The exhibition was the culmination of an art therapy program at SydWest designed to bring seniors together to explore art, break social isolation and enhance their overall wellbeing.
Funded by the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, the 12-week pilot Living Active Life Program involved more than 40 participants across Greater Western Sydney. Participants were mostly from non-English speaking backgrounds and many took part with the support of interpreters.
The program also included some participants with vision and hearing impairments. The first session saw one visually impaired woman create art for the first time since losing her sight 20 years ago.
Other women, who had spent up to 20 years living in refugee camps, were able to use crayons, pencils and paints for the first time in their lives.
Some even credited the program with improving their mental and physical wellbeing.
SydWest Multicultural Services CEO Elfa Moraitakis said these were among many positive outcomes from the program, which had helped to bring together seniors to explore their creativity, create meaning from their art and break social isolation.
“Exploring such themes as eldership, community, the seasons, joy and life journeys, this creative program has revealed the power of art and the importance of creating human connections to people’s overall wellbeing,” Ms Moraitakis said.
Visit SydWest’s online Multicultural Seniors Art Therapy Exhibition, which showcases some of the processes and artworks from its innovative program.
SSI’s Women at Risk Committee developed the social support group, in partnership with CORE Community Services through its Multicultural Communities service, as a means for refugee women to build social connections, while also receiving important information that will help with their settlement.
External facilitators present to the group each week on topics that change each term based on feedback from participants. The terms run for six to eight weeks and have so far covered topics including employment and health.
The group is currently in the middle of an eight-week Families In Cultural Transition (FICT) program that covers families, money, children, gender, trauma and young people in an Australian context, and is delivered by bilingual cultural educators from the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS).
Syrian refugee Sokaina Badal said she enjoyed coming along to the group each week because it helped to improve her understanding of life in Australia.
“Today we spoke about families and how to raise children,” Ms Badal said. “I’m not married but I enjoyed hearing from the other women and learning about the differences here in Australia.”
“I enjoy interacting with the other women and also finding out about the systems and culture of Australia. I’ve made friends with some of the women who attend and I like seeing them each week.”
SSI Manager Humanitarian Support Services Yamamah Agha said the group was a good way for vulnerable women to develop the social skills and networks that lead to better settlement outcomes.
“Under the HSS program, SSI provides new arrivals with practical support to help them settle in Australia, but we’ve also recognised the benefits strong social networks can deliver during that process.
“There are many things that seem confusing and foreign when settling in a new country, so having friends who are going through similar experiences can help women to feel more supported while dealing with these challenges,” she said.
The information women receive in the group sessions complements the tailored case management support they receive from SSI, which helps to connect women with links and services in their community such as social groups, employment, education and health.
“Participants have made new friends and even reconnected with women they knew back in their home countries, all while absorbing important information in a relaxed environment where they feel comfortable asking questions,” she said.
CORE Women Settlement Worker Rowena Assaad said the project targeted vulnerable women who had migrated to Australia from war-torn countries and are dealing with low self-esteem and other issues.
“Women have told us how this group activity has helped them become more independent and confident in navigating services and integrating in the Australian society,” she said.
The social support group began with less than a dozen participants but has proven so popular that SSI and CORE are now looking to move to a larger venue to extend the group’s benefits to more new arrivals.
More than 20 women regularly attend sessions, with interest growing thanks to word of mouth, referrals from partner organisations, and success stories from existing participants.
SSI Humanitarian Settlement Program
CMRC hosted the Syria Settlement Symposium – Support for Syria 2016 at the Parkroyal Parramatta, supported by core partners including SSI, Access Community Services, UNHCR, the Migration of Council, and Community Corporate.
The event aimed to provide the Australian business, government and community sectors with current information on the Syrian crisis in order to inform the development of strategic employment campaigns from local Australian business leaders enrolled in the Friendly Nation Initiative (FNI).
The FNI is a program designed to engage Australian businesses to provide fundraising and employment support to the additional intake of 12,000 refugees from Iraq and Syria.
The initiative is being driven by Australia’s top business and community leaders, who are calling for Australian businesses, big or small, to join in welcoming Australia’s newest community members.
The Syria Settlement Symposium – Support for Syria 2016 event program included experts from diverse sectors, with keynotes speakers including FNI chair, Tony Shepherd AO, who is the former president of the Business Council of Australia and former chair of the National Commission of Audit.
Mr Shepherd said the FNI gave the business sector an opportunity to show what it could do to help resettle refugees quickly and sustainably.
“This is about getting people settled more quickly and getting people into jobs,” he said.
