Samira Maksoud is a Syrian refugee who has been in Australia less than six months. But that hasn’t stopped her from finding a part-time job and enrolling to study in two tertiary qualifications.

Community support will play a critical role in the successful settlement of an estimated 200 refugees in NSW regional hub Armidale, according to leading humanitarian settlement not-for-profit Settlement Services International (SSI). Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter, announced on Friday that SSI had been contracted to provide on-the-ground settlement services to an estimated 200 refugees who will settle in Armidale in 2018 as part of the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP). SSI was recently successful in obtaining the contract for two of the 11 HSP contract regions: Sydney and NSW regional, which includes Newcastle, Coffs Harbour and the newly defined Armidale refugee settlement area.

Over 350 women from across Sydney and communities worldwide attended the second annual Women of Diversity Dinner in Bankstown on July 29 — over 50 of them having been in our community less than six months. 

Settlement Services International (SSI) will provide settlement services to refugees and humanitarian entrants under the new Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP), continuing its long-term work in this area. In Canberra today, the Australian Government announced SSI was successful in two of the 11 newly defined contract regions across Australia: Sydney and NSW Regional, which covers northern NSW.

We live in a world where nearly 20 people are forcibly displaced every minute as a result of conflict or persecution. A record number of people having to flee their homes and everything they know in search of safety cannot be the responsibility of a few countries, let alone the world’s poorest; it’s a global emergency that warrants global action. 

Hundreds of people showed their support for refugees and an inclusive arts community last month by taking part in NSW’s leading celebration of refugee arts and culture.

When Eleni Christou visited the Greek island of Kos in 2015, she had little idea that she would be heading into the epicentre of an unprecedented global refugee crisis.

SSI kicked off the New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week with the opening of an art exhibition featuring the work of up-and-coming refugee artists alongside more established names such as Alex Seton, Garry Trinh, Aroha Groves and Lindy Lee.

When 28-year-old Afghan refugee Karim, who has an intellectual disability, contacted Ability Links NSW (ALNSW), he didn’t know what to expect. All he knew was that he needed support to "get better".

The New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week brings together new and established communities for a program of visual arts, film, installations and workshops. The festival will include the Singular/Plural art exhibition, featuring established contemporary artists Lindy Lee, Aroha Groves, Alex Seton and Garry Trinh exhibiting alongside newly arrived artists from refugee backgrounds, including Sameer Dakhil — an expert engraver from Iraq.

It has been a full few days at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement in Geneva. SSI is one of a number of international NGOs attending, to discuss pressing issues in response to the global refugee crisis.

Journalists, comedians and writers will explore the blurry lines between freedom of expression and cultural appropriation at an event that will tip the traditional debate format on its head. Cultural appropriation controversies continue to dominate headlines, targeting everything from festival wear to the hairstyles of the Kardashians, but critics argue these continual outcries are stifling the creative expression. Should artists be restricted by cultural boundaries when creating their work?

Rassul Zahrouni had a successful and happy life in Iran. He owned two jewellery shops and enjoyed peace and prosperity with his family and friends.

Shazy Sahrulazizi, Ariff Bahar and Chen Hu are all final year students of the Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Wollongong. As do many of their peers, they juggle classes, study, group assignments and extra-curricular activities, trying to fit everything into their busy schedules.

Mina Furqan couldn’t understand what had happened to her. Back in her home country of Pakistan, she was very active, with a job she loved as a community worker and always involved in lots of projects.

Ladan Haghighat volunteers for SSI in the Friendship Garden at Auburn Centre for Community. That’s fitting because her name, Ladan, is Persian for the nasturtium flower.

Over 200 young refugees have spent a day developing the fundamental skills to successfully settle in Australia at SSI’s E3 Youth Forum, a day of workshops and activities held at the Refugee Welcome Centre in Callan Park earlier this month.

The delight, pride and gratitude were palpable when recipients of the Settlement Services International (SSI) Allianz Australia Refugee Scholarships were acknowledged during a multicultural afternoon tea in Bankstown on April 12.

Affordable housing - why is it so hard to find and how do we work together to fill the gap? 

{loadposition gala-1}   Download Sponsorship Prospectus The event The SSI Mosaic Gala will be held at the stylish Ivy Ballroom on Friday, September 14, 2018. An estimated 400 guests will attend. Purchase tickets/tables now! The concept of a mosaic is about bringing many different elements together to form a beautiful whole. In this way, it […]