Nothing brings people together like food. So, after 30 days of daylight fasting, the Eid al-Fitr holiday to celebrate the end of Ramadan is the ultimate unifying feast. SSI’s Community Kitchen Eid event brought together asylum seeker clients to enjoy delicious food while reflecting on the experience of practicing Islam in Australia. Tuxedo-clad toddlers with tambourines ran around the Auburn Centre for Community among about 200 SSI Community Support Program clients, who are asylum seekers living in the community on temporary visas while their refugee status is being assessed. On the lawn, clients set up cricket games, using double-stacked milk crates as wickets; others kicked soccer balls with the kids, and people inside played boardgames.

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.

Each person asked about Ramadan is sure to describe its meaning in their own considered, subjective terms. Jawad Hussain described what Ramadan meant to him, as about 120 SSI Community Support Program (CSP) clients broke their daily fast at a Community Kitchen Iftar meal.  “Ramadan means to fast, but not only from food; (it’s to fast) with eyes, with mind; we have to be good person,” he said. “It means to be really nice, gentle man. You make a special effort. If you practise Ramadan, you believe it will bring some change in your personality.” Jawad came to Australia from Pakistan and, like most people at the Iftar, is awaiting assessment for refugee status. He is a regular at Community Kitchens who volunteers to prepare food and set up and tidy the community centre.

  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.

The Ability Links program operated by the partnership of Settlement Services International, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and UnitingCare has officially started today, July 1. The partnership was awarded the tender to deliver Ability Links across 23 local government areas in Sydney Metro North and Metro South and the Southern Region.   The Ability Links program contributes to the objectives of the National Disability Insurance Scheme to foster full and active participation of people with disability in their communities.

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 […]

Refugees and asylum seekers often have compelling stories to tell but for many reasons remain silent. At a special Refugee Week Speakers’ Series event hosted by Settlement Services International (SSI), a panel of writers with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds and experience will discuss the role storytelling plays in giving voice to this marginalised sector of society. SSI is a leading not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of services in humanitarian settlement, accommodation, asylum seeker assistance, foster care and disability support in NSW. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the reasons why refugees and asylum seekers chose not to tell their stories were a challenge. “Sometimes their stories are misappropriated or simply ignored,” she said, “and they often have reasons to fear that speaking out will further endanger them or their loved ones. “With most media now published online, comments by refugees and asylum seekers are easily found by their persecutors in their countries of origin. This can have dire consequences for them if they are returned, or for their family members who remain there. “But it is important that we explore ways to make refugees and asylum seekers feel safe, understood and respected in telling their stories. Sharing life stories should foster empathy and help society better understand the circumstances people have endured.” The SSI Refugee Week Speakers’ Series event on Tuesday, June 17, will feature talks from three writers.

Hamid Shirvani, 43, from Iran, has taken out one of the top categories at the NSW Taekwondo State Championships and now hopes to pass on his skills as a coach. Mr Shirvani lives with his wife and baby daughter in South Wentworthville. The family fled Iran about a year ago and is awaiting the outcome of their assessments for refugee status. This means Mr Shirvani is unable to work and has limited access to the training resources that other taekwondo competitors could afford. But this didn’t stop him winning a gold medal in the open men’s 80 to 87 kilogram black belt category at the State Championships on May 11. Mr Shirvani is no stranger to success in taekwondo. The sport is much more popular in Iran, where there is a professional league of taekwondo. Mr Shirvani said he was a top-five contender in the country’s professional competition for 10 years. He won several national tournaments, he said, and qualified for international events but was never allowed to leave Iran. Now in Australia, he hopes to pass on the skills he has learned over 30 years of training and coaching in the sport. “Taekwondo is something that I grew-up doing,” he said through an interpreter, “it is part of my life and I will always be practicing it. This is what I have dedicated my life to. I have years of experience and I think I can teach and improve taekwondo in Australia.”

Settlement Services International in partnership with St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and UnitingCare has been awarded the tender to deliver Ability Links across 23 local government areas in inner Sydney, Metro Sydney South West, Sutherland Shire and Southern Highland region.  Ability Links is contributing to the objectives of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and is a new approach of the NSW Government to foster full and active participation of people with disability in their community. Sixty-four Ability Links Coordinators, known as Linkers, will be hired to provide information and support to people with disability, their families and carers, and their local communities. Linkers will work in connecting local communities in order to shape a more inclusive society for people with disability and their families. Settlement Services International CEO, Violet Roumeliotis said the missions of the organisations regarding social inclusion made for a highly compatible partnership focused on benefiting people with disability. Providing quality services and support for vulnerable communities, SSI is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing a range of services in the areas of humanitarian settlement, accommodation, asylum seeker assistance and foster care in NSW. “People with disability are the beneficiaries of this combined approach and the new model for full participation offered by Ability Links,” said Ms Roumeliotis.

Settlement Services International in partnership with St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and UnitingCare has been awarded the tender to deliver Ability Links across 23 local government areas in inner Sydney, Metro Sydney South West, Sutherland Shire and Southern Highland region.  Ability Links is contributing to the objectives of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and is a new approach of the NSW Government to foster full and active participation of people with disability in their community. Sixty-four Ability Links Coordinators, known as Linkers, will be hired to provide information and support to people with disability, their families and carers, and their local communities. Linkers will work in connecting local communities in order to shape a more inclusive society for people with disability and their families. Settlement Services International CEO, Violet Roumeliotis said the missions of the organisations regarding social inclusion made for a highly compatible partnership focused on benefiting people with disability. Providing quality services and support for vulnerable communities, SSI is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing a range of services in the areas of humanitarian settlement, accommodation, asylum seeker assistance and foster care in NSW. “People with disability are the beneficiaries of this combined approach and the new model for full participation offered by Ability Links,” said Ms Roumeliotis.