Other keynote speakers included UNHCR Regional Representative Thomas Albrecht, Western Sydney University Chancellor, Professor Peter Shergold AC, and Ian Smith from Bespoke Approach.
An expert panel also gave the audience insight from key settlement service providers, including SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis, Access Community Services CEO Gail Ker OAM, and Priscella Mabor – the Manager of the Youth Transition Support Program at CMRC, who spoke of community settlement-led approaches to employment in refugee communities.
The Syria Settlement Symposium – Support for Syria 2016 provided a platform for all sectors of businesses, local councils and Chambers of Commerce to display a deep commitment to an employment strategy for new community members from Syria.
The powerful video footage united us in our shared sense of outrage over the extraordinary actions taken against some of the most vulnerable members of our community – young Indigenous kids.
The sad fact is that many of the claims Four Corners aired are not new. Journalists and advocates have warned for some time that all is not well in the Northern Territory’s youth detention environments, but it took video footage of children forcibly being undressed and tear gassed to galvanise the public and politicians alike into action.
I’ve been reflecting on what this tragic saga means for community organisations that work with vulnerable individuals. Like those children in the Northern Territory, the people SSI supports often need someone to step up to the plate and speak out for them.
Organisations like SSI have a duty to advocate for those who are in need, even if it comes at a cost. We are accountable to our funders but so too are we accountable to our community, and at the end of the day, that is also important.
What we witnessed on Four Corners is a reminder that the best interests of the most vulnerable are not always addressed in big systems; they get lost, pushed to the side and, as a result, people’s civil and human rights may be at risk of being jeopardised.
As a country, we need to start asking ourselves, how can we let these things happen on our watch? Can we live with the consequences if we fail to shine a light on injustices; if we fail to speak up?
Travesties like the Stolen Generation and the Forgotten Australians show us that history will not look kindly on those who respond to injustice with inaction. Speaking up for vulnerable members of our community does not just help us to retain our humanity – it’s the cornerstone of a civil society.
For community organisations working at the coalface, the Four Corners exposé was a reminder of our purpose and the reason we exist. The most fundamental principle we have is to speak out for those who can’t speak for themselves.
“The strong individuals that makeup SSI Ability Links are collectively a powerful and formidable team that is making a positive change in the community,” Ability Links Program Manager Steve Gholab said.
SSI Ability Links reaches out to communities from 21 offices across 44 local government areas, a very large and diverse geographic and social footprint.
As noted by Executive Manager Families and Inclusion Stephen O’Neill the most crucial factor in delivering Ability Links is that SSI is genuinely including people with disability and community in meaningful conversations to inform and strengthen the program and the way it is delivered.
“Participant feedback is overwhelmingly positive and shows us that rich, meaningful outcomes and achievements are experienced by many,” Mr O’Neill said.
Discover what a Linker can do for you
Some interesting statistics that were shared about SSI Ability Links include:
- On average SSI supports over 500 people a month
- Since July 2014, SSI has provided 6,736 people with facilitated support
- Two-thirds of participants are people with disability; the other third are their family members and carers
- Since the program began in July 2014, SSI has made more than 30,000 community connections.
To find out more about Ability Links NSW contact abilitylinks@ssi.org.au
The annual PCYC Nations of Origin carnival – held this year from July 11 to 14 – is a multifaceted sport, cultural, education and leadership program that culminates during NAIDOC week. The program is about reconciliation, education, cultural identity and sports, aimed at increasing student retention. All participants are required to have an 80 per cent school attendance to be eligible to participate.
An SSI Linker based in Batemans Bay, Beverly Morton, provided support to the Yuin Ducks committee and team before and during the four-day carnival.
“Teams are generally made up of 80% Indigenous and 20% non-Indigenous players, but the Yuin committee displayed inclusion by increasing the participation rate of non-Indigenous students and also including more disadvantaged students within our local communities,” Ms Moreton said.
The Yuin Ducks – named after the Pacific black duck that is the totem for the Yuin tribal area – proudly wore their SSI Ability Links sponsored tracksuits and were model students over the four days, Ms Moreton said. The girls narrowly lost in the grand final in what was described as the best game of the entire tournament. The team included girls from Kianga, Narooma, Moruya and Batemans Bay.
Ms Moreton said there were numerous conversations around respect for the country, community spirit, reconciliation, disability and social inclusion, and how to best support each other as community members through education and inclusion.
There were also many conversations around role modelling and leadership, and building on these for future Indigenous and non-Indigenous generations.
Discover what a Linker can do for you
About Ability Links in the Southern region, Ms Moreton said there was a great response from the local community knowing that the Ability Links program was there to support them in accessing local services and with inclusion.
