Multiculturalism in Australia the road to success
Significant advancements in the multicultural landscape as well as some of the most divisive debates have been seen in recent years. Pino Migliorino from FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia) raises some of the key issues being addressed at their multicultural conference.
Multiculturalism is a core value that defines what it means to be Australian in the 21st century. The Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia’s (FECCA) advocacy efforts are underpinned by the simple fact that Australians from a culturally and linguistically diverse background (CALD), have the same basic needs and desires as all Australians, namely good health, a stable job, equal opportunities, care for their parents, education for their children and somewhere to live in a safe and welcoming community.
However, CALD Australians often face particular barriers in achieving these goals. For example increasing evidence reveals that people from CALD backgrounds face challenges in finding sustainable employment.
Recent unemployment data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has highlighted that the rate of unemployment for people born in the Middle East or North Africa remains at a high 9.2 per cent. For Australians born in Sub-Saharan Africa, the figure is at 7.5 per cent and at 6.3 per cent for those born in Southeast Asia.
FECCA has also previously cited the issue of underemployment as a specific ongoing concern faced by many CALD workers who can only find limited hours of work, or who take on positions for which they are overqualified as a result of limited skills recognition.
There are also a complex array of issues facing employees and job-seekers from CALD backgrounds related specifically to unemployment amongst second generation immigrants and asylum seekers, who lack the right to work.
In an effort to combat these issues, FECCA has acknowledged the Federal Government’s recent contribution of $6.6 million through the Migrant Communities Employment Fund (MCEF), as an important initiative geared towards tackling higher levels of unemployment amongst immigrant and refugee workers in Australia.
As part of its own commitment to improving the situation of CALD employees and job-seekers and alleviating situations of poverty, FECCA recently undertook a major project in conjunction with the former Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), called Harmony in the Workplace, aimed at cultivating a more inclusive and culturally diverse Australian workforce.
The series of ten factsheets developed through the project cover a diverse range of issues, from exploring cultural diversity in the context of Australia’s broader workforce, to legal frameworks concerning workplace discrimination.
The factsheets discuss myths, commonly held misperceptions about cultural diversity in the workplace, as well as tips on maximising cultural diversity for the benefit of organisations and their employees.
Building upon this important work, as part of FECCA’s broader commitment towards advocating on behalf of CALD Australians, the ‘2013 FECCA Conference, – ‘Breaking Down the Barriers, A Strength Based Approach for a Just Society’ is Australia’s preeminent multicultural conference, being held 7-8 November, at the Gold Coast.
The last two years have seen significant advancements and change in the multicultural landscape as well as some of the most divisive debates around asylum seekers that we have ever experienced.
The focus of discussions at the conference will be framed around key policy areas such as ageing, disability, gender issues, reconciliation, employment, sport and many more key issues.
At the FECCA Conference we hope to see the Government demonstrate its commitment to the critical infrastructure that ensures an inclusive, harmonious and fair society, by considering a Multicultural Act.
A Multicultural Act would ensure that substantive structures are in place permanently, to guarantee future support to CALD Australians, in areas such as language, access to Government services, anti-discrimination and cultural competency.
In view of the most recent racist attacks on a Jewish family in Sydney and continued racist attacks across the country, FECCA also hope that the Government continues its support for the National Anti-Racism Partnership and Strategy.
To find out more about the conference please visit http://www.fecca2013.com/
For more information on FECCA’s position on selected issues of national significance please follow this link or visit our website on http://www.fecca.org.au/.
Pino Migliorino is the Chairperson of the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia bringing over 30 years involvement with and expertise in immigration and multicultural affairs.
Jim
December 8, 2013 at 11:30 am
Why do we need Multiculturalism
Apart from food and music what positive things come out of pouring millions of other peoples into ones nation?
