John Simmons is a designer and musician, who was initially invited to join the Ignite resource team by Specialist Ignite Ability Facilitator Merenia Marin. Mr Simmons had previously collaborated with Ms Marin, including a performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Mr Simmon’s work is creatively-focused and he specialises in a realm of design work, including video production, branding, photography and web development. Some of his previous clients include the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Aquarium, Oakland Book Festival, The Ocean Agency, Occulus Imagery, E8 Urban, SiteMinder, Civil Logic and many more.
“For the past 23 years I have run my own Sydney based business, Ouch! Media. I have collaborated with many creatives and created content for many different clients and in many different fields,” Mr Simmons said.
When approached by Ms Marin to join the Ignite resource team, Mr Simmons felt an immediate synergy to the cause and was eager to use his talents and passion to help others.
“I share the same social-political values as Ignite so I was happy to help out when Merenia asked me to join the resource team.”
Ms Marin commented on the immense value of having a design specialist in-house to help clients build their brand through professional web development and marketing.
“John has been an invaluable addition to our resource team, highly skilled, infinitely patient and really quick turnarounds,” Ms Marin said.
Mr Simmons has produced logos and websites for many Ignite participants, including Quang Nguyen, Parsa@Work, Media Blast, Adi’s Kitchen Ethiopian Cuisine, Elegant Weddings and many more.
“Client feedback has been good and it is always interesting taking on board cultural variations in design aesthetics.”
For more information on how to get involved, contact: ignite@ssi.org.au
Settlement Services International (SSI) is celebrating Harmony Day with member organisations and community groups at events that offer a variety of activities that uphold inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.
Diversity is one of SSI’s core values and one of its greatest assets. It’s what makes the SSI community so welcoming and collaborative, leading to more innovative outcomes and solutions for the people we serve.
When people from different cultures come together, the benefits aren’t restricted to the more obvious rewards like new food, music and art.
Diversity helps us to value new perspectives — to celebrate our differences and share what we have in common.
SSI wholeheartedly endorses the Harmony Day message “everyone belongs”. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as taking on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation.
Multicultural Australia is an integral part of our national identity.
Hundreds of Harmony Day events can be found on the Harmony Day website.
But here are some wonderful options showcasing the talented and diverse SSI community working together to celebrate inclusiveness and a sense of belonging for all.
The SSI community exemplifies the Harmony Day message 365 days a year!
1. Community Kitchen
Community Kitchen’s Nowruz celebrations, March 21 from 11am to 2pm, Auburn Centre for Community, 44a Macquarie Road Auburn.
Nowruz marks the first day of spring and a celebration of the renewal of nature. It’s celebrated by more than 300 million people across the world … and many here in Australia. This is a perfect intercultural way to celebrate Australia’s diversity.
2. Community Info Expo
Celebrate cultural diversity, harmony and social inclusion in the City of Ryde with Ability Links and Community Migrant Resource Centre at the Harmony Day Community Info Expo, March 22, 9.30am to 12.30pm, Eastwood Plaza, Rowe Street, Eastwood.
3. Member and partner events
Western Sydney MRC’s Harmony Day bake off will celebrate the flavours of Western Sydney. Prepare and bring in your favourite family sweet or savoury dish for the chance to win one of three exciting prizes. March 21 from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Western Sydney MRC, 108 Moore St, Liverpool. Call 8778 1200 or email nadia@wsmrc.org.au.
Community Migrant Resource Centre and the Multicultural Services Network are hosting a day of multicultural exchange — fun, entertainment and multicultural activities — on March 22, 10am to 1pm, at Centenary Square, Parramatta.
Advance Diversity Services’ Settlement and Community Services staff will coordinate a ‘messages of welcome’ activity – inviting people to offer greetings of inclusivity, diversity and hope at Georges River Council’s Harmony Day celebration in Hurstville on March 21.
SydWest Multicultural Services will be participating in the Blacktown and Penrith Harmony Day celebrations. In Blacktown, Harmony Day is being celebrated at Bowman Hall, Campbell Street Blacktown, from 10am to 2pm, with a program of cultural entertainment, information stalls, fun activities, a free barbecue lunch and more. In Penrith, Nepean Multicultural Access and SydWest Multicultural Services are part of celebrations happening from 11.30am to 2pm, in Mondo (between The Joan and Westfield), High Street, Penrith. Activities on the day will include speeches, henna tattooing, storytelling and a special visit by Western Sydney Wanderers. Refreshments and light lunch will be provided to all participants. Contact info@sydwestms.org.au or laura@nma.org.au.
