Diramu Aboriginal Dance and Didgeridoo Performers at the launch of SSI’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

Sorry Day commemorates the Stolen Generations – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities.

National Reconciliation Week falls on the same dates each year to commemorate the 1967 referendum that amended the constitution to include First Nation Peoples in the census and allowed the Commonwealth to create laws for them, and the 1992 High Court Mabo decision, that recognised First Nation Peoples as the Traditional Owners of this land.

This is one reason why an Acknowledgement of Country is so important. I acknowledge, and encourage us all to acknowledge, the Traditional Custodians of the lands that we work across at SSI and Access, and pay our respects to past, present and future Elders of this nation. At SSI, we recognise the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

For non-First Nations Peoples, National Reconciliation Week provides opportunities for listening, learning, and reflecting. Underpinning this is recognising the past and continued intergenerational trauma that colonisation has caused First Nations Peoples, so that healing can be fostered.

Uncle Charles (Chicka) Madden, a respected Elder from Gadigal country who holds several titles including Director of the Aboriginal Medical Service, discusses the importance of acknowledging the past wrongdoings in SSI Group’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

“It’s important to talk about and acknowledge the poor treatment of Aboriginal People in the past, and only once it is acknowledged and spoken about can we move on to Reconciliation.

“We need to communicate the truth of what happened in the past, in order to move forward in the future.”

This year, the theme for National Reconciliation Week is “Be Brave. Make Change”. Reconciliation Australia states on its website that during this time all Australians are “challenged to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can make change for the benefit of all Australians”.

Reconciliation is not a passive term – it requires two parties to openly communicate, so that a deep sense of understanding can be established and relationships can grow and thrive.

We all play a role in this process. We can all take time to expand our own learning. We can all help to create safe and supportive spaces for First Nations Peoples, Educators and Elders to share their stories and histories, in a spirit of compassion.

I encourage you to see this week as an opportunity to be an active supporter of Reconciliation, by attending an event (click here to see events that have been registered with Reconciliation Australia; you may know of others in your local communities).

Be brave, make change – now is the time to come together to connect and grow as an Australian community.

Violet Roumeliotis

Despite the challenges presented by COVID, hub programs and activities flourished.

Community hubs create invaluable space and support for families to build confidence, social connections, improve educational outcomes and increase employment potential.

Parramatta West’s programs and activities included yoga, Pilates, English classes, coffee and chat, financial assistance, food hampers and family assistance … all online.

In spite of the rain, the hub celebrated this year’s International Women’s Day in its newly furbished premises. After eight months connecting online, the women finally were able to meet face-to-face.

It was an open day event that celebrated friendship, happiness, hope and building connections.

Over 80 hub participants and school staff attended. Catering was provided by program partner Piccolo Me, and Sonyla’s Beauty Spot donated a $200 beauty voucher for a lucky door prize.

Guest speakers included Dianne Kersten from Parramatta College, speaking about courses the college offers, and Nicole Senior from the P&C, speaking about the meaning behind International Women’s Day and how everyone could advocate for change.

Hub Leader Kristina Medak’s exceptional engagement and communication skills have helped create a hub space that fosters trust, friendship and belonging.

For many years, Foster Cortis was unemployed due to living with arthritis, a lung condition and chronic depression.

The virtual conference provided the opportunity to hear not just from service providers but from the newcomers they have helped.

Australia is one of the most urbanised nations in the world, with nearly 70% of us living in capital cities. As a result, regional and rural areas often miss out on the social and economic benefits of migration because newcomers are more likely to live in a capital city where there are more employment opportunities, infrastructure and established social connections.

Often this trend is amplified by people moving away from regional areas, driven by more opportunities in the cities.

Migrants often choose to stay in regional and rural areas based on factors including employment, education, lifestyle, availability of services and the warmth of welcome from locals. 

Local community attitudes and involvement, and strong social networks within and between communities, are important prerequisites for successful settlement.

Yet regional settlement policy often doesn’t consider the local host community conditions or the aspirations of newcomers. As a result, regional areas often lack the specialised health, education, housing and employment services that refugees and migrants need to build their lives.

The NSP is a consortium of settlement providers with a footprint across Sydney and regional NSW, through which we deliver the Australian Government’s Settlement Engagement and Transition Support program.

