Evoca June 2013 by The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland

Issue 166

Winter edition, June 2013

EVOCA

An Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland publication | www.eccq.com.au

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ISSUE 166: FEATURES EVOCA, a publication of the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ), is published quarterly.

EDITOR

Carrie Barnett

FROM THE CHAIR Agnes M Whiten, OAM

ECCQ BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Agnes Whiten, OAM DEPUTY CHAIRS Serge Voloschenko Michael Yau HON PRESIDENT AND VOLUNTEER CEO Nick Xynias, AO CHAIR OF THE FINANCE, AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE Alex Daniloff

DIRECTORS Dr. Mustafa Ally, OAM Surendra Prasad, OAM Chalani Gunasekara Irene Cayas Gail Ker, OAM

MULTICULTURAL MEDIA TRAINING Promoting cross-cultural exchange

ECCQ STAFF SPOTLIGHT Minh Tran, a bi-lingual community health worker in ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program

ECCQ OFFICE CONTACTS

HIV RAPID TESTING Success depends on access

EXECUTIVE MANAGER Ian Muil ianm@eccq.com.au

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS Carrie Barnett carrieb@eccq.com.au

HR & ADMIN MANAGER Chris Dougherty hr@eccq.com.au

SENIOR POLICY OFFICER Fiona Caniglia fionac@eccq.com.au

HIV/AIDS, HEPATITIS & SEXUAL HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER Zhihong Gu zhihongg@eccq.com.au

CHILD SAFETY POLICY OFFICER Gail Slocombe gails@eccq.org.au

CHRONIC DISEASE PROGRAM MANAGER Ella Ashley ellaa@eccq.com.au

Raising awareness prevention in CALD communities

PARTNERS IN CULTURAL COMPETENCE Hedy Nicolson hedyn@eccq.com.au

ABOUT ECCQ

WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2013

CANCER AWARENESS WORKSHOP Pasifika communities

ECCQ ROLLS OUT NEW PROGRAM Strengthening community leadership

ECCQ DIRECTOR PROFILE Surendra Prasad

ECCQ is Queensland’s peak body for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and the multicultural sector. ECCQ membership comprises new and emerging and established ethnic associations and CALD individuals. Members are supported through policy work and community support. For more information on ECCQ’s policies and programs go to our website www.eccq.com.au or call 07 3844 9166.

SWAP IT, DON’T STOP IT Lifestyle modification made simple

MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE Planned public housing shift

P.O. Box 5916 West End, Queensland 4101

ON THE COVER HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program team (back row, from left) Daniel Akech, Mekita Vanderheyde, Zhihong Gu, (front row) Pauline Muraa, John Deng, and Mavice Hove. © ECCQ

2013 BUDGET Opportunities and challenges

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR ECCQ values cultural identity and supports opportunities to get involved Agnes M Whiten OAM

There are numerous activities that ECCQ is invited to and directors of the Board and staff represent the organisation at many exciting events. One of the most uplifting conferences I recently attended was the Happy Ageing for CALD Australians Conference, hosted by Diversicare, a division of ECCQ that provides coordinated community based home care for ageing CALD people. Diversicare’s Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care team hosted the conference on 17 May at Rydges Hotel in Brisbane’s South Bank. The conference was such a success that Diversicare was inundated with requests from delegates to host another conference next year. There were over 200 delegates and some travelled from Far North Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. The keynote speaker, Pino Migliorino, Chairperson of FECCA, spoke passionately about the importance of equity of access for service provision, both in the community and in residential facilities, for CALD communities. All speakers presented from the heart and it was evident that their passion and enthusiasm for equality for all CALD people is at the forefront of their core business. ECCQ is very proud to have the enthusiastic, passionate and committed staff at Diversicare and I commend them for their great work ethic and dedication. We all know that the population of Australia is ageing and there is a significant number of people from CALD background who need culturally sensitive assistance to cope with ageing. The 2011 Census shows that nearly half of the 20.5 percent of Queensland’s population born overseas come from non-English speaking countries. And only 57 percent of them speak English very well and older people are less proficient in English than younger age groups. I also recently represented ECCQ at the AGM of the Ethnic Schools Association of Queensland (ESAQ) in April. Back in 1986 ECCQ’s Education Committee, chaired by Ezzat Guindy, established a Steering Committee to set up an ethnic schools association and thus ESAQ was established. ESAQ is a non-profit organisation whose members provide after-hours language and cultural education for all students irrespective of their linguistic background.