Manning Valley Neighbourhood Centre’s Migrant Settlement project is partnering with Taree Library on March 20 from 10.30am with performances including the Wingsong Choir (international songs) and a multicultural morning tea. There will be two films being shown on the day, Charlie’s Country and Constance on the Edge (bookings through midcoastlibraries.com.au).
Coffee with a Cop, March 21, 10am to 11am at Franky & Co., Neeta City Shopping Centre, 54 Smart Street, Fairfield. No agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know your local police.
International Women’s Day is also a time to celebrate the extraordinary acts of courage, determination and resilience of ordinary women who have shifted the needle in their local and global communities.
Being awarded the 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year places a big responsibility on me to continue advocating for gender inclusivity and change.
I want to acknowledge all the wonderful women at SSI, those women that lead amazing initiatives or walk next to the people we support to help them have better lives every day
This week we had the honour of hosting the NSW launch of the National Harmony Alliance. The Harmony Alliance is one of the six National Women’s Alliances funded by the Australian Government to promote the views of all Australian women, to ensure their voices are heard in decision-making processes.
Its purpose is to provide a national inclusive and informed voice on the multiplicity of issues affecting experiences and outcomes of migrant and refugee women, and to enable opportunities for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to directly engage in driving positive change.
Yesterday, in true SSI style, we hosted an intercultural celebration at a Community Kitchen packed with workshops, activities, performances and an amazing lunch, with empowerment and participation of women as the silver thread.
Now, more than ever, there’s a strong call to action to press forward and progress gender parity. That’s why this year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #PressforProgress — a call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.
On International Women’s Day, I invite you to take the time to reflect on the theme “Press for Progress” and to celebrate all the wonderful women you know. Together, we can raise our collective voice and foster a more inclusive and gender equal world.
Violet Roumeliotis
SSI CEO
“Students get to experience a real industry-based business problem which they need to research and develop recommendations for, that will help the business reach the required goals and aims,” said Zeynep Roberts, Course Coordinator and Lecturer at UOW.
“This enables the students to put into practice the theoretical knowledge they have been learning in their Master of Business program into a practical, real-life business situation.”
These research projects help students hone skills including application of knowledge, communication and effective report writing, critical and strategic thinking, and using effective research methods to solve business problems.
Objectives for the Addison Road Street Food Markets include increasing the number of attendees and ensuring that the market is set up to trade in all weather conditions.
Project researchers aim to devise a plan to help Ignite and IgniteAbility expand their resource team and improve staff retention rates to ensure consistency for Ignite’s client base. Research projects are scheduled for completion by mid-April 2018, with reports due the following week.
“Working with our industry partners opens the door for employment opportunities for students,” Ms Roberts said.
“The industry partners also benefit from students’ recommendations and the knowledge they gather around a particular topic area. It also enables our industry partners to build stronger association with UOW for future project initiatives.”
The thriving partnership between Ignite and UOW is positioned to accelerate from strength to strength. Ignite Program Manager Dina Petrakis explained that once internships were complete, students were often keen to continue their involvement with Ignite.
“Many of the students who do their placements with us go on to become volunteers on our program, they want to continue helping our entrepreneurs,” she said.
“UOW’s support has been instrumental in helping the establishment of a variety of small business start-ups.”
In his home country of Iran, Mr Khaladj had worked in industrial management but found it difficult to obtain similar work in Australia. A love of building and making things led him to a new career in carpentry, and, eventually, the launch of his own business in Sydney’s western suburbs.
“My job in Iran involved building factories from the ground up. In my home country, there are lots of production companies. When I came to Australia, I worked as a carpenter for two different companies, learning about timberworks. I left and started my own small business,” Mr Khaladj said.
Mr Khaladj’s caseworker at the time referred him to Ben Benazzouz, a senior facilitator at Ignite.
“Ben was very helpful, he is a good man – he even helped me get one of my clients,” he said.
“He understood that I didn’t want to be employed, I wanted to run my own business and employ people myself.”
Currently Mr Khaladj employs up to six people for any one project and says two of his contractors have been working with him since the very beginning.
“I try to keep the projects coming, because I want to keep my workers on. I try to make sure I always have work for them,” he said.
