Yoga Raja has a talent for “food carving” that is finding appreciative audiences at Sydney weddings and functions. Yoga, 32, is an artist and food – watermelons, carrots and white radish – is his medium. From a watermelon he can carve a life-like human portrait, and from carrots and radish he sculpts bouquets of flowers that people approach to smell as if real.

Tony Podesta believes tennis is a ‘lifetime’ sport. So who better to teach tennis to then recently arrived refugees settling into their new lives in Australia?  A group of 8 to 12 children and adults has participated in a Tennis Australia Multicultural Tennis Program for Refugees at the Tony Podesta School of Tennis in Fairfield once a week for the past 10 weeks. 

The importance of maintaining a child’s connection to their cultural heritage, language and religion while in foster care should not be underestimated. During NSW Foster Care week, September 14-21, Manager of Multicultural Foster Care Service (MFCS) Mr Ghassan Noujaim, hopes to highlight the important work of the services’ foster carers in helping maintain cultural connections. “Our foster carers are incredible in their dedication to, and support for, keeping cultural links for their foster children,” said Mr Noujaim.

They have escaped crises and horrors around the world to find some peace of mind on soccer fields in western Sydney. Now, seven months after a generous community campaign helped them join a Sydney soccer club, this team of refugees and asylum seekers will challenge for a championship.

Settlement Services International (SSI) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the tender to deliver Status Resolution Support Services in NSW and ACT. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has worked with stakeholders over the past 18 months to bring four existing support programs for asylum seekers together into a single program to deliver support services to clients while their immigration status is being resolved. The resulting program is known as Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS)

SSI’s third Speakers’ Series event for 2014 explored the theme: Perception is reality: How do we form our perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers? SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis explained the significance of the theme. “In recent years we have seen a hardening of views, particularly towards asylum seekers, and the existence of these negative views has resulted in refugees and asylum seekers experienceing discrimination, isolation and not feeling safe in their communities,” Ms Roumeliotis said. “So SSI is committed to understanding public opinion and undertaking initiatives to influence and to try to change negative perceptions. To address these negative perceptions we need to understand how they are formed: to what extent are these negative views shaped by political discourse, media or by our own values as Australians?” The panel: Chris Rau, Superintendent Mark Wright, Professor Andrew Markus and Oliver Laughland.

  Young people seeking asylum in Australia are in need of many essential items but the gift of free sports shoes and boots will provide something vital for all youth – fun. On August 30, 50 young people living in Sydney on bridging visas will get that gift when the Asylum Sneakers campaign promoted by Welcome to Australia and soccer commentator Les Murray hits town. Leila Druery from the non-profit organisation Welcome to Australia said the campaign idea grew from seeing the affect sport could have. “Asylum Sneakers came about after seeing the incredibly positive impact of sport on young asylum seeker children in detention centres and in the community,” she said. “Sadly, many children’s participation in sport is limited by not being able to afford shoes and sports equipment.” Settlement Services International (SSI) is a leading not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of services in the areas of humanitarian settlement, asylum seeker assistance, accommodation, foster care and disability support in NSW. The young recipients are all from SSI’s Community Support program.

This week marks the second anniversary of Settlement Services International (SSI) delivering support programs to asylum seekers in NSW. From about 15 staff supporting 75 clients in 2012, SSI now has 160 staff members.  Manager Humanitarian Services David Keegan said it was a testament to staff and team leaders that the organisation had successfully and efficiently negotiated the large growth in such a short timeframe.

A short film, which premiere’s today, explores the real life experience of homelessness faced by refugee youth living without their families in Sydney. ‘Broken Time’ is the story of Ali, an Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minor (UHM), who falls back on his survival instinct when he finds himself homeless on the streets of Sydney. Developed by Settlement Services International (SSI), which provides services to humanitarian entrants, with funding from The Australia Council for the Arts, the film will be launches today in Bankstown, to coincide with International Youth Day. Dilber Hussain played the role of Ali, and was all too familiar with the experience of his character in the film. Dilber is from Pakistan and arrived in Australia in 2012 as a UHM at the tender age of 17. When his circumstances rapidly deteriorated and he was faced with homelessness, Dilber said he was frightened. “Staying in a different place every night, and with strangers, it was hard,” said Dilber. “I didn’t know how to get help, and I feel very lonely here without my family.”

