Backed by musical mentors from the Sirens Big Band, they interspersed rousing renditions of well-known songs with inspiring reflections on their personal journeys of settlement in Australia.
Members of Women in Harmony access Core Multicultural Communities’ Women’s Settlement Project.
Through community consultation, Project Manager Rowena Assaad identified a need for an activity that would help develop the women’s skills and confidence. She formed a partnership with Sirens Big Band — some of Australia’s strongest and most innovative young female jazz musicians and improvisers — which for the past 18 months has been facilitating weekly music classes with the women.
The project would have concluded sooner if the participants had not requested a continuation so they could learn keyboard skills and songwriting. That was made possible with support from the NSW Settlement Partnership’s Settlement Innovation Fund.
Women in Harmony sought to make music an instrument of empowerment, for self-expression and feeling, a means of developing and maintaining cultural identity, and of acquiring new skills, social interaction and participation.
It included four terms of eight weeks with topics including rhythm notation and keyboard skills, learning to play a musical instrument, pitch notation, breathing skills, expressing ideas through music, and collaborative participation.
Multicultural Communities Manager Clement Meru spoke of the physical, emotional and social advantages that music could bring.
He said the Women in Harmony project brought people together from diverse backgrounds and offered companionship and the opportunity to form social connections.
He said Sirens added another dimension: a link with the mainstream. Members of the big band helped the women learn more about Australian culture and music, enabling them to better interact with wider society.
Following a guest appearance by Mohamed Youssef on oud, the Women in Harmony showcase proceeded with the “Women in Harmony” song (written by the group to a traditional Arabic Andalusian melody), “Ode to Joy”, “Surprise Party” and a song often considered an alternative national anthem, “I am Australian”, to which the women added two verses:
I came from a distant land, I bid my home adieu,
But carried in my heart a dream to build my life anew
And now I can speak as I choose, to each and every one,
I’m a woman full of courage, I am Australian.
I have a chance to learn here, my sisters go to school
I bring these gifts straight from my heart, I’d like to give to you
I’ll be a doctor, or a teacher, a neighbour or a mum,
I’ll show you how to celebrate, ’cause I’m Australian.
The finale, with spontaneous dancing, was “No Woman, No Cry”.
Multicultural Communities is a service of Core Community Services. It delivers Settlement Services to newly arrived migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants to improve access to services, address special settlement needs and help develop skills and confidence.
Sirens Big Band formed in 2009 as a direct response to the under-representation of women in the jazz music community. Under the direction of bassist Jessica Dunn, Sirens Big Band has a unique Australian voice that explores the intersection of traditional Australian jazz with the rich musical traditions of our multicultural society.
NSP – NSW Settlement Partnership
2016 brought positive change. One interesting trend that developed over the year was the emergence of the private sector as an important player in the international humanitarian settlement space.
It was inspiring and gratifying to see more than 50 leading companies pledge to offer long-term, sustainable assistance to refugees around the world, following a call to action from US President Barack Obama.
One innovative initiative came from the professional networking site LinkedIn, which piloted its ‘Welcome Talent’ initiative in Sweden to connect newly arrived refugees with interested employers, resulting in more than 1,000 job postings.
Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson committed an additional $US1 million to partner with Save the Children in offering “resilience activities” for people affected by the crisis in Syria, including children’s educational and life skills programs and mental health support for children and families.
We also saw a lot of local support from Australia’s private sector, where employers, including First State Super, Harvey Norman, Australia Post, and Woolworths, have signed up to a NSW Government initiative to help refugees find jobs.
The Australian-based staff at multinational tech company Google donated $60,000 to SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups to help people from refugee backgrounds establish small businesses or expand an existing one.
SSI’s partnership with Allianz Australia resulted in new educational and employment opportunities for refugees during 2016, and in December, the insurance company took its support to another level when Allianz staff volunteered more than 200 hours to support SSI activities.
And it’s not just big businesses getting behind refugees. In 2016, the owners of Sydney restaurant Almond Bar, Carol and Sharon Salloum, began working with SSI to use their hospitality industry networks to identify ways to connect refugees with training and jobs. In the lead-up to Christmas, the culinary duo also volunteered to cook a meal for refugees and people seeking asylum at SSI’s final Community Kitchen for the year, and a week later, the sisters generously donated lunch for newly arrived children and families at our annual Children’s Christmas Party.
What’s inspiring about these examples is that the businesses are not just throwing money at a problem. They’re working with both refugees themselves and frontline not-for-profits to identify and find solutions for the unique challenges facing the forcibly displaced.
Ground-breaking research released last year suggests that the economic outcomes of refugees’ lives are shaped by individuals’ capacity to innovate – to transform the challenges they face into opportunities.
