Developments and Directions - Parliament of NSW · PDF fileDevelopments and Directions COMMUNITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ... There is comfort, however—some comfort—in the goodness

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Developments and Directions

COMMUNITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

New South Wales responds to a changing worldThere is no victory, and there is no honour, in defaced mosques or churches or inabuse and street violence against good citizens born in the Middle East and atpeace here in Australia. They detest as much as any these barbarous and poisonousacts and the inhumane organisation that planned them and fed them.

There is comfort, however—some comfort—in the goodness this foul deed hasignited: the song and ritual and the extended hands of nations met in unexpectedcomradeship, united by their sympathy, sorrow and outrage. In the words of afamiliar song, “We are one, but we are many”.

These words were spoken by the Hon Bob Carr, Premier of NSW, supporting thecondolence motion for victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York andWashington, in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

While the major acts of terrorism that have so changed the world in recent years haveall happened outside our shores, their impact on our state and our community has beenprofound.

For all sorts of reasons some have concerns about their safety they did not have in early2001, but more importantly society is different and many people view themselves andeach other differently as a result. To say religion has become the new ethnicity iswrong, but to say religion has become a very strong identifier and a divider is to recognisean important change in our society.

There are those who talk of the risk to our society of people seeking refuge within theircommunity and effectively withdrawing from aspects of their Australian life. Otherssay that some of their fellow Australians are unsuitable to live in Australia because oftheir religious beliefs, they will never integrate, and should never have been allowedinto the country.

The major acts of terrorism that continue to happen affect individual communities inone way or another, but the bombs in Bali that killed many Australians made us awarethat Australia too had a new enemy.

These events along with a number of media reports over the past year concerning theArabic-speaking community has imposed challenges for community harmony.

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In New South Wales we proudly rejoice in the benefits of our diversity. The hijab, thecrucifix and the Jewish skullcap are freely worn in our schools and streets. The Sydneymetropolitan area has many mosques and places of Muslim prayer, synagogues, Hinduand Buddhist temples and churches – people worshipping side by side in freedom andharmony.

In September 2003, the Premier and Minister for Citizenship, the Hon Bob Carr,addressed this issue in an international radio hook-up with New York City and Washington,on the second anniversary of the bombings of the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

He told the international radio audience: “There is no clash of civilisations, AustralianMuslims are committed to Australia’s democratic parliamentary system and ourindependent system of law, and Australian society respects their religion and culture”.He spoke also of a prominent member of a Sydney mosque: “He has a son who is agreat success in sport and has another son who’s teaching in a public school. So stronglycommitted to the Islamic community and the Islamic faith, these Australians are alsoengaged with the rest… they’re part of the pluralism, the multiculturalism of Australia.And that’s the sort of integration we’ve got to work towards, based on a respect fortheir culture and on their commitment to this modern Australia of ours”.

In working to maintain community harmony in the face of international turmoil anddomestic unease, the Community Relations Commission has seen a flourishing ofgoodwill, acceptance and a desire for interfaith dialogue. We have seen leaders ofdistinctly different faiths, and different strands of the same faith, sitting together asfellow Australians on the Community Harmony Reference Group, set up by the NSWGovernment to counter the potential impact on people of our state from the war in Iraq.We have seen those fellow Australians become friends who invite each other tocommunity events.

We know that if community harmony is again threatened by strife in another part of theworld, we have a ready-made network of Australians to meet the challenge together.

We have seen a flurry of interfaith activity including:

! a team of Muslim, Christian and Jewish people visiting schools to explain anddemonstrate similarities rather than differences between their faiths

! a happy gathering in a church hall in Western Sydney of Muslims and Catholicfamilies sharing supper, talk and song; a week-long camp for 30 young Muslims,Jews and Christians coordinated by the National Council of Churches where theactivities included visits to churches, synagogues and mosques

! a group of 150 Sydney Muslims went by bus to a drought stricken area of theHunter Valley to pray for rain with local Christians and to hand over funds fordrought relief collected from Muslim congregations around the country.


Meanwhile, in a seminar on the topic Perspectives on Islam organised by the Academiaof Social Sciences in Australia, it was said that academics should resume their roles aspublic intellectuals to help rebuild the trust between Islam and the West in the wake ofSeptember 11. Professor Mervyn Lewis of the University of South Australia told theseminar that academics were concerned at the impact of the War on Terror on thefabric of multiculturalism: “If all Muslims in the community are seen as potential terrorists,how can we have a multicultural society, because we are discriminating indirectly againstone particular group?”

At the University of Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Asia Centre, a seminar entitledManaging Muslim-Christian Relations discussed policy options, education, law andcommunity.

Our State has changed, without doubt, in our own reflection of a changed world. Thework of government and its agencies naturally has also changed and includes manynew challenges.

IMPLEMENTING THE PRINCIPLES OF MULTICULTURALISM

Community Relations Commission Symposium 2003The Community Relations Commission is legislated toconsult with the State’s culturally, religiously, linguisticallyand racially diverse community on their needs and toprovide opportunities for genuine participation in policyand decision-making. As part of this responsibility, theCommission held a Symposium on 23 October 2003 at theUniversity of Technology, Sydney. Around 170 delegatesattended on the day.

The objectives of the Symposium were to provide anopportunity for delegates to discuss issues of mutualconcern, gain a common understanding of these, and shareinformation about strategies adopted by differentcommunity agencies to address various concerns.

Two keynote speeches were presented at the Symposium. Reverend Bill Crews spokeon the topic What are the challenges for a multi-faith Australia, while Dr JamesJupp spoke on the three topics of: Who will replace the pioneers of ethnic communityorganisations? What is in the best interests of Australia – permanent or long-termtemporary residence? How significant is the language question in the next Census?

