The exhibition project is artistically driven by Mr Rabet and other artists from refugee backgrounds and fosters an environment of understanding and support among the artist community.

Pairing technology with art, Mr Rabet uses innovation to help other artists to develop their art projects. He has created a hot wire machine from scrap material that makes laser cuts into styrofoam and is referring to this during the workshops.

Mr Rabet’s artistic practice began after arriving in Australia in 2010 and spending two years detained in immigration centres. He uses art as a form of therapy to overcome the trauma that he has suffered as a refugee.

“Art doesn’t need a translator. It’s one language for everyone, and everyone can speak it,” Mr Rabet said.

His first touchstone with a local arts organisation in Australia was the Refugee Art Project.

“When I was in Villawood, Refugee Art Project came to visit me and I began working with the limited mediums available to me. The tools I made are in the Powerhouse Museum, including a paintbrush I made with hair from a local cat who befriended me,” he said.

Through the New Beginnings Festival, the SSI Arts and Culture program has given people like Mr Rabet the chance to connect with others through the universal medium of art.

“For people with trauma backgrounds, this allows them to express things that, in any language, sometimes words don’t exist to adequately express.”

SSI Arts and Culture Producer Raphael Brasil had the pleasure of visiting the creative studio of Mr Rabet in Parramatta and was astonished by the innovative methodologies used to create art.

“Majid is a designer, an inventor, a technologist and, beyond everything else, an artist engaged with life,” Mr Brasil said.

“I was amazed at his creations as most of them were made from scrap materials. From a sunflower-inspired solar panel to sculptures and musical instruments made entirely from recycled materials, Majid takes art and technology to a whole new level.”

The exhibition will open during event times and by appointment during Refugee Week between June 20 and 30, 2018. Inner West Council has supported the SSI New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week through Open Inner West 2018.

Stay in the loop by regularly visiting the New Beginnings Festival website.

There are many ways to get involved with this celebration of hope, unity and new beginnings. Click here for more information about sponsorship opportunities and becoming a festival partner.

Australia can count itself amongst the most successful examples of multiculturalism in the world with 28% of Australians born overseas, who over generations have brought with them their traditions and cultures to enrich our society.

The economic contribution of migrants and refugees has been well documented by leading economists to be invaluable. Our own experience and research shows an exceptional proportion of new arrivals into Australia who are provided with proper guidance and mentoring from organisations such as SSI, go on to start successful business ventures of their own.

An amazing example of this entrepreneurship is the recently opened ‘Four Brave Women’ café in Summer Hill, where former refugees Zahra Armian & Adiam Tefera have created a business which explores culture and cuisine through an eight week cycling menu, where refugee of different nationalities are welcomed to showcase their traditional foods while building experience in operating a sustainable business in Australia.

The Productivity Commission report released in 2016 outlined that the economic contribution of migrants was critical and contributed to Australia avoiding a recession in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. It also confirmed that the contribution of migrant workers is forecast to increase Australia’s GDP by 7% by 2060.

“Cultural diversity is an asset which sparks innovation and creativity, and contributes to the economic and social prosperity of all Australians,” said SSI CEO, Violet Roumeliotis.

Settling in a new part of the world has no common formula, but in countless examples throughout history there have been pockets in which migrant communities initially gathered for mutual support and familiarity. Over time, as confidence and independence grow, these communities are able to move on and spread out to seek new homes and prospects to build a successful future.

“While we may face challenges in the short term, the long term prospects of migration, multiculturalism and cultural diversity will allow Australia to continue to develop and nurture its global community,” said Ms. Roumeliotis.

The Big Australia National Compact on Permanent Migration, signed by multiple organisations such as the Migration Council of Australia and the Australian Council of Social Services at the beginning of May this year, highlighted the importance of civic inclusion for those who had arrived in Australia to work and contribute socially, economically and politically.

Refugees and migrants currently arriving in areas of Western Sydney, such as Fairfield, reflect the trend of initial settlement in seeking a familiar and supportive community. While this does justify a need for increased infrastructure and services, SSI has already seen the total percentage of Iraqi and Syrian refugees settling in Fairfield under the Humanitarian Settlement Program drop from 55% in 2017 to 45% in 2018.