One of the researchers, Alexander Betts, delivered a TED Talk where he delved into the case study of Uganda, which is unique among countries that host a significant refugee population in that it has given its 420,000 refugees rights to work and freedom of movement.
If you have the time, I’d encourage you to watch the talk in full. He gives some great examples of just what refugees can achieve when allowed some freedom to innovate. In Uganda’s capital city, for example, 21 per cent of refugees own businesses that employ other people, and 40 per cent of those employees are Ugandan nationals. Mr Betts argues that the support provided to refugees must go beyond basic emergency assistance to include “connectivity, electricity, education, the right to work, access to capital and banking”.
SSI has long recognised the need to offer refugees support in addition to the essential assistance and information we provide during the early stages of settlement. We have a suite of complementary services that help refugees to find and retain employment, engage with their new communities, and start new businesses, to enable new arrivals to successfully settle in Australia and make a meaningful social and economic contribution.
Last year, SSI partnered with Thrive Refugee Enterprise to fast-track refugees’ entrepreneurial plans by providing microfinancing and mentoring support to aspiring business owners from refugee backgrounds. The initiative was co-founded by philanthropists John and Anna Curtis and businessman Huy Truong.
As a founding member of Thrive, SSI has provided the charity with eligible applicants for its microloans along with the on-the-ground expertise that will help Thrive to provide thoughtful, informed and appropriate support to refugee entrepreneurs.
But this innovative arrangement would not have been possible without the cooperation of partners in the private sector. Westpac is on board as the principal banking partner, providing loan capital to the tune of $2 million, in addition to credit management and administration input. Thrive had also engaged corporate partners to provide legal, audit, insurance and recruitment services – everything it takes to run a successful not-for-profit.
This is just one of many great examples of the contribution the private sector is making to assist some of our newest community members. I look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas emerge in the coming year.
Violet Roumeliotis
SSI CEO
SSI Linker Li Hua Chu and Ability Links participant Ming Zhong.
When Mr Zhong met SSI Ability Linker Li Hua Chu, his family of six lived in a small two-bedroom unit and the situation had become unsustainable. The lack of space at home added to the increasingly violent behaviour of Mrs Zhong and was having an effect on all of them. Mr Zhong felt lost and didn’t know who to ask for support.
As an SSI Linker in the Ability Links NSW (ALNSW) program, Ms Chu had experience in similar situations. ALNSW helps people with disability, their family and carers by linking them to activities and services that move them closer to achieving their goals.
After her meeting with Mr Zhong, Ms Chu identified the issue of living in a crowded house as one of the main issues in the family. To solve this, Ms Chu connected Mr Zhong’s daughter with a counsellor at Transcultural Mental Health Centre, an organisation that works with people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and health professionals across NSW to support good mental health.
The counsellor assessed her case and found her circumstances made her eligible for a social housing unit in Burwood, not far from her parents place. In just two days, the family completed the move and the overall situation immediately improved for everyone.
However, Ms Chu knew her job as an Ability Linker wasn’t finished yet. In further meetings with her participant, she learned Mr Zhong had never accessed any services available for people with disability and carers due to lack of knowledge about them. His low level of English language also made it difficult for him to understand what was available for people in his situation.
Ms Chu has continued supporting Mr Zhong to understand how to access the new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the possibilities it offers for his family. Following his Linker’s suggestion, Mr Zhong has attended an NDIS focus group at Metro Assist and he feels now much more comfortable in his role as a carer.
“I’m incredibly grateful to SSI and to Ability Links, especially Li, for the help I received in the last months,” Mr Zhong said. “The situation at home has improved a lot and now I know there is someone out there to help me, which is a great relief.”
Mr Baluchzada took out the top spot on Pro Bono Australia’s 2016 Impact 25 – a list of the most influential figures in the social sector as decided by more than 18,500 votes.
“It was quite surprising for me that I made the list and it really gave me a lot of energy to focus and give more to the community,” he said. “Seeing the people that have been on the list in previous years, they’re all so influential. For example, our CEO Violet Roumeliotis, Rosie Batty, Tim Costello, Penny Wong – they’re all such great and well-known people.”
Mr Baluchzada works as a team leader in SSI’s Humanitarian Support Services program and is in the process of completing his masters in human services. It was his experience of coming to Australia as a new migrant that inspired him to achieve everything he has.
In Afghanistan Mr Baluchzada was a qualified engineer but upon migrating to Australia in August 2010 to join his wife, Khadija, he discovered that no employers recognised his overseas qualifications and experience.
