Principles of Multiculturalism in practice - highlights from NSW Government agencies and local councils

The Diversity Dividend
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The depth and breadth of the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity in New South Wales compels us to find mechanisms for maintaining community harmony and social cohesion.
The Principles of Multiculturalism, outlined in section 3 of the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000 (the Act), provide the conceptual core around which all of the objectives and functions of the Community Relations Commission revolve.
The Principles articulate the values of multiculturalism as the policy of the state of New South Wales (s.3(3)), to apply to every individual and group residing in New South Wales. However, the legislation places the responsibility for observing and upholding those values on the chief executive officer of every government agency (s.3(5)).
This section of the Act was amended in 2010 to bring greater clarity to the positioning of multiculturalism in New South Wales, and to highlight the fact that the policy is not about maintaining separate identities in a shared space, but about making a common commitment to the broader values of the Australian system of governance.
In New South Wales, multiculturalism is founded on the following principles (the ‘Principles of Multiculturalism’):
(a) the people of New South Wales are of different linguistic, religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds who, either individually or in community with other members of their respective groups, are free to profess, practise and maintain their own linguistic, religious, racial and ethnic heritage
This principle commonly finds expression through the celebration of cultural or religious events. It may also include attempts to encourage communities to maintain their heritage by recording and sharing their cultural practices with younger generations, or with the broader community.
(b) all individuals in New South Wales, irrespective of their linguistic, religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds, should demonstrate a unified commitment to Australia, its interests and future and should recognise the importance of shared values governed by the rule of law within a democratic framework
As a country, Australia has strong legislative, judicial and executive provisions in place to guarantee fairness for all citizens. The rule of law and democracy are solid foundations upon which our diverse community can equitably enjoy all that this country has to offer. It is important to recognise that while diversity is respected and facilitated, different cultural or religious practices should not interfere with those underlying values that are essential to our systems of governance.
(c) all individuals in New South Wales should have the greatest possible opportunity to contribute to, and participate in, all aspects of public life in which they may legally participate
The Principles of Multiculturalism in practice – highlights from NSW Government agencies and local councils
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The provision of interpreting and translation services contributes greatly to the capacity of non-English speaking individuals to access and use public services in a meaningful way. This is underscored by policies and programs that are inclusive and respectful of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity. Clear communication, and marketing to diverse ethnic groups, enhances participation in public life.
(d) all individuals and institutions should respect and make provision for the culture, language and religion of others within an Australian legal and institutional framework where English is the common language
This principle recognises the common platform of the English language, and formal systems of governance and public institutions as the core around which all cultural, religious and linguistic expression should circulate.
Within that common framework provision should be made to acknowledge, and respect, diversity.
(e) all individuals should have the greatest possible opportunity to make use of and participate in relevant activities and programmes provided or administered by the Government of New South Wales
The NSW Government is mandated to provide services for all persons resident in the state. However, it is widely acknowledged that not all people have equal capacity to participate in government initiated or sponsored programs. This principle directs government agencies to make special provision to enable all members of our culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse community to participate
(f) all institutions of New South Wales should recognise the linguistic and cultural assets in the population of New South Wales as a valuable resource and promote this resource to maximise the development of the State
The introduction of the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000 a decade ago has underscored the positive contribution of diversity to the social and economic prosperity of the state. The declaration made in this principle has encouraged NSW agencies to look upon diversity as something to be celebrated and harnessed to achieve the broader goalsof our state.
This chapter highlights some of the programs and projects undertaken by NSW Government agencies and local councils which illustrate the Principles of Multiculturalism in practice. The majority of initiatives will have occurred during the calendar year of 2011, however some examples occurred during the latter months of 2010. Because these initiatives missed the production deadline for the earlier report, they have been included in this report. Similarly, the 2012 report may contain some activities from late 2011.
The initiatives featured in this chapter demonstrate innovative solutions to emerging and complex issues, the importance of partnership between public authorities and communities, and the invaluable input of volunteers.
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COMMUNITY
ageing, Disability and Home Care – Department of Family and Community services
Ageing, Disability and Home Care released its first Language Services Policy (the Policy) and Language Services Guidelines in late 2010 and has started implementing the Policy, to enable ADHC staff to effectively communicate with clients and carers with low proficiency in English. In order to promote the Policy and its implications for ADHC staff and the funded sector, and to increase staff cultural competency, a series of seven workshops on the effective use of language services was delivered to approximately 260 staff across all of ADHC’s regions. A specific training program was developed for these workshops. This training program will continue to be refined and used by regions for future training sessions. The Language Services Guidelines and a range of practical factsheets on language services have also been developed and circulated to ADHC staff and funded partners as additional resources. These are available on ADHC’s intranet and through the Service Provider Portal.
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE In partnership with SBS, Ageing, Disability and Home Care launched a series of eleven radio broadcasts called the HomeReach series in February 2011. The HomeReach series is aimed at increasing awareness about services that are available to frail older people, younger people with disabilities, and their carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The series was produced in the following nine languages: Assyrian, Cantonese, English, Greek, Hindi, Laotian, Macedonian, Turkish, and Vietnamese. The series is now available by podcast at the SBS website. Transcripts of the episodes are also available on the ADHC intranet and website.