Anne Reath Warren, an Australian doctoral student from Stockholm University in Sweden, spoke on the importance of teaching children their mother tongue. ESAQ encourages ethnic community groups and associations to form their own ethnic schools to promote their culture and language to youth and the general community. This dedicated band of teachers is led by Irene Tavutau who was recently re-elected as president. Nationally over 100,000 students study a range of 69 languages and in Queensland there are over 4,000 students attending classes. ECCQ launched a new media toolkit, Joining the Conversation, for CALD communities at our Harmony Day Media Forum in Brisbane on 21 March, which attracted over 50 guests. The toolkit was also launched at ECCQ Harmony Day events in Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns, which attracted about 140 people in total. This toolkit will serve CALD communities to be able to engage with the media and be positive spokespeople for their communities. The events wrapped up our Multicultural Media Training project funded by the Department of Immigration & Citizenship through the Diversity and Social Cohesion program. You can read more about this on page 3. One of the many pleasant things I do as Chair of ECCQ is participate in citizenship ceremonies where I have the opportunity to give a brief message to the newly naturalised Australians on the importance of participating in the political process by voting. The Brisbane Islamic Council of Australia along with the Crescents of Brisbane and AMARAH jointly hosted democracy workshops for anyone interested in understanding the political system in Australia, how votes are counted, how preferences are distributed and the roles of the different levels of government. These workshops involved the Australian Electoral Commission and mock elections were held to demonstrate the electoral system. ECCQ has been conducting these seminars for many years, but it has to be done periodically as emerging communities continue to increase. I was also invited by the Brisbane Islamic Council of Australia to attend an event about the Muslim community’s

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“Housing is an issue that affects us all and CALD communities are often doubly disadvantaged when it comes to securing a safe and comfortable home.” contributions to Australia, at which Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bob Carr, was the speaker. ECCQ will be hosting an election forum in August that will bring together candidates of the major political parties for the forthcoming federal election. We will keep you posted on that. There are many festivals held in Brisbane, such as the Vietnamese New Year celebrations, the Bengali Society New Year festival which featured the evolution of Bengali songs, the Logan Multicultural Festival, the Philippine Barrio Fiesta celebrating its national day and many others which show the richness and diversity of Australian society.

Vivienne McDonald, General Manager of Diversicare and Agnes at the Happy Ageing Conference on 17 May.

I would like to remind everyone that the Valuing Diversity Grants Program, funded through Multicultural Affairs Queensland, is now accepting applications until 10 July. This grant program makes many of these cultural events possible. ECCQ recently hosted a Members’ and Communities’ Meeting on 19 June where we discussed the proposed changes to public housing. Adrian Pisarski, Executive Officer at Queensland Shelter, presented on the opportunities and challenges of these changes and ECCQ’s Senior Policy Officer, Fiona Caniglia, presented a culturally responsive framework to guide implementation. Housing is an issue that affects us all and CALD communities are often doubly disadvantaged when it comes to securing a safe and comfortable home. You can read more about this on page 15. The 2013 FECCA National Conference will be held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on 7 and 8 November. ECCQ and the Multicultural Council of Gold Coast are cohosting this biennial conference which has been generously sponsored by the Queensland Government through Multicultural Affairs Queensland. The theme this year is ‘Breaking Down the Barriers: A Strength-based Approach for a Just Society’. For more information please visit www. eccq.com.au. We look forward to seeing you there.

ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program participated in Diversicare’s Multicultural Seniors Seminar on 22 May in Maroochydore. The participation consisted of a presentation and an information stall.

Hana Alraman, ECCQ’s Multicultural Workforce Coordinator, giving a presentation to seniors, carers and their families on healthy eating.

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MULTICULTURAL MEDIA TRAINING PROJECT PROMOTES CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGE ECCQ’s statewide Multicultural Media Training Project, funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship through the Diversity and Social Cohesion Program, wrapped up this month.

The media is a powerful force in contemporary society as it often influences how we think and feel about each other and in culturally diverse societies, like Queensland, it can provide or hinder a sense of belonging. People need to feel that the media is for them in order to consume it and mainstream media coverage often doesn’t reflect the current demographic of Queensland. The 2011 Census shows that over 20% of the population was born overseas and participating in social and political activities depends on access to reliable information.

