What issues were arising at Footscray Community Legal Centre that led you to write this report?
We were seeing a lot of tenancy matters through our refugee legal service, and that led us to establish a dedicated tenancy service for refugees.  We found many clients find it hard to access the Tenants Union as they provide advice largely over the phone, which is not ideal for people who speak limited English, and their drop-in services in Fitzroy are not easy to access for people from the western suburbs. So we set up a refugee tenancy service and from that service we documented the main issues people are experiencing and the underlying causes of their problems.

From your research, what is the main problem facing refugees trying to find adequate housing in Melbourne?
On the one hand there is a huge lack of affordable housing and that restricts people to bottom-end rental properties, often in undesirable locations. In terms of legal disputes, people experience bond disputes at a very high rate, where landlords and real estate agents will often claim bond from refugee tenants, even if they have unsubstantiated claims.  Landlords know that refugees are unlikely to contest an application for bond.
It’s the same situation with repairs, where tenants’ repair complaints can be ignored for weeks, months and even years.

The report lists several recommendations. Which recommendations do you think will be most important?
One of the most important things is that people need better housing assistance, in order to access affordable housing. I think there should be dedicated refugee housing workers who work as part of mainstream housing services, who can provide intensive help in looking for and applying for houses. People are often left with no understanding of the rental system, and they can very easily slip into homelessness. Quite often they will move in with relatives or friends, or the whole family might be sleeping on couches, but they won’t class themselves as being homeless.

What is your background? How did you end up working for the FCLC?
I’ve got a strong interest in social justice and law that seeks to address imbalances.  In particular I have an interest in helping new migrants to Australia, because I came to Australia as a child myself from Argentina, and I’ve seen how easy it is for people to be taken advantage of.

In which regions of Melbourne are problems facing refugees most evident?
Our tenancy service sees clients from all over Melbourne’s west; I think things are particularly difficult further out in suburbs such as Sunshine, St Albans and Melton. However in other suburbs where there is a high density of refugee settlement such as Dandenong you’d expect to see similar problems. 

It must be difficult to prioritise housing for refugees when there are so many people in the wider community struggling to find affordable accommodation?

That is true, but given cultural and language barriers, I think refugees are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to locating affordable housing, and that’s something we can address through dedicated refugee housing workers. 

For more information about Footscray Community Legal Centre's programs click here or call (03) 9689 8444.

 The $95m Federal Government budget funding boost for SBS is a key opportunity to expand its role as Australia’s leading information provider to diverse Australia.

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria Chairperson Joe Caputo said today that SBS must use this funding to meet the communication needs of multicultural Australia.

“In a tight budget with many cutbacks, the Federal Government has endorsed the current work of SBS in reaching diverse Australia,” Mr Caputo said.

“The work of SBS is vital in promoting the rich cultures, skills and talent of the Australian people and in promoting social inclusion.”

Mr Caputo said he urged SBS to use the budget funding to expand and renew its commitment to reaching ageing diverse Australians in particular through radio.

 “Radio is unique because it targets diverse communities specifically, can deliver important community information announcements and can reach isolated individuals within those communities.”

Mr Caputo said the recent SBS radio services review must ensure that greater weight is given to providing radio services for the language needs for the elderly.

“Older diverse Australians are rapidly outgrowing other sections of the population,” Mr Caputo said.

“Our consultations show these individuals are the predominate group to rely heavily on radio to provide key information services in their preferred language.”

Mr Caputo said the Council also saw benefits in expanding SBS services across new TV formats, social media platforms and online services.

“We support SBS reaching a wider cross section of the community to promote a strong multicultural society,” Mr Caputo said.

 “As SBS Ambassador, I wish to promote new SBS media content, while also ensuring that SBS’s core audience receive the vital communication services they need.”

Mr Joe Caputo OAM is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt (03) 9349 4122.

Why is promoting cultural diversity in the arts so important?

Art is a way of sharing culture with the wider community and is important in promoting cultural literacy. Racism often stems from ignorance, so art educates the community and acts as the perfect tool for social cohesion. 

Do you think art plays a vital role in enabling those from CALD backgrounds to tell their stories?

