Welcoming Australia

A landmark report into modern slavery in New South Wales has found temporary workers in rural and regional parts of the state are being exploited. Practices such as debt bondage, forced labour, and in extreme cases, servitude, were exposed in key industries including agriculture, horticulture and meat processing. A heart-breaking report, but an important one, necessary to shine a light on these practices and to pave a different future. Our very own Ken Dachi, Welcoming Workplaces Coordinator and Multicultural Affairs Advisor and Program Coordinator at Leeton Shire Council has witnessed first-hand the risk of PALM workers being disengaged from their scheme and in turn becoming at greater risk to modern slavery due to loss of access to essentials such as income, food and healthcare. In the words of survivor-advocates Moe Turaga; "Come back and listen to people with live experienced and be worker centric. Let's get the worker voice back up at the front." Let's continue to do just that - and to make sure nobody falls through the gaps without support. https://lnkd.in/gsj9F86j

Temporary migrant workers are essential to our economy. But we need to ensure they are safe and well while they are with us. Too many are falling into #modernslavery. Today I published my first own-motion report to the Parliament of NSW under section 19(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (NSW), focusing on these issues. I focused in particular on #PALM scheme workers and working holiday makers in rural and regional NSW. I am calling for a formal Parliamentary inquiry, mandatory training for frontline workers, support to local communities - and more. Thanks to my co-authors Sophia Kagan and Fiona N. for their excellent collaboration. Thanks also to Moe Turaga Biba Honnet Ken Dachi and others for their impressive advocacy. And thanks to the many people and organisations we consulted over the last 2 years as we developed this analysis, not least the scores of migrant workers that spoke with me directly. Welcoming Australia Fair Farms Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) National Farmers' Federation Griffith City Council Leeton Shire Council City of Coffs Harbour Murray Watt Rachel Elliott Laura McManus Mabel Wong Baiada Poultry Anna Booth Carmel La Rocca ACRATH Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) Australian Council of Superannuation Investors

It's time for our next #WelcomingWeek shout-out of Welcoming Cities member councils! Did you know that Ararat Rural City Council have hosted an amazing Welcoming Week BBQ for the past 2 years? It's becoming such a standout community gathering that they're even already excited to plan for next year's event already! Here are some photos from this year's gathering co-hosted with Ararat Neighbourhood House, Wyndham Community and Education Centre and Rural Australians for Refugees - can you smell the delicious food and feel the community love? Food is definitely #WhatBringsUsTogether! #WelcomingWeek2024

We were so delighted to co-host the 'Welcoming at the Local Level' event yesterday as part of #WelcomingWeek 2024. Thank you to all of the speakers: * Sarah Janali CF, our wonderful MC * City of Canning Councillors Shenjeet Gill-Sekhon and Ivonne Rodriguez, both graduates from the City of Canning Cultural Ambassadors, welcomed us to the City of Canning.  * Welcoming Cities' own Sebastian Geers shared the Guidelines for inclusive swimming facilities.  * Shabnam Safa and Blaise Itabelo from Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia, shared the massive impact a small, but committed, group of individuals an make.  *Kate Rowlands, Cath Colvin and Ziagul (Zee) Sultani from the Office of Multicultural Interests, shared the impressive data resources and the grant funding streams available. This event has been such a great collaboration between the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), the Office Of Multicultural Interests - Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. , Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia, Welcoming Cities, and the City of Canning.   Thank you for the terrific welcoming work you do every day, it was wonderful to share the space with so many committed people, and to shine a light on it during this Welcoming Week! PS Perth, didn't get a chance to hear from Blaise and Shabnam yesterday? Catch them on their Perth community refugee sponsorship tour here: https://lnkd.in/gf_6W_nN #WhatBringsUsTogether #WelcomingWeek2024

Check out this wonderful video from Jess at Townsville City Council - what an incredible way to mark #WelcomingWeek2024, celebrating #WhatBringsUsTogether. Connecting the dots between Ghana and Townsville!

From First Nations to our newest neighbours, everyone deserves to belong, contribute, and thrive in the community we call home. Welcoming Week is a special time to celebrate the values that unite us and to make our communities more inclusive and welcoming for all who live in Townsville. Meet Jess, born and raised in Ghana, Africa, and now a proud Townsville City Council employee! Jess brings a unique perspective to her role as a Planning Services Officer, drawing on her diverse background to make a difference in our city. Check out her inspiring video to see how she connects the dots between her hometown and Townsville!

It's Welcoming Week! We have been overwhelmed with the incredible events being hosted all over the country, joining thousands of people globally who are coming together this week to celebrate the impact and importance of creating welcoming communities. It's impossible to highlight them all, but we wanted to take a moment to share the way some of our Welcoming Cities members have jumped onboard to celebrate #WhatBringsUsTogether! First up, is the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, who have curated a week of engaging activities across their council area, connecting with partner organisations, community groups and the broader community to make sure there is truly something for everyone this #WelcomingWeek! From Friday Night Lights with One Culture Group, the inaugural Welcome Fest at Kilburn Community Centre, family story-times at their libraries, our shared Welcoming Community Dinner to kick off #WelcomingWeek2024 in SA, lantern-making, playgroup and creative kids programs and English conversation and connection groups - it's a whirlwind of welcoming! Check out the full program here: https://lnkd.in/gprJE8pd

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off my career at PAE with Welcome Fest for Welcoming Week! Such a great crew of staff and volunteers working with community groups and services to pull of a success event with over 500+ people. This was more than a free event with so many community outcomes such as; ▶️ New library card holders and connections to library services. ▶️ Volunteers had the opportunity to lead activities to their skills and interests ▶️ Community Groups getting people involved in learning their culture through music and food ▶️Connecting with new people, some who’ve only been in Australia for less than 5 days ▶️Volunteers being able to welcome and connect with people in a variety of languages. ▶️ Capturing future EOI’s for programs ▶️Community art projects with portrait photo art and mural to give a sense of belonging in the centre ▶️And much more… This community is truly amazing! Can’t wait for the next one. See below a snapshot of the day ⬇️ Community is about doing something TOGETHER that makes belonging MATTER! ~Brian Solis

Last week, we had the honour of hosting this engaging conversation as part of Welcoming Week to celebrate Bloodlines to Country; an award-winning podcast we all know and love. Thank you to the generosity, deep knowledge and engaging insight of Yuggera Elder, Aunty Kerry Charlton, podcast producers and hosts Jenae Tien Jenkins, Karina Hogan and to our delightful conversation host Cate Gilpin (Coordinator Welcoming Universities and Queensland Coordinator Welcoming Cities). Here are a few snaps from the evening, thanks to our friends @Community Partners, Michelle Levings and Niyati Acharya. #WhatBringsUsTogether #WelcomingWeek2024

Community Partners had the privilege of attending Bloodlines to Country, a truly inspiring celebration of the award-winning podcast by Jenae Tien Jenkins, Karina Hogan and Aunty Kerry. Hosted by Cate Gilpin from Welcoming Australia, it served as an important reminder of the need to acknowledge and respect Indigenous Australians as the Traditional Custodians of the land. Also emphasising the importance of deepening our understanding of their history, culture, and contributions, in fostering meaningful inclusion and reconciliation. Thank you to our amazing Creative Director for the snaps 📸 #culturalawareness #indigenousvoices #reconciliation