“The inherent right to know and to speak on our own behalf and that of our families and communities is paramount for participation in all aspects of Australian society.”

“The inherent right to know and to speak on your own behalf and that of your families and communities is paramount for participation in all aspects of Australian society,” said Ian Muil, ECCQ Executive Manager. The need for more diverse voices in the media led to a partnership between ECCQ, the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University to conduct media training across the state to build the capacity of CALD communities to engage with the media and connect them with local journalists.

Media training participants in Brisbane.

“The media training sessions were in high demand particularly in the regions where CALD communities have said they feel under-represented in mainstream media,” said Samantha Ryan, ECCQ’s Media Training Project Officer. The two-day training sessions, held in Brisbane, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns in 2012, taught participants how the media works, how to develop a story and a media release, how to engage with journalists, how to network and how to create your own media. Participants were also encouraged to offer stories developed in the training sessions to local journalists and as a result 13 stories were published in radio, print and online media outlets.

Media training participants in Townsville.

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“We are not classified as Australians in the media; we are portrayed only by our cultural backgrounds, our ethnicity.” A Townsville training participant, Jeff Mwanza, wrote and sent out a media release about the launch of the Townsville African Men’s Reference Group. A journalist from the Townsville Bulletin subsequently wrote about the launch and issues facing African men. Another participant, Theophile Zawadi, had his story of coming to Australia from the Democratic Republic of Congo and being a translator for the United Nations published in the Rockhampton Bulletin. And Erwin Cabucos, another participant, had his media release on the Ipswich Filipino community’s masquerade ball published in the Ipswich Advertiser. These are just a few examples of stories that introduce these growing communities to the wider public. As part of the project, ECCQ developed an easy-to-use media toolkit, Joining the Conversation, to ensure all CALD communities have access to the knowledge and tools needed to engage with the media and to become positive spokespeople for their communities. Samantha Ryan, who compiled and edited the toolkit, says that it “equips CALD communities with the tools to correct negative stereotypes and present positive portrayals of their communities through instructions on how to write a media release, pitch a story, create your own media and develop media networks.” The media toolkit was launched in March during ECCQ’s Harmony Day Media Forums in Brisbane and in ECCQ’s Media Community Café workshops in Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns. Across the state a total of 140 people from CALD communities, migrant and refugee support organisations and media professionals came together to discuss the need for more diverse voices in the media.

Harmony Day forum speakers (from left) Erwin Cabucos, Cathie Schnitzerling, Manju Jehu, Ursula Skjonnemand and Angela Romano. Photo taken by Alban Vinevel.

ECCQ partnered with Bridge Media to film the Harmony Day events across the state and document interviews with CALD individuals on how they feel about the media. In the video, one participant said: “Even though we are all Australians, we are not classified as Australians in the media; we are portrayed only by our cultural backgrounds, our ethnicity.” ECCQ has been conducting multicultural media training for CALD communities since 2010 and has long recognised the need for more balanced media that better reflects Queensland’s multicultural society. In 2012, ECCQ delivered media training for the first time to communities in Cairns and Rockhampton and there has been great demand for the project to continue in the regions.

Download the Joining the Conversation: A Media Toolkit for Ethnic Communities and watch the video at www.eccq.com.au. For more information about ECCQ’s Multicultural Media Training Project visit www.eccq.com.au.

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ECCQ STAFF SPOTLIGHT: MINH TRAN Minh Tran is a former health professional from Vietnam who now works as an ECCQ bi-lingual community health worker in ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program for the Vietnamese community. Minh Tran is a member of Queensland’s Vietnamese community, one of the largest CALD communities in Queensland. And Vietnamese is now the third most spoken language in Queensland according to the 2011 ABS census. Minh works as an ECCQ bilingual health worker and enjoys organising education sessions on HIV/AIDS and hepatitis and networking within Brisbane’s Vietnamese community. She came to Australia 10 years ago with her husband and son, who is turning 11 in September and feels fortunate to have found work in the medical field in Brisbane that has her interacting with the Vietnamese community – which brings together the two countries she calls home. “I love to connect with people, so sharing my medical knowledge, experience in the health field and contributing to healthier lifestyles in my own community suits me very well,” said Minh. She completed postgraduate studies in medicine while living in Vietnam and is currently participating in ECCQ’s Certificate IV in Primary Health & Community Care (Multicultural) course which she feels brings together her experience in the health sector and teaches her more about cultural competency. “I write articles about hepatitis in the Brisbane-based Vietnamese newspapers as well as promote our workshops and information sessions to community leaders and members. Now, more people in the Vietnamese community know about what our sexual health program is, where they can get help and who the service providers are,” said Minh. Minh says that working in this field is now her life challenge and believes raising awareness is making a real difference in her community. “Raising awareness about hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and STIs is so important in terms of prevention and self-management. Health information is not only for at-risk groups or

