Access to timely and innovative services during their first years in Australia is critical to migrant and refugee families, ensuring a smoother transition to a new life here, a concept that will be explored at the upcoming Cultural Shift symposium. “It’s during the first few years of settlement that families face some of their greatest challenges, so it’s vital that NGOs and Governments alike provide innovative responses to these challenges,” said Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO, Violet Roumeliotis. “Services that build capacity in the process of settlement and the associated adjustments to a new country’s social, cultural, legal and other systems allow migrants and refugees to achieve a ‘cultural shift’ in their settlement journey.”  Ms Roumeliotis said SSI had brought together leaders and experts from the NGO and Government sectors to provide an insightful and engaging interactive program. The June 5 ‘Cultural Shift: symposium on supporting migrant and refugee families through settlement’ will be held in Parramatta. Registrations, which opened last week, will close on May 30.

Refugees resettling in Australia should benefit from greater cohesion between on- and off-shore programs after Settlement Services International’s Yamamah Agha took part in the Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) Exchange Program to Iran. Ms Agha, the Humanitarian Settlement Services Service Delivery Manager at SSI, experienced firsthand the work done to help prepare refugees and humanitarian visa […]

Staff and clients from the SSI Humanitarian Settlement Services team in Fairfield are going to “do the right thing, put it in the bin” this Tuesday. The group will volunteer its time to take part in the annual Clean Up Australia event, which aims to “keep Australia beautiful”. Acting Team Leader Nedhal Amir said staff […]

 Musicians from any musical tradition or cultural background are invited to join jam sessions with SSI asylum seeker clients at the organisation’s Community Kitchen every fortnight. The SSI Community Kitchen initiative is part cooking class, part social outing for community-based asylum seekers. The fortnightly Community Kitchen provides a social day out for community-based asylum seekers, many of whom experience social and cultural isolation. Clients are invited to learn how to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal, as well as interact with other community members by jamming, playing a game of soccer, playing cards or chess, and sharing a meal. Each fortnight from 80 to 250 clients attend the Community Kitchen. The idea of incorporating jam sessions into the Community Kitchen program arose as more and more clients were keen to perform for their friends. A donation of a number of musical instruments through the Music for Refugees project, led by Mr Philip Feinstein, sealed the deal. Using music as a universal language, the sessions are expected to create an opportunity for skills building, cross-cultural exchange and community sharing with fellow musicians and other CSP clients. Depending on the level of participation and interest by guest musicians and clients, the jam sessions might evolve into a stand-alone activity available at other locations and times. Each Community Kitchen targets a different cultural group (for example, Persian, Arab or Women and Families) and the invitation is extended to relevant established community groups and leaders to attend and connect with those more newly arrived.

Like most children, Noran Zahrooni was terrified of starting school today. But it wasn’t teachers or lessons that had him anxious. The six-year-old and his family arrived in Australia late last year after fleeing war-torn Syria. Father Farhan Zahrooni told SBS his son was traumatised by the conflict and struggled to understand he was now […]

The New Year period of the lunar calendar starts today, Friday, January 24, and is considered by many Asian cultures as a time for people to gather as families and reflect on positive times ahead.