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Happy Holidays from ECCV - 2011 E-Bulletin Wrap Up
Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria
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Diversity in Focus: E-Bulletin of the Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria

   Happy Holidays from ECCV
 

The  Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria wishes a safe and happy holidays to all our members, stakeholders and partners. In this E-Bulletin we look back on the successes of 2011 and at our goals for 2012.
This year ECCV has elected a new Executive Board and Chairperson Joe Caputo for 2011-13. They have identified three key priorities for ECCV policy development in the coming year:

Employment – ECCV will engage business and public sector employers to develop sound policy to eliminate employment discrimination.
Interpreting and Translating - ECCV will work with the Victorian Government to restructure the I&T sector so more well trained interpreters are available and are remunerated in a way more commensurate with their skill levels.
CALD networking opportunities - ECCV  will run a series of high profile events across 2012 including the Walter Lippmann Memorial Lecture and the State Conference. These events will give CALD community an opportunity connect, network and share learnings across the sector.

ECCV thanks and acknowledges the hard work of the outgoing Executive Board and former Chairperson Sam Afra who have achieved many successful advocacy outcomes for multicultural communities.

Youth Policy Committee Review 2011 

 This has been a busy and productive year for the Youth Policy Committee (YPC) . This year we have looked at the key areas of CALD youth social engagement and caregiving and have been able to contribute to available knowledge through the publication of two key research/policy papers. We have also had many opportunities to work with our committed partner organisations  to explore, and seek solutions to, such challenges as CALD youth homelessness, experiences of discrimination, media representations and the promotion of cross cultural understandings.  We thank all of those who have contributed their time, energy and expertise to our committee in  2011.  
 
 

2011 Events, Conferences and Lectures 

This year ECCV has presented and partnered with many institutions to present a wide range of cultural diversity events. In June, we presented the inaugural Walter Lippmann Memorial Lecture at the Wheeler Centre which connected cultural diversity issues with the general public. ECCV also held the Refugee Week Labels and Liabilities Forum which explored how refugees are viewed and view themselves in the media.
ECCV presented at anumber of conferences including the 2011 FECCA Conference, Australia's premier multicultural conference. Senior Policy Officer Irene Bouzo presented Understanding Ethnic Aged Care: The Dilemma of Bonding and Bridging. Media Advisor Sarah Hunt presented Emergent Media: Strategies for CALD Communities. Both of these presentations are on ECCV's youtube channel.

Strong Governance Across
2011-13 
 
The ECCV had its 2011 AGM and biennial elections on 22 November . We farewelled the departing Chair Sam Afra and welcomed the election of a new Chair Joe Caputo.  Joe brings a wealth of experience to this important position having served three terms as a VMC Commissioner and is a former mayor of Moreland.
 

ECCV Prioritizes Refugee Workforce Participation

Last month ECCV focussed on assisting refugees to get jobs in its submission to the Inquiry into Workforce Participation by People with Mental Illness to the Family and Community Development Committee of the Victorian Parliament. Our top three priorities were increased employer awareness of what constitutes discrimination; initiatives to improve the sense of belonging of refugees and new and emerging communities; and employer incentives for flexible arrangements to support refugees in the workforce.

ECCV Influences Mental Health Reforms

ECCV has prioritised mental health issues across aged care, health and youth policy areas in 2011. This month ECCV Director Ross Barnett made a speech on mental health advocacy at the Mental Health in Multicultural Victoria roundtable. The speech was well received and covered the expectations that Victoria's ethnic communities have of the sector. To read the speech click here.
 

ECCV 2011 Media Wrap

ECCV has had  tranformative year in the media space.

We have high profile media commentary, letters and articles for Herald Sun, Age, Channel Nine, SBS, FECCA magazine, MTR radio, 3AW and various other media outlets.

We have grown our social media activity significantly through our Twitter and Facebook engagement strategies.

Our submission to the Australian Press Council called for tighter control on media reporting of social media and cultural stereotypes.

We have also initiated a new program mentoring program in partnership with SBS, RMIT and  Macquarie University.  

In Conversation: Victorian Young Australian of the Year 2012 Marita Cheng

ECCV supports the achievement of Victorians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This month we spoke with Victoria’s Young Australian of the Year nominee Marita Cheng. Marita is founder of Robogals, a student led organisation which encourages girls and women into the fields of science and engineering. To read our interview click here.  

ECCV Ethnic Aged Care Forum - 2012 Futures Briefing

Make sure your aged care policy has an edge next year, by getting an inside view of all the latest trends, opportunities and developments in the sector.   

On 16 February 2012, ECCV is holding its Ethnic Aged Care Policy Futures Briefing where you will hear directly from Aged Care Minister David Davis about the future of aged care.

To register early, click here.

ECCV Advocates for Family Migration

This month ECCV made a submission to the Migration Program Review for 2012-13 and beyond to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). Our key recommendations focussed on a steady migration flow with a greater balance between the family and skilled migration streams. For a copy of the submission click here.

ECCV Office Closure

ECCV will close at 2.30pm on Friday 23 December 2011 and reopen at 9.00am on Tuesday 3 January 2012. 
In case of emergency please contact Director Ross Barnett on 0417 489 226.
Copyright © 2011 *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved.