SSI Mosaic Gala raises record funds for refugee employment services
Through the generosity of community minded individuals and organisations, the SSI Mosaic Gala raised a record $50,000 to support refugees on the pathway to employment and education.
We need diverse newsrooms, and ones that report ethically on race
There is a pressing need for greater diversity in our media and newsrooms. A report released this week shows more than half of opinion articles on the topic of race in Australia contain a negative portrayal of racial minorities.
SSI and AWMA ongoing partnership provides opportunity for diverse female artists and musicians
The spotlight was turned on Australia’s culturally diverse female artists and music practitioners earlier this month at the Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA).
From the CEO: We need more journalists like Pema Dolkar
Pema Dolkar is an up-and-coming SBS reporter who last year covered an initiative in Sydney’s Northern Beaches where Tibetan refugees are learning how to navigate Australia’s picturesque waterways.
NSW leads the country in unlocking employment potential for refugees
State government agencies and their partners work in collaboration to connect refugee job seekers with secure, long-term employment When Rania Shahoud, her husband and their two sons arrived in Australia in 2017 from Aleppo, Syria, she didn’t know whether she’d ever find a job.
Ancient cultures foster healing and belonging
The intersection between ancient cultures was at the heart of a trailblazing paper by two SSI staff members at one of Australia’s leading multicultural conferences last week.
Former refugee and Ignite® entrepreneur empowers audiences at TEDxSydney
An Ignite® entrepreneur who attended TEDxSydney as part of SSI’s community partnership has returned again this year — but this time as a speaker, sharing his incredible story with more than 5,000 people.
From the CEO: Listen, accept, acknowledge, support
At SSI, we talk a lot about providing support. But what does it actually mean to support someone? Sometimes it means offering assistance. Sometimes it just means being there to listen. Sometimes it means acknowledging someone’s challenges and showing that you accept them for who they are.
New book helps culturally diverse children in foster care maintain their identity
A new family resource for children and young people in foster care from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds will be launched by Settlement Services International (SSI) in Bankstown, Sydney, today.My Life and Me, a life story book with a cultural focus, was developed by SSI to address the loss of identity and belonging experienced by CALD children in care.
Where would Australia be if we listened to Trump on refugees?
When US President Donald Trump recently raised the idea of sending back a handful of congresswomen to the “broken and crime infested places from which they came”, he echoed a sentiment we hear far too frequently right here in Australia.
SSI congratulates Senate on resoundingly defeating move for immigration plebiscite
Settlement Services International today congratulated the Australian Senate for rejecting Pauline Hanson’s move to hold a plebiscite on Australia's immigration levels.
Inaugural Homelands tour lights up Refugee Week 2019
Rhythmic vibrations, captivating performances and audience singalongs epitomised the first ever Homelands Tour as artists from refugee backgrounds came together in a musical collaboration to celebrate Refugee Week 2019.
Global refugee youth advocate pronounced chair of Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network
SSI Youth Collective steering committee member and refugee advocate Arash Bordbar has been elected Chair of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN).
Australia must step up in response to record displacement
Figures showing another record year for global displacement emphasise the important role Australia can play in helping the world’s most vulnerable, according to one of Australia’s leading refugee settlement experts.
Event highlights innovation in western Sydney refugee communities
Sydney’s refugee communities are brimming with solutions for the challenges they face. With a helping hand from SSI, community leaders are being resourced to create projects that close gaps and capitalise on their communities’ strengths.
Social inclusion and diversity at the heart of upcoming TEDxSydney conference
For the second year running, Settlement Services International (SSI) is the official community partner for TEDxSydney.
Award-winning social entrepreneur nourishes next generation of business women
Budding entrepreneurs are challenging stereotypes about migrant and refugee women, with a helping hand from award-winning social entrepreneur Violet Roumeliotis.
SSI and Allianz announce scholarships for refugee education in NSW
Thirty-five people from a refugee background, needing financial assistance for their education or attaining local recognition for their qualifications, will get the support they need as part of the Settlement Services International (SSI) and Allianz Australia 2019 Refugee Scholarships.
From the CEO: Keep your opinions to yourself this Harmony Day
The absence of fact-based opinion in Australia’s public discourse risks undermining appreciation of our country’s rich multicultural identity. Amid the inevitable saturation of news and comments on Harmony Day this Thursday, I challenge you to look for the evidence.
Settlement Services International’s (SSI) statement on Christchurch mosque massacre
It is with heavy hearts we hear of the unprecedented violence that was bestowed on our New Zealand neighbours last night. Settlement Services International (SSI) together with Access Community Services, Queensland, expresses our sympathy and support to the victims and families of the shootings at the Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch and the Linwood mosque nearby. Our thoughts are with all people of New Zealand at this time.