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Matthew Cleary, Executive Officer St Vincent de Paul Society Support Services said the Society was very pleased to be partnering with SSI to deliver Ability Links and to allow people with disability to live their life the way they wish.

“Ability Links is placing people with disability at the centre of decision making about their lives and welcoming communities to encourage inclusion of people with disability, their families and carers,” said Mr Cleary. 

Claerwen Little, Director UnitingCare Children, Young People and Families was pleased the organisation had been chosen as a partner with SSI for the new initiative.

“UnitingCare is proud to partner with SSI and be involved in Ability Links. It’s a ground breaking program promoting community inclusion and participation for people with a disability. It is work we know needs to be done well, and we are committed to that.”

Linkers work with people with disability, their families and carers to help them plan for their future, build on their strengths and skills, and develop networks in their own communities so they can do what they want with their lives – outside of the traditional disability service system.

It provides people with a locally based, first point of contact to support people to access support and services in their local communities.

Linkers also work with local communities to help them become more welcoming and inclusive of people with disability.

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St Vincent de Paul Society Media Contact: Yolanda Saiz 0417 446 430

Settlement Services International Media Contact: Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828 

UnitingCare Media Contact: Nicole Jackson 0412 201 023

Masoud taught himself to paint with coffee while in detention and he has said he still prefers the look of the medium over other materials now that he lives in the community.

 

“My inspirations for painting were all those dark days that I experienced while staying at different detention centres for over 12 months,” he said. “I used to imagine the sun was crying for people who were locked up, with no freedom, inside the detention centre.”

Another artist exhibiting is Victor Youssef, 72, from Egypt, who has been in Australia less than 12 months.

Victor has brought a collection of work made by etching images into copper sheets with him to Australia that he hopes to sell so he can rent a studio space. The images include a reproduction of the Mona Lisa, Jesus and the Virgin Mary and pharaohs. His work is displayed in churches in the USA, Italy and Egypt.

“If I sell this here, it will change my life,” Victor said. “I like Australia very much, that is why I would like to make something here that is better than I have ever done before.”

Other artists exhibiting work are:

Details: The Art is Our Voice exhibition is on at the Verge Gallery, Jane Foss Russell Plaza, University of Sydney, Darlington, 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, from May 14 to 22.

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Media enquiries:

SSI Online Communications Coordinator, Callan Lawrence, 0478 156 491, or, 02 8799 6746

SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828

 

He now lives in Ryde, Sydney, after seeking asylum in Australia in May last year. Unable to work due to his asylum seeker status, Mr Ghorbani soon approached the Sydney University handball club to ask if he could play.

“It is very good there,” he said, “I met new people. I feel very welcome there with the good relationships I have with my team mates and coach. They are very good to me; they help me and support me.”

Mr Ghorbani represented Iran at youth levels and played in the country’s professional league for five years.

Mr Ghorbani’s Sydney Uni team qualified for the Oceania Club Championships in New Caledonia in June, after winning the national championship. Mr Ghorbani is unlikely to join them, however. Living in Australia on a bridging visa means he is unable to travel overseas. But he still holds hope after lodging a ministerial intervention request to be granted an exception.

If granted refugee status and eventually citizenship, Mr Ghorbani hopes to represent Australia at an Olympic Games and develop a career in sports science research.

“I would like to study more,” he said, “and make lots of research in the field of sports medicine, especially in knee surgery and ankle surgery in Australia.”

 

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Media enquiries:

SSI Online Communications Coordinator, Callan Lawrence, 0478 156 491, or, 02 8799 6746

SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828

Settlement Services International (SSI) has today announced the establishment of an independent multicultural youth organisation to focus on the needs of youth from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

SSI is the largest provider of refugee settlement services in NSW and a representative body for 11 migrant resource centres and multicultural services.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said: “The establishment of Multicultural Youth NSW responds to an unmet need for an organisation focused on the unique needs of multicultural youth and to assist young people from a refugee background to have a voice in their State.

“By providing initial funding for the new organisation, SSI is committed to providing leadership in the establishment of better awareness and services for youth from a multicultural and refugee background. SSI and existing partners make up a large percentage of organisations delivering services to this client group in NSW and have identified a need to respond in a coordinated way.”

The proposal to establish the organisation was unanimously endorsed last month by NSW MRCs and multicultural services.

“We plan to pool the resources of SSI and multicultural organisations to form a new self-funded entity within 12-18 months. SSI will initially auspice the organisation and we will shortly name a steering committee,” Ms Roumeliotis added.

A specialist youth project coordinator will run the organisation’s day-to-day operations with support from a steering committee made up of three young people as well as representatives from youth organisations,  MRCs and SSI.

 

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For more information: SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828

The Community Kitchen schedule and cultural focus for March and April is as follows:

Wednesday 12th March – Afghan

Wednesday 26th March – Persian (celebrating Nowruz, Persian New Year)

Wednesday 9th April – Arab

Wednesday 23rd April – Rohingya

Participants usually arrive by 11:00am and lunch is served at 1:00pm. The jam sessions will take place around 11:30am-1:00pm. There will also be other activities taking place simultaneously.

We hope musicians from any musical or cultural background are willing to participate in the sessions and engage with SSI asylum seeker clients.

If you are interested in joining one of the jam sessions (or more) or wish to donate some instruments (i.e. guitars and drums), please contact Carolina Triana, Arts & Culture Coordinator, ctriana@ssi.org.au.

Settlement Services International (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. Our vision is to achieve a society that values the diversity of its people and actively provides support to ensure meaningful social and economic participation and to assist individuals and families reach their potential.

SSI self-funds this initiative confident that the Community Kitchen provides not only healthy meals that nourish the body but the equally important nourishment of the soul that comes with the experience of feeling welcome.

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Media enquiries:

SSI Online Communications Coordinator, Callan Lawrence, 0478 156 491, or 02 8799 6746

SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828

 

“Soccer has proven to be a great way of connecting new arrivals from around the world with communities here in NSW, around a common interest.

“It’s also a healthy activity that helps people who have recently arrived in Australia release some of the stress they have experienced in their ordeals.’’

Ms Roumeliotis said SSI staff hoped Saturday’s tournament would be the start of regular knockout events.

Mr van Westing, 19, who graduated from Knox Grammar at the end of 2012, said he and his former school’s alumni had wanted to participate in more community work when he approached SSI.

“When we first approached SSI about getting involved and working with refugees and asylum seekers, we were told it might be a good idea to attend the SSI Community Kitchen program with some of those new arrivals,” Mr van Westing said.

“We met some of those people who had recently arrived in the country and we thought we would definitely like to help them get more involved in Australian culture.

“But at the same time, we realise it’s important to empathise with them and try to understand and respect the cultures they have come from.

“Soccer is a universal game and I think it helps break down barriers.”

Mr van Westing said he hoped the Knox Grammar Old Boys could take part in regular events with SSI and the refugees and asylum seekers it works with.

He also hoped to get current Knox Grammar School students involved in working with the sector, and he planned to speak to the school about his experiences with refugees and asylum seekers.

 

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Media enquiries:

SSI Online Communications Coordinator, Callan Lawrence, 0478 156 491, or, 02 8799 6746

SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828

 

Mr Katz is one of Australia’s most experienced judo experts. He has coached athletes to three world championships and coached his wife Kerry to the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988. Mr Katz was also employed as Sports Services Manager to organise the judo competition for the 2000 Sydney Games.

Mr Katz said Shaheen and Hussain’s father approached him about the boys joining the club last year but said nothing of their plight.

“Their father called me first and said they were doing judo in Iran but hadn’t been training for a year,” Mr Katz said.

“Only later did I find out it was because they were in a detention centre.

“I thought it was amazing that one of the first things they wanted to do was get on a mat and start training in judo again.

“After a few weeks Ali called and said the boys were at home very upset because they had no money for judo.

“I said, if they want to train bring them down to the club and we’ll work something out.”

Rob said it was immediately obvious the boys had a passion and strong fighting spirit.

“Obviously they have been out of training for a year, so some of the technique isn’t quite there but what they have is fight. They know how to fight and you can’t always teach that.”

Rob said Shaheen and Hussain were good enough to make the NSW team if they could compete at the qualifying competitions in Canberra, Queensland and Shoalhaven and participate at State Squad training.

The brothers said they were extremely thankful for their coach’s support.

”He is a very nice man, very kind,” Hussain said.

Hussain added that he hoped to represent NSW and one day compete for Australia.

“I like judo because I see it on TV at Olympic Games,” he said.

“One day I want to be like them and go to Olympic Games for Australia.”

SSI and Budokan Judo Club are now appealing to anyone interested in sponsoring the boys to contact the club to discuss how they can support their campaign to make the NSW team.

Shaheen and Hussain next need to compete in the ACT International Open, February 22-23, in Canberra.

 

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Media enquiries:

SSI Online Communications Coordinator, Callan Lawrence, 0478 156 491, or 02 8799 6746

The two -dozen or so players now train every week and play regularly against other social clubs.

Mr Khan said he had played football in Afghanistan, and later Pakistan, before injuring his leg and taking up coaching; so getting the team together came naturally.

One of Auburn United’s players, Syed Rafi Musawi, said Mr Khan had organised the team and given its players direction and something to do with their time.

Syed, a 20-year-old accounting student at Granville TAFE, said football had been the perfect vehicle for helping refugees and asylum seekers engage in Australian culture.

“Australia is multicultural and this is a multicultural game,” he said.

“People from all different communities can come and play.”

Both Syed and Essa said the team was desperate to register in an official competition so they could play regularly and participate in an Australian way of life.

The players, with the help of Settlement Services International, are now looking for sponsors to help them meet the cost of joining a club in western Sydney.

Organisations, and individuals, with an interest in sponsoring the team can contact SSI on (02) 8799 6746.