“I got a job as a traffic controller, and on my first day, I worked a 12-hour shift,” he said. “I was standing the whole time, I didn’t get breaks and wasn’t able to stop to eat properly, so it was exhausting. When I went home that night, I was disappointed. Back home, I was well established and recognised.
“On that night, I said to myself, ‘Romal, you can do it – you can prove yourself, you can build yourself again, and you will contribute in positive changes in Australian society’. That’s why I decided to move forward. I started researching more about my passion for human rights, and I found that Australia is a country full of opportunities.
“I decided to change my career because I wanted to put aside resolving mathematical issues and come to resolving social issues.
“Fortunately, I found SSI. I applied and began working as a bilingual guide in 2011. SSI has given me the opportunity and recognised my strengths, experience and abilities.”
Mr Baluchzada was soon promoted to a case manager and then a team leader. At the same time, he completed a diploma in community services, then one in case management, before moving on to university, where he acquired a degree in human services and began his masters.
“I’m inspired by all the frustration and the challenges I faced coming here,” he said. “I don’t want other people who come to Australia with qualifications to give up. They shouldn’t just rely on labouring and government benefits. I want to inspire and encourage those people, and to share my experience.”
Not content with devoting his professional life to supporting vulnerable communities, Mr Baluchzada also began a radio show on 2SER where he discussed human rights and ways to engage the community in discussions about them.
“For refugees and migrants, I really want to inspire them, I really want to give them energy and show that Australia is a country full of opportunities but it depends on how individuals use those opportunity,” he said.
“SSI is a wonderful organisation that creates a lot of opportunities for everyone. I would like to thank my CEO, my program manager, and my coordinators, because they are the ones that really supported me in every step. They guided me. I also want to convey my appreciation to all HSS team members. They are doing an amazing job.
“I believe that this award that has been given to me belongs to all my colleagues and all my friends. I don’t want to accept this as an individual achievement because I didn’t get the achievement by myself. It was all as a team, all my organisation, all my friends and my family.”
The annual Children’s Christmas Party in December was enjoyed by kids from all corners of the world who have come to Australia with their families in search of safety. The celebrations included face painting, balloon twisting, a reptile zoo, sports, arts and crafts, and a special appearance from Santa himself.
Adding to the fun of the day was a performance from a magician who was himself supported by SSI on arrival to Australia and now runs a magic business established with the assistance of SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative, which facilitates business creation for people from refugee backgrounds.
The families and children also enjoyed a Christmas lunch generously provided by Sydney restaurant Almond Bar, which is run by sisters and regular Community Kitchen supporters Sharon and Carol Salloum.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the festivities gave newly arrived families and children the opportunity to build new community connections, which helped them to adjust to life in Australia.
“At SSI, we provide the essential practical support to help new arrivals begin their lives in Australia,” she said, “but we also realise the need for new arrivals to feel welcomed in their community, which sets the tone for their future in Australia and helps to improve feelings of community connectedness, confidence and personal wellbeing.
“There is a strong community in Australia that’s willing to offer friendship and welcome, and Christmas is a great chance to highlight that support.”
Ms Roumeliotis said the Christmas season at SSI was made extra special thanks to the generosity of SSI volunteers and supporters including Lindt, Anglicare, Wesley Mission Australia Ministry & Mission, Hillsong Church, Ferrero Rocher, Bethlehem College, Uniting Church Blacktown, Naima, Aqua Fit, the Grange Public School, Supersonics and Friends, Orchard Marketing, the Salvation Army and Nathaniel Bennet.
“These kinds of celebrations wouldn’t be possible without the food, gifts, supplies and time donated in order to offer a warm welcome to our new community members. Thank you to everyone who made this wonderful day possible,” she said.
Virginia Willie has been supported by ParentsNext to prepare for employment.
ParentsNext is an Australian government initiative delivered by SSI and Metro Assist to help parents prepare for employment by the time their youngest child reaches school age. Aware that many parents take time out of the paid workforce to raise their children, ParentsNext staff work with them to identify goals, develop skills and overcome any barriers, so that they can enter the workforce again or for the first time.
Ms Willie, a mother-of-two, said at first she did not fully understand why she was referred by Centrelink to SSI ParentsNext and neither did she have very high expectations of what she would get out of it.
“The day of my first appointment, my anxiety was so bad I couldn’t even take the lift to go up to the ParentsNext offices, so I had to walk up the emergency stairs with my daughter,” Ms Willie said. “I actually had an attack during the meeting, as well, because I couldn’t stand to be out of home in unfamiliar environments.”
Ms Willie remembers how friendly and welcoming the staff were and how they helped her calm down and go ahead with the meeting. They talked about Ms Willie’s past experience, her goals and dreams, and they set up a date for the second appointment.