A short film, which premiere’s today, explores the real life experience of homelessness faced by refugee youth living without their families in Sydney. ‘Broken Time’ is the story of Ali, an Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minor (UHM), who falls back on his survival instinct when he finds himself homeless on the streets of Sydney. Developed by Settlement Services International (SSI), which provides services to humanitarian entrants, with funding from The Australia Council for the Arts, the film will be launches today in Bankstown, to coincide with International Youth Day. Dilber Hussain played the role of Ali, and was all too familiar with the experience of his character in the film. Dilber is from Pakistan and arrived in Australia in 2012 as a UHM at the tender age of 17. When his circumstances rapidly deteriorated and he was faced with homelessness, Dilber said he was frightened.

Settlement Services International’s (SSI) third Speakers’ Series event for 2014 will explore the theme: Perception is reality: How do we form our perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers? The live panel discussion will approach the complex question from different angles following a presentation by Professor Andrew Markus, who heads the Scanlon Foundation’s Mapping Social Cohesion research program based at Monash University. The 2014 Mapping Social Cohesion report suggested that the majority of Australians support a humanitarian settlement program, which assesses refugees overseas but are negative towards asylum seekers arriving by boat. The predominant view is that asylum seekers are illegal economic migrants. Claims of persecution are often ignored as a push factor. These views have increased since 2011. 

Mohamadreza Ashori, 30, dreamt of competing at the Olympic Games, and still holds on to those hopes despite setbacks throughout his life. In May he won the 74 kilogram division at the Australia Cup of Wrestling. He would have qualified for the Commonwealth Games earlier in the year after success in other events, but he is not an Australian citizen. Mohamadreza is seeking refugee protection in Australia and has lived in the community for about 12 months while his application is assessed. That means he is not eligible to compete in the Games. He has been supported by Settlement Services International’s (SSI) Community Support Program during that time.

  Mahdia, 18, could not attend school in Iran because of social and financial barriers. But since she arrived in Australia with her mother and brothers, she has thrown herself into school work with vigour. “I really, really love going to school,” Mahdia said, “because I had so many barriers in the country where I came from. I love my school, I love my teachers and subjects and I love to study. I like to go to the library to study whenever I can and if I don’t, I feel like I have missed out on something.”  Mahdia was born in Iran, where her family had fled to from war-torn Afghanistan. Attending school in Iran was all but impossible, she said, because of her gender and ethnicity. “But I studied by myself and went to an institute to study English,” Mahdia said. “Then we came here to Australia. We were so broken. We had a lot of issues but we did it.” 

  Australia has a long and proud history of resettling some of the most vulnerable refugee women and their families, however, major gaps in support services for these women have been identified and need to be addressed.  Speaking today in Sydney at the Refugee Women at Risk forum hosted by Settlement Service International (SSI), SSI Manager Humanitarian Services David Keegan said that based on consultations with refugee women, it’s clear the current level of support should be reviewed. “Research conducted by the UNSW Centre for Refugee Research suggests refugee women in Australia under the Woman Risk visa category experience higher levels of post-traumatic stress and face greater challenges on resettlement,” he said. As the largest provider of services to refugee women in NSW, SSI has observed that a significant number of refugee women who enter via other visa classes have also suffered extreme physical and sexual violence and trauma prior to their arrival and require higher level specialist support services during settlement in Australia. “SSI currently supports about 1000 vulnerable women, and consultations with 50 women have highlighted a greater need for support services, particularly in employment, affordable housing, health and education,” Mr Keegan continued.