Absolutely, it helps the wider community to connect when they can hear really powerful refugee stories and even physically meet refugees.  The arts reflect radically changing demographics, hybrid models and changing mediums of showcasing a contemporary Australia.

Tell me about your background and what led you to work at Multicultural Arts Victoria?

My family is from a convict background so I consider myself to be from good Irish stock. I’ve always worked in the arts; I formerly worked in theatre and did some youth work, and I have also worked closely with the Koori community developing arts programs.  I spent some time working at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) before heading over to Perth to work as Director for Multicultural Arts in Western Australia. I’ve always looked out for opportunities for art to educate, empower and bring people together.

Are you able to name any particularly special artists you’ve come across during your time at MAV?

There are many, many great artists and lots of extraordinary talents. One of the fantastic artists we’ve seen is Appiah Annan from Ghana, who won a fellowship and now directs the Asanti Dance Theatre.  There’s also Dereb Desalegn from Ethiopia who teamed up with Nicky Bomba, performing at WOMADELAIDE and WOMAD in the UK, as well as heading over to Ethiopia to take part in a festival celebrating Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year).

What do you hope to achieve through the upcoming Emerge Festival?

The Emerge Festival is an opportunity for people to tell their stories through a variety of mediums and showcase extraordinary diversity.  Events such as this are really important as they create a pathway for emerging artists and communities.  It fosters positive attitudes in the wider community by giving them an opportunity to participate and learn, as well as find commonalities amongst each other.  It’s all about access, participation and education through the universal language of art.

The Emerge Festival is being held as part of Refugee Week.  Are there any other ways you suggest people celebrate Refugee Week?

There are lots of activities people can participate in.  It’s about meeting people,talking  with them, and experiencing the very fine work on display. Refugee Week showcases what refugees have to give, and with the negative press sometimes surrounding refugees in the media, it’s great to see the significant contributions they make to the community.

How do the MAV exhibitions such as ‘Heartlands’ affect those in the community not from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds?

In the Heartlands refugees tell their stories through visual mediums.  Conceptually this is very powerful for those from the wider community, as they gain a different perspective.  The winner last year, Ma Lat, told her entire migration story through art - from Burma to Thailand and eventually Australia.

To see more of Multicultural Arts Victoria's exceptional work, visit www.multiculturalarts.com.au.

The Victoria Government’s new $50m international engagement strategy is an opportunity to use Australian migrants’ language skills and networks.

Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria Chairperson Joe Caputo said today that economic growth from international trade opportunities relied upon supporting Victorians with international skills and knowledge.

“Victoria’s attractiveness to international investors and trade partners is because of our highly skilled workforce,” Mr Caputo said.

“Victoria’s migrant population have economically valuable insights into overseas markets, language and business culture which facilitate international business engagement.”

Mr Caputo said the additional $1bn over four years allocated in the state budget to create a better educated and skilled workforce must target migrant communities.

“Currently many diverse community members are working in industries not aligned with their training or not receiving adequate training,” Mr Caputo said.

“We need to take a business smart approach by investing in their training, job readiness and recognise their overseas qualifications.

 “We must integrate the international demand for our state’s business with the under-utilized diverse community labour force.”

Mr Caputo added that growth in net overseas business migration last year meant the Government needed to continue investing in skills training to keep up with demand.

“The treasurer has emphasized fiscal responsibility in this budget and it makes financial sense to invest in areas that promote economic growth and prosperity for Victoria’s large diverse workforce.”

Mr Joe Caputo OAM is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on (03) 9349 4122 or 0410 534 457.

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria today welcomed the 9.2 per cent state budget increase to $21.4m funding as a steady result for Victoria’s multicultural communities.

ECCV Chairperson Mr Joe Caputo said the major budget wins for diverse Victorians were in refugee support programs and language services funding in the areas of education, health and justice. 

“In a budget that forecasts $8.3bn less revenue over the next four years, we are pleased that multiculturalism retains its present funding levels with a modest increase,” Mr Caputo said.

“We have been advocating for program funding to support refugees and asylum seekers for a number of years, so $1.3m is a real win for this neglected area of government investment.” 

