Chaldean community bridges technology skills gap thanks to Community Innovation Fund
Increasingly, newly arrived refugees are being required to navigate online forms in English for services crucial to their everyday life, such as online banking and Centrelink.
Punchbowl restaurant changes lives through inclusion
Rashays Casual Dining recently announced that “by 2019 all Rashays restaurants will be deaf friendly.”
A brighter future for a father and his son
Xiaolong Yang is a middle aged single father who is living with physical and psychiatric disability. After connecting with SSI Ability Links through his linker Kathy, he began learning more about the NDIS, looking at ways to gain support from it and also have a more active participation in the community.
Creating more inclusive communities
Settlement Services International (SSI) has been working on a joint initiative with the Disability Inclusion office at the Department of Family & Community Services (FACS), the NSW Business Chamber and seven local government areas to foster more inclusive communities for people with disability, particularly those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
SSI welcomes State Budget support for vulnerable children and families
Settlement Services International welcomes the contribution the NSW Government is to make in support of vulnerable children, families, disability services and multiculturalism, according to the 2018–19 NSW State Budget delivered on June 19 by NSW Treasurer, the Hon Dominic Perrottet MP.
Welcome2Sydney: a new project co-designed by the City of Sydney and Settlement Services International
Welcome2Sydney Ambassadors Alice and Kate recently had the privilege of guiding Sydney newcomers Renold and his family on a tour of Sydney’s cultural hotspots.
Innovative artist blends technology with art to build engagement during Refugee Week
Iranian refugee, artist and engineer Majid Rabet is facilitating a series of creative workshops for newly arrived artists in the lead up to the SSI New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week 2018, staged at the Refugee Welcome Centre, Lilyfield.
Increase to waiting period for migrant income support payments discriminatory, says SSI
Settlement Services International (SSI) says changes announced in the federal budget will have harmful effects on migrant families and their children.
SSI successfully hosts first DiverseAbility NDIS Inclusion Conference
With more than 200 delegates and 50 speakers, the first-of-its-kind conference in NSW put the emphasis on discussing issues and challenges specific to people with disability from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background.
Theatre: a new old way of talking about disability in CALD communities
Theatre is one of the most ancient forms of art. The word theatre itself means a place for viewing, but theatre is more than that. Theatre is telling stories; it is turning a group of people into an audience and bringing them together to enjoy an experience.
The facts on refugees in Armidale
Learning English, connecting with the community, and finding employment and housing will be the key priorities for refugee families arriving in Armidale in the coming months, according to a leading settlement expert. Yamamah Agha, the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) Manager for community organisation and social business Settlement Services International (SSI), said in the 16 years she had been working with refugees, those areas consistently rated among new arrivals’ top goals for life in Australia.
From the CEO — Multiculturalism and “African gang crime”
Australia has always had a mixed relationship with its multicultural identity. On one hand, we embrace multiculturalism through national celebrations like Harmony Day and take great pride in the diversity of cultural expressions like food.
Refugee resourcefulness, grassroots heroes recognised on Australia Day
Six projects supporting refugee communities in south-west Sydney have today received a boost from not-for-profit Settlement Services International’s $50,000 Community Innovation Fund. SSI announced today the first six recipients of grants from the ground-breaking fund, which honours the unsung heroes who contribute to Australian society by offering grassroots support to newly arrived members of the community.
SSI celebrates IDPwD with community, local government and business
SSI observed the 2017 International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) by celebrating community organisations, local governments, businesses and community members working towards disability inclusion.
Techfugees hackathon builds social capital around refugee settlement
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.
Resource showcasing innovative service delivery model launches
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.
“SSI has helped us to love Australia”
Patience is a virtue when beginning a new life in Australia, according to newly arrived refugee Mania Terzabian, who is taking her goals one step at a time.
Festival shatters refugee stereotypes
Artists, craftspeople and gastronomes forging new lives in Australia will take centre stage at a free festival in November that challenges stereotypes about newly arrived communities. On November 18, Sydney’s iconic Darling Harbour will host the New Beginnings Festival in Spring, where thousands of Sydneysiders will gather to enjoy the musical, culinary and artistic talents of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
Employment expo opens the door for refugee job seekers
More than 500 job seekers of refugee background received first-hand advice and guidance on how to access sustainable employment at the Refugee Job Start: Information Expo in October.
SSI partners with Allianz on employment program for young refugees
A new program that aims to teach young refugees basic business skills and help them find a job was announced in Sydney today. The ‘Allianz Ladder’ program will familiarise refugee youth with business environments and help them develop the core skills and confidence they need to find their first job in Australia.