World of Cultures 2024 Event Date: Saturday 24 August, 2024 Time: 4 pm – 8 pm Venue: Kingston Butter Factory (KBF) Cultural Precinct, Logan Community Address: 270 Jacaranda Ave, Kingston QLD 4114

The Sydney suburb of Auburn may seem worlds away from Nigeria, but one new Australian has found a small patch of home in an inclusive community gardening project in western Sydney.

SSI was pleased to support Western Sydney Homeless Connect in Parramatta Town Hall on Monday 8 August, a unique event in which to assist people experiencing homelessness. 

SSI led the “Every child has a culture” forum in Bankstown, on June 21, emphasising the importance of cultural recognition and diversity in out-of-home care.

From the arts to technology, there are many different fields where refugees have made significant contributions to Australian society. But what are the factors that drive their success? And why is telling and listening to their stories so important? 

Starting a new school year or moving into a new area can be a daunting time for a child and their family. For many preschool children, their Community Hub will be their first interaction with their future primary school. Being a part of a Hub can help them to feel at home in their school environment and more prepared to start school.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Damon began his photographic journey more than 20 years ago with his father’s old Konica camera in Iran. He started experimenting by taking images of nature, people and his surroundings.

Babak was born in Iran where he completed a BA in Graphic Design. His special interests are painting, sculpture, music and graphic design.

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.