Mr Caputo said $7m investment in language education training, $4.1m for language services in the justice system and $3.8m over 4 years for language services in health reflected the growing need for culturally competent service provision. 

“We know that diverse Victorians need to communicate in their preferred language when interacting with service providers,” Mr Caputo said.

“Catering to Victorians with culturally competent services makes good economic sense too because it reduces costly mistakes and longer health consultation times.”

Mr Caputo expressed disappointment at the lack of specific funding provisions for multicultural services within the mainstream service delivery areas of mental health and ageing.

“The delivery of mainstream services must occur within a multicultural framework in order to properly address the needs of diverse Victorians,” Mr Caputo said.

“We urge the government to take this approach when delivering funding to mental health and aged care services.”

Mr Caputo also said the government’s focus on child protection must incorporate diverse community strategies.

“The ECCV wants to see improvements to child protection practice for diverse communities as the additional expenditure for child protection by the government is rolled out,” Mr Caputo said.

Mr Joe Caputo OAM JP is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on (03) 9349 4122 or 0410 534 457.

ECCV Chairperson Joe Caputo called for State Government leadership in education funding.

“Refugees and migrants can have different levels of education because of interrupted schooling or because they are learning English,” Mr Caputo said.

“They need full support – and that means funding – to ensure they can access VCAL training options in their final years of school.”

Mr Caputo said Schooling Resource Standards (SRS) were also a priority roll out for schools where refugee and non-English speaking background students attended.

“The federal Gonski review made it clear School Resourcing Standards should target disadvantaged schools with high migrant populations,” Mr Caputo said.

“We want to make sure the State Government supports these recommendations with funding.”

“Education flexibility creates better career outcomes for diverse Australians,” Mr Caputo said.

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria’s submission is available here with a full list of recommendations.

Mr Joe Caputo OAM is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on (03) 9349 4122.

ECCV Director Ross Barnett said the $24.4 million allocated to diverse Australians needed to focus on prevention and education strategies.

“Our consultations show multicultural seniors access services often at crisis point,” Mr Barnett said.

“We need to use this funding to educate seniors about the services available before they need to enter residential care.”

Mr Barnett said the Government’s focus on keeping seniors active and living independently was a strategy which empowered diverse seniors.

“Most diverse seniors want to stay in the home because of their strong ties to family,” Mr Barnett said.

“To achieve this goal we need more home care workers who are trained to respond to their culturally specific needs.”

Mr Barnett said the funding would be most effective if it was rolled out in partnership with ethnic seniors groups.

“ Partnerships with ethnic seniors groups are the key to getting information to multicultural seniors,” Mr Barnett said.

“ Diverse seniors need to feel they are getting information from trusted sources in cultural and language appropriate settings.”

He said the funding was a positive recognition of the needs of diverse seniors and that it would need to grow to keep up with demand.

“The percentage of multicultural seniors will grow rapidly across the next decade relative to the rest of the population,” Mr Barnett said.

“ The Government must take preventative action now by resourcing service providers, ethnic seniors groups and home carers to deal with the large numbers of older diverse Australians.”

 
Mr Ross Barnett is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt (03) 9349 4122.

What types of people benefit from the accommodation program?
We have an agreement with DIAC to work with refugees.  We assist people who arrive in Australia with very little or no knowledge of services such as Centrelink or Medicare. We sit down with families and calculate income, show them local areas and link them with the community.

What are some of the challenges faced in implementing short-term/long-term accommodation programs?
We always have to be realistic about what people can afford. We need to ensure that properties are being maintained. Sometimes it can be hard to maintain agent relationships if real estate agencies don’t appreciate what we’re trying to do.  It is also challenging with people coming on single visas from detention centres who find it difficult to understand that they must share a house. 

In which areas of Victoria is the accommodation program focused?
The program is focused in metropolitan areas mainly.  There are only six people working in the program for AMES, with 20 people working in offices in areas such as Noble Park, Dandenong, Werribee, Ringwood and Footscray- East, West, North and South.

How do you convince real estate agencies to come on board with the program?