The partnership’s ethos is underpinned by the belief that there is a need for a coordinated, holistic approach to regional development that acknowledges the role refugees and migrants play in reinvigorating regional areas.

At today’s conference, our insightful panels and discussions explored a wide range of issues, including affordable housing, educational and employment opportunities, and culturally responsive service delivery.

SSI supports a regional settlement approach that builds social connections through community-led activities. Regional migration and settlement policy should seek to align newcomers’ aspirations with host community needs and settlement capacities and capabilities at a local level. Newcomers in regional areas should feel empowered to make life choices and shape their future in their new community.

While community engagement and social cohesion are important, there is no substitute for the specialised settlement services and expertise that settlement providers can offer. Robust, adequately funded, and resourced settlement services can help newly arrived people to gain confidence and become self-reliant in a new and unfamiliar environment. 

I am proud of the important work being done by SSI and the NSP to ensure our regions continue to be attractive destinations for Australia’s newcomers.

Violet Roumeliotis

SSI CEO

This year’s theme – “Everyone Belongs” – celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about fostering inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. 

Amid the inevitable saturation of news around the war in Ukraine, and not to forget the continued global unrest in places like Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen, it’s challenging to pause and celebrate this year.

I was fortunate to be invited to unveil the National Monument to Migration of Australia in a special ceremony on Sunday, March 20, at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

The Monument is a major Museum initiative that promotes Australia’s multicultural identity Australia-wide. It features more than 30,000 migrant names engraved on a series of bronze panels that thread along our waterfront site at Darling Harbour, Sydney.

In recognition of Harmony Week, 1,281 new names (including 91 from Greece, my father’s place of birth) representing 73 countries were unveiled, thanks to 627 donations towards the Migration Heritage Fund, which supports the Museum’s efforts to share the national migration story.

Unveiling the monument was quite emotionally triggering, as it brought memories of my late father to the fore.

My parents made the journey to Australia after World War Two and the civil war in Greece, seeking a better life.

As a child, I saw firsthand my parents’ resilience and optimism, the support they had from the surrounding Greek community and the support they in turn gave others as passionate and active leaders in the community — because, of course, organisations like SSI were not around in those days.

My parents were hardworking and humble and, at one stage, even mortgaged our house to buy land to build a Greek Orthodox Church in Bankstown, which stands today.

I saw all the things they did to integrate into the Australian community while also continuing to embrace and celebrate their own cultural heritage. As their daughter, I am today very proud of my dual Greek-Australian heritage.

I first heard about the National Monument to Migration many years ago when it was called the Welcome Wall. My Dad had passed away, and the family wanted a way to honour him and his contribution, his memory, and his life. The story of the Katsaros family is now part of this exhibition of personal stories and family histories.

In recent discussions with the Museum, I became aware that not all countries were well represented on the monument, so SSI initiated a program with the museum called Honour a New Migrant.

It does cost to incorporate these stories on the monument, and we were aware that new migrants and refugees might not be in a position to fund this themselves.

So, as part of the initiative, SSI — along with Multicultural Australia in Queensland — helps identify individuals and families who might like to have their stories historically recorded in this way. The Museum provides the funds through its generous donation program.

Together with the Museum, we hope to develop a fully rounded collection of stories because a broad representation is vital to accurately reflect the richness of the migrant experience.

At SSI, we have the privilege of welcoming new migrants and refugees on their arrival to Australia and connecting them to services and programs that help them find their feet in their new home.

I am proud to say that 14 people we have come to know through our delivery of the Australian government’s Humanitarian Settlement Program were honoured on the monument this year. They come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Samoa, Lebanon, Turkey and South Africa.

Migrants bring so much richness to our country and a warm welcome from the local community makes a big difference in newcomers’ sense of belonging. Appearing on the National Monument to Migration is an extension of that welcome to our diverse migrant communities. It says, “This is your home, and your story matters.”

Building awareness of the migration experience to Australia also helps promote understanding and greater community harmony. This Harmony Week, let’s welcome our newcomers and migrants as part of multicultural Australia’s wonderful success story.

Violet Roumeliotis

SSI CEO

Shyamla Eswaran and BINDI BOSSES at SSI’s New Beginnings Festival in 2019.

This year, an eclectic group of Sydney’s newest community members will take centre stage. Click here to get a taste of the impressive 2022 lineup.

The Festival is the brainchild of Carolina Triana and has undergone a vibrant evolutionary journey since its inception back in 2015.