Image: Samantha Airs, Community Engagement Coordinator, Armidale

As a first order of business, I’m very happy to announce that the overwhelming response from the Armidale community has been to welcome, include and support the newly arrived Yazidi families. Members and groups within our community are eager to work alongside SSI to support them, and we’ve now got a great group of Armidale locals trained up as official SSI volunteers to help whenever they’re needed.

Over the past month, since starting in my role as the Community Engagement Coordinator for SSI in Armidale, I’ve met with a number of community groups and civic leaders. These have included members of The Salvation Army, Sanctuary, Aboriginal Lands Council, Reachout for Refugees Armidale and the Armidale Men’s Shed. Again, I was blown away by the outpouring of generosity and support of every one of these groups and some fantastic initiatives were discussed which I’m keen to follow up in the coming months.

On the 2nd May I attended the New England Multicultural Interagency Meeting. There was a lot of interest concerning settlement of the Yazidi community by those that attended. Jennifer was able to provide plenty of insightful and detailed information to the attendees, and I was approached by numerous community groups and support services to discuss creative and collaborative ideas with regard to supporting the newly arrived families. Those ideas included music and writing groups, environmental activities and a range of welcome events.

Planning is also underway for the Staging Post screening during Refugee Week on the 20th June. Armidale Regional Council, Belgrave Twin Cinema and SSI are working closely together to make this a night to connect and share stories of community. Keep an eye out here and on SSI’s social media channels linked at the bottom of the ‘In the Loop’ e-mail for more details as they become available.

A final point I’ll make is in expressing the appreciation that the 15 newly arrived families feel towards the welcome they’ve received, and the overwhelming generosity from the public. Donations of furniture, clothing, blankets, toys, books and household items are being received and stockpiled by community members. I am currently working with Helen Larkin, The Salvation Army and other charities to develop a process so items are accessible to families.

That’s all for now, stay tuned for more SSI updates in the near future.

Refugee families have visited many famous Sydney sites thanks to Welcome2Sydney.

Welcome2Sydney is a new project co-designed by the City of Sydney and Settlement Services International, aiming to connect ambassadors from the City of Sydney with newly arrived refugee members of our community. 

Throughout February and March connections occurred through social, cultural and recreational activities, including visits to parks, Circular Quay, the Royal Botanic Garden, Darling Harbour, Google and the National Maritime Museum.

On February 16, ambassadors and refugee families visited Darling Harbour, Chinatown and Circular Quay to celebrate the biggest Lunar New Year festivities outside Asia and to share in those celebrations with one of Australia’s largest migrant communities.

Three families from Syria were welcomed by two ambassadors: Katie and Neil. It was a unique opportunity for the families to share experiences and celebrate the Year of the Dog, discover their Chinese zodiac signs, play with other children and see the lunar lanterns lighting up the harbour.

The families were impressed by the beauty and liveliness of Sydney, which they said felt like home. One family member said how comfortable and safe she felt in the city.

The Welcome2Sydney ambassadors in turn enjoyed the enthusiasm of the families, one saying that he “loved seeing the joy in the participants’ faces as they saw and experienced new aspects of the city I love”.

Other activities were organised in Victoria Park on the occasion of the Yabun Festival on Australia Day and on Fair Day during Mardi Gras.

They were special experiences for participants as they were introduced to two important communities in the City of Sydney: Aboriginal and LGBTQI. Families enjoyed mixing with cultures very different from their own, meeting new people, and watching different ways of celebrating.

Another Welcome2Sydney ambassador and three families had religious and cultural conversations with an Aboriginal woman that helped the participants become familiar with the experiences of Indigenous people and improved the local community’s understanding of refugees.

After the activity, one participant said she was happy to do something different, see the city and not be thinking about the troubles she had experienced.

A group of 10 young refugees visited Google and the National Maritime Museum on February 27. It was an opportunity for participants and ambassadors to meet each other, explore the venues, share food and talk with peer engineers and designers.

The participants were engaged in conversations about software, working at Google and their own careers.

They also met with Welcome2Sydney ambassador Lewis, who walked them through the Maritime museum and shared his outstanding knowledge of Australia’s history, migration and Sydney.