In the first stages it was difficult to convince agents.  We continuously do follow ups with clients to ensure they are paying rent and maintaining the property. We can then give them a good reference to agencies.  We always try to brief agencies on our intentions and try to act as a mediator, protecting the rights of both sides. 

We also hold many morning teas to help encourage partnerships.  We work with organisations such as Redback and Brotherhood of St Laurence who help introduce clients to properties, as well as providing basic household items and food services.

On average, how long do clients require short-term and long-term accommodation services after arrival in Australia?
AMES works with Redback, who greet clients and take them to their properties if they’ve already been referred by a case manager. This generally means they will have one month of paid accommodation available to them.  The time they spend in short term accommodation can vary from case to case, and depends on what links they may already have here.

How does the program help clients make the transition to being self-sufficient? Do you also offer employment services or other assistance?
We offer various assessment options, and undertake most of the process together with the client such as inspecting, applying for properties, and drawing up contracts. We are continuously performing one-on-one training regarding property maintenance, as well as where to find necessary healthcare and welfare services.  AMES provides clients with 10 Settlement Information sessions, which cover issues around settlement, health, travel, and housing. After six months we hope they will know how to be more independent.

Given your own experience in coming to Australia from Iraq, how passionate are you about helping new arrivals to Australia?
I am 100 per cent passionate. All the people working with us, they all come from refugee backgrounds.  It means we can empathise a lot more with issues facing the clients when they come to Australia.

For more information about AMES Housing Service click HERE.   

Multicultural communities participate, support and recognise the importance of Anzac Day celebrations in modern Australia.

ECCV Chairperson Joe Caputo in response to the Century of Service report today rejected the suggestion Anzac Day was an inappropriate commemoration in a multicultural society.

“We are proud of the sacrifices made by all Australians to contribute to our way of life,” Mr Caputo said.

 “Migrant arrivals recognise the freedoms we enjoy are a result of these sacrifices.

"The Turkish Australian community in particular have publicly reemphasized their support for Anzac Day.”

Mr Caputo also pointed out Australian society was multicultural all areas including the defence forces.

“Australians from many different cultural backgrounds have served in defence of this country,” Mr Caputo said.

Mr Caputo added the suggestion that multiculturalism was a divisive factor in Anzac Day had been taken out of context.

“The Century of Service report says Anzac Day should be ‘inclusive of the entire Australian community’ and is an opportunity to ‘break down some barriers’ between community members,” Mr Caputo said.

“The ECCV believes Anzac Day re-enforces the Australian values of unity and harmony which all Australians support.

“I have visited two major war cemeteries on the island of Limnos where hundreds of young men are buried.

 “We should encourage Australians to visit these sites to understand the futility of war.”

Mr Joe Caputo JP is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt (03) 9349 4122.

Victoria Police must train frontline domestic violence response units in culturally sensitivity issues the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) said today.

ECCV’s comments comes in response to Victoria Police announcement that they will double police numbers to combat domestic violence.

ECCV Director Ross Barnett said consultations have shown domestic violence is widely under-reported in CALD* communities.

“The factors that contribute to the non-reporting of violence in CALD communities include personal issues, cultural and religious factors, language and institutional barriers,” Mr Barnett said.

 “CALD women in rural areas faced additional obstacles including physical and cultural isolation.”

Mr Barnett said CALD women who do report to police face additional challenges navigating the legal system.

“Many CALD women don’t have access to interpreters, legal service providers and translated information about their legal rights,” Mr Barnett said.

He added domestic violence units should partner with trained multicultural officers to address violence as part of a coordinated response strategy.

“ECCV has worked with Victoria Police for numerous years on domestic violence and anti-racism strategies,” he said.

“We welcome Victoria Police’s focus on this area as a key community priority.”

Mr Barnett is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on 0410 534 457.

*CALD, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

Mr Caputo has been awarded the medal as a part of Australia Day Awards for service to the Italian community in Australia, to the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and to local government.

Mr Caputo has held numerous high profile leadership positions in the community including as mayor of the City of Darebin, a commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission and is currently president of the Federazione Pugliese D'Australia as well as ECCV Chairperson.

