not-for-profit boards or committees of management.
Report calls for ‘re-imagined’ youth justice system
The
Commission for Children and Young People has completed its inquiry into the Victorian youth justice system.
The
Our youth, our way report was tabled in Parliament earlier this month. The report made 41 findings and 75 recommendations, which the Commission says should be implemented within five years.
‘In making our recommendations, we have listened to those most affected by them, and those most at risk of continued inaction – Aboriginal children and young people,’ said Justin Mohamed, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People.
‘We have also listened to families, communities, and the agencies that too often work in a disconnected way with children and young people, leading to fragmented and ineffective responses,' he also said. 'Agencies must work together much more effectively if we are to achieve a holistic approach to the justice system that takes into account all the ways it touches and damages or nurtures the lives of Aboriginal children and young people.’
Sign up to the Cooee! newsletter
Cooee! is Eastern Melbourne’s regional
Communities’ Council on Ethnic Issues (CCOEI) e-newsletter.
The update comes out monthly and is absolutely packed with information of interest to culturally diverse communities in Melbourne, with a particular focus on those residing in the eastern suburbs.
To subscribe for future editions, send an email to
chair.msc@gmail.com with 'Subscribe to CCOEI eNews' in the subject line and they will put you on the distribution list.
Coronavirus hotline
MORE:
Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC)
Address: Level 3, 1 Macarthur Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9651 5901