“There is comfort in knowing that I can support youth groups, women’s and men’s groups, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, people with disability and people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds,” she said. “Basically, I’m always there for a chat or to offer some friendly advice and support over a coffee.”
To find out if SSI Linkers work in your area, contact SSI Ability Links at abilitylinks@ssi.org.au or call (02) 8713 9200.
The first of the recent outings was a specialised youth orientation session at the Inner West Council’s new Refugee Welcome Centre in Callan Park, delivered in partnership with Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre (LMRC), Community MRC, Auburn Diversity Services Inc., CORE Community Services, and the Inner West Council.
Young refugees learned about topics including education and employment, health, tenancy, managing finances, Australian law and culture, and accessing youth services, in a series of sessions that built on information from the general orientation that SSI provides as part of the Humanitarian Settlement Services program.
With all participants having lived in Australia for less than three months, the excursion provided an opportunity for young refugees to develop social connections and learn about support services that are available for new arrivals.
Many participants gathered again a few days later to participate in a popular event on the SSI youth calendar – the SSI Amazing Race adventure, hosted by Community MRC.
More than 60 young refugees took to the streets of Sydney for the treasure hunt-style excursion, which saw them head to a number of locations to complete questions and activities designed to help participants adapt to their new homes.
The groups gained confidence in their ability to navigate a new public transport system, while also learning about the Australian culture, country and landmarks in a relaxed, social environment, SSI’s Manager Humanitarian Settlement Services Yamamah Agha said.
“Our goal is to give young people the best possible start to life in Australia because we recognise the valuable contribution they can make to our country, both socially and economically, if they are supported to overcome barriers in the early stages of settlement,” she said.
“Adjusting to life in a new country with a different culture and systems can be an overwhelming experience. From our involvement in the humanitarian sector, we understand the challenges facing young people and that providing tailored support helps them to become more independent and confident about accessing services in Sydney.”
Both youth events were a cooperative effort between SSI and the Youth Collective – a youth initiative from the NSW Settlement Partnership that is supported by SSI.
SSI Youth Projects Coordinator, Dor Akech Achiek – who also coordinates the Youth Collective – commended the partners who took part in these innovative and collaborative initiatives, which helped to build confidence, resilience and leadership in young people.
“The good thing about Youth Collective is that it facilitates the cross-regional efforts of youth workers and greatly enhances collaboration in the activities of everyone involved with NSP, with a particular focus on youth,” he said.
Ku-ring-gai Council launched a Refugee Welcome Pack Appeal late last year in response to the additional humanitarian intake from Syria and Iraq, inviting the community to contribute donations to assist refugees to start their lives in Australia.
Led by Ku-ring-gai Mayor Cheryl Szatow, with the support of SSI and the Community Migrant Resource Centre (CMRC), the appeal saw hundreds of packs delivered to refugee families, including items such as children’s books, games, toys and nappies to help new arrivals settle in their new home.
The community also banded together to show their support at a Refugee Welcome event, hosted by Ku-ring-gai Council in July, which brought together hundreds of newly arrived refugees for live music and entertainment, games, face painting and traditional food.
In a touching display of kindness, school-aged children prepared hand-written notes for newly arrived refugee children, and the Ku-ring-gai community was quick to share their efforts online using the Twitter hashtag #kuringgaisayswelcome.
SSI Manager Humanitarian Settlement Services Yamamah Agha applauded the efforts of the Ku-ring-gai community for its unwavering support of Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
“The community plays a vital part in the settlement journey of newly arrived refugees by helping our newest members of society to feel welcomed in their new homes,” she said.
“The Ku-ring-gai community has embraced the unique skills, talents and diversity refugees bring to Australia, which helps to make the settlement journey a much more positive experience for newly arrived refugees.
“This sets the tone for the future and helps newly arrived families to more confidently develop social networks and fully participate in society. Ultimately this helps to build stronger and more diverse communities, which has so many benefits for the economy and our future generations.”
Cr Szatow said the welcome packs were a small but significant gesture of kindness to refugees who have faced incredible hardship before arriving in Australia.
“I feel sure that we can come together to support those refugees who will need our assistance in making Australia their new home,” she said.
Ms Agha also made a special mention of the collaborative efforts of SSI, Ku-ring-gai Council and CMRC, which each played a key role in coordinating, collecting and distributing the welcome packs to newly arrived families.
“This is a great example of the power of communities and how working with our colleagues in the sector delivers far greater benefits to those in need,” she said.