“Raising awareness about hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and STIs are so important in terms of prevention and self-management.” people who have tested HIV positive or contracted an STI, it is also for their family members, carers, and anyone who is concerned about sexual health issues.” Minh has received much positive feedback from community members who have attended her information sessions. One woman said: “Hepatitis sessions are useful, now I know where to get help and how to look after my liver.” Another woman said: “I am over 60 years old and I thought a session about sexual health is not relevant to me. After attending the session about STIs I now know that HPV and cervical cancer can occur in aging people and we need to do a PAP smear regularly every two years up to 70 years old – thank you for this important information.” Minh says that working in the community has a lot of challenges, but work that allows her to improve health awareness in the Vietnamese community is very rewarding.

Our HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program has a team of 13 bilingual community health workers who work with and for communities across Queensland. The use of bilingual community health workers is recognised globally as an effective way to engage with CALD communities. Vitally, they ensure communities have information about HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and sexual health that is relevant, current, sensitive to taboos and traditions and culturally appropriate. Communities ECCQ’s bi-lingual workers serve: Burmese, Burundi, Karen, Papua New Guinean, Rwandan, Samoan/Pacific Islander, Somali, Sudanese and Vietnamese. They are based in Toowoomba (Sudanese), Cairns (Papua New Guinean) and Brisbane. Languages ECCQ’s bi-lingual workers speak: English, Dinka, Sudanese Arabic, Arabic, Madi, Vietnamese, Bari, Swahili, PNG Tokpisin (Cairns), Burmese, French, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Karen, Somali, Kizigua, and Samoan.

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HIV RAPID TESTING SUCCESS DEPENDS ON ACCESS Queensland is the first Australian state to roll out free HIV rapid testing in sexual health clinics. ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Sexual Health Program Manager, Ms Zhihong Gu, says that while testing is now more accessible, continued efforts are needed to promote it in at-risk groups.

ECCQ welcomes this month’s roll out of free HIV rapid tests in Queensland sexual health clinics as HIV remains a significant public health issue in Queensland, particularly in CALD communities who often face many barriers to accessing accurate information, testing and treatment. The decision to introduce the HIV tests was spearheaded by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS (MAC) to increase the testing rates in Queensland, a state that has seen rising HIV infections during the last decade. Zhihong says that while rapid testing does make access easier, particularly for at-risk groups, continued efforts are needed to ensure that CALD communities and migrant populations have improved access to HIV testing and prevention services. “We have been in touch with sexual health clinics across the state to ensure the test is available and accessible for CALD communities,” she said. “So far we’ve found that CALD individuals can access the test, interpreters and counselling support at clinics in the regions. In Brisbane, the AIDS Medical Unit at Biala will begin to offer rapid testing to anyone who thinks they may have been at risk of HIV at the end of June.” ECCQ is currently consulting with communities to better understand factors associated with barriers to HIV testing in CALD communities, which may help direct where rapid testing is carried out in the near future. “It would be beneficial if rapid testing could be expanded to community settings to improve accessibility,” she said.

“It’s essential to sustain targeted and language appropriate HIV awareness and prevention programs to increase testing rates in CALD communities.” promotion and protection and ECCQ commends the Government’s determination to reduce HIV infection rates, and for setting targets for annual notification and testing rates. However, some at-risk groups, such as people from high prevalence countries, do not access HIV testing due to stigma, language barriers and cultural beliefs and norms. “It’s essential to sustain targeted and language-appropriate HIV awareness and prevention programs to increase the testing level in CALD communities. Free testing will only be successful if it’s accessible to all.” The trend of HIV infection in Queensland is increasing with about 2,300 people now accessing treatment. Nearly 31% of individuals newly diagnosed with HIV infections in 2011 in Queensland were born in Africa, Asia, Europe or the Pacific Islands. “Since 2005 we have seen an increase of HIV infections in Queensland among individuals born overseas although the total number of newly diagnosed infections remains relatively small.” In 2011, there were 1,137 new diagnoses nationally, an 8.2% increase on 2010 and the highest number since the introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy.

www.eccq.com.au/health

“Currently the test, which is a simple and faster blood test, is only carried out in sexual health clinics and this may be a barrier for those communities which still may feel that going to a sexual health clinic is taboo.” The State Budget increased the budget for prevention,

ECCQ offers free training and group information sessions on HIV, hepatitis and/or sexual health. Please contact Mekita Vanderheyde, ECCQ Multicultural Resources, Training & Community Development Officer, at 07 3844 9166 or mekitav@eccq.com.au for more information.

