Multicultural Affairs Newsletter - September/October 2023

Welcome to the September/October 2023 edition of the multicultural newsletter.

The months are flying by and there are now only a few months left of this year, so if you're curious about what's on the horizon, check out the upcoming multicultural events and festivals on the upcoming multicultural events page.

Now, let us dive into the updates for September/October, which include:

New Australian Government Grant: Get the lowdown on the Community Language Schools Grants Program.

• Calling All Young Mavericks in the NT: The United Nations Youth Conference is your chance to shine.
• Scholarships for a Healthier You: Discover opportunities for the National Multicultural Health and Wellbeing Conference.
• Women's Health Week: Join us in celebrating with the National Women’s Health Advisory Council.
• What's Up with the Nation's Wellbeing?: The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has the scoop.
• Help Us Shape the Future: Join the conversation on our Multicultural Framework Review.
• Plus, a story about our Multicultural Framework Review panel here in the Territory.

As always, please ensure you update us on any changes to your organisations contact details as well as any changes to your committee members by:

1. Reviewing the details listed on the
   • Multicultural organisations Darwin
   • Multicultural organisations regional and
   • Contact a multicultural service pages.
2. Email any updates including any new contacts to tfhc.multiculturalaffairs@nt.gov.au.

Please remember we encourage the use of generic email addresses for example ‘multicultural_group@gmail.com’ as well as listing of organisational numbers not personal phone numbers or personal email addresses – this is to ensure the security of your personal details.

Community Language Schools Grants Program

The Community Language Schools Grants Program grant is delivered on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs.

The Australian Government is inviting applications through a demand driven process to deliver services under the Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Program – Community Language Schools Grants Program from 2023-24 to 2024-25.

The objectives of the program are to:

• support a prosperous and inclusive society, and advance Australia’s economic interests through effective management of the visa, multicultural and citizenship programs and provision of refugee and humanitarian assistance
• support a prosperous and inclusive society through the promotion, delivery, and effective management of the Australian multicultural and citizenship programs.

To be eligible you must be a Community Language School operating in Australia.

You must be one of the following legal entities to apply for the Community Language Schools Grants Program:

• Company
• Cooperative
• Incorporated Association
• Indigenous Corporation
• Statutory Entity.

Applications are now open and close 9:00 pm AEDT on Monday 9 October 2023.

Find out more on GrantConnect.

United Nations (UN) Youth Conference opportunity for young people in NT

The NT division of UN Youth will be running a free, 2-day conference in Darwin on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October. It will be for young people in years 9-12 or equivalent, noting they do not need to be in school.

The conference will be centred on international law with interactive workshop style activities and opportunities to gain experience around debate.

Register to attend:

https://unyouth.wufoo.com/forms/northern-territory-conference-registrations-2023-qcfqzxn0p1dl7a/

National Women’s Health Advisory Council – Women’s Health Week

The National Women’s Health Advisory Council wants to hear from women, along with experts, health care professionals, consumer representatives and peak stakeholder groups to better understand the unique barriers and gender bias women face in Australia’s healthcare system.

Share your experiences by completing the consultation survey. The #EndGenderBias survey is available in 17 languages. To change the language, click on the world symbol within the survey.

The survey can also be completed using video or audio recordings.

Complete the survey: https://www.health.gov.au/womens-health-advisory-council

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Reporting on Nations Welfare

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has recently released a suite of reports looking at the nation’s welfare, covering topics like social isolation, housing and homelessness, employment, income support, and more.

Australia's welfare 2023 is the AIHW's 16th biennial welfare report. It explores topical welfare issues and brings together multiple data sources to serve as a report card on the welfare of Australians.

The reports are available from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website here: Australia's welfare 2023 - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)

Multicultural Framework Review and consultations

The Australian Government is currently reviewing its Multicultural Framework.

The review aims to recommend improvements to institutional arrangements, laws, and policies that promote a multicultural Australia and cater to its present and future needs. The review will seek to address barriers to inclusion and to enhance the social, cultural, and economic benefits derived from Australia’s multicultural diversity.

As part the review a panel of three prominent Australians were appointed to oversee the project. These three panel members are conducting nationwide public consultations concerning matters effecting Multicultural communities in Australia.

Melaleuca Australian recently collaborated with one of the members, Ms. Christine Castley, to conduct consultations in Darwin. These consultations included meetings with the Lord Mayor of Darwin, Hon Ngaree Ah Kit (the Minister for Multicultural Affairs in the Northern Territory), various Australian Government agencies, relevant stakeholders, and leaders from the multicultural community.

A community event was also held, giving people a chance to discuss significant issues faced by those in the multicultural communities in the Northern Territory.

Thanks for tuning in, we look forward to updating you again next month.