It is important to have an established day, like March 21, for Harmony Day as it provides us with an opportunity to again reflect on the importance of harmony in our nation.

SSI Ignite Small Business Start-Ups works together with a pool of specialists to help Ignite participants to achieve their business goals.

Harmony Day, March 21, has become a significant day of the year when Australians are encouraged to celebrate the cultural diversity of our country.

Discussions about levels of immigration following ABC TV’s Four Corners and Q&A last night are essential in an inclusive and democratic country like Australia, however we do not want to compromise our successful multicultural cohesion by focusing only on impacts to planning and infrastructure, according to Violet Roumeliotis, CEO of Settlement Services International (SSI).

Today, March 8, marks International Women’s Day — a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as to promote a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

For the past five years, SSI Ignite Small Business Start-ups and University of Wollongong (UOW) have worked together to support entrepreneurs from refugee backgrounds grow their businesses, while providing students with course-related experience.

Arriving in Australia in 2013 marked the beginning of a new life and career for 49-year-old Saman Khaladj.

Swimming is a big part of life in Australia and newly arrived refugees are now getting the opportunity to safely enjoy the water thanks to a new SSI partnership.

No-one knows more about the barriers people with disability face every day than someone with a lifetime of first-hand experience. But what can apparently be a drawback has been used by Yagoona resident Quang Nyugen as a drive to establish his own business, while also finding a way to help the community.

An employment opportunity with Australia for UNHCR has significantly increased the outlook, self-esteem and motivation of a 20-year old Syrian woman who is new to Australia.

Education has been a stepping stone to a better life for Dana Al Samaan, who arrived in Australia in July last year.

Working at Woolworths is a little different to his previous job as a petroleum engineer, but Safwan Aldod has high career aspirations and believes that everyone needs to start somewhere.

SSI’s social enterprise The Staples Bag had an inaugural launch in Baulkham Hills in February, hosted by Hills Community Aid. The launch was paired with a local book fair and a long queue of enthusiastic grocery shoppers.

Learning English, connecting with the community, and finding employment and housing will be the key priorities for refugee families arriving in Armidale in the coming months, according to a leading settlement expert. Yamamah Agha, the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) Manager for community organisation and social business Settlement Services International (SSI), said in the 16 years she had been working with refugees, those areas consistently rated among new arrivals’ top goals for life in Australia.

Australia has always had a mixed relationship with its multicultural identity. On one hand, we embrace multiculturalism through national celebrations like Harmony Day and take great pride in the diversity of cultural expressions like food.

Six projects supporting refugee communities in south-west Sydney have today received a boost from not-for-profit Settlement Services International’s $50,000 Community Innovation Fund. SSI announced today the first six recipients of grants from the ground-breaking fund, which honours the unsung heroes who contribute to Australian society by offering grassroots support to newly arrived members of the community.

The NSW Government has recently awarded SSI with a grant to expand Cumberland Council’s Friendship Garden. The grant stems from the NSW Community Building Partnership program that awards grants for community infrastructure projects and will go towards the installation of an accessible children’s sensory garden for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families and children of all abilities.

The opportunity to provide a more holistic housing service to people at risk of homelessness is greatly welcomed by Settlement Services International (SSI), after the announcement today by Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister for Social Housing Pru Goward that SSI has been selected to provide Supported Temporary Accommodation (STA) in the Illawarra. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the decision by NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) to move away from using low cost motels and caravan parks for temporary accommodation was a great step toward achieving better social outcomes for vulnerable people.

Refugee communities in south-west Sydney will benefit from a spate of innovative new projects when Settlement Services International (SSI) unveils the recipients of its Community Innovation Fund on Australia Day 2018. SSI opened the first round of applications for the $50,000 fund in September 2017 to celebrate the strength and resilience of the community of south-west Sydney and to encourage innovative ideas to support newly arrived refugees.

The end of the year is hurtling towards us. Like many of you, I’m squeezing in as much as possible between now and the end of this week, when our office will close and I’ll have a fortnight to celebrate with family and reflect on another big year.