SSI New Beginnings Ambassador, Shyamla Eswaran (she/her/they), is an independent fusion dance artist, choreographer, educator and host. She holds a Master’s degree in international human rights law and policy and advocates for cross-cultural exchange and anti-discrimination through the arts.

What is the most exciting thing about being the New Beginnings Festival Ambassador, and what does the role mean to you?

Having performed at the New Beginnings Festival before becoming ambassador, I am super proud to promote this festival.

People lead it from diverse cultures, which is missing from most other festivals.

SSI Arts and Culture Producer Rapha Brasil’s curation is exceptional, and the SSI Arts & Culture team are incredible to work with.

This year involves more First Nations people than ever before as stallholders and performers, with an opening act by Malyangapa Barkindji rapper BARKAA.

We have an incredible lineup of artists, including the Indigenous Iraqi band Azadoota, the Sudanese musician Gordon Koang, the Armenian jazz band Zela Margossian Quintet, and the women’s percussion group Ile Ilu.

The New Beginnings Festival means a lot to me because it creates a safe space for artists to share their culture and heritage on their own terms.

It’s free so that everyone can enjoy it. People can come together over the things that unite us, like food, art and community.

What inspired you to start BINDI BOSSES?

My art is shaped by dance and music from all over the world.

But growing up, I never felt like there was a platform where I could fully express myself away from Western and Anglo-Australian-centric expectations. For example, people kept asking me to perform North Indian Bollywood dances when I felt more connected to South Indian culture and dance.

Starting BINDI BOSSES was a way to make my own platform where I could be myself.

It’s a fusion arts company that’s influenced by traditional classical and folk dances and South Asian cinema, and street and popular music both inside and outside our cultures.

It brings together dancers of different ages and backgrounds. People don’t ask for Bollywood anymore. They ask for BINDI BOSSES.

How do you use dance to advocate for human rights and anti-discrimination?

I often say that art changes hearts over minds.

It’s immersive and seeps into your body. You can dance to rhythms that aren’t part of your culture and be exposed to other people’s experiences, cultures and ideas. It opens you up.

When you advocate through art, there’s less pressure to be mainstream. You can be bolder and have a deeper impact. You can be staunch and tell controversial stories and push boundaries.

BINDI BOSSES is more than an arts company. It’s a platform to amplify marginalised voices.

At the New Beginnings Festival we will debut a new work called SIGNS, a collaboration with First Nations artists, choreographers, designers and mentors with spoken word by Boori Monty Pryor (a proud descendant of the Birri-gubba and Kunggandji people), Movement Direction by Ella Havelka (a proud descendant of the Wiradjuri people), necklaces designed by Cleonie Quayle from CQ Aboriginal Jewelry (a proud descendant of the Malyangapa, Barkindji people) and On Country learning facilitated by Clarence Bruinsma (a proud descendant of the Yaegl people) from Bush 2 Bowl, a 100% First Nations owned social enterprise specialising in growing, selling and educating about native foods.

This project is part of a deep, ongoing commitment to our First Nations partners, who help us understand what it means to connect with and perform on unceded land.

What has been your proudest moment?

I recently came down with COVID during an extremely busy period, with many performances to reorganise.

Everyone came together and stepped up, and we pulled through. I’m really proud of how BINDI BOSSES has become a close-knit community and support network.

We’ve created a space not just for sharing stories and connecting with our audiences but also for educating and supporting each other and the wider community to be unapologetically ourselves.
It’s also very special when our work is praised and shared by the artists of the songs we dance to, such as Lilly Singh, DJ Groove Dev, Cartel Madras and Baker Boy.

To find out more about SSI’s New Beginnings Festival, click here.

The multicultural cooking programs at the Community Hubs in Marsden State School,
Woodridge North State School and St Pauls are in full swing with delicious and healthy food
from a range of cultures.

The network grew considerably, with 20 new hubs commencing operations in 2021, bringing the total number of hubs to 94 across metropolitan and regional areas in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

Across the network, hubs connected nearly 10,000 families with hundreds of services.

Each hub responded to its local community’s needs and continued to be the “place”, in person or online, for families to enjoy a variety of opportunities, including joining in the fun of playgroup, practising conversational English in activities such as gardening, walking, or crafting groups, learning new vocational skills, or simply having the chance to chat over a cuppa.