Ageing, Disability & Home Care’s Home reach 2011 series
In May 2011, Ageing, Disability and Home Care introduced important changes to the way the agency collects and remediates cultural diversity data. Improved data collection will have a significant positive impact on ADHC’s ability to identify needs and plan culturally appropriate and effective services that meet the needs of people with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. ADHC staff are now recording consistent and more detailed information about both clients and primary carers. A factsheet which provides a rationale for these changes and guides staff in collecting this information has been prepared and distributed through the ADHC intranet.
The Building Inclusive Communities in Auburn Pilot Project is a major new initiative, based on a partnership between Ageing, Disability and Home Care’s Metro North Region and Auburn Diversity Services Inc (ADSI). The key objective of the project is to support community development, so that people with a disability and their families/carers are included, have valued social roles and can fully participate as citizens. The project involves raising awareness of disability, breaking down stigma associated with disability, providing support to families accessing entry points into the community, and improving the integration of disability services into the mainstream community. The project has engaged and worked with all people with a disability and their families/carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have been identified as being able to benefit from support.
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Commission for Children and young people
The NSW Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) holds regular seminars and workshops to provide information on child safe and child-friendly practices to individuals and organisations. Across late 2010 and 2011, the CCYP pursued a number of initiatives to communicate these practices to culturally and linguistically diverse communities in New South Wales.
Working in consultation with the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools, they translated the Child Safe Check Up information sheet into four community languages: Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic.
In July 2011 the CCYC held a Child Safe Organisation seminar at the Arabic Workers Network and in September 2011 at the Community Relations Symposium.
They presented Child Safe Organisation workshops at the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools annual conference in October 2011 and advertised and promoted seminars and workshops to the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools membership.
And, again in conjunction with the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools, the CCYC held two Child Safe Organisation seminars in Campsie and Liverpool in September 2011, which attracted 75 representatives from 27 community language schools.
Community Relations Commission
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The Community Relations Commission hosted the 2011 Community Relations Symposium in September. The theme was ‘Where do we go from here?’ which enabled participants to explore and discuss matters important to multicultural Australia. Approximately 230 participants took part in the Symposium including delegates representing community, government, academic, religious, corporate and sporting organisations. Five concurrent workshops in line with the theme encouraged discussion, the sharing of ideas and practical advice on issues of importance. The community views expressed and reported at the 2011 Symposium provided the Commission with further insight into priority issues for community organisations.
The Community Relations Commission 2011 Youth Leaders Day was attended by approximately 200 participants. These included student delegates from a mix of private, government and religious schools from across Sydney, workshop presenters, facilitators and Commission staff. The Day was themed ‘Who Am I?’, which focused on young people and their search for identity. The Multicultural Youth Network (MYN) played a key role in the consultation and planning process for the day. Members of the MYN participated in a facilitator training session in the lead-up to the event, to equip them with the skills to effectively facilitate one of the five concurrent workshops on the day.
In March 2011 the Community Relations Commission Multicultural Youth Network (MYN) organised a successful networking evening at the Riverside Theatre, Parramatta. The event enabled members of the MYN to undertake leadership roles in the planning and implementation of the event and they acted as hosts at the function. Over 90 young people between 16 and 30 years of age participated, from diverse cultural backgrounds and from youth organisations across Sydney. The event was an opportunity for young people to expand existing networks with other young people from different communities living in New South Wales, and fostered open and informative dialogue about a range of contemporary issues.
Community Relations Commission’s Youth Leaders Day 2011
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In response to media coverage concerning identity and full face coverings, and following a request by the NSW Police Commissioner, the Community Relations Commission organised a working party with key members of the Islamic community to discuss their views on removal of the burqa and niqab for identity checks. The working party advised and made recommendations to the Commission on the concerns and experiences of Muslim community members in relation to the wearing of the burqa and niqab in the context of NSW Government service provision. The Community Relations Commission contacted a number of relevant NSW Government agencies requesting advice on existing policies and procedures which were then reviewed by the working party. In keeping with the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act, the working party agreed that people have the right to choose to wear religious coverings in Australia, but they must comply with requests for identification purposes.
Cabinet agreed on a common set of guidelines and the Identification Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 was assented on 20 September 2011.This Act amends certain legislation to enable police officers and certain other public officials to require the removal of face coverings for identification purposes; to enable police officers to request the identities of persons in connection with the giving of move on directions; and to provide for identification procedures in connection with statutory declarations and affidavits. In January 2012 the O’Farrell government issued Memorandum 2012–01 regarding ‘Policy on Identity and Full Face Coverings for NSW Public Sector Agencies’. The Community Relations Commission is continuing to work with communities to develop an education program to inform their members of their rights and obligations under the policy.