Rev. Bill Crews speaking atthe Community RelationsCommission Symposium 2003


Two sets of workshops were presented during the afternoon, one showcasing and theother discussing issues of concern. The two most popular workshops showcasingcommunity initiatives were Organisational Management presented by the ChineseAustralian Service Society, and Successful models of multicultural and religious co-operation and learning, presented by the North Shore Temple Emanuel.

Discussion workshops were held in the second part of the afternoon and participantswere asked to nominate topic areas. Workshops with the largest number of participantswere:

! Community leadership: women, youth mentoring and development

! Community organisation futures: financial, volunteers and partnerships

! Racism and vilification and promoting community harmony.

Workshop participants listed concerns connected with the topic and proceeded toprioritise their concerns. Each workshop group addressed common themes on sharinginformation about current community initiatives and possible future community strategiesto address those concerns.

The session on Community leadership: women, youth mentoring and developmentwas popular. The group discussed cultural training and skilling of leaders. They consideredhow leaders evolve in organisations and the models of leadership in a multiculturalsociety. There was strong support for the development of partnerships across communityorganisations to support leadership initiatives.

The session on Community organisation futures: financial, volunteers andpartnerships chose to focus on the participation of young people to enable thecontinuity of agencies. A number of existing strategies were explored, including theestablishment of youth activities and corresponding management committees of youngpeople, and mentoring young people to take up positions on the main executive of theagency. Participants put forward other strategies, such as designating positions for youngpeople on the executives of organisations, alongside the provision of training for them,and establishing partnerships with private sector agencies to enable employees, who atthe same time are completing tertiary studies, to have work experience placements incommunity agencies.

The session on Racism and vilification and promoting community harmony focusedon positive media representation and promoting dialogue between communities. Someof the future strategies suggested were to target ‘non-traditional’ partners for dialogueand to extend the work that organisations undertake with the ethnic media.


EAPS (Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statements)

Models of best practice in EAPSA number of key EAPS agencies introduced innovative new measures to inform thedirection and operation of their EAPS in 2003.

NSW Police has established an excellent EAPS Standards Framework reporting format,which a number of EAPS key agencies consulted in 2003.

The Department of Community Services in 2003 established the Multicultural ServicesUnit in Head Office to better link policy directorates to relevant expertise in theorganisation, improve relationships between the Department and ethnic communities,and participate in whole-of-government initiatives.

The Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care has also established a newCultural and Linguistic Diversity Policy Unit. Its role is to identify strategic opportunitiesfor improving access and responsiveness of the Department’s services for people fromculturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds through leadership in activities withother external agencies, and through supporting work undertaken by other units withinthe Department.

A new policy framework for EAPS was developed by the NSW Department ofHousing during 2003. Housing Multicultural New South Wales is an overarchingpolicy which addresses all the various activity and service provision areas of theDepartment. As the structure of the strategy aligns to the headings of the EAPS StandardsFramework, it provides for good linkage with the new EAPS Forward Plan 2004 –2007. The EAPS Forward Plan, in turn, has a greater focus on action than in the past.

The Community Relations Commission assisted the Department with the developmentof this strategy which involved the Department’s senior management and extensiveconsultation with staff and representatives from community agencies and groups includingShelter, the Tenants Union, the Settlement Services Coalition, and the Federation ofHousing Associations.

The strategy process itself clearly identified a high level of commitment to housing issues bycommunity organisations and the willingness of these and a cross-section of Departmentstaff to participate in planning and to put forward new ideas to solve housing issues.

As a result, the Department has been able to learn from a range of perspectives on howhousing services affect people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgroundsand what tenant and community participation strategies have been pursued in Australiaand overseas to improve housing for all.


Following representations made by the Community Relations Commission to theNSW Health Department in 2002, NSW Health organised a seminar held in February2003 to involve staff from across the health system in the development of a new EAPSreporting format linked to the EAPS Standards Framework and the Community RelationsReport cycle.

Staff from the Department of Health, Area Health Services and other units, as wellas staff from the Community Relations Commission, worked to integrate into oneyearly activity the requirement to supply an EAPS Standards Framework report,showcase innovation and best practice in the Community Relations Report, and includean account of EAPS progress in each of the health agencies’ annual reports.

The goal of this exercise was to streamline the existing process to make it a more efficientand user friendly system of EAPS information gathering. To meet this goal, the Departmentof Health co-ordinated the development of the NSW Health EAPS Questionnaire and aninformation kit for the preparation of the EAPS annual report. Of particular note in thiswork is the development of a guide to enable health agencies to align the EAPS StandardsFramework criteria to appropriate health outcomes and activities.

NSW Health’s new EAPS process has several positive outcomes. It raises awarenessamong managers across the health system of multicultural health issues and the mattersthey need to drive to meet government requirements. At the same time, it provides acomprehensive account of initiative and innovation in health care for a culturally diversecommunity. NSW Health, in co-operation with the Area Health Services, plans tomake this information, as well as the lessons learned from the implementation of thenew process, the basis of a multicultural health seminar to be held for managers in 2004.

The new NSW Health EAPS Questionnaire and associated procedures will provide betterinformation to inform funding decisions in health and is the first stage of the broader goal ofimproving health program planning relating to cultural diversity in the future.

The information gained from EAPS Standards Framework activity in 2003 has gone along way towards giving a more precise picture of performance strengths and gaps atArea and local levels, and the clarity of this picture will be essential for future planning.

Equally crucial to the Department’s forward planning is its partnership with theUniversity of New South Wales’ Centre for Culture and Health. The Centre hasbeen engaged to develop the health system’s performance indicators relating tomulticultural health. It is expected that the inclusion of these performance indicatorsinto the actions corresponding to the EAPS Standards Framework criteria will furtherassist in the planning and delivery of best health care for New South Wales’ culturallyand linguistically diverse community.


ResourcesThe People of New South Wales, a statisticalprofile based on the 2001 Census, was postedin 2003 on the Community RelationsCommission’s website at www.crc.nsw.gov.au

This Australia-wide project came about at thesuggestion of the Commission’s Chairperson,Stepan Kerkyasharian. It was produced by theDepartment of Immigration, Multicultural andIndigenous Affairs and funded through theCouncil on Immigration and MulticulturalAffairs.