The hubs’ ability to adapt in the face of changing COVID-19 regulations was extraordinary, said Dr Sonja Hood, CEO of Community Hubs Australia.

Last year was also a big year for SSI’s Community Hubs program with 18 hubs in NSW and 10 hubs in Queensland becoming one team within SSI’s Health and Community Services team.

A wide range of programs and activities were run despite COVID-19 implications, including playgroups, English classes, certificate courses, exercise and nutrition programs, sewing and cooking sessions and many links and connections with health, education and family support services.

The SSI hubs have strong and trusting relationships with families, which has enabled them to walk alongside families to ensure they are linked in with services that support families’ needs.

The past year saw connections made to services including:

• GPs, paediatricians, and the Early Childhood Approach for pre-NDIS support
• schools, special schools, kindies, Early Childhood Development Program and the Child Development Program
• allied health supports such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological supports, oral health and domestic and family violence support
• Centrelink, emergency relief and food relief

The team also worked closely with families to support their parenting, offered practical strategies to families that they could use at home, and offered certificate courses to upskill parents in areas such as First Aid and Certificate III courses.

Another important component of the work was working with external services to ensure they had a culturally responsive approach and advocated around where the gaps and unmet needs were.

Moving into 2022 the SSI hubs plan to improve the equity for children accessing kindy/preschool services as well as improve accessibility to health services, in particular paediatric services.

Cooking programs build confidence and expertise

Community hubs create invaluable space and support for families to build confidence, social connections, improve educational outcomes and increase employment potential.

A Deloitte Access Economics evaluation concluded that hubs generate nearly $34 million in benefits to Australian society. They not only create lifelong impacts for families, they also add real benefits to the whole community.

An example of this is cooking programs that have taken off in SSI’s Logan Hubs in Queensland thanks to partnerships with Metro South Health and the First 5 Forever program at Logan City Council Libraries.

Six mothers have been employed in the hubs and trained up in nutrition and food handling to deliver cultural cooking programs across three hubs.

The women have built their confidence and expertise in adapting traditional recipes to be healthier and then teaching these dishes to other women in the hubs.

Feedback included:

• The training was wonderful. We had the chance to meet each other and share our thoughts.
• I like meeting Mums from different cultures.
• I learnt many new things and loved all the food. Kym is a very good teacher.
• The community hub is very supportive and always helpful.
• I loved learning how to use more veggies in cooking, like adding mixed grated veggies in meat patties for burgers.
• I loved all the food! My kids would love the chicken nuggets and burgers and I loved the healthy salads and learning how to make salad dressing.

Some of the women are commencing with the Certificate III course in hospitality this year and hope to start their own business once they graduate.

The hubs continue to build a range of partnerships that help meet the needs of local families.

SSI launched its ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) at Ashfield Town Hall.

SSI launched the its ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) yesterday, to celebrate SSI’s reconciliation journey with key members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, staff and supporters at the Ashfield Town Hall.

The SSI Group’s ‘Innovate’ RAP, recently endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, is the organisation’s commitment to creating opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, under three key pillars: Relationships, Respect and Opportunities.

A traditional Smoking Ceremony welcomed guests to the event where ABC International Affairs Analyst and Wiradjuri and Kamilaori man Stan Grant provided the keynote address, speaking about reconciliation and its meaning to Aboriginal people.

SSI RAP Ambassador, Anaiwan Elder, Owner of Lovelock Consultancy, Managing Director of the Armidale and Regional Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place, Rose Lovelock, said by addressing the vision of Australian Society and key issues, SSI’s RAP provides a strong road map for the future.

“As an Anaiwan Elder I am pleased to endorse the SSI Reconciliation Action Plan.

“The first meeting of the ‘Council for Reconciliation’ held in February 1992 identified a vision of Australian Society for 2001 as ‘A united Australia which respects the land of ours; values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage; and provides justice and equity for all.”

“The eight key issues of understanding of the importance of land and sea; better relationships with the wider community; recognition of the value of culture and heritage; shared ownership of our history; awareness of causes of disadvantage in health, housing, employment and education; addressing high custody levels; First Nations People in control of their destiny; formalising the process of reconciliation.

“As the SSI RAP Ambassador, I believe the SSI RAP addresses the above vision and key issues thus providing a strong road map for the future,” said Ms Lovelock.

Stan Grant reflected on reconciliation being an important journey involving recognition.