In 2011, The Community Relations Commission convened consultations in Gymea and Crows Nest. Community leaders and service providers throughout the Sydney metropolitan area attended these meetings and put forward their concerns to the Commission in relation to community harmony and social cohesion. Such consultations assist the Commission to analyse and feed into decision-making processes.
The Community Relations Commission also consulted with Egyptian community members and other Middle Eastern communities in light of overseas events affecting local communities. The Commission convened several meeting with leaders of the Egyptian community to discuss issues related to international students, the situation in Egypt and local community relations concerns. This resulted in an international student seminar for in excess of 60 Egyptian students in July 2011, where matters related to life in Australia, such as work rights, safety, accommodation rights and responsibilities, and pathway options were discussed.
Under the leadership of the Community Relations Commission, the NSW Government Immigration and Settlement Planning Committee is an effective mechanism in coordinating the development of NSW
Community Relations Commission’s Information Session for Egyptian overseas students
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policy and positions. In 2011, the Committee provided input to the review of the NSW State Migration Plan and concentrated on numerous matters, including international students, skilled migration, refugee health and housing, and Australia’s Migration and Humanitarian Programs. The Committee will provide input in 2012 to the newly established Select Council on Immigration and Settlement.
The Community Relations Commission’s work in the area of settlement planning is supported by its regular consultations with migrant communities and community settlement service providers through the Commission’s engagement with the Settlement Services Coalition. Ongoing quarterly meetings enable Community Settlement Service workers and refugee and humanitarian entrant workers to advocate issues of concern for their communities on a state level and provide input into service delivery, policy development and community programs with a NSW state focus. In 2011, the Coalition focused on a number of pressing issues including unaccompanied minors, community detention, rental accommodation for new arrivals and changes to the delivery of the Adult Migrant Education Program.
The aim of the Religious Workers’ Orientation Training Project is to provide a cultural orientation program for religious and community leaders of diverse faiths, including imams, to assist those involved and also to inform potential future strategies. The project was funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, under the National Action Plan, and executed by the Community Relations Commission. The Commission first established a multifaith, community-based steering committee for this project. Commission staff then drafted a text containing teaching, learning and assessment material and a course syllabus, entitled Serving in a New Land: an Orientation and Appraisal for Religious Workers Coming to Australia. After extensive consultation and redrafting the text was used as a curriculum for a pilot study, two-day, face-to-face multifaith training program conducted at the Melkite Catholic Eparchy in Sydney in February 2011. The short online course in the text was also piloted in face-to-face mode. The text has now been significantly rewritten and is currently in print and awaiting distribution. Text and online course materials will soon be available on the CRC website.
The aim of the Islamic Scripture Extension Project is to develop a resource kit for current Islamic religious education providers in NSW Government schools. The project was funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, under the National Action Plan, and has been executed by the Community Relations Commission since 2007. Commission staff initially drafted a text and learning material, entitled My Religion, Our Country: a Resource for Islamic Religious Education in Australia, and after tightly controlled consultation the document was significantly redrafted on two occasions. The current version is now ready for a more broad-based consultation, particularly with representatives of the various sects of Islam, and this process is currently underway.
The Audit Office of NSW undertook a performance audit of the Community Relations Commission and the Department of Premier and Cabinet in 2011 to examine how well New South Wales plans for, and responds to, the needs of humanitarian entrants on arrival, at initial settlement, and post orientation. With respect to the Commission, the audit team met with Commission staff and examined relevant documents and processes. The audit team also met with numerous service providers and government agencies in urban and regional areas of New South Wales. The fieldwork component of the audit has been completed. The Audit Office Report and recommendations are expected in March 2012.
The availability of affordable burial space is of concern to a large number of communities in the Sydney region. Over the last few years the NSW Government has been actively talking to ethnic and
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religious leaders, members of the public and communities about this issue, in meetings facilitated by the Community Relations Commission. Various alternatives for the use and re-use of burial space have been discussed at these meetings. Due to the highly sensitive nature of this issue and the fact that a number of communities will be affected, the Community Relations Commission has made representations on behalf of a number of communities requesting that the introduction of renewable tenure be deferred until adequate provision has been made for communities requiring permanent tenure for gravesites.
The Community Relations Commission Multicultural Street Festival funding program enables local councils to build harmonious communities through participation and planning of events at the local level. The program highlights the partnership between state and local governments and communities. The Community Relations Commission offers three years of consecutive funding to selected local government areas on the proviso that the council enter into an agreement to run the Street Festivals program for a further two years. Wollongong City Council, Camden Council and Wagga Wagga City Council are currently participating in the Street Festival program, and held festivals during 2011. The Commission has approached Liverpool City Council, Orange City Council, Maitland City Council and Tamworth Regional Council to participate in the Street Festival program in 2012.
In 2011, Commissioners and staff of the Community Relations Commission visited the Sri Mandir Temple in Auburn following several serious attacks on the temple. The Community Relations Commission met with community and religious leaders in the area to discuss concerns and discuss prevention strategies. The Commission will continue to work closely with the community and other government agencies including the NSW Police Force…