Copies of the People of New South Wales in CD ROM format have been produced bythe Community Relations Commission and can be obtained from the Commission’spublications officer.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Youth CommissionersIn recent years the Community Relations Commission has been increasingly involved inaddressing the needs of young people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

The Commission is a government partner in the Youth Partnerships with both Arabic-speaking and Pacific Islander communities, and it actively encouraged the participationof young people in the working group of the Community Harmony Reference Group. Ithas also been a strong advocate for the need to increase youth representation in ethniccommunity organisations, particularly in leadership positions.

To meet the Government’s pre-election commitment, the Commission proposed changesto the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act2000 to provide for two young people, between the ages of 18 and 24, to be appointedto the Commission. The amendments were passed by the NSW Parliament in October2003 with bi-partisan support.

It is expected the appointment of the new youth Commissioners will provide the Commissionwith greater expertise and insight in approaching the issues affecting young people.

People of New South Wales CD ROM


White Paper: Cultural Harmony The Next Decade 2002-2012

During 2003, the Community Relations Commission commenced development of aGovernment White Paper, Community Harmony The Next Decade 2002 – 2012.

The preparatory Green Paper, which was widely circulated and was the focus of twomajor consultations in 2002, elicited 104 written responses, of which 93 were in theform of submissions or made detailed comment.

The responses to the Green Paper, which included an evaluation of the Ethnic AffairsAction Plan 2000, were carefully analysed and a framework for the proposed WhitePaper developed.

An initial draft of the White Paper has been circulated to key agencies, and their responsesand comments incorporated in the most recent draft. It is expected that the White Paper,Community Harmony The Next Decade 2002 – 2012, which will establish the broadoutlines of policy for serving our multicultural society to 2012, will be published by mid 2004.

GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER

Youth Partnership with Pacific Island CommunitiesThe Youth Partnership with Pacific Island Communities began in June 2003 as a jointinitiative of the NSW Government and Pacific Island communities. The Partnershiparose from concerns raised by members of Pacific Island communities about thesignificant challenges affecting the wellbeing of young people in their communities.

The goals of the partnership are to:

! promote the wellbeing of young people of Pacific Island backgrounds

! increase parent support and education to help parents prevent risk taking behaviourby children and young people

Planning for a harmoniousfuture for members of newgenerations.From left to right:Vanessa, Jamile,Grace, Sara,Jacob and Brendan at awedding celebration


! provide children with better learning opportunities and recreational activities forlong term development.

The Partnership consists of the following key elements.

The New South Wales Council forPacific Island Communities wasestablished by the Community RelationsCommission to bring together key peoplefrom the communities involved. Over thenext two years, the Council plans to becomea self-governing body with a membershipthat represents all Pacific Islandcommunities in NSW.

A Pacific Island Youth Network has alsobeen established by the Commission toenable young people to participate in thework of the Council and the Partnershipas a whole. The Network will provideyoung people from Pacific Islandbackgrounds with mentoring, training andexperience to strengthen their ability tocontribute to community life.

An Implementation Committee brings senior officers from 11 NSW Governmentagencies together with three community members and three young people from PacificIsland backgrounds. The Committee is chaired by the Premier’s Department and leadsthe work of all government agencies in implementing the goals of the partnership.

A number of initiatives are being implemented as part of the Partnership. Specificprojects that have been funded through the NSW Government’s Community Solutionsand Crime Prevention Strategy in Mount Druitt include:

! funding a Pacific Island project officer at the Mount Druitt Ethnic CommunitiesAgency to develop programs for Pacific Island communities in the area

! assisting the Samoan Community Support Service to establish an office in MountDruitt so that it can provide services to families, in partnership with other agencies

! leasing two vans for use by Indigenous and Pacific Island elder patrols, who willconnect with and provide support to young people at risk

! extending the Reconnect program for two years with a specific focus onIndigenous and Pacific Island people who are at risk of involvement in crime.The program is a partnership between NSW Police, Police and Community YouthClubs NSW and the community

Pacific Island Youth Network members.From left to right: Margaret, Tanya, Rubenaand Kennedy


! funding the Tagata Moana Youth Magazine which focuses on issues relevant toPacific Island young people

! delivering culturally informed programs to offenders of Pacific Island backgroundsover a two year period through the Probation and Parole Service of the Departmentof Corrective Services.

A student and family support program has been established in the Canterbury Bankstownarea, which aims to improve school outcomes and the general wellbeing of studentsfrom Years 5 to 9 across eight primary and high schools. Two family support andcommunity development workers have been employed by Wesley Dalmar in partnershipwith the Pacific Island Women’s Advice and Support Service and the Uniting Church ofAustralia, Pacific Island Council. The program is funded through Community Solutionsfor Canterbury Bankstown.

A number of other strategies have also been initiated by government agencies. Forexample, the Rosehill Local Area Command has developed a program to strengthenrelations with Pacific Island communities through specific training for new constableson those communities, joint police and community forums and the promotion of positivepolice contact with young offenders.

Youth Partnership with Arabic-speaking CommunitiesFollowing the receipt of the 2002 Public Sector Award, the NSW Youth Partnershipwith Arabic-speaking Communities had another productive year, building on a numberof its activities, and establishing a Community Trust (Arabic Youth Australia), to enablethe community to contribute financially to programs that support young people at risk.

The Youth Partnership was established in 2001 and it brings together Arabic-speakingcommunity agencies, members of the community, young people, and NSW governmentagencies. The Premier’s Department is responsible for overall co-ordination of the ArabicYouth Partnership and is also the lead agency for a number of initiatives within the partnership.

The Premier’s Department has been working closely with the community to develop acommunity trust to raise funds for some of the Partnership initiatives. Arabic YouthAustralia, an account of the Charities Aid Foundation was launched in December 2003.Arabic Youth Australia’s Advisory Board is chaired by the President of Arnotts/Campbells International, Mr John Doumani, who is himself of Arabic-speakingbackground. The Board also incorporates participation from young people through amentoring program.

The Department continues to lead the Partnership’s youth leadership and mentoringprograms including the Shifa Leadership Program. The program aims to increase youngpeople’s involvement in their community and neighbourhood through mentoring andleadership training. More than 130 young people have taken part in this program.


The Premier’s Department has also been responsible for managing the Partnership’sinformation and community participation strategies including the development of a websiteand publication of a regular newsletter.

The Community Relations Commission is the lead agency for the Youth Liaison Teams,the Cross-cultural Training Program, and the Community Information Strategy.

The Commission’s Youth Liaison Teams continued to frequent the places where youngpeople gather to provide support, information and referral to appropriate services. Teammembers receive accredited training in mediation, conflict resolution and team building.More than 3,500 young people have had contact with the Teams since they began.

Members of the Commission also co-ordinate a Community Information Strategy toinform the community of the Partnership and its activities and to provide opportunitiesfor community input into future planning. Key organisations support the strategy byhosting community forums to facilitate the exchange of information to partner agenciesand the communities they serve.

The Commission developed an innovative Cross-cultural Training Program, to improvethe capacity of Government services to respond to the diverse needs of their customersat a local level. The training, available on a fee for service basis, targets executive,management and frontline staff and is tailored to meet the specific needs of the clientdepartment. In 2003, training was provided to 274 staff from the Department of Tourism,Sport and Recreation.

The lead agency for the Partnership’s education initiatives is the Department ofEducation and Training. These initiatives include the following programs:

! Gateways - which has assisted 336 Arabic-speaking students through casemanagement and mentoring support

! Machismo Program - which has involved over 750 students in a range of activitiesdesigned to build confidence and improve attitudes to learning

! School to Work Program - which has involved 1,800 students preparing school towork plans

! Homework Plus - which has assisted more than 1,300 students across four districts.

The lead agency for the parent support and education initiatives is the Departmentof Community Services. Current projects in this area include:

! Intensive Family Support – which is provided through the Australian ArabicCommunities Council to families with complex needs

! School Based Support – which supports the transition of young people from primaryto high school


! Parent Education Campaign – which included distribution of 30,000 Arabic/Englishparenting magazines.

The lead agency for sport and recreation activities is the Department of Tourism,Sport and Recreation. Programs implemented in 2003 include:

! Youth in Sport - programs through five Police and Community Youth Clubs includingbreakdancing, self-defence for girls and theatre sports

! a rugby league skill development camp involving 50 young men from Arabic-speaking backgrounds

! Youth Leadership Development Program - building youth social responsibility, inpartnership with the University of Western Sydney.

In addition, Bankstown Health in partnership with the Premier’s Department and theAustralian Arabic Communities Council delivered a highly successful Parenting EducationNetwork which delivered more than 60 home-based information sessions to parents.

The lead agency for crime prevention initiatives is NSW Police. Initiatives for 2003included:

! an Arabic Officers Forum - to provide ideas on increasing the recruitment ofArabic speakers into NSW Police and ways of utilizing the skills of Arabic-speaking police officers and personnel

! information sheets - in English, Arabic and Vietnamese on issues that bring youthinto contact with police, such as motor vehicle and street offences

! displays at shopping centres, railway stations and clubs to promote positiveinteraction between police and Arabic-speaking young people and their parents

! sports days involving both police and young people.

The Premier’s Department has worked with the partner agencies and the community todevelop an evaluation strategy to monitor the outcomes of the Partnership.

Over 9,000 young people have been involved in the partnership through its variousprojects and programs. Indicators are that the Partnership is:

! reducing risk taking behaviour

! increasing engagement in school

! increasing knowledge about positive parenting practice

! improving the link between schools and families

! increasing participation in sport and recreation

! increasing young people’s involvement in their community


! improving the profile of Arabic-speaking young people in the media, and

! enhancing the way agencies work with Arabic-speaking communities.

It is anticipated that young people and the community will play an increasingly importantrole in the continuation of Partnership initiatives.

Canterbury Bankstown Community SolutionsCommunity organisations, local government, relevant Commonwealth and StateGovernment agencies have continued to work together throughout 2003 to find solutionsto the issues affecting Canterbury Bankstown.

Co-ordinated by the Premier’s Department through the Canterbury Bankstown PlaceManagement Initiative, the project works strategically with government agencies andthe community to identify and address emerging needs and opportunities.

Strategies that form part of Canterbury Bankstown Community Solutions are linked toother whole-of-government initiatives operating in the area, including the Arabic YouthPartnership, Families First and the establishment of a Partnership with Pacific IslanderCommunities. The program has three main aims: strengthening families, supporting youngpeople into better futures and further building community harmony.

The lead agencies for initiatives to strengthen families are the Department of CommunityServices, Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation and the NSW Premier’sDepartment. Projects include:

! Sport for All - targeted specifically to children, young people and families fromdiverse cultural backgrounds

! Family and Community Violence Initiative – providing greater levels of support tofamilies experiencing domestic violence

! Parenting Video - a video and resource kit to support parents working with drugaddicted young people

! Pacific Islander Student and Family Project – a partnership between theDepartment of Community Services, Pacific Island Women’s Advice and SupportService and the Pacific Island Council to provide case management and supportto young people and their families.

Agencies working towards supporting young people into better futures are the Departmentof Education and Training, the NSW Adult Migrant English Service and the NSWPremier’s Department. Programs in this area include:

! coordinated education, training and employment pathways - to support young peopleto continue their education or find employment


! Careers and Training Multicultural Community Education Campaign for studentsand parents/careers – to improve awareness of the employment and educationopportunities relevant for young people

! Enterprising Excellence - run through WorkVentures, this program supports groupsof young people or unemployed adults to create businesses

! Business Networks - works intensively with small business operators fromculturally diverse backgrounds to assist them to expand their business, employyoung people, and balance business and family needs

! U Turns 4 Youth - an initiative of the Canterbury Council that provides positiveways for young people to pursue an interest in cars

! Integrated Youth Work - to develop partnerships between schools and youthservices

! Cross-Cultural Peer Mentoring Network - run by the Bankstown MulticulturalYouth Service.

