People born in Australia may take it for granted that they can travel to Canberra and visit Parliament House. But Jawad, who was born in Afghanistan and lived in Pakistan before seeking asylum in Australia, was astonished when he learnt anyone could see the rooms where parliamentarians sit.

Many of the 32 refugees who visited Luna Park with SSI staff and volunteers in April had never been to a theme park in their life. But thanks to Mission of Hope, which donated tickets to SSI for the refugees it supports, these families had more fun than they’d had in a long time.

John Mashar arrived in Australia as a refugee from Sudan at age nine. Now at age 21, John told SSI how he was using his experience as a young refugee settling in a new country to help other young people through the Youth Collective.  “I was born in South Sudan. Sudan is split into north and south. The north has closer relations to the Arab world, like much of North Africa. They’re mostly Muslims and they have an Arab culture. The south, where I was from, has closer relations to sub-Saharan Africa, so they’re mostly Christians, they’re animists, and they have very strong African traditions.

Art workshops organised by the SSI Arts & Culture program have helped families entertain and educate their children during the April school holidays. The first workshop was held at the Peacock Gallery in Auburn where children aged between six and 15 were encouraged to create a piece of art on the theme of 'friendship'. Children created 3D hand drawings and made poppy flowers to contribute to a community wreath.

Refugees feel like "members of the world" in Australia The world is a proverbial oyster for Arsalan, 23, and his sister Asina, 18. But it wasn’t always so. Growing up in Iran as members of a minority religion, Baha’i, meant they, and their parents, were used to being told ‘no, you can’t’. “There is nothing in law saying that you can’t be Baha’i, but in Iran, if you are Baha’i, people can do anything against you,” Arsalan said.

Mark June 20, 2015, in your diaries as we celebrate hope, unity and new beginnings on World Refugee Day! Join SSI for a one-day celebration showcasing the cultural expressions and heritage of newly arrived artists and emerging communities, including talented SSI clients.

Celebrating cultural connections SSI was proud to sponsor the Children’s Festival, held in Circular Quay on March 15. The theme for 2015 was “Playing Together and Living in Harmony”, and Fleet Park in Circular Quay was brought to life with a mix of colourful clothes, cultural performances and the big smiles of many children and families.

A month busy with events has reinforced for me the importance of these opportunities that bring diverse people together to share knowledge and experience. Recent events SSI has been involved in included Harmony Day, SSI’s Speakers’ Series discussion on youth and radical ideologies, the Third Sector Expo and the Cultural Diversity and Law Conference.

An SSI case manager joined a diverse panel at the “Volunteering for All - Trends and Tips” forum last month to discuss and explore the positive effects of volunteering. The forum was hosted by NSW peak body The Centre for Volunteering at Customs House, on March 25. SSI case manager Marcela Hart, who was nominated to sit on the panel by colleagues, said the event had a particular focus on building the capacity of the volunteer sector to recognise, respect, manage and support people from diverse backgrounds.

SSI asylum seeker client Behnan credits bodybuilding with giving him something practical to focus on while his claim for refugee status is assessed. Behnan, originally from Iran, has been bodybuilding for 15 years. “I started when I was about 13 years old,” he said via an interpreter. “My brothers were coaches, and because of my height and physical features, they decided bodybuilding was the sport for me.”

SSI staff and asylum seeker clients took part in the OzHarvest CEO CookOff, in March. The CookOff is an annual event that brings together celebrity chefs, CEOs and vulnerable Australians to put the spotlight on issues of food security, homelessness and challenges faced by youth in crisis. It’s also a fund-raiser for OzHarvest.

International Women’s Day was acknowledged and celebrated on March 11, and SSI used the occasion to highlight the strengths, vulnerabilities and specific needs of refugee women. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said: “Refugee women are survivors, protectors and providers.”

There is still time to visit Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Summer Art Exhibition, featuring the work of award-winning artist Bassam Jabar. The exhibition called Convergence is a collection of art produced specifically for the hospital by members of the Arts West Art Collective, of which Mr Jabar is a member. The Collective is made up of artists from refugee and migrant backgrounds based in western Sydney.

A panel of informed speakers has called on authorities to support community groups and to back more academic research in an effort to counter religious extremism in Australia. The current issue of the susceptibility of young people to extremist ideologies was discussed at the SSI Speakers’ Series Radical appeal: young people and religious extremism on March 16.

Much has been said about Malcolm Fraser’s courageous support of refugees, particularly Vietnamese refugees, since his passing on Friday. SSI’s own Thanh Nguyen, Manager Early Intervention & Capacity Building, gives thanks to Mr Fraser for granting him and his family protection in Australia in the 1970s. “He did Vietnamese families, including my own, a huge service,” he said. “He allowed my family to make a life here.”

Sydney Alliance is currently running a Housing Affordability Campaign to highlight how the housing crisis affects Sydney residents. Settlement Services International (SSI) has joined the advocacy campaign to highlight how the crisis is compounded further for asylum seekers and refugees. Language barriers, the lack of rental history and skills to navigate the property market, social isolation, high unemployment and mental and physical health issues combine to make securing housing a problem for refugees and asylum seekers.

Recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers from around the world came together with community members for a Harmony Day celebration held by Settlement Services International (SSI).

‘Art in the Hills’ is one of the longest running annual art exhibitions in Sydney. For 44 years, Oakhill College has hosted the exhibition to engage the community by inspiring and developing an appreciation of the arts. This year, the Hills District and beyond, will be inspired by the works of two artists of refugee background, Bassam Jabar and Victor Youssef.

SSI Youth Collective steering committee member Sarah Yahya added another award to her collection of accolades when presented with the Premier’s Multicultural Youth Award last week. Sarah, her mother and sister, came to Australia as refugees from Iraq in 2007. The family had spent seven years in Jordan after fleeing Iraq suddenly in the middle of the night when Sarah’s father was arrested.

Waking up to the voices of news broadcasts from three different radios, and sometimes also the television, is an almost daily ritual for Felix Bennett. Some mornings, Mr Bennett hears a sports story that he has submitted and he gets a rush of excitement. “It makes me happy for the day and makes me feel special,” Mr Bennett said about hearing his story on the radio.