“Making a house, you’re creating something, building something. Mostly the carpentry jobs I do involve a lot of thought. I like complex projects, I don’t like to make simple things. And I really enjoy my work.”
In addition to his busy workload, Mr Khaladj has also been studying a Cert IV in Building and Construction at TAFE.
“I have been studying two to three days a week online. It’s tough but for people like me who are working it’s the best option. The course takes around 18 months to complete but I hope to finish it in around 12.” he said.
Having called Australia home for the past few years, what does he enjoy most about life here?
“Maybe freedom and democracy,” he said.
“Also everywhere you go the sky is always blue – but here the blue is different somehow. Everything is good, except that maybe labour is very high for people like me!”
As part of SSI’s ongoing work with Sydney’s Inner West Council, new arrivals are learning how to safely spend time in Australia’s waterways and, importantly, how to share those skills with their children.
More than a dozen refugees met at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre on Monday for the first week of a six-week swimming program, where they’ll learn to navigate pools and beaches in Australia.
SSI’s Humanitarian Settlement Program Acting Manager Katina Velkou said while this was the first cohort to take part in the swimming course, it was envisaged that the initiative would form part of an orientation to Australia for many more new arrivals.
“Learning to swim can help refugees to connect with a quintessential part of Australian life: our beaches and pools. For parents, it also ensures that they have the skills and knowledge to support their kids to enjoy the water safely,” she said.
“This initiative is a great example of how SSI’s orientation program offers a unique experience for new arrivals. We have a strong understanding of the needs of the people who come to Australia as part of the Humanitarian Settlement Program and tailor our orientation accordingly.
“We are also fortunate to have incredible partners like the Inner West Council, who work with us to support refugees to get the best start to life in Australia.”
Swimming course participants had a tour of the pool facilities, before receiving an in-depth safety briefing and embarking on swimming lessons. The launch of the program was also marked by a surprise visit from Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne, who has championed the initiative.
The Inner West Council, through the new Inner West Refugee Welcome Centre, has already been actively involved in a number of SSI orientation activities, including through regular information sessions held at the Callan Park-based centre.
Mr Nyugen, who was born with cerebral palsy, has been a long-term disability rights advocate and activist, taking part in initiatives aimed at improving the lives of those who live with a disability and changing the perceptions of the community.
However, it wasn’t until he connected with SSI’s IgniteAbility program that he realised this passion could be turned into a business that could also help other people who, like him, had to face daily barriers due to living with disability.
The Quang Nguyen Network will be launched in the first quarter of 2018 as a way to channel the knowledge Mr. Nguyen had acquired during his life about all aspects affecting the life of someone who lives with a disability — from transport, communication or accessibility to confidence and leadership.
“I’ve been a public speaker about disability issues for a long time,” Mr Nguyen said. “Now, with the Quang Nguyen Network, I can do it in a more professional way and reach more people, which means assisting more community members to learn about available supports when living with a disability.”
IgniteAbility is an SSI program that facilitates business creation for people with disabilities who are passionate about establishing a small business or expanding an existing one.
“Merenia, my IgniteAbility facilitator has been a great support. She’s taught me the basics of running a business, from admin tasks such as issuing an invoice to business plans and strategies.”
Mr Nguyen, who has a Vietnamese background, would also like to deliver presentations for the Vietnamese community as a way to increase their levels of accessing existing support.
Joel Farayeh was a program participant of the SSI Youth Placement and Pathways Program (YPPP).
Joel Farayeh arrived in Australia as a refugee. Before she fled Syria to Lebanon with her family, Ms Farayeh was exposed to horrific circumstances. Bombs had been dropped around her hometown, and her uncle was kidnapped by armed gangs. Her family is still uncertain of his whereabouts and safety.
In addition to receiving on arrival support through SSI’s Humanitarian Services Program (HSP), Ms Farayeh was also connected with the Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP), a service that addresses the challenges experienced by unemployed or underemployed refugees and people seeking asylum in finding sustainable and skilled employment opportunities.
During a settlement trip arranged by RESP, Ms Farayeh was introduced to the manager of the Youth Placement and Pathways Program (YPPP). She was allowed to work at the SSI Campsie office as a participant of the program.
YPPP, which gives the opportunity to work, study, earn money and participate in extracurricular wellness activities, was a launchpad for Ms Farayeh to improve her English, gain work experience in Australia and become job-ready.