Mr Caputo said he was looking forward to building on his 30 years of experience in multicultural advocacy.

 “I am honoured to receive this prestigious recognition,” Mr Caputo said.

“I will use this award to continue improving the lives and outcomes for multicultural Australians.”

ECCV Director Ross Barnett is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on 0410 534 457.

Mr Barnett’s comments respond to respected neurosurgeon Dr Charles Teo’s Australia Day Council celebration remarks that racism is “very much alive in Australia.”

“Mr Teo is describing personal racism which still occurs against Australians as they go about their everyday lives,” Mr Barnett says.

“There’s no point making excuses for racist remarks as ignorance, we should name them for what they are.”

Mr Barnett says Mr Teo’s comments show racism can affect Australians at all levels of society.

“Governments cannot pretend that personal racist attacks don’t occur or down play them,” Mr Barnett says.

“We need to transform this harmful cultural attitude that racist comments are made in a light-hearted way or with no real consequences.”  

Mr Barnett says, however, that institutionalized racism is being tackled well by the Australian Government.

 “The recent launch of the Australian Human Rights Commission Anti-Racism Partnership Strategy is a real sign the Federal Government is serious about institutionalised racism,” Mr Barnett says.

“The People of Australia Ambassadors, launched this week, also show our society has many leaders working to eliminate cases of personal racism.

“We look to the Federal Government to engage the community in a public awareness campaign about the harmful effects of racism.

 “It will take time for all the community to learn that it has no place in multicultural Australia.”

Mr Barnett adds the overwhelming majority of Australians live and work together in harmony.

Mr Barnett is available for comment and interview. Please call Sarah Hunt on 0410 534 457 / (03) 9349 4122.

What fostered your initial passion for robotics?

I went to an outreach program when I was ten in Cairns and we had to do some soldering of a cricket. That was my first experience where I got to make something with electronics and I really liked it.

What kind of challenges do you think women from diverse backgrounds face in accessing engineering?

I don’t think [ethnicity] makes much of a difference in Australia. I haven’t experienced discrimination based on my ethnicity and ethnic communities study hard so we can get into any course we want.

For women, I think there are perceptions of engineering that it involves maths, hard hats and that it’s boring. They don’t see the bigger pictures that engineers work together in teams and they solve problems that benefit everyone in society. That isn’t conveyed to girls when they’re younger.

How does your cultural background give you an advantage in your career pathway?

My family’s background has played a role in where I am. When my mother came here she carried with her a lot of qualities of Chinese parents overseas. She believed in diversity of skills, such as extra-curricular activities at young age, hard work and academia. My mum encouraged me to follow my dreams.

You speak Cantonese, Japanese and you are studying Mandarin. How does multilingualism provide you with a professional competitive advantage?

I think it's made me able to interact with people of different cultures a lot more easily and to be a lot more accepting of differences. I see the study of language as a portal to broadening my mind about other cultures, gaining understanding and new ways of thinking.

You’ve now expanded Robogals across Australian and overseas to 17 different chapters. How important is it for you to have an international perspective for your foundation?

I think the lack of females in engineering is a very western problem; in India and China they have enough female engineers. All these perceptions about [women’s] capabilities are just a myth.

The international perspective is important from a community point of view. So rather than being one chapter, it means we have fixed chapters all over Australia working on the same problem. It makes it exciting to know that people in the UK and the USA are experiencing the same thing - it makes the world a smaller place and that people overseas are exactly the same.

You’ve spoken about how robotics can offer the answers to mundane tasks. Does technology solve problems, or do you think creates new levels of complexity in life?

I think technology creates more simplicity. In the past 50 years our life expectancy has increased and most of that is because of engineering. That includes changes to the way we process sewage, transport innovations and our standards of food. In that sense, technology is incredible because there’s a lot more shared knowledge, resources and understanding between people.

What is your vision and strategy for Robogals?

We are currently entirely student run and voluntary. We want to employ a full-time staff member. In the next 3-5 years, we want to teach 100,000 girls around the world and have 100 chapters which would be able to achieve with staff.

You can find out more about Robogals at www.robogals.org.