Since 2015, Settlement Services International’s (SSI) Friendship Garden in Auburn has welcomed people from many diverse backgrounds, however it was limited in what it offered to people living with disability. But this year, the garden has seen an unprecedented evolution.

The arts and culture festival that brings diversity to the fore — the SSI New Beginnings Festival in Spring — took place at the iconic Darling Harbour on Saturday, November 3, 2018.

Budding young green thumbs of mostly Afghani background have given gardening a go and created a small community garden at the Auburn Diversity Services Inc. (ADSi) offices with the help of SSI’s Friendship Garden ambassador, Muthana.

The JobActive team at Settlement Services International (SSI) was recognised on August 23 for maintaining a five-star rating for two consecutive years.

Settlement Services International (SSI) welcomes the opportunity for a broader conversation about population policy in Australia that has been recently provided by political commentary and by media coverage of Australia’s immigration figures and rising population.

Settlement Services International (SSI) was proud to be the official charity partner for the TEDxSydney 2018 Humankind-themed conference on Friday, 15 June 2018 at the International Convention Centre (ICC).

SSI New Beginnings Festival event The Spirit of Welcome will officially close 2018 Open Inner West at the Refugee Welcome Centre in Callan Park, Leichhardt, on 24 June.

The Stranger in a Strange Land Conference held at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) was a celebration of Professor Andrew Jakubowicz’s enormous contribution, spanning over fifty years of his career and traversing media studies, multiculturalism, cultural diversity, disability studies, ethnicity and cyber-racism.

Once the dazzling capital of ancient Persia, Esfahan is still known for its unmatched beauty, Islamic architecture and picturesque sights. However, on the other side of the world, a young baker supported by the SSI IgniteAbility initiative has elevated the name of his hometown to new horizons, as Esfahan Sweets introduces traditional Persian sweet delights to the streets of Sydney.

Refugees and people seeking asylum could soon benefit from a smartphone app that navigates health care for those challenged by language and the healthcare system.   

A consortium led by SSI last week launched the NSW Settlement Partnership in Focus, a new resource showcasing an innovative service delivery model.   

A new resource showcasing an innovative, unique not-for-profit service delivery model was launched in Sydney today. The NSW Settlement Partnership in Focus is replete with success stories of this unique partnership, which is the first of its kind in the settlement sector.

The voices of people with disability, their families and carers are at the heart of a new Ability Links NSW (ALNSW) storybook, launched today by Minister for Disability Services and Multiculturalism, The Hon. Ray Williams on behalf of SSI.

An SSI Housing presentation at Cultural Shift 2017 showcased projects offering affordable housing alternatives for vulnerable communities in NSW, including the Emergency Housing Accommodation (EHA) program and a modular home project.

Hundreds of people showed their support for refugees and an inclusive arts community last month by taking part in NSW’s leading celebration of refugee arts and culture.

When Eleni Christou visited the Greek island of Kos in 2015, she had little idea that she would be heading into the epicentre of an unprecedented global refugee crisis.

SSI kicked off the New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week with the opening of an art exhibition featuring the work of up-and-coming refugee artists alongside more established names such as Alex Seton, Garry Trinh, Aroha Groves and Lindy Lee.

The New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week brings together new and established communities for a program of visual arts, film, installations and workshops. The festival will include the Singular/Plural art exhibition, featuring established contemporary artists Lindy Lee, Aroha Groves, Alex Seton and Garry Trinh exhibiting alongside newly arrived artists from refugee backgrounds, including Sameer Dakhil — an expert engraver from Iraq.

Most of you are probably aware of the important work SSI does around refugee and asylum seeker assistance, but you may not know as much about our growing portfolio of work within the disability sector.

Basima Zahrah’s life has undergone huge change since she was forced to leave her native country of Iraq in 2015. She escaped alone to Jordan with her four young children, three of whom live with disability.