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WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2013 RAISING AWARENESS IN CALD COMMUNITIES ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Sexual Health Program, funded by Queensland Health, raises awareness of viral hepatitis in CALD communities in Queensland through workshops and forums.

World Hepatitis Day is an annual event held on 28 July to raise international awareness of hepatitis B and C. It is an opportunity to learn more about these viruses and influence real change in prevention and access to testing and treatment.

The first event will be on 6 July at the Rock Church in Annerley starting at 12:30 and the second event will be held for the South Sudanese community on 27 July at the Annerley Baptist Church, sponsored by the Hepatitis Council.

Hepatitis B and C kill approximately one million people a year and 500 million people around the world are currently infected with chronic hepatitis B or C and one in three people have been exposed to one or both viruses.

ECCQ offers free workshops to CALD communities, which can be delivered in community languages. Read more about the types of workshops we offer at www. eccq.com.au/health or contact Mekita Vanderheyde, Multicultural Resources, Training and Community Development Officer on 3844 9166 or email resources@ eccq.com.au.

In Australia, an estimated 209,000 people are living with hepatitis B, which was the cause of an estimated 382 deaths in 2011. Chronic hepatitis B and C infections are the leading causes of liver disease and 25 percent of liver transplants in 2011. Hepatitis B is very common among people from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Pacific Island countries and many migrants and refugees don not have tests for hepatitis B and C before coming to Australia. Program Manager Zhihong Gu says that viral hepatitis in under-diagnosed in CALD communities in Queensland, particularly in communities from Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. “There is very little funding to promote awareness of hepatitis infections in CALD communities and, unfortunately, this may cause a burden for the Australian health system in the long run due to expensive treatment, including liver transplants, extended hospitalisation and potential loss of lives,” she said. ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program conducts health workshops on viral hepatitis to CALD communities using trained bi-lingual community health workers. ECCQ will be hosting two hepatitis forums in July, facilitated by bi-lingual community health workers, Theophil Lazaro Kabongo and John Deng, to raise awareness of hepatitis and encourage parents and guardians to talk to their children and young people about it.

GET THE FACTS: What is Hepatitis? Hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver and can be caused by a wide range of things such as chemicals, alcohol and drugs, but the common cause is a virus. The three most common viruses that cause hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis B is the most common. If a child contracts hepatitis B the child has a 90% chance of developing a chronic infection. Without appropriate treatment and management, people with chronic hepatitis B can progress to liver failure or liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis B and C can cause liver cancer and most liver cancer cases in the world are caused by chronic hepatitis B. Getting immunised is the best way of preventing hepatitis B infection and the vaccine has been shown to be effective in approximately 95% of cases. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C.

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CANCER AWARENESS WORKSHOP PASIFIKA COMMUNITIES Funded by Queensland Health, ECCQ’s Chronic Disease program is the only program in Australia designed to promote healthy lifestyle choices and chronic disease self management in CALD communities.

The Queensland Synod Multicultural Ministry invited ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program to conduct a cancer awareness workshop organised by the Fijian Uniting Church Women’s Fellowship on 4 May. The one-day workshop was attended by many different Pasifika communities, including from New Zealand, (Maoris) Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nii Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Niue, Tuvalu and Kiribati.

Pacific and South Sea Island communities show higher hospitalisation rates than other population groups due to chronic health conditions.

ECCQ’s Multicultural Health Workers presented on different types of cancers, the causes of cancer, lifestyle risk factors, the importance of cancer screening and treatment, patient resources and living with cancer. And a guest speaker from the Prostate Cancer Foundation spoke about the importance of men being able to recognise early symptoms of prostate cancer. Ella Ashley, manager of ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program, said she is excited by the opportunity to partner with the Queensland Synod Multicultural Ministry of the Uniting Church of Australia to provide this vital information to these communities.