“Reconciliation is a journey not a destination. This is an important step for Settlement Services International and recognises the importance of indigenous values and culture and importantly it recognises our shared history and that reconciliation happens when we find ourselves in each other,” said Mr Grant.

SSI CEO, Violet Roumeliotis, shared the organisation’s journey to date, as well as the ongoing commitment to embed a safe environment that increases and promotes the employment, participation, voice, dialogue, and discussion with people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities.

“The SSI Group entered the development of its first Reconciliation Action Plan expecting it to be an educational process. What we didn’t expect was just how humbling it has been. We are only at the start of our journey towards realising Makarrata, but already we have gained so much new insight into the immense knowledge and wisdom that resides in the world’s oldest living culture.

“This is more than just a proposal – it is our commitment to strengthening our relationship with Australia’s First Nations’ Peoples,” said Ms Roumeliotis.

SSI Indigenous Inclusion & Reconciliation Lead, Nicole Beaver, has led the development of policies that ensures consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and stakeholders before decisions are made.

“We are continuously advocating for consultation and believe decisions regarding organisational change, business or government policy need suitable consultation.

“We need to allow First Nations Peoples the opportunity to discuss and make decisions on issues that affect them. This sentiment is echoed throughout our RAP, and it was a proud day for us all to officially launch this plan,” said Ms Beaver.

The event also featured Aunty Munya Andrews, Director, Aboriginal Elder, Educator & Facilitator at Evolve Communities; and Aboriginal educator and artist, Walangari Karntawarra led a dance performance.

Launch events will be held at other SSI offices in the coming months.

This event was held on the Land of the Wangal People and we acknowledge their Traditional Custodians and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We thank Brendan Kerin from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council for his beautiful Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony.

SSI thanks Inner West Council for supporting this event through the use of the Ashfield Town Hall.

To access and download the full Reconciliation Action Plan, please visit https://www.ssi.org.auhttps://www.ssi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SSI_Reconciliation_Action_Plan-compressed.pdf

Media enquiries:

For all media enquiries, including interviews, further information or photos, please contact the following:

Marlise Beasley, General Manager/Account Director, ZADRO, 0423 624 013, marlise@zadroagency.com.au
Oakley Grioli, Senior Account Executive, ZADRO, 0434 295 302, oakley@zadroagency.com.au

Zahid Aboobakr is optimistic about his future in Australia.

 From 2009 to 2012, he worked with a military security company as an interpreter. Following this role, he worked for five years in finance for an international non-governmental organisation, Muslim Hands International. He said that he lived a regular life before the Taliban.  

“Everything became lost, and lots of issues for everyone,” he said. 

“I lived in a dangerous district, and before the Taliban takeover, they had planted a Magnetic bomb near my house, and the blast caused great damage to our home and area.

“I then forwarded an email to the Australian Government for assistance as my life was at risk and was granted a humanitarian visa.”

Mr Aboobakr resides in his short-term accommodation, and, like other Afghan evacuees, received immediate support from Settlement Services International through the Australian Government’s Humanitarian Settlement Program funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs* to access essential services and integrate into Australian life. 

When asked how he’s faring so far in Australia, he said that despite not knowing anyone before arriving in the country, he found support through SSI and the Afghan Community Support Association (ACSA) of NSW.

“Lots of Afghan here, ACSA supported us,” he said.

“Feeling very happy, don’t have any issue about our lives, but I miss my family, who were not able to be evacuated and I fear and am distressed for their safety.

“Special thanks to the Australian Government for helping us.”

SSI recently enrolled Mr Aboobakr in a workshop about life in Australia, which he found beneficial.  

“I went to a course about knowing life in Australia, and there are lots of opportunities for learning.” 

When asked what he hopes his new life to be, he said it might be challenging to find the same job. 

“I will work very hard and try my best and learn more. 

“It’s difficult to find same job when I’m starting from zero, but it’s not a problem. I have a lot of opportunities here.”

Mr Aboobakr attended and played at the SSI and Cricket Australia launch event in late 2021. 

He said he used to play cricket for his village team but hasn’t picked up the bat for over two years.  

“I played cricket in Afghanistan for my village team and would like to continue playing cricket in Australia.”

“I like cricket and like to watch the game.”

*For information about Australia’s settlement program visit, https://homeaffairs.gov.au/