Townsville Multicultural Support Group Inc'

1
Townsville Multicultural Support Group Inc.

• Challenging the Myth
• 10th September 2008
• People Place Identity Conference
• QCOSS

2

• We all smile in the same language

3
HANDS UP!!

• Those who are Indigenous Australians
• Those who were not born in Australia
• Those who have parents who were not born in
  Australia
• Those who have a spouse/partner who was not born
  in Australia
• Those who have parents who can speak languages
  other than English and who come from diverse
  cultural backgrounds
• Those here that can speak more than one language
• Those who went to school/university in a country
  other than Australia
• Those who communicate by phone, email with people
  in another country

4
Australia has a population of 20.4 million
5
25 of Australians are born overseas28 of
Australians have at least one parent that was
born overseas
6
In Australia there are over 250 languages
spoken150 of those languages are Indigenous100
languages other than English are in use in
Australia today
7
AUSTRALIAS NET IMMIGRATION IS 75,000 100, 000
PER ANNUM
8

• 2/3 of second generation migrants marry outside
  of their diverse ethnic background
• 17 of the population can fluently speak a
  language other than English
• Over one million of Australias population are of
  Asian Background

9
Youth Affairs Network QLD(YANQ)

• Propose that the current perception of
  Multiculturalism looks like this

10
YANQ has proposed an alternative framework.
11
Polysemy multiple meaning) is the capacity for
a sign (e.g. a word, phrase, etc.) or signs to
have multiple meaningsThis can socially exclude
those who do not understand the social codes
12
(No Transcript)
13
Examples of SOCIAL EXCLUSION

• Sole parents sign
• Surprise at Family Well Being Network funding
• Community Information Kit-interpreter info
• Cutting Centrelink payments for truancy
• Incidentsgive examples
• Ethnic Community Care Links Inc Living with a
  Disability in NQ 2003
• Lost in Translation report

14
The Townsville Multicultural Support Group Inc

• Is intent on active SOCIAL INCLUSION processes

15
Strategies for Inclusion used at TMSG
16

• Process of Identifying the Disengaged
• Networking Partnerships and Collaboration
• Interpreter usage
• Valuing Key Contacts
• Personal Skills Development
• Brokerage
• Community Capacity Building
• Family/Group Development and Support
• Intersectionality

17
(No Transcript)
18

• Engaged in local and indigenous casual workers
• Talking to elders
• Formal contacts and referrals
• Supermarket Networking
• School Contacts
• Bush telegraph and coconut networking
• Kinship connection
• Word of mouth
• Small Group Learning Programs-e.g.s
• TMSG existing network

19
(No Transcript)
20

• NGOs and Government Organisations
• Tropical Population Health Unit (TPHU)
• Townsville Safe Communities
• Upper Ross Network
• Communities for Children (C4C)
• Child Health
• Queensland Health

21

• Womens Centre
• Relationship Australia
• Red Cross
• Community Legal Service
• North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource
  Service (NQDVRS)
• Townsville City Council
• Queensland Youth Services
• Salvation Army
• Family Emergency Accommodation (FEAT)

22

• IFLOU
• Centacare
• Seras Women Shelter
• Early Years
• Flexible Learning
• TAIHS ( Early Intervention Prevention)
• Baptist Church
• PCYC
• Black Ink

23
(No Transcript)
24

• Womens Creative Workshop
• Graffiti Arts Workshop
• Leadership Workshop
• Womens Talk
• Protective Behaviour (Working with people with
  special needs)

25
(No Transcript)
26

• Support packages
• Counselling, Advocacy and Referrals
• Tutoring
• Home Cleaning and Childcare
• Accommodation Support Package
• Tenancy Training

27
(No Transcript)
28

• Corroboree
• Photovoice
• 1..2..3..Safe Home
• Friday Flicks
• Filipino Australian Sports Organisation
  (sponsorship)

29
(No Transcript)
30

• Playgroup
• Parenting Workshop
• Child Support Workshop
• Healthy Eating Workshop

31
Intersectionality
32
(No Transcript)
33
(No Transcript)
34

• Strengths
• Diversity/Flexibility
• Staff
• Partnerships we develop with various services
• Inclusiveness
• Strategies of connecting with people and being
  open to different styles of working.
• Existing TMSG networks

35
WHAT CAN YOU DO??

• Do an internal audit of culturally competent
  practices at your work place
• Review Policies and Procedures
• Develop an internal Budget for Interpreters
• Budget for Brokerage of funds to employ Bi
  Lingual/Bi Cultural Workers
• Engage in the strategy of Training Bi Lingual
  key contacts as part of community education
• Participate in networks ..Cultural Diversity
  network and North Qld Multicultural Health
  Network
• Develop a consciousness around Social Inclusion
  within your daily work practice
• Contribute to Policy Reviews and Policy
  recommendations from a social inclusion
  perspectivebe aware of the risk of
  assumptionse.g. community/population

36

• TMSG Challenges
• Time limits
• Funding
• Interpreter availability locally
• Understanding of universality of Multiculturalism

37
(No Transcript)
38

• Evaluation
• Feedback
• Suggestions for the future

39
(No Transcript)