Initiatives promoting community harmony are led by the Community Relations Commissionthrough the Canterbury Bankstown Community Harmony Round Table. Communityleaders, young people, workers, local government and the State government arebrought together through the Round Table to plan and deliver community harmonyinitiatives. Brokerage funding will enable community organisations to engage theircommunities in developing and implementing community harmony initiatives. More informationabout the Canterbury Bankstown Community Harmony Round Table is provided below.

Canterbury Bankstown Community Harmony Round TableThe Canterbury Bankstown Community Harmony Round Table is a new NSWGovernment initiative which will seek solutions to community harmony issues in theCanterbury Bankstown area. The two-year project is managed by the CommunityRelations Commission, through funding and support from the Premier’s DepartmentCommunity Solutions Program.

The project was developed as a result of community consultations that identified theneed for continued support to communities in their endeavours to address communityharmony issues. In response, the Canterbury Bankstown Community Harmony Round Tableproject was developed with a strong focus on working with the community in developingand resourcing local initiatives to address local concerns. The aims of the Project are to:

! promote community harmony across cultures and generations

! enhance the capacity of local communities and government agencies to sustaincommunity harmony in the Canterbury Bankstown area

! develop and implement activities and strategies to strengthen positive communityrelations.


The project rests on four key strategies:

1. Canterbury Bankstown Community Harmony Round TableRound Table membership will include representatives from community, religious andinteragency groups, young people and councillors from both Canterbury and BankstownCouncils. It will set strategic direction, provide advice and develop recommendationsfor projects or issues to be addressed throughout the initiative, in partnership with otheragencies.

2. Intergenerational mentor program and trainingThe mentor program will strengthen communities through the development of mentorsat all levels of each community. A component of the intergenerational mentor programwill cultivate and encourage those involved to learn and gain a greater understanding ofeach other’s point of view.

3. Community leadership development trainingThe leadership program aims to provide pathways for young people to develop leadershipskills as they participate in community harmony strategies. This component of the projectis also designed to strengthen local communities in the Canterbury Bankstown areathrough the development of responsive leaders at all levels.

4. Building positive media and training strategyThe aim of the strategy is to improve the capacity of communities to use the media topromote constructive messages. The training will give skills to community members toenable them to make clear judgments on their involvement with the media. The trainingwill also assist communities to develop a proactive relationship with local and ethnicmedia outlets in promoting their activities and events.

A successful consultation was held in December2003, attended by 41 community leaders and localresidents from the Canterbury Bankstown area.Participants received information about the project,how they could get involved, and were also given theopportunity to have direct input into the developmentof key components of the project. Useful ideasreceived from the consultation included workingholistically on community harmony issues and usingexisting resources and programs. Participants alsoexpressed their commitment to engaging young peoplefrom diverse backgrounds and long-term residents ofthe area in the project.

Young dancers from the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa -Belmore, performing at the Canterbury-Bankstown CommunityHarmony Round Table Consultation


Cabramatta Place ManagementCabramatta is located within the Fairfield local government area, which has the highestproportion of residents speaking a language other than English in this State. The NSWGovernment, the Fairfield City Council, and local businesses and community organisationsin Cabramatta are working together on a range of issues including crime prevention, improvingurban amenities, tourism, education and training, and the needs of young people.

The Cabramatta Place Management Project and the Cabramatta Anti-Drug Strategybegan in 1997 and 2001 respectively and are co-ordinated by the Premier’s Department,with a number of other NSW agencies and Fairfield City Council leading initiativeswithin the projects.

Through the Multicultural Drug Education Program, the Premier’s Department hasbeen working with local agencies and community advisory groups to produce drugeducation programs and information for families in the Vietnamese, Khmer, Lao andChinese communities. Program activities include:

! radio programs, newspaper articles, parent information seminars and audio-tapes

! production of a Vietnamese parent education video through funding from theDepartment of Community Services and Premier’s Department

! a telephone support line for the Vietnamese community, which assisted 269 requestscallers between August 2002 and April 2003.

New police powers and resources introduced as part of the Cabramatta Anti-DrugStrategy are bringing encouraging results, with significant downward trends in crime.Initiatives led by NSW Police as part of the Cabramatta Anti-Drug Strategy include:

! a new multi-million dollar police station at Cabramatta

! 60 police attended a Vietnamese in Policing course conducted by TAFE onVietnamese language, culture and history

! 10 new drug detective positions

! 12 additional officers for the rapid response Bicycle Squad.

Initiatives in the areas of drug rehabilitation and treatment services are led primarily byNSW Health and include:

! a Central Assessment Service which coordinates the assessment and referral ofpeople requiring drug treatment services

! a new Pathways service to provide more management and follow-up of thoserehabilitating from drug use

! the Police Drug Bail and the Magistrates Early Referral into Treatment (MERIT)programs which direct offenders with drug problems into appropriate services.


Early intervention and prevention programs are led by the Department of Educationand Training and the Department of Community Services and have been expandedto include:

! the Gateways Program which helps school students who might get involved indrugs or are at risk of not completing their schooling

! high schools in Fairfield developing action plans to address drug education issuesfor students in Years 7-10

! UnitingCare Burnside’s Moving Forward project which provides intensive familysupport, drug counselling, and access to drug treatment and other services thatmay be needed

! Department of Community Services’ Street Team which helps homeless anddrug affected young people find accommodation and access drug and alcoholtreatment services.