Workshop participants in front of Fijian Uniting Church.

“This highlights the vital role our bilingual Multicultural Health Workers play in linking their communities with important health care information and services. This workshop would not have happened without groundwork done by Malotuto’atasi Vaimoso-Semaia, our Samoan Health Worker, who is also an active member of the Pasifika community and a church member,” she said. An analysis of hospitalisation rates among individual population groups in 2011 indicates that Samoans, Tongans, Fijians and Australian South Sea Islanders show higher hospitalisation rates than other population groups due to chronic health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity-related conditions. “Excess weight can increase an individual’s risk of lifestyle-related chronic diseases and some cancers,” said Ella. “These workshops allow participants to first learn about different types of cancer and how to prevent

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“Increasing awareness means empowering communities to access services that may be vital for an early diagnosis.”

BRISBANE SIKH TEMPLE WALKING & EXERCISE GROUP

cancer through lifestyle modification, like healthy eating and physical activity.”

ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program partnered with Eight Mile Plains Community Health Centre’s Healthy Lifestyle Team and Sikh Nishkam Society of Australia to deliver a 5-week program to promote physical activity among Indian communities.

Research undertaken by the Cancer Screening Services Unit of Queensland Health in 2010 found that people from CALD backgrounds are an at-risk group and less likely to participate in regular cancer screening and therefore most likely to be unscreened or underscreened. “There were many participants who, prior to the workshop, did not know where to access screening services. There were also questions asked on how lifestyle factors can prevent disease,” said Ella. “Increasing awareness means empowering communities to access services that may be vital for an early diagnosis and an early diagnosis offers more options for successful treatment. It was a great opportunity to listen, ask questions and clarify myths about cancer in a safe and culturally appropriate environment.” Some workshop participants spoke about their past apprehension of going to a doctor who does not understand their health beliefs and culture. Discussions were also had on how to eat healthier by modifying recipes that use high-kilojoule traditional ingredients. Workshop facilitator, Litiana Kuridrani, who is also a member of the Fijian Uniting Church, said the communities must take a positive approach to cancer, learn as much as possible and create support groups.

The program started on 7 April and finished 26 May and was facilitated by ECCQ’s Multicultural Health Worker Anu Indravansa and a Queensland Health social worker. The 15 participants were engaged in a range of activities to learn about the benefits of exercise, healthy eating and how to monitor their progress. Participants learned how to be active by practising useful homebased exercises. Each participant was given a pedometer and steplog diary to monitor their walking during the program period. The group managed to steadily increase their daily walking activity from about 8,300 steps per day to 10,000 steps per day. Ms Kam Athwal, Director of Sikh Nishkam Society of Australia, said that the Indian community greatly benefited from the information and the group exercises. “Getting the information and education about physical activity to this community group who do not have access to these programs is very important,” she said. Participants said that the program has got them “on track” with exercise.

“ECCQ has come today with everything and has surpassed our expectations,” she said. “We’ve gained knowledge about the disease and the available services. This is only the beginning - It will take time for us, but cancer is here and there is more to learn.” ECCQ partnered with the Cancer Screening Services of Queensland Health in 2011 to develop a cancer screening education module and trialled it with seven CALD communities as part of ECCQ’s Living Well Multicultural Program. www.eccq.com.au/health/chronic-disease

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ECCQ ROLLS OUT NEW PROGRAM TO SUPPORT CALD COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ECCQ has received funding from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) under the Settlement Grants Program to develop community leadership within CALD communities in the Brisbane region.

ECCQ’s community leadership program aims to connect communities and build social participation by developing and nurturing effective leadership skills and qualities to better support formal and informal community associations and support groups, and link emerging communities with more established communities. Executive Manager Ian Muil says that leadership is the one essential ingredient for functional societies and communities. “Leadership is an integral element in the resettlement process as migrants from many different parts of the world adapt to their new lives in Australia,” he said. “We have long identified the need to support and mentor community leaders who play a vital role in supporting their communities as they navigate education, employment, housing, health, the justice system – all in an environment often quite foreign to that they have been used to.” “DIAC has also recognised the key role leadership plays in settlement and successful integration and we’re delighted that this funding package creates a partnership whereby identified and potential leaders will now be supported as they work to assist their communities. Throughout the history of migration to Australia ethnic community associations have played constructive and positive roles in the settlement experience of new arrivals through advocacy, by creating a sense of belonging, by providing peer support and by being effective gateways to greater participation in the wider community of Australia. “Community leadership and strong associations are integral to successful settlement experiences in their capacity to bring community members together, support new arrivals and gain small grants for community functions and events.” In 2007 ECCQ established the Strengthening Ethnic Community Associations (SECA) program, funded by the Queensland Government, to provide training,