Yasmi Houmi, 101 years old, from Iraq, has survived the Assyrian Genocide, World Wars I and II, the Iran-Iraq war, US and Allied Forces wars in Iraq, and the Syrian civil war, to arrive safely in Australia. Having endured many conflicts across several countries, Yasmi was accepted as part of Australia’s humanitarian settlement program for refugees and brought to Sydney in January. She now lives with long-time friends in western Sydney and is supported by Settlement Services International’s (SSI) Humanitarian Settlement program. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said Yasmi was a living treasure and her resettlement as a refugee in Australia after a lifetime of struggle is something all Australians would be proud of. “Yasmi has survived too many conflicts for one person,” Ms Roumeliotis said, “but she has still managed to live a fruitful life and remain positive.” Yasmi is just one of the 2.5 million people who have fled Syria to escape the violent civil war, and she is one of 13,750 refugees who will resettle in Australia this year under the Humanitarian settlement program.   “The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has described the Syrian conflict as the largest humanitarian operation in history, so, as a humanitarian organisation and as Australians, we are proud to support Yasmi and other refugees seeking a safe haven.

Following the success of the SSI client art exhibition at Verge Gallery, “Art is Our Voice” has been invited to feature in Holroyd City Council’s event program during Refugee Week with a selection of works on display at the council’s Foyer Exhibition Space from today, June 18 to June 30, 2014, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4pm.  The show opens today at  10am and light refreshments will be provided.  For more information please contact Council on (02) 9840 9840. Holroyd City Council Foyer Exhibition Space, 16 Memorial Avenue, Merrylands  Another selection of works from the “Art is Our Voice” exhibition will be also on show at Sydney TAFE's Limelight Gallery from June 14 to June 30, Monday to Friday 10:30am-6:30pm, Saturday 11:00am-3:00pm. For more information contact: Limelight Gallery on (02) 9217 5173. Limelight Gallery, Sydney TAFE, Building W - Basement, 827-837 George St, Sydney

The Power of Storytelling is the second event of SSI’s Speaker Series Refugee Week 2014 event will discuss the role of storytelling in creating awareness about the refugee and asylum seeker experience.  Speakers include award-winning writer Rosie Scott, Sri Lankan-born playwright and theatre director Dhananjaya Karunarathne and SSI client Saleh Khani.  Many refugees and asylum seekers have compelling stories to tell and crave to be listened.  However many have reasons for wanting to remain quiet, fearing further persecution to their families or in the case of asylum seekers,  negative impact on their applications for refugee status.

Preparations are under way for the launch of Refugee Week which will this year be held in Western Sydney for the first time. Refugee Week, Australia’s peak annual activity to inform the public about refugees and celebrate the positive contributions made by refugees, will be launched at the Granville Town Hall at 10.30am, Saturday 14 June. The launch is being coordinated by the Refugee C­ouncil of Australia (RCOA), the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) and Settlement Services International (SSI). The keynote speech will be delivered by Merrylands local Ali Ali, a former refugee who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan and arrived in Australia in 2001 as a 17-year-old asylum seeker with no English. Ali’s speech will expand on the Refugee Week theme “Restoring Hope”, recounting how his journey for safety began with danger as well as hope for a better future.

Access to timely and collaborative support services during their first years in Australia is critical to migrant and refugee families, ensuring a smoother transition to a new life here. This was highlighted at today’s Cultural Shift symposium on supporting migrant and refugee families through settlement. “It’s during the first few years of settlement that families […]

The community has joined members of the Budokan Judo Club in Castle Hill to rally in support of the Moghadamshaidie family since they first told their story of fleeing Iran for the relative safety of Australia. Teenage boys Shaheen and Hussain Moghadamshaidie should soon represent NSW at the National Titles but that opportunity to fulfil their potential would not be available if not for the near $1000 raised by supporters. Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the family was in Australia awaiting assessment for refugee status. That means parents Ali and Maliheh are unable to work, but have access to support through SSI’s asylum seeker assistance program. “The family’s little funds are exhausted on rent, food and bills so the cost of travel and competition fees for judo is unmanageable,” Ms Roumeliotis said, “but after the community was made aware of the family’s circumstances, supporters raised money on their behalf. This was a generous show of support that the family is very thankful for, as it will help the boys reach their goals and potential.” One of those supporters was Romy, who did not provide a surname. Romy is a humanitarian aid worker with asylum seekers and refugees. “When I saw the story about Shaheen and Hussain I forwarded it on to friends and colleagues and they were all really excited to be able to help out,” she said. “I hope the money will get the boys to the national titles or as far as they can go towards achieving their goals.”