“The first impression I had was good, but due to previous experiences with other job network service providers, I didn’t think there was going to be much follow-up after that,” she said.
“Imagine my surprise when I attended the second meeting and they had a plan tailored and ready for me, which actually included the things I had mentioned in the first meeting I was interested in.”
The feeling of being listened to and taken into account had an immediate effect on Ms Willie, who slowly started rebuilding her self-esteem and believing in herself again.
“Seeing that someone believed in me encouraged me to continue and keep attending the sessions and courses that ParentsNext suggested for me,” Ms Willie said.
As part of her participation plan, Ms Willie completed a Certificate 4 in Community Services at TAFE that she hopes it will lead her to a job where she’ll be able to support women who have experienced domestic violence. This year, Ms Willie will continue to study a Diploma in Community Services also at TAFE.
“ParentsNext has had a great impact on my life, even my family and friends have noticed how much I’ve changed and they’ve even asked me how they can access the service,” said Ms Willie.
“The program has helped me overcome my anxiety and now I can take the lift everywhere I go, and even eat in and enjoy public places, which was impossible before. I’m really happy and ready to take on many new challenges from now on.”
Carol and Sharon Salloum put a Syrian twist on a barbecue lunch.
Inspired by their parents’ experience migrating to Australia from Syria more than 40 years ago, the Salloum sisters have also been working with SSI to use their well-established networks in the hospitality industry to identify ways to connect refugees with training and jobs in Australia.
For the final Community Kitchen of 2016, head chef Sharon led a team of volunteers in serving up a barbecue feast with a Syrian twist.
On the menu was grilled chicken, flatbread, corn marinated in pomegranate butter, potato salad, kafta – barbecued meatballs – and fattoush – a green salad served with mixed vegetables and fried bread.
Fattoush
Ingredients:
4 leaves of iceberg lettuce
2 medium tomatoes
1 Lebanese cucumber
½ green capsicum
½ red capsicum
½ Spanish onion
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 packet toasted pita bread or loaf of Middle Eastern bread (khobz)
½ cup ba’li leaves (or cress)
2 tbsp sumac
1 tsp sweet paprika
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves crushed
Method:
- Roughly pull apart the lettuce.
- Cut tomatoes into eighths.
- Quarter the whole cucumber, then cut into 1cm pieces.
- Cut the red and green capsicum into 2cm squares.
- Slice the onion.
- Place all vegetables in a bowl.
- To make the dressing, mix the sumac, paprika, lemon juice, salt, olive oil & garlic in a small bowl.
- Pour the dressing evenly over the vegetables and toss until mixed through. Add more sumac and/or lemon, if desired.
SSI has partnered with Thrive Refugee Enterprise, which aims to support the entrepreneurial spirit of refugees by providing microfinancing and mentoring support to aspiring business owners from refugee backgrounds.
Eligible applicants can access loans for resources and tools, in addition to a range of support with education and professional accreditation.
As part of the new partnership, SSI will put forward eligible applicants and provide Thrive with a range of administrative support. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis sits on the charity’s Board as a founding director.
“ABS figures show refugees have the highest entrepreneurial potential of all streams in our migration program, but they face challenges in terms of experience and financial capital when starting their own business,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
“Giving new arrivals access to financial business support earlier in the settlement process has a range of benefits. It supports refugees to integrate into the community, enables them to build on their entrepreneurial skills, and helps them to achieve economic independence while maximising their contribution to the economy.”
Thrive was co-founded by a trio of business veterans: philanthropists John and Anna Curtis, and former refugee Huy Truong. Mr Curtis is currently chair of Allianz Australia and the former deputy chair of Westpac Banking and chair of St George Bank, while Ms Curtis has been on the boards of IAG and Country Road. Experienced entrepreneur Mr Truong is currently CEO and co-owner of the Australian Life Insurance Group.
“This partnership is in line with SSI’s focus on nurturing entrepreneurial potential in the refugee community,” Ms Roumeliotis said. “We have been pioneers in the space through the Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative, which facilitates small business creation for people from refugee backgrounds who want to start their own business or expand an existing one,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
Initially, Thrive will operate in NSW and later Victoria with scope for a national rollout in the future to further support the economic contribution of refugee entrepreneurs across the country.
The SSI Speakers’s Series participants.
What can be done to improve vulnerable workers’ knowledge about their rights? What work needs to be done with employers? What role can refugee and migrant settlement organisations play in advocating for fairer conditions at work?
Register now for your chance to hear our distinguished panel of speakers discuss what can be done to inform and protect these vulnerable workers.