Fairfield City Council leads projects in the areas of tourism and urban amenity workincluding:

! development of Cabramatta Tourism Plan Review and Update 2003 - 05

! community safety audits of Cabramatta, Canley Vale and Canley Heights

! Cabramatta Common project, in partnership with the Department ofInfrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, developed designs for anew cultural heart for Cabramatta.

The Community Relations Commission leads the CityWatch program, which providesa model for community and police linkage and co-operation.

In 2003, the Cabramatta City Watch Council undertook a number of initiatives in responseto local community safety concerns. These included:

! gathering information and advice from the community

! reviewing and monitoring crime trend data

! providing community education

! holding events to increase opportunities for informal relationship-building betweenpolice and the community

! conducting a safety audit

! developing communication strategies and materials promoting CityWatch

! surveying residents and businesses

! monitoring and receiving reports on initiatives to address local concerns.


The CityWatch Council is chaired by the Local Area Commander and its membersinclude the Member for Cabramatta, the Mayor of Fairfield, representatives of theCabramatta and Canley Vale Chambers of Commerce, the Cabramatta BusinessAssociation, community groups and government agencies.

Working with Local Government - 2003 Street Festivals ProjectThe Community Relations Commission has continued to fund a street festivals project sincethe original Olympic 2000 Street Festivals Project. Each year the Commission has identifiedup to four local government areas with high levels of cultural diversity. The Councils havethen been invited to stage a street festival that promotes the benefits of cultural diversity,and fosters strong community relations and social harmony within their areas, underthe banner of the project. These events have also assisted the Commission to strengthenits relationships with, and raise its profile in, the participating local government areas.

In 2003, Canterbury City Council and Hornsby Shire Council hosted the following events:

! Haldon Street Festival, Lakemba (August 2003)

! OneWorld @ Hornsby Food and Wine Festival, Hornsby (October 2003).

Lakemba’s Haldon Street Festival, hosted by Canterbury City Council, is now in its thirdyear. The theme of the event since its inception has been Peace, Unity and Respect. In2003, the Festival featured a cultural stage, a street parade and for the first time, a stagededicated to the young people of the area. Overall the event involved: 5 local schools, 34community organisations, 5 public organisations, 20 cultural groups and over 30 localbusinesses. It is estimated that 25,000 people attended the one day event.

The inaugural OneWorld @ Hornsby Food and Wine Festival was held in October 2003and included multicultural displays and performances, as well as cuisine from aroundthe world. Through the Festival, Hornsby Shire Council aims to create an annualmulticultural street fair that will strengthen community relations while celebrating thecultural diversity of the Hornsby Shire.

Performance presentedby the Song Min SunKorean Dance Academy,during the OneWorld @Hornsby Food andWine Festival


REGIONAL AND RURAL INITIATIVES

Albury Wodonga Multicultural ForumThe Albury Regional Advisory Council (RAC)identified the need to improve access to servicesand cross-border co-operation to strengthen localcommunities. Consequently, the Councilrecommended that a forum be held to discuss theissues involved.

In response, the Community Relations Commission,in partnership with the Victorian MulticulturalCommission, held a one-day Forum in Albury inDecember 2003.

The event was well attended by local communityorganisations, as well as state and local governmentrepresentatives from both New South Wales and

Victoria. Participants developed strategies to address questions on how to involve youngpeople in community activities and leadership, how to counter isolation among the ageingin culturally and linguistically diverse communities, how to more effectively promoteand deliver existing services to the multicultural community, and what communities cando to promote the benefits of diversity.

The Forum enabled participants to network, share information, raise and discuss keyissues, and inform governments. The information gathered from the Forum will assiststrategic planning processes across governments in New South Wales and Victoria.

Regional Advisory Councils (RACs)The Community Relations Commission continues to develop networks in rural and regionalNSW through its 10 Regional Advisory Councils. The RACs are chaired by aCommissioner and include representatives from the community, government agenciesand local councils, who meet regularly to discuss issues of local concern and makerecommendations to the Commission.

In 2003, additional regional consultations were held in Bathurst, Lithgow, and Orange.

Through its Hunter Regional Advisory Council, the Commission has been made awareof increasing demands being placed on the NSW Department of Housing in theNewcastle area to provide accommodation for entrants under the Special HumanitarianProgram (visa subclass 202). Under this visa subclass, proposers sign an undertaking inwhich they agree to provide a range of assistance to these visa holders, includingaccommodation assistance.

Gustavo Ranocchia, President of the Italo-Australian Club of Albury Wodonga,speaking at the Forum


Difficulties have arisen as a result of proposers no longer being in a position to helpmeet the accommodation needs of the increasing number of large families arriving inthe Hunter region under visa subclass 202, and the short notice being given to theDepartment of Housing to provide emergency housing assistance as well as assistancewith rental bonds.

This raises the wider issue of the extent to which proposer arrangements for visa subclass202 entrants are being assessed and monitored. NSW is seeking assurances from theCommonwealth that the capacity of proposers to meet their obligations is assessedprior to visas being granted, and that the Department puts in place monitoring andenforcement arrangements to ensure proposers meet their obligations.

A series of EAPS information sessions was presented in 2003 as follows:

! Armidale (New England RAC) in May

! Woolgoolga (Northern RAC) in June

! Picton (Macarthur-Liverpool RAC) in October

! Hornsby (Hornsby-Wyong RAC) in October

! Windsor (Nepean-Blacktown RAC) in October.

EAPS presentations to the RACs were well attended by community and governmentrepresentatives. They covered the evolution of the EAPS program since its establishmentin 1983, the relationships between NSW legislation and in particular the Principles ofMulticulturalism, state-wide multicultural policies, and the EAPS Standards Framework.The EAPS presentations give participants an opportunity to learn how the EAPS programoperates and the Commission’s role in monitoring and assessing EAPS agencies. At thesame time, it enabled the Commission to learn more about service provision and EAPSissues in the regions. EAPS presentations included talks on local EAPS initiatives takenby NSW Police, Area Health Services, and the Department of Education and Training.