On Harmony Day, two families had the opportunity to attend a football match between Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park. They shared their passion for sports with Welcome2Sydney ambassador Neil, enjoyed one of Australia’s popular sports and explored the park and Surry Hills area on their way back.

Five families took part in two tours and picnics in the Botanic Garden and met with Lesley, Katie and Isabella. The families shared food and information with the ambassadors while exploring spots they had never visited before and taking photos of the beautiful views.

Many participants expressed how safe and welcomed they felt in Sydney. One couple said the initiative was important because it helped newcomers improve their wellbeing and mental health after a long and difficult journey to Australia.

Atefeh Hekmat artist and workshop facilitator for New Beginnings Festival Refugee Week 2018 captured at Lilyfield Community and Refugee Welcome Centre.

In her native country of Iran, Atefeh Hekmat was a thriving assistant artist with over 20 years of experience working in the field. After opening her own art gallery, Ms Hekmat curated several exhibitions with the support of art teachers and friends.

Ms Hekmat was invited to work with Tehran Municipality, a job offer that she was not able to take as she had to leave Iran and come to Australia to seek asylum. She has since put her work on display at the SSI Art is Our Voice exhibition and a number of community and women-focused events.

“I appreciate that SSI gave me this opportunity, as when I have an exhibition, I improve my feeling. SSI gave me more confidence to express myself to people around me.” Ms Hekmat said.

The series of creative workshops that Ms Hekmat will be facilitating for newly arrived artists will feed directly into an exhibition that will be curated by Ms Hekmat and two other leading artists, Damon AMB and Majid Roberts.

SSI Arts and Culture Manager Carolina Triana foresees the exhibition to be an example of the successful collaboration between artists from refugee backgrounds who have been in Australia for a number of years and those artists who have recently arrived to Australian shores.

“The exhibition project is being artistically driven by Atefeh, Damon and Majid, from workshop facilitation all the way to the exhibition design and curation.” Ms Triana said.

Inner West Council General Manager Rik Hart said the Centre cements the place of the inner west in supporting people from around the world who have suffered unimaginable hardship.

“The Inner West community has a strong commitment to social justice,” he said.

“Council staff and community volunteers also developed a new mobile app to connect refugees to local support services and offers of help. I am honoured to that Inner West Council is a Refugee Welcome Zone.” said Mr Hart.

Reverend Peter Smith from the Justice and Peace Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, which contributed $60,000 towards staffing costs at the Centre, said the Office was very happy to be working with Inner West Council and Settlement Services International (SSI).

“We have always been of the opinion that welcoming refugees is the responsibility of all of Sydney, not just the Western suburbs,” he said.

“People of the Inner West have many gifts and talents that can enrich the lives of refugees.”

Ms Hekmat’s artistic practice centres on oil and acrylic painting on canvas. She has a great love of nature and her works reflect the changing moods of the landscape. Her artistic process represents her desire to connect with her inner journey as an artist.

Ms Hekmat is looking forward to facilitating the creative workshops for newly arrived artists and is equally grateful for the exhibition opportunity that it will bring to the fore.

“I have a good connection with SSI, they always encourage me to improve my ability and I am so thankful for the opportunity.” she said.

The exhibition will open during event times and by appointment during Refugee Week from June 20 – 30, 2018. The SSI New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week has been supported by Inner West Council through Open Inner West 2018.

Stay in the loop by regularly visiting the New Beginnings Festival website.

There are a number of ways to get involved with this celebration of hope, unity and new beginnings. Click here for more information about sponsorship opportunities and becoming a festival partner.

Zahra Armian & Adiam Tefera, the first entrepreneurs to be part of Four Brave Women cafe.

The main purpose of the initiative is to work through the barriers that refugees face when starting work in a new country and to provide them with the support to start, run and grow their own small businesses.

Refugees have the opportunity to earn an income while being in a supportive environment set up to enable their success and give them the necessary experience to pursue their own journey.

The program consists of eight-week cycles where the entrepreneurs serve lunch and dinner six days each week (Tuesday to Sunday) at 26 Lackey Street, Summer Hill.

The eight-week cycle allows time for participants to experience the challenges of running a small business and testing their product, menu and business plan.