Date: Thursday, November 24, 2016
Time: 6-8pm
Location: Settlement Services International, 2/158 Liverpool Road, Ashfield
Speakers’ Series guest speakers
Mel Gatfield
Mel Gatfield was elected Secretary of the NSW Branch of United Voice (formerly the Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Union) in May 2016, prior to which she was the Assistant Secretary for eight years. United Voice is a union of workers organising to win better jobs, stronger communities, a fairer society and a sustainable future. Mel is responsible for the campaigning and organising, and community engagement work in the branch. Prior to working at United Voice, Mel worked for 16 years at the Finance Sector Union (FSU) holding the positions of organiser, industrial officer and Branch Assistant Secretary. Mel has a Bachelor of Arts from UNSW majoring in Industrial Relations and Political Science.
Michele Grigoletti
Michele (Mike) Grigoletti is the founder of Australia Solo Andata, an independent research group that documents the contemporary migratory phenomenon of young Italian citizens in Australia. The group has partnered with Migrantes Foundation of Italy – the Italian Bishops’ Conference’s reference body on migration – to film the documentary 88 days on Australian farms and to publish the research Giovani Italiani in Australia: un “viaggio” da temporaneo a permanente (Young Italians in Australia. From a temporary to a permanent “journey”, Italy 2016).
Nicola Piper
Nicola Piper is Professor of International Migration at the University of Sydney where she also is Director of the Sydney Asia Pacific Migration Centre. Her research focuses on international labour migration and advocacy politics in relation to global and regional governance as well as the Asia-Pacific region. She is co-founder and Vice-President of the Global Migration Policy Associates and external advisor on migration research to the United Nations Institute for Social Development in Geneva.
Jenny Stanger
As a co-founder and staff person at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) in Los Angeles, Jenny has worked as a case manager and advocate for survivors of human trafficking and slavery since 1998. Jenny relocated to Australia in 2005 and co-founded the Anti-Slavery Project in the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology Sydney. In 2007, Jenny became the Supervisor of Australia’s only refuge for women who have experienced human trafficking, slavery and/or slavery-like practices, a project of The Salvation Army. Currently, Jenny is National Manager of the Salvos The Freedom Partnership to End Modern Slavery, which addresses slavery in Australia through policy reform, community organising and private sector engagement. Jenny is a member of the Australian Government’s National Roundtable on People Trafficking and Slavery convened by the Minister for Home Affairs and she has consulted for the US State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Facilitator
Anna Patty
Anna Patty is Workplace Editor at the Sydney Morning Herald. She is a former Education Editor and a state political reporter at the Herald and has previously worked at The Times of London, The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and The Sun Herald in Sydney, where she focused on health, education and political reporting. She started her career at the Illawarra Mercury in Wollongong and the Southern Highland News in Bowral. She has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature, a Master of Arts degree in Journalism and is close to finishing a Law degree.
About the SSI Speakers’ Series
During 2016, Settlement Services International (SSI) is hosting a series of talks and panel discussions on current refugee and asylum seeker issues and related topics. The SSI Speakers’ Series aims to inform, connect and challenge SSI staff, stakeholders and the wider community by providing opportunities for discussion that enhance knowledge and awareness about relevant issues impacting the organisation’s clients and their communities.
Najeeba Wazefadost, Tenneh Kpaka and Fatima Kourouche were finalists in the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women’s (ACLW) recent Diversity Awards, in recognition of work they’ve done to empower women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
First place in the category went to Hazara Women of Australia — an organisation Ms Wazefadost co-founded to increase access to employment and educational opportunities for women from the Afghan community and to reduce their social isolation.
Ms Kpaka was recognised as an individual for the work she has undertaken as the chair of the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women, where she led several projects designed to support women from CALD backgrounds into leadership roles in their communities.
Ms Kourouche was recognised for her work as the founding president of the Olivetree Women’s Network, which connects CALD women and girls with mentoring and social opportunities that help them to reach their full potential in the areas of employment, education and training.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the recognition of the three women’s work was particularly important in light of the awards’ stringent criteria.
“These awards were about highlighting the work of unsung diversity champions and recognising their efforts to include and empower women, especially those from marginalised social groups,” she said.
“Ms Wazefadost, Ms Kpaka and Ms Kourouche spend every work day supporting and empowering people from vulnerable communities. The fact that they then dedicate such a significant portion of their leisure time to doing the same is a testament to their drive and compassion.”
Ms Roumeliotis congratulated the diversity champions on their well-deserved recognition.
“All three women have displayed real ingenuity in noticing and then addressing obstacles that stop women from CALD backgrounds from fulfilling their potential. They should be applauded for their diligence,” she said.