Community members and organisations are welcome to make a donation to support refugees and ensure they receive vital resources and access to programs for their health and social participation. Your donation supports people to gain independence and reach their potential through meaningful social and economic participation.
Held from August 19–20 at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC), the Arts and Refugees Forum will create a space for artists, community development workers, educators, and arts and humanitarian organisations to share their experiences and discuss various aspects of artistic practice by, with and about refugees.
Refugees – a landmark exhibition at CPAC from July 29 to September 11– will form the backdrop for talks, panel discussions and presentations from more than 40 speakers including Chinese-Australian artist Guo Jian and Iranian-Australian filmmaker and human rights activist Saba Vasefi.
The free event gives people working at the intersection between the arts and refugees an opportunity to come together and develop their practice, according to SSI Arts and Culture Coordinator Carolina Triana, who developed the forum in partnership with CPAC and with the support of CuriousWorks.
“From the arts and community sectors to academia, the Arts and Refugees Forum will bring people together to share and reflect on their experiences and practice,” Ms Triana said. “The Forum is all about providing a platform for discussion, critical thought, creative exchange and fornurturing future collaborations.
“The event is also a fantastic chance to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions refugees and people seeking asylum have made to the arts, while reflecting on the particular needs and challenges that artists from refugee backgrounds face in Australia.”
This contribution is highlighted in two exhibitions taking place at CPAC in conjunction with the Arts and Refugees Forum. The Refugees exhibition features works from 22 world-renowned artists from refugee backgrounds that were gathered from major public and private collections across Australia.
Another exhibition taking place at CPAC in conjunction with the forum is Beyond Refuge: Citizens, which CuriousWorks has developed with local Sydney-based artists who are former refugees, current asylum seekers and first generation Australians.
CuriousWorks Communications Director Gary Spink described the exhibition as a fantastic fusion of two key community art programs.
“These photo, audio and video works combine the developing talents of young western Sydney artists from our Curious Creators program with those of more experienced refugee and asylum seeker artists who emerged from photography and filmmaking workshops we ran in partnership with SSI over the past two years,” he said.
“The exchange of practice and ideas has been a creative and inspirational experience for all involved, forcing some deep reflection on their personal refugee backgrounds and the fundamental rights of every human being to freedom and peace. We hope the works are similarly thought-provoking for viewers, and they walk away with positive messages about diversity.”
Click here to register for the Arts and Refugee Forum or view the full program.
Eid al-Fitr signals the end of a month of fasting for Muslim people all over the world, and at SSI, that celebration took the form of games, entertainment and food at the Friendship Garden – an inclusive community garden that SSI runs in partnership with Cumberland Council.
Families seeking asylum in Australia celebrated with Auburn locals, and SSI staff and volunteers, along with a group of tourists from Nepal who have been regular visitors at the Friendship Garden for the past few weeks while on a holiday in Australia.
SSI Community Engagement and Capacity Manager Trina Soulos said this eclectic mix of celebrators was indicative of the social connections and community spirit that can flourish through the shared experience of gardening.
“Eid is an important religious celebration for millions of Muslims all over the world,” Ms Soulos said. “It’s a day to spend with family and friends, but for refugees and people seeking asylum, those social networks are often lost when they flee their homeland.”
“Events like these are a good opportunity for people to start building new friendships and social connections, which will help them feel included and welcome in Australia.”
The Eid celebrations continued a week later at SSI’s Community Kitchen, with food, entertainment, and activities including sports face painting, henna, calligraphy and self-portraits.
These events rounded off a string of activities that SSI’s Community Engagement program held to mark the month of Ramadan, including two Community Kitchen Iftar dinners, where recently arrived refugees, people seeking asylum, and Sydneysiders enjoyed an evening meal to break the daily fast.
One Iftar dinner was sponsored by Community Hubs NSW, with meals donated by SSI’s NSW Community Hubs team, the Settlement Services Program team, and their family and friends. The other Iftar dinner was supported by the Australian Relief Organisation (ARO) – a not-for-profit that is involved in the development, relief, and advocacy activities for a better world.
ARO CEO Cihan Tumen said that while Ramadan was an Islamic holy occasion, the month of reformation and reflection promotes values that everyone could appreciate.
“These functions also promote peace, harmony, tolerance and understanding of the other cultures,” he said. “I’m sure you will all agree with me that such values are much needed in today’s deeply complex world.
“As we abstain from eating and drinking for approximately 12 hours in Ramadan here in Australia, it is a tradition to break our fast in a fashion of joy and share our meal with our families, friends and neighbours. And on this occasion, we wanted to share our food with the SSI community.”