Zahra Armian and Adiam Tefera are the first two women to take part in the initiative. For six weeks, diners at Four Brave Women will be able to taste delicious Persian lunch and dinner, and Ethiopian coffee and breakfast.

Ms Tefera said she had nothing when she came to Australia but having access to a program like this was great for any refugee wanting to create a better future for themselves.

Ms Armian said she was learning skills she never thought she would need because business in Australia was very different to her home country.

“Having the support from SSI IgniteAbility to develop myself as an entrepreneur and then having the support of Four Brave Women to put it into practice is an incredible opportunity,” she said.

Four Brave Women was featured on ABC News. Watch the video to meet the chefs and learn more about the initiative.

Ms Tefera and Ms Armian are part of SSI IgniteAbility, a start-up program that facilitates business creation for people with disabilities who are passionate about establishing a small business or expanding an existing one. For more information, visit SSI IgniteAbility.

The conference was organised by SSI to raise awareness about the changing landscape of the disability sector in Australia and the opportunities that the National Disability Scheme (NDIS) can offer to CALD communities in NSW.

It was great to see delegates having active conversations about their experiences and the many opportunities to improve NDIS access and utilisation, with great feedback from the Scheme in terms of making those improvements happen.

It is estimated that, with the Scheme fully operational in 2019-20, 20% of the NDIS packages nationally will be used by people from CALD backgrounds. The national participation rate is currently at 7.2% (9% in NSW).

The conference brought together people with disabilities from CALD backgrounds, their families and carers, CALD service providers, government agencies and disability experts, to identify and discuss ways to improve the engagement and participation of people with disability from CALD backgrounds into the NDIS.

Delegates also showcased projects and initiatives that emphasised CALD access, a person-centred approach, and the improvements needed in the NDIS.

“It was great to have people with disability and carers from CALD backgrounds sharing their stories on stage,” said Georgia Zogalis, FutureAbility project manager.

“For most of them, this was the first time they have spoken in public and we are very proud of them. Having them share their stories is the best way to help decrease the stigma that is often associated with disability in CALD communities. Thank you, V Samuela, Quang Nguyen, Jubran Eesee, Thomas Kuzma and Bala Adhikaris.”

The Hon. Ray Williams MP, Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Disability Services, was also a speaker at the conference. He highlighted DiverseAbility as a great initiative that complemented the work done by the Government to ensure people with disability from CALD backgrounds built confidence and knowledge to access the NDIS.

Scott McNaughton, General Manager, Participant Pathway Design at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), mentioned the need to continue getting the message out to people from all communities, especially those from CALD backgrounds, and highlighted how this conference gave the Agency invaluable feedback to keep enhancing the NDIS rollout and keep making it better for all participants.

Ms Zogalis added, “When talking about equal access to the NDIS, targeting the needs and views of different CALD communities will generate more awareness and increase their participation. A one-size-fits-all approach does not help raise awareness nor engage CALD communities with the NDIS.

“SSI contributes with expertise in engaging with CALD communities through tailored support services and leads the way on how best to inform and support them to understand and access the NDIS.

“I hope this is just one more milestone in our ongoing conversation. We need to keep the momentum until we achieve our goal of seeing one in five people with an NDIS package have a CALD background.”

The DiverseAbility Conference is an initiative of the SSI FutureAbility project.

Stephanie Stevenson-Wong and Jodie Mckane were on hand when AND’s Stephanie
Littlewood presented Javier Ortiz, SSI’s Multicultural Disability Inclusion and
Promotion Officer, with a Disability Confident Recruiter certificate of completion.

DCR status is earned by organisations that understand the benefits of a diverse work force and are committed to ensuring their recruitment and selection processes are inclusive and accessible to people with disability.

SSI has much experience working with recently arrived and migrant communities and knows about the barriers to employment faced by people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, despite their skills and willingness to contribute to their new home.

People with disability are also skilled and capable social and economic contributors, entitled to fair and equitable opportunities in society and this resonates with SSI’s parallel experience of refugee and recently resettled communities.

That is why SSI has decided to adjust its processes and procedures to enable skilled jobseekers with disability to compete for positions on a level playing field, make appropriate adjustments to the recruitment process for candidates who have disability, and provide an excellent candidate experience to all applicants.