Chief Inspector MattSponberg, John Parkand Karyn Flanaganparticipating in an EAPSworkshop held inWoolgoolga


Broken Hill Migrant Heritage ProjectThe Broken Hill Migrant Heritage Committee received funding from the CommunityRelations Commission to record and preserve the city’s immigrant history.

As part of the project, interviews were held with 73 people who represented a range ofbackgrounds, including Afghan, Filipino, German, Greek, Italian, Lebanese, Maltese,Norwegian, Russian, South African and those from the former Federal Republic ofYugoslavia. Additional stories were collated from written histories or previous interviews.

A book on 81 individual stories was produced, recording the memories and contributionsto Broken Hill by people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Sharing the Lode: TheBroken Hill Migrant Story, was launched by the Chairperson of the CommunityRelations Commission in December 2003 in conjunction with a photographic exhibition.

In addition, all interviews have been transcribed, indexed and saved on CD Rom. Thetapes with the original interviews, the CD Rom, and the book have been lodged with theOutback Archives at the Charles Rasp Library in Broken Hill to make them availablefor future research.

RESPONDING TO RACISM AND CONFLICT BETWEEN PEOPLE

Working with the mediaThe Commission places great importance on closely following the news media on a full-time basis. What happens in the news media has a major impact on community harmonyand on any individual community’s view of itself and on the way they are perceived byothers. The presentation of crime and gangs, alleged community links with terrorism,religious practice and women’s rights in religious communities can all impact seriouslyon ethnic communities. The Commission hears frequently from community leaders abouttheir frustration and disappointment at the presentation of their views, customs orpractices in the media.

This was particularly important during the period leading up to and during the war inIraq. Just before the allied entry into Iraq, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councilsexpressed its concern about potential backlash against the community once hostilitiesbegan.

Clearly the Commission had concerns for the Iraqi community, in particular those whomay have been the subject of assault, discrimination or vilification if coalition troopsespecially Australians, suffered losses. The Commission fully appreciated that thosepeople who may have acted in this manner would be unconcerned with the fact thatIraqis in Australia were refugees from the regime of Saddam Hussein.


With the Commission’s assistance and encouragement, the Iraqi community took a pro-active stance and this paid off in terms of community harmony. They presentedthemselves as sound, calm members of the Australian community who, after all, arehere in most cases as opponents of Saddam. They also demonstrated that they were avaluable source of information about what was occurring in Iraq because they weretalking frequently by telephone with family and friends residing there.

The Commission was a focal point for the media which wanted to portray the Iraqipeople. As a result, the Iraqi community was favourably presented in the media, evenbeing given airtime on the more strident talk-back radio programs where they weretreated with sympathy and respect. This definitely helped the community over thatperiod.

Throughout the war, the Community Harmony Reference Group, set up in October2002 at the Premier’s direction and chaired and serviced by the Commission, paid closeattention to media coverage of the fighting and the reaction at home. At each meetingof the Group and its steering committee, the Commission presented a detailed report ontrends in media coverage and talkback broadcasting. Members of the variouscommunities represented on the Reference Group expressed praise and gratitude forthis timely information and assessment.

This encouraged many community members to contact journalists and talk-back showsto put their own views. This proved to be a significant benefit whereby communityleaders developed a new-found skill and confidence in dealing with the mainstreammedia.

The Reference Group itself was also favourably reported on in ABC programs and inthe Sydney Morning Herald.

Government agencies on the Reference Group also benefited from the Commission’smedia activities. During the hostilities in Iraq, public affairs officers and media officersfrom relevant government agencies were given access to the Commission’s CommunityMedia Review and its monitoring of mainstream media. Meanwhile, to ensure a consistentNSW Government message, participating agencies agreed to share information throughthe automatic exchange of media releases.

The Commission also worked closely with the non-English language media. At the outsetof the war and as it progressed, the Chairperson of the Commission, StepanKerkyasharian, released a statement in English and various community languages whichencouraged victims of harassment, property damage, verbal abuse or serous racialvilification to report the details either to the Commission’s hotline or directly to thepolice. The hotline was equipped to provide assistance in various languages and torecord a report in any language.


On behalf of the Commission, the Chairperson made representations to editors andprogram producers, gaining broad coverage in the community media. The publication ofthis information was tracked through the Commission’s Community Media Review, whichalso proved an invaluable tool in tracking the reporting on the war and the communityreaction to it. This allowed the Commission to monitor developments within variouscommunities which might have impacted on community harmony.

The Commission reviews the majority of the non-English language community printmedia daily and makes available reports online for the Government. This service is nowa highly sophisticated media tracking product which will be marketed in the near futureto the general public. A hard-copy version of the review is provided daily to theParliamentary Library for all members of State Parliament.

Following the state election in April 2003, the Commission organised a meeting betweensenior members of the community media and the new Minister Assisting the Premier onCitizenship, the Hon John Hatzistergos, MLC. This led to a heightening of coverageacross the community media of the activities of the Minister, not only in his role asMinister Assisting, but also as Minister for Justice. The well-attended gathering gavethe Minister a clear insight into the needs of the media and their expectations ofgovernment in providing a professional service to their various audiences.

The Commission also participated in the 2003 Youth Jury Project. The Commission’sMedia Officer, Warren Duncan, appeared before the jury and answered questions abouthow the Commission influences and educates journalists and how the community,especially young people, might be able to influence the media’s presentation of ethniccommunities, especially the portrayal of young people from diverse cultural backgrounds.He also participated in the compilation of the final report of the jury which made anumber of significant recommendations about better interaction between journalists,reporters and producers, and grass roots communities.

The Commission interacts with the mainstream media on a daily basis. There is alwaysconcern at the apparent deliberate branding of whole communities on the basis of a fewactions, especially criminal ones. The Commission always tries to ensure accuracy byissuing clear statements and by providingfrequent background briefings to the media.