Mittee4totalEquality
February 15, 2014 at 11:32 pm
Unsupported Leftist Rubbish
Like all leftist rubbish attempts to speak the lingo of "multiculturalism" and that that "thing" contains equality and freedom and diversity and universal respect, the actual claims and assumptions their claims are based on either do not exist or are illusions, sometime they exist but are misunderstood concept and limited erroneous definitions of particular terms. As I explained in an earlier post on Multiculturalism as a system in the west, and that in the true strictest sense authentic "MULTI-CULUTURALISM" cannot and does not at all exist anywhere.
That is whilst it is eternally assumed to some fact about the nation in fact countries like Australia are merely "Multi-RACIAL" and a myriad of different cultural communities all living in the one social-political-legal framework which is NOT an amalgamation of ALL these cultures and systems as the notion of the title "multiculturalism" would imply, but rather the real and present force which shapes all citizens is the social-political-legal framework and this is based upon the traditions of the culture/ethos and beliefs of the typical traditional western descended European culture like Australia that practices liberal-democratic values and cosmopolitan ideals.
But hang on, this doesn't seem right! WHY would a nation claiming to be to all who arrive, a nation that fully accepts all cultures and ethnic groups to be accepted and treated as equals and given equal freedoms and respect in principle as anyone else and espousing that EVERY culture and religion and ways of life are equally important as the next and in this "multicultural" nation we allow for all differences to flourish, secretly and with subversion act to allow the belief of the system when in reality it is only the illusion of the system which is non-existent whilst the entire nation which governs all the different cultural groups is a social-political-legal system exclusively and specifically, deliberately of a European liberal-democratic-cosmopolitan tradition as inherited by our society over time as natives of the system.
So my point is this: UNLESS all western nations espousing to be "multicultural" like Australia make sure that they come to understand the truth about their society regards to the “multicultural phenomena” and that specifically the foundational principles the society stands on like equality and universal freedom etc. are a permanent, unalterable and universally present force in this multicultural society of Australia that will NEVER be subjugated by ANY other/different values which might restrict the expression of those principles, and that all different cultural/ethnic groups must adhere and live under the system of these rules and values above all else. Anything regarding the specificity of their ethnic existence that they may feel to be subjugated by the principles of that foundational system (e.g. marriage and inheritance practices of their tribal background) must be understood to be inevitable occurrences and only with persistence and influence will any of those types of special sub-sections of provision exist in law and be put into law to accommodate different groups for some various minor things such as inheritance and marriage laws (at least they are minor compared to allowing ALL their practices to be legal).
Essentially what I have just said is that westerns (Leftist included and maybe more so) strongly believe that their traditional cultural system of politics and legal ethics is superios in the world and thus the ONLY candidate worthy to be used. The fact that the same traditional principles were forced into the creation of the Universal Human Rights Declaration which is supposed to govern the world with global, universal principles and values. The fact that it so happens those principles are western ones is not an accident, and the westerner will NEVER budge on this. The problem however with this whole culture ethos for a multicultural phenomenon in Australia etc. is that the Leftists and particularly the extreme left, fail to allow themselves to yet fully consciously see this as a LIE and also they force into culture and education systems and curriculums and all practices throughout society, their personal illusion that our society and especially them the Great Leftist Good Guy saviour, accepts as equal and with same respect all cultures and traditions in the world and they do not judge one against any other. They espouse this lie to all new immigrants and refugees in most earnest fashion which I think has created a false sense of expectation within many ethnic groups in Australia from 2-3 generation even sometimes in which they feel they have been promised in principle that they can propagate their “Greek” or “Chinese” world whilst living in Australia to its full extent. But the issue of the eternal and unchanging foundation that is a “WESTERN” descended thing. HYPOCRITES!!!! PLEASE TELL THE TRUTH, and start treating all people (non-whites also) as EQUals IN ALL REAL SENSES, NOT MERELY ILLUSIORY UNIVERSES CREATED BY THE LEFT FOR CONVIENCE OF HAVING OTHERS BELIEVE THEY ARE THE REAL GOOD GUYS.
Beowulf
August 17, 2014 at 4:55 am
multiculti
"Multiculturalism is a core value that defines what it means to be Australian in the 21st century." Well that's a huge load of rubbish, no doubt informed by your background and current position.