As the sixth organisation to receive this acknowledgment (and the first non-disability specific NGO at a national level), this achievement demonstrates how SSI continues to be not only a thought leader in diversity and inclusion but also leading by example and “walking the talk”.

“We want to acknowledge that even though achieving the DCR status is linked to our values of diversity and equity, becoming a disability confident recruiter makes good business sense given our success as a business has stemmed from the diversity of cultures, thoughts and experiences of our staff,” said Caroline Reid, SSI’s Executive Manager for People and Culture.

“Tapping into a larger talent pool facilitated by the adoption of this initiative will continue to add to our success as a business.”

“SSI’s achievement of DCR status and commitment to the inclusion of people with disability is commendable,” said Suzanne Colbert AM, CEO of Australian Network on Disability.

“We look forward to sharing in more of SSI’s successes as they continue their journey and reap the rewards of a diverse workforce that includes people with disability.”

With one in five people in Australia living with disability, ensuring that organisations, businesses and communities are accessible for all will strengthen our society. In doing so, the advantages stemming from living and working in a strong inclusive environment will benefit and enrich everyone’s experience across all areas of life.

For more information on DCR and the DCR Charter, visit the AND website.

To apply for one of our roles at SSI, visit careers at SSI.

SSI values diversity and welcomes applications from Indigenous Australians, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and people with disability. If you require an adjustment to the recruitment process, please inform your SSI contact.

SSI is dedicated to establishing itself as a thought leader in the refugee and migrant support services sector, in Australia and internationally.

Our latest step in achieving this goal on an international stage is hosting International Metropolis Conference 2018. This international conference on migration has an incredible history of driving discussion, creating new perspectives and influencing refugee and migration policy in countries all over the world.

In 200 days, academics, politicians, industry experts and refugee speakers will meet in Sydney to present and discuss one of the most critical, controversial and relevant international topics of modern times.

We’re currently in the process of accepting abstract submissions for workshops and individual papers for consideration in the Metropolis 2018 program, under the overarching theme of “Global Migration in Turbulent Times”. The deadline for submitting an abstract is April 30, 2018. More information can be found here.

As we prepare for Metropolis, SSI is also proud to be hosting the first DiverseAbility NDIS Inclusion Conference on Thursday, April 19.

DiverseAbility has been organised by FutureAbility, the project through which SSI is addressing the gap in the implementation of the NDIS, so people with disability from CALD backgrounds are provided with opportunities to exercise more choice and control over the supports they receive under the NDIS.

The conference seeks to further support our culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in the face of a swiftly evolving disability support sector in Australia.
A number of challenges are faced by those in some CALD communities when it comes to accessing support services available under the new NDIS scheme. Often these barriers can be cultural, with stigma being attached to disability, which can mean a lack of discussion and understanding around disability, and ultimately a lack of knowledge as to the new services supported by NDIS.

A key goal of the DiverseAbility NDIS Inclusion Conference will be to achieve a greater quality of life and increase economic and social participation of people with disability from CALD backgrounds who can access the NDIS.

There is further capacity for our CALD community members to access the NDIS and SSI is proud to be developing our relationships with partner organisations and community members through projects like FutureAbilty and conferences like DiverseAbility.

Violet Roumeliotis
CEO, Settlement Services International

Ms Kye had previously done work experience as a volunteer at her local church, but she decided she wanted to achieve financial freedom and autonomy. She worked with her EmployAbility employment facilitator to develop her skills.

“Over six months, we worked on personal presentation, job search techniques and completing my working with children check,” said Ms Kye. “I also worked very hard on writing my resume and, once that was done, I started submitting job applications.”

The thoughtful preparation and Ms Kye’s determination enabled her to successfully land a job in an administration support role.

“I manage the reception desk, do filing, scanning and other administration tasks,” said Ms Kye, who is thriving in this role and has already received great feedback from visitors to the office.

Now Ms Kye has the opportunity to work in a team environment where she has daily mentoring from staff and continues to grow in confidence and skill level.

Ms Kye and her family are very happy with her new job and the income that enables her to be more independent and to further develop her skills.

Congratulations on this great achievement!