settlement.jpgThe Settlement Program

The settlement program has continued to support newly arrived refugee and humanitarian entrants, case managing 268 clients over the reporting period with 43.5% of clients coming from Afghanistan, 23.5% from Burma, 10% from Iran, 23% from Africa (incorporating Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Tanzania) The settlement team delivered 46 group information, workshops and activity sessions with 814 participants, including:

  • Living in Australia information sessions on –
    • Drivers Education & Safety
    • Income Support / Centrelink
    • Family Relationships
    • Domestic Violence
    • Personal Safety
    • Mental health
    • Legal Aid
    • Sexual Health
    • Communities 4 Children New Arrivals Consultation
    • Emergency / Disasters – SES
    • Civic Participation – Queensland Election
    • Household Maintenance
    • Employment Pathways – Job & Employment Expo
    • Family Disputes and Separation
    • Future information sessions consultation
  • Social/Community engagement activities on
    • Basketball
    • Playing Soccer at local level
    • Playing Soccer at a professional level -ROAR
    • Sun & Surf
    • Swimming
    • Bushwalking
    • Beach Safety
    • Accessing Recreation Parks and Facilities
    • Lone Pine Sanctuary
  • Practical art engagement activities for young people incorporating
    • Chalk Art
    • Logan Waste centre
    • Recycled Craft
  • 6 intercultural community awareness sessions to promote tolerance, harmony and social cohesion in a diverse community from the following communities
    • Burundian
    • West African
    • Iranian (Persian)
    • Indigenous Australians
    • Sri Lankan
    • Multi-Faith

Developing Harmony and Social Cohesion

Intercultural community awareness sessions promoting cultural understanding, harmony, cooperation and tolerance have been a regular event in the settlement program’s support of new arrivals.

A new direction was the delivery of a successful Multi faith session that promoted and encouraged interreligious and intercultural dialogue; highlighting a culture of peace and non violence and raising participant’s awareness of intolerance and discrimination based on religious beliefs.

The various guest speakers represented a range of religions and faith groups in our society and their presentations provided positive information that focused on building bridges of understanding between religious groups which in turn builds a spirit of understanding and social cohesion in the community.