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.

Adjusting to a different culture, getting to grips with a new language, learning the value of diversity and making new friends are all top priorities for young refugees, according to three sisters. 

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.

Pro Bono Australia’s Impact 25 Awards recognise the most influential people in the sector as nominated and voted for by their peers.

Awareness of women’s rights is rapidly increasing in the wake of global phenomena like the #MeToo movement and record-breaking Women’s Marches. But one vulnerable, yet formidable, part of the sisterhood is still missing out.

Two exhibitions by refugee artists opening in Auburn this month — Fragments of Iran and ANA/MAN/MA — will showcase a range of diverse artworks that speak to the themes of resilience, humanity and dignity.

NSW Labor’s pledge of $158 million for frontline domestic violence services is a step in the right direction but risks leaving refugee and migrant women in the cold, according to a community organisation that supports newcomers to Australia.

People born in a non-English speaking country have similar rates of disability as other Australians but are about half as likely to receive formal assistance.

  SSI Ability Links participant Pip Smith has won the Blue Mountains City Council Visual Arts Prize, and this opened new opportunities for her.

Investment in accommodation alone is not sufficient to help women who are new to Australia safely escape domestic and family violence, according to a community organisation that supports refugees and other newcomers to Australia.

The National Community Hubs Program 2018 Year in Review is now available.

With NDIS now providing participants with more choice and control when they purchase the supports and equipment they need to achieve their goals and to live a better life, businesses providing disability services or interested in learning how to provide services for people with disabilities should be alert to the new opportunities this presents.

Seven projects supporting refugee communities in south-west Sydney have received a boost from not-for-profit Settlement Services International’s (SSI) $50,000 Community Innovation Fund.

Settlement Services International joins refugee and human rights advocates, football associations and concerned citizens around the world in calling for Thai authorities to immediately release Bahraini refugee Hakeem Ali al-Araibi and allow him to return to Australia.

One of the precious, and often fleeting, aspects of youth is fearlessness. We’re brave and invincible; we don’t know what we don’t know. And for the lucky few, life has not yet inducted them into its darker, dimmer corners.

Ability Links NSW is always looking for opportunities to organise activities that bring people together, tackling social isolation and celebrating diversity and inclusion. A great example of this is the Daytime Singing Group based in Cooma, NSW who have just had their first opportunity to showcase what they love doing.

In line with the principles of social inclusion and with the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) celebrated annually on 3 December, SSI has participated in a number of activities that not only support SSI’s effort towards building a more inclusive workplace, but also contributes to enable grassroots community leaders promoting disability inclusion in their communities.

Hello and welcome to the first edition of Settlement Services International’s (SSI) Coffs Harbour Community News! My name is Lisa Steward and I’m SSI’s Community Engagement Coordinator for the Coffs Harbour area.

The holiday season at SSI always brings to the fore the warmth and compassion that exists within our community. In contrast to the commercialism often intertwined with the gift-giving season are the actions of folk like the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group and Ashfield Public School P&C ― just two of the many groups who, in recent weeks, have delivered gifts for the individuals and families SSI supports.

SSI staff made a positive difference in the lives of nearly 27,000 people who came through the doors of the organisation’s four primary offices during the most recent financial reporting period, SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis told SSI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sydney last week.