Communities in Wollongong and Parramatta enjoyed free events to celebrate the "official" arrival of the Ability Links NSW (ALNSW) program and to meet their local ‘Linkers’. Both events incorporated great local musicians, inspiring speeches, and fun with selfies, chalk boards, hand print signs and henna.

Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation’s first of four “seasonal” exhibitions, the Summer Art Exhibition, features work by the Arts West collective of artists that includes former refugee Bassam Jabar. The hospital’s Foundation Art Program provides opportunities for young creative talent and supports the recovery of patients, some of whom spend many months in hospital.

SSI hosted a morning tea on February 3, to bring together the four NSW service providers delivering the Federal Government’s Status Resolution Support Service (SRSS) program, which supports people seeking asylum in Australia. The four providers were selected by the government following a tender process in 2014.

The Youth Collective, a new SSI initiative to focus on the needs of multicultural youth and young people from refugee backgrounds, will participate in the inaugural Reid Community Cup. The event on Sunday, March 15, at Timbrell Park, Five Dock, will bring together eight local charities for a one-day, five-a-side soccer tournament.

After months of hard work since its inception in July 2014, the start of 2015 saw almost 20 launches of the Ability Links NSW program, culminating in the major Parramatta and Wollongong events. SSI is proud to be funded by the NSW Government to implement this program in partnership with UnitingCare and St Vincent de Paul throughout NSW; a program that will help change the lives of people with disability, their families and carers.

The 2015 program of the SSI Community Music Program for refugees and asylum seekers living within the community began in the last week of February. The sessions, which are based on creative music therapy, are facilitated by a registered music therapist (RMT) from Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.

It was a distressing event based on fear and miscommunication in 2010 that was the impetus for Sally Sussman to devise the show that is Origin-Transit-Destination. Ms Sussman is Australian Performance Exchange (APE) Artistic Director and over three performances her latest show will take participants on a journey­ in the company of extraordinary asylum seekers from Middle East warzones.

Whether playing a game of soccer or sharing a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea, more than 1000 people across 10 different locations joined to show their support for cultural unity at Standing Together events run by Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) on Tuesday February 24. Throughout Sydney, and in Wollongong and Newcastle, MRCs hosted local community gatherings that were colourful and vibrant, and where people were happy to enjoy each other’s company.

On Tuesday, February 24, 10 Migrant Resource Centres and Multicultural Services across NSW will host free events for the local community to come together in a show of solidarity. A united voice will be on display through activities such as forums, discussions, soccer games, sausage sizzles and performances by local musicians.

NSW Minister for Citizenship and Communities, Victor Dominello, donned an apron to cook up a free lunch for up a group of asylum seekers at the SSI Community Kitchen in Auburn. Mr Dominello, whose grandparents migrated to Australia from Italy, said he was honoured to meet with asylum seekers, SSI employees and volunteers, and to have the opportunity to share his love of cooking with them.

This Speakers’ Series will explore how and why young Muslims might be feeling disenfranchised within the Australian community and attracted to an extreme religious ideology. What has been done? What can be done? Join us for an evening of engaging discussion that will explore these current and complicated issues.

This year marks 40 years since the Racial Discrimination Act was passed and SSI will be supporting the Australian Human Rights Commission’s conference convened to reflect on the Act’s significance. At SSI we work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including people from refugee backgrounds and asylum seekers. We consider the Act an important piece of the social framework that provides rights to all Australians.

Thank you Premier Mike Baird. Your comments at a recent Australia Day function in support of refugees and asylum seekers were positive reinforcement for all of us who work to help these people make the most of their lives in Australia. I had the pleasure of hearing Mr Baird say emphatically that NSW was in a position to support more refugees and asylum seekers and that the state would welcome them.

SSI was busy throughout December–January celebrating the achievements of Ability Links NSW and introducing the program to local communities. Ability Links NSW (ALNSW) supports people with a disability, their families and carers to live the life they want, as valued members of their community.

Newington Gunners team mates arrived at the Asian Cup final between Australia and South Korea short of breath and sweating, having run from the station so as to not miss a minute. The team had just finished playing its own soccer game on Saturday, January 31, in the South Asia Cup final and had to scramble to make the big event at Stadium Australia.

Asylum seeker Abiat is originally from Iran but he and his Iranian friends threw their support behind Qatar during the Iran v Qatar match of the Asian Cup. “We knew Iran would have many supporters, so we went along to cheer for Qatar,” Abiat said. “Iranian people have the same roots as Qatari people, and people from other countries surrounding Iran. We are happy to show support for all our neighbours.”

With the AFC Asian Cup capturing the imagination of all soccer fans, some of SSI’s young refugee and asylum seeker clients will celebrate the sport at a “football festival”. To coincide with the Asian Cup, social development organisation Football United is co-hosting the Dream Asia Unity Football Festival  for youth at Sydney Olympic Park’s Hockey Centre, with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

News that the distinguished demographer Professor Graeme Hugo lost his battle with cancer this week has saddened many staff at Settlement Services International (SSI). SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said Professor Hugo was considered one of Australia’s most respected and valued researchers of population, international migration and discrimination of migrants.

Multicultural NSW gifted Settlement Services International (SSI) 200 tickets to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup for our refugee and asylum seeker clients, who have so far enjoyed the tournament immensley.  A large majority of SSI’s clients are from soccer-loving nations, and this will be a great opportunity for people who feel far away from their families and old friends to watch a live game between world-class players.

SSI donated a pharmacy vaccine refrigerator to the Asylum Seeker Centre (ASC), so that the centre can provide free vaccines to those asylum seekers who are not covered by Medicare. During a meeting convened by Refugee Health and attended by David Keegan, SSI Manager Humanitarian Services, it was revealed that some groups of asylum seekers did not have access to important vaccinations, such as immunisations for children.