Ms Farayeh is now working part-time as an Office Administration Assistant with Australia for UNHCR and has paired this with further study in an online business course. She is grateful for having gained employment with an organisation focused on assisting refugees and people seeking asylum — an issue that is so close to her heart.
“I learned a lot from SSI. A lot of communication — customer service — I am improving my English, and I have experience now in the office, I am very, very happy. I like Australia very much.” Ms Farayeh said.
Ms Farayeh’s story is inspirational as she was in the program for less than one month and as a direct result, has gained part-time employment in a highly credible organisation. Her attitude was consistently positive despite the immense hardships she faced when starting a new life in Australia.
“I was born and raised in Damascus, Syria. Syria is the country where I attended school and university for free, where I enjoyed safety and security, where I learned to communicate and respect others even when we have differences in religion, thought, doctrine or ideology,” she said.
“My mother worked as a school manager for the last 20 years and before that she was a teacher, I grew up in a family that appreciated education and encouraged us to not only complete high school and university, but also to undertake a master’s degree and PHD.”
Dana was in the process of completing her master’s in auditing when the war in Syria cut short her studies.
“I had an amazing family, good health. I was studying, first going to school then attending university. I had a job, good friends and relatives. We could go out whenever we wanted and wherever we wanted. In other words, we had a normal life and stability — those things that I now call life’s gifts,” she said.
“At that time, we used to get confused and get angry and upset sometimes from things that now I see are so silly. The biggest problem that faced us at that time is nothing compared with our problems now.”
“Things started to take a turn for the worse. Each day was riskier than the day before, until the day came when I decided that I could no longer handle looking over my shoulders 24/7.”
As the eldest child in her family, Dana took responsibility at an early age — responsibility that only grew upon the death of her father. For Dana, this upheaval helped to shape her personality and her growth. “I am glad because God trusted me to give me those responsibilities,” she said.
With the war escalating in Syria, Dana decided to seek employment in Iraq, moving far away from her family. Life in Iraq was hard, but she learned a lot and it prepared her for a bigger move that was yet to come.
When the situation in Iraq too became unsafe, Dana came to Australia to seek safety. SSI provided Dana with essential support and information to assist her to settle and to live independently in Australia, including linking her with a corporate partner, where she has since found employment.
“I had to start life again here. I was blessed to find work quickly and I have now secured a job in auditing,” Dana said. “I started just in October 2017. I am looking forward to continuing my career path in Australia and being able to support my family and feeling independent again.”
Along with assistance of SSI, Dana said the support of her family has made the move to Australia more bearable.
“My situation as a young single woman moving to other countries alone is unique and uncommon within my society. However, I have proven to myself and to my community, that this can be done,” she said.
“Changing perceptions and the mindsets of others is one achievement in my life that I am very proud of.”
Mr Aldod is a new arrival from a refugee background, recreating life in his new home in Australia.
From Iraq, Mr Aldod was a petroleum engineer in the Middle East for 23 years, with experience in leading large government projects.
“Managing such large projects from start to finish taught me that even the best planner cannot predict the obstacles that can come up along the way, and what is important is to take the first step,” Mr Aldod said.
Mr Aldod – along with 13 other people supported by the Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP), delivered by SSI – have been offered employment with Woolworths after participating in a three-week work experience program.
Woolworths, in partnership with SSI and Community Corporate, has provided opportunities for newcomers to enter their business as part of their wider diversity and inclusion strategy and genuine commitment to have a workforce that reflects the local community.
Azin Soleymani Dahajhas is another newcomer who has also been supported by SSI RESP to achieve her career goals and settle into life in Australia. After participating in the Woolworths program, she secured employment in the Woolworths support office.
“I am so happy to be meeting some of the 3000 people that work in this office, and to have the opportunity to be in paid work.”
SSI CEO and Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year, Violet Roumeliotis, said it’s encouraging that businesses like Woolworths, Allianz, Clubs NSW and the many other supporters of RESP understand the value of investing in diversity and recognise the skills, knowledge and experience that many newcomers have to offer.
“One of their biggest challenges is the lack of local work experience or professional networks. Some time spent as an intern or in work experience not only gives them something tangible to put on their resume, but goes a long way to increasing their self-confidence and integration into Australian working life,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
“I hope more corporates come on board and that other business leaders consider the innovation and commercial impact to be gained from partnerships with the not-for-profit sector.”