Access to timely and innovative services during their first years in Australia is critical to migrant and refugee families, ensuring a smoother transition to a new life here, a concept that will be explored at the upcoming Cultural Shift symposium. “It’s during the first few years of settlement that families face some of their greatest challenges, so it’s vital that NGOs and Governments alike provide innovative responses to these challenges,” said Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO, Violet Roumeliotis. “Services that build capacity in the process of settlement and the associated adjustments to a new country’s social, cultural, legal and other systems allow migrants and refugees to achieve a ‘cultural shift’ in their settlement journey.”  Ms Roumeliotis said SSI had brought together leaders and experts from the NGO and Government sectors to provide an insightful and engaging interactive program. The June 5 ‘Cultural Shift: symposium on supporting migrant and refugee families through settlement’ will be held in Parramatta. Registrations, which opened last week, will close on May 30.

About 300 staff, volunteers and clients celebrated Australia’s cultural diversity on Harmony Day, with a halal sausage barbecue, music, dancing and a game of soccer. At the event on Friday, March 21, Settlement Services International Humanitarian Services Delivery Manager Yamamah Agha said the message for people to consider was that “everyone belongs”.  “Today we are […]

Staff and clients from the SSI Humanitarian Settlement Services team in Fairfield are going to “do the right thing, put it in the bin” this Tuesday. The group will volunteer its time to take part in the annual Clean Up Australia event, which aims to “keep Australia beautiful”. Acting Team Leader Nedhal Amir said staff […]

 Musicians from any musical tradition or cultural background are invited to join jam sessions with SSI asylum seeker clients at the organisation’s Community Kitchen every fortnight. The SSI Community Kitchen initiative is part cooking class, part social outing for community-based asylum seekers. The fortnightly Community Kitchen provides a social day out for community-based asylum seekers, many of whom experience social and cultural isolation. Clients are invited to learn how to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal, as well as interact with other community members by jamming, playing a game of soccer, playing cards or chess, and sharing a meal. Each fortnight from 80 to 250 clients attend the Community Kitchen. The idea of incorporating jam sessions into the Community Kitchen program arose as more and more clients were keen to perform for their friends. A donation of a number of musical instruments through the Music for Refugees project, led by Mr Philip Feinstein, sealed the deal. Using music as a universal language, the sessions are expected to create an opportunity for skills building, cross-cultural exchange and community sharing with fellow musicians and other CSP clients. Depending on the level of participation and interest by guest musicians and clients, the jam sessions might evolve into a stand-alone activity available at other locations and times. Each Community Kitchen targets a different cultural group (for example, Persian, Arab or Women and Families) and the invitation is extended to relevant established community groups and leaders to attend and connect with those more newly arrived.

Talented teenagers Shaheen and Hussain Moghadamshaidie could represent NSW in judo at the National Championships if they can raise the money to travel to qualifying competitions around the country. The boys, aged 15 and 16, have already impressed state and national coaches after Settlement Services International (SSI) and their Castle Hill judo club supported their enthusiasm to participate in the Olympic sport. SSI is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing a range of services in the areas of humanitarian settlement, accommodation, asylum seeker assistance and foster care in NSW. Hussain and his brother Shaheen have been living in the community along with their father, mother and baby brother, awaiting the outcome of an application for refugee status since July last year. The family is supported by SSI and is currently living in North Parramatta on bridging visas. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said Shaheen and Hussain had immediately wanted to start judo training when they arrived in Australia but their family had no money to pay for registration or uniforms. “Judo is one of the most popular sports in the boys’ country of birth, Iran, so they were eager to look for a judo club to train with in Australia,” Ms Roumeliotis said. “Because they are on bridging visas, their parents are unable to work and had limited funds to pay for judo costs. “Shaheen and Hussain were lucky enough to find the Budokan Judo Club in Castle Hill, which is run by former Olympic coach and organiser of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games judo competition Rob Katz. “Mr Katz and his club have very generously sponsored the boys by paying their costs for the first 12 months of membership. This includes four judo uniforms partially sponsored by the club’s supplier Sensei’ Martial Arts. “But, from the boy’s success in the sport, the family now needs about $700 to pay for travel and accommodation to events in order to qualify for the National Championships.” Ali Moghadamshaidie, the boys’ father, said Mr Katz and the Budokan Judo Club had treated them like family. “This club is not only for Judo,” he said, “this club, for me and my sons, my wife and baby son, is like a school or family.” “We have no family here or friends, this club is very good for us.”

Soccer is often called the game that unites the world but a group of refugees and asylum seekers from around the globe have found financial obstacles in their attempt to unite as a team in Sydney. Players in the team unofficially known as Auburn United FC have come to Australia from Afghanistan, Africa, Nepal, Turkey and Tajikistan to find asylum. According to Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO Violet Roumeliotis, most of the team members are on bridging visas, which means they are unable to work. SSI provides case management and other support services to many of the refugee and asylum seeker members of the team. Other players are full-time overseas students. “Living on a tight budget, these players have no funds to pay registration fees of between $200 and $300 each to join an organised competition,” Ms Roumeliotis said. “Without support from a sponsor, they have no hope of playing the world game in Australia.” Their options for engaging in Sydney’s cultural life are limited but they come together to play soccer, or football to most of the world, every week. Until eight months ago, they formed only ad-hoc to play with whoever turned up to Auburn Park on any given night. But when Afghan asylum seeker and soccer coach Essa Khan, 44, found them kicking a ball in the dark while out walking, he quickly rounded them up in to a team. “It’s my passion and I like to give something to the young people,” Essa said with his Settlement Services International case manager Archana Ghale interpreting. “It helps their health, they can engage in an activity and avoid anti-social behaviour. “It’s better to play football than to get involved in alcohol or drugs.”