The Commission’s Chairperson, Stepan Kerkyasharian, is available for short commentsfor radio news programs or for longer current affairs interviews. For example, in Februarythe Commission entered the lively media debate on the use of language other thanEnglish in business signage, and clearly enunciated the view that since English is thecommon language there is not only an expectation that all Australians will learn Englishand communicate in it, but learning English is also a fundamental necessity for thesuccessful settlement of any immigrant.


On the other side of the coin, the Commission assists and advises government agenciesand commercial organisations on making better use of the non-English media tocommunicate their messages. Its up-to-date listing of print and electronic media on theCommunity Relations Commission website attracts a great amount of traffic and interest.

Currently, the listing shows that there are around 100 regular print media publications(of which eight are daily) covering around 30 languages other than English, whilenewspapers in English service the Indian, Irish, Jewish, Muslim, Philippine, Pakistaniand Scottish communities.

There are around 14 radio stations broadcasting in a wide range of languages, includingseveral which are multilingual, as well as SBS Radio which broadcasts in 67 languagegroupings.

Community Television Channel 31 broadcasts in around 17 languages, and the HongKong-based TVB broadcasts in Sydney in Chinese languages, while cable and satellitetelevision services bring non-English programs from overseas sources.

The Commission receives frequent requests from new media organisations to be listedon its website.

Through the annual National Multicultural Marketing Awards the Commission encouragesgovernment agencies and commercial organisations to use the non-English and communitymedia to market products and services and to deliver vital information. However, theCommission’s use of this vital sector of the State’s news media demonstrates its effectivenessas a marketing and information tool and should serve as a model for others.

Community Harmony Reference GroupThe Community Harmony Reference Group brought together key government agenciesand communities affected by the Iraq conflict and the Bali bombings. Members includedsenior representatives of the Arabic, Jewish, Indonesian, Muslim and Sikh communities,NSW Police, Community Relations Commission, Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW,and the departments of Education and Training and Community Services.

From left to right:Hani El-Turk,Rabbi Raymond Apple,Alan Laughlin andJeremy Jones attending ameeting of the CommunityHarmony Reference Group


The Reference Group established three working groups to focus on the areas ofeducation, public discourse and Arabic and Islamic community issues.

Throughout its operation the Reference Group has sought to create sustainable outcomes.The Community Relations Crisis Management Plan was developed and incorporatedinto the NSW Disaster Management Plan and new policies have been developed todeal with incidents in schools. Other initiatives, such as a hotline and email helplineshave become permanent features in the operations of the Community RelationsCommission, and relationships with significant people have been forged acrosscommunities and between governments and communities.

Fair Go AustraliaUnder a plan designed to assist victims of prejudice, the Fair Go Australia nationalanti-racism program shows bystanders that all Australians suffer when racism escalatesas well as demonstrating the value of living in a multicultural society. The program ishosted by B’nai B’rith New South Wales with funding from a number of Commonwealthand State government agencies, including the Community Relations Commission.

A major element of the project is aninteractive website, www.fairgo.net, whichprovides information on racism and links toorganisations working to counter racism anddiscrimination. A feature of the website is achat room mediated by a psychologist.

Fair Go Australia was launched in April2003 by the Governor of New South Wales.At the launch, Her Excellency ProfessorMarie Bashir AC said Australia’smulticultural community demonstrated a wayof life of which every Australian should beproud. She stressed there is absolutely noplace for divisiveness, discrimination orracism – attitudes which must be rejected –and that we must be ever vigilant inpreserving a genuinely harmonious society.

The launch of the project was celebrated with a concert at the Sydney Opera House,symbolically entitled Voices in Harmony. Choirs as diverse as the B’nai B’rith Singers,the St Lazarus Serbian Choir, the Australian Islamic Choir, Voices of Sri Lanka, MarconiClub Choir, the Good Shepherd Parish Filipino Choir, the SydneyWelsh Choir and theMillennium Choir, came together to present a moving performance.

Pipe Major Sam Young with dancerElizabeth Monroe


The concert featured also the Scottish Dancers and Police Pipe Band and other dancegroups, along with some outstanding internationally recognised musicians including pianistSimon Tedeschi and guitarist Slava Grigorian. Well known singing stars Julie Anthonyand Barry Crocker added to the night’s entertainment.

The idea of the concert was to highlight the breadth of musical talent in the New SouthWales community and the power of culture as a force for harmony.

Arabic/ Islamic Education Community Education Initiative –Anti-Discrimination Board

In 2003, the Anti-Discrimination Board employed two Arabic-speaking officers to workspecifically with the Arabic and Islamic community. The officers provided informationto community members about behaviours that are unlawful under the Anti-Discrimination Act, and what they may be able to do if they are the victims of unlawfulbehaviour. An education package was developed, including translations of a number offact sheets into Arabic that were presented at community meetings and workshops.

A Welcoming Community: Newcastle Anti-Racism Conference –Department of Education and Training

A Welcoming Community: Newcastle Anti-Racism Conference, an anti-racismeducation conference, jointly sponsored by the NSW Department of Education andTraining, the NSW Teachers Federation, Newcastle University and the Newcastle CityCouncil, was held in July 2003.

The conference provided opportunities to explore how racism manifests within educationand training contexts, to increase understandings of issues related to racism in NewcastleDistrict schools and their communities, and proposed strategies to counter racism. Theconference program featured three key-note speakers, including Dr Bill Jonas, Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Acting Race DiscriminationCommissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. Anti-racism trainingsessions and a range of workshops exploring strategies to address racism were featuresof the program.

Over 300 people attended the conference, including Department of Education and Trainingstaff, representatives from parent organisations, community groups and service providers.Delegates from individual schools comprised a teacher who has attended Anti-racismContact Officer training, a student, and a parent or community member.

Documents

Developments and Directions - Parliament of NSW · PDF fileDevelopments and Directions COMMUNITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ... There is comfort, however—some comfort—in the goodness