“Shared cultural and musical experiences” at Parramatta Lanes Festival
Multi-talented visual artist and musician Babak, from Iran, will collaborate with Ethernet Orchestra, led by musician and researcher Dr Roger Mills, for a series of special performances at the Parramatta Lanes Festival 2015. Babak came to Australia as a refugee and he receives support from SSI’s Humanitarian Services Program.
SSI signs MOU for smooth transition of Community Hubs program
The CEOs of SSI, Connect Child and Family Services and Refuge of Hope on August 31 signed a Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the Community Hubs in NSW. From January 1 next year SSI will be the NSW Support Agency under the National Community Hubs Program.
SSI clients enjoy a guided visit to the National Maritime Museum
Australia’s history is inherently linked to the ocean, with migrants arriving on the country’s shores for hundreds of years. It’s a colourful history that was introduced to a group of people who are seeking asylum in Australia earlier this month, courtesy of a group of SSI volunteers.
From the CEO — on migration and the world’s humanitarian crises
The world is facing many challenges as unprecedented numbers of people flee their homes in search of somewhere safe to settle: how we treat fellow human beings should be a top priority.
Essa and Newington Gunners recognised for support of the “Racism. It stops with me” campaign
Essa Khan, 45, from Pakistan is seeking protection as a refugee in Australia but on Tuesday, August 18, he rubbed shoulders with Australian Government and opposition politicians at Parliament House.
SSI case worker commended at 2015 Australian Migration and Settlement Awards
Settlement Services International (SSI) case worker Nedhal Amir has been recognised as a finalist in the 2015 Migration and Settlement Awards for her ongoing commitment to supporting new migrants and refugees living in Australia.
A Sticky Beak Tour of SSI
SSI welcomed the Sticky Beak Tour, an initiative of the Inner West Child & Family Interagency, to its head office in Ashfield this week. The tour was part of an initiative to promote interaction and professional exchange between community services providers located in Sydney’s Inner West.
Home: between here and there, opening night at Bankstown Arts Centre
They say home is where the heart is, and for people seeking asylum in Australia this can be a difficult question to answer. For most of them, ‘home’ oscillates between the memories of the homeland they left behind and of a new place that is unknown but filled with hope.
VIDEO: highlights from SSI’s New Beginnings Festival
To celebrate World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 20, 2015, SSI was host to the inaugural New Beginnings: Refugee Arts and Culture Festival, which showcased the talents of refugees and asylum seekers in the community.
Ignite Small Business Start-Ups training highlights skill and passion of refugees
A week with Dr Ernesto Sirolli has enhanced the knowledge and skills of SSI staff, bilingual guides, and current entrepreneurs working with the Ignite Small Business Start-ups (Ignite) initiative who all undertook Enterprise Facilitation training.
SSI Ability Links delivers with cultural competency
Twelve staff from SSI attended Northcott’s inaugural Cultural Competency in Diversity Conference last week held in Parramatta. The focus of the two day event was to introduce an innovative model of cultural competency for the disability sector in NSW, with the launch of the Cultural Diversity Competency Framework (CDCF) and a range of tools to assist disability service providers to be more culturally competent when working with people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
New arrivals – opportunity or threat? Second generation Australians and their views on race, migration and asylum seekers
Migrants from Western Europe who arrived in the "50s and "60s in Australia were seen with hostility and suspicion by many in the local community. These are now well-settled communities but as new comers, they struggled to fit in.
Home exhibition artist: Sefullah
Sefullah is from the Iranian village of Palk Lak of Arkvazi, in the Illam Province, where he lived before making his journey to Australia. Sefullah is a self-taught artist, who researches different styles of painting and schools of thought.
Home exhibition artist: Mohammed
Mohammed is a multi-disciplinary artist working in the areas of photography, performance and graphic design. Mohammed lived in Iraq where he obtained a degree in theatre performance from Basra's College of Arts. In Baghdad, he had his own studio and appeared in a number of productions and radio plays.
Fun at the Opera House for mothers and children
Settlement Services International (SSI) has joined forces with the Women Empowering Refugee Women (WERW) volunteer group to organise a social event at Sydney’s Opera House for a number of SSI clients and their families.
Home exhibition artist: Mohanad
Mohanad was born in Nasiriyah, Iraq. He started painting when he was six as he was encouraged by his grandfather, who bought painting material for him. After graduating from the Arts & Carving Institute in Iraq, Mohanad moved to Syria where he kept painting, drawing and showing his works in several exhibitions.
Home exhibition artist: Mahdi
Mahdi, who was born in Iran, has a passion for calligraphy, creative writing and painting. After finishing school, Mahdi began painting and decorating city walls in Iran where he enjoyed turning dull city walls into colourful and bright themes.
Home exhibition artists: Hayder
Hayder completed a BA in Fine Arts at the University of Baghdad, in his native Iraq, in 2008. From 2009 to 2011, he worked as an art teacher with the Ministry of Education of Iraq.
New SSI Foundation announces education scholarships
Settlement Services International (SSI) today announced education scholarships worth $60,000 as part of the launch of the new SSI Foundation. Formerly known as the Connect Australia Foundation, the SSI Foundation introduces more categories of support and increased amounts distributed.
Home exhibition artist: Farid
Farid was born in Tehran. He started painting at the age of 4, after his mother noticed a creative streak in him. He graduated with a Civil Aviation degree in Iran before arriving in Australia in 2013 with his wife and children.