“Community leadership and strong associations are integral to successful settlement experiences in their capacity to bring community members together and support new arrivals” mentorship, management and governance support, and social and networking opportunities to ethnic community associations. The SECA program, well known to ethnic communities across Queensland, assisted over 150 community associations and 500 individuals with support and training. This program was de-funded as a result of State Budget cuts in 2012. The community leadership program will provide governance and management training to a cohort of emerging community leaders to assist with the development of community associations and informal groups. The program will also provide advocacy training to enable leaders to effectively advocate on behalf of their community.

RESOURCE FOR ETHNIC COMMUNITIES ECCQ has developed easy to use resources for ethnic community associations, including the Easy-to-Use Working Manual for committee members of ethnic community associations, that provides information, tools and resources to support community-based organisations in Queensland. You can access the manual in it’s entirety at www.eccq.com.au. If you are looking for resources about ethnic community associations, contact us by administration@eccq. com.au or 07 3844 9166.

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ECCQ DIRECTOR PROFILE SURENDRA PRASAD ECCQ Director and passionate proponent of multiculturalism, Surendra Prasad arrived in Brisbane in 1989 from Fiji and since then has worked tirelessly to promote equal rights and opportunities for Queensland’s Indian and Pacific Island communities.

He has been recognised for this work with numerous prestigious awards. Surendra was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2006, the Australia Day Senior Citizen of the Year award last year for his work in promoting multiculturalism, the Queensland Multicultural Service award in 2000 and many more. He recently celebrated his 70th birthday. He stepped down from role of president of the Federation of Indian Communities Queensland Inc (FICQ) in 2011, but then was elected Vice President of the Pacific Island Reference Group shortly after. “I am always involved in something, but doing things for others brings me the most pleasure in life and I’m committed to fostering an inclusive society – for that to happen we need to work for it.” During his tenure as president of FICQ, Surendra expanded the organisation’s reach and involvement. In just two years he expanded the memberships from five organisations to over 30. He also organised the first open air Diwali Festival at King George Square October of 2010. “I’m passionate about helping the Indian community maintain its identity in Australia, which has become a melting pot of cultures, and to share our culture with the wider community,” he said. Surendra was instrumental in building up the Hindu Society of Queensland, first serving as president in 1998

“I’m committed to fostering an inclusive society – for that to happen we need to work for it.” and then establishing the first Hindu Temple in Bundall, Brisbane, in 1991. He then raised a $100,000 deposit to buy land for a future temple and a community hall. “Communities need places to come together, religious places, community centres, it’s important to be social, to feel involved and to feel a sense of belonging.” He is a life member of the Hindu Society and is a patron of FICQ, where he continues to provide leadership and mentoring to enhance working relationships with state and local government and also with the Indian High Commission in Canberra – foundations of which he laid during his tenure as president. He also represents the Indian community on the Griffith University Community Liaison group which looks after the welfare of international students and is comprised of 15 representatives from diverse communities, politicians and councillors. Surendra has also been involved with many other community clubs and committees: he has been a member of the Lion’s Club of Brisbane McGregor for the past nine years, serving as President in 2008/09). He received the Lion’s Club Humanitarian Award this month and the President’s Excellence Award by Lions International. “All of my community work eventually led to an invitation by Agnes Whiten, ECCQ Chair, to be a part of ECCQ’s Executive Committee in 2011. I am very proud to be a part of an organisation that helps so many diverse communities in Queensland.” Helping others was deeply engrained in Surendra’s upbringing in Fiji. His father died when he was 11, leaving behind his mother and his 8 siblings, aged 2 weeks to 12. As one of the elder brothers, Surendra had to leave

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“I remember thinking as a boy that when I grow up I will help others because I know what’s like to go through hard times.” school and start providing for the family. This sparked a life-long commitment to helping others. “I will never forget those hard times and the people in my village that helped my family. I remember thinking as a boy that when I grow up I will help others because I know what’s like to go through hard times.”

Surendra celebrating his 70th birthday in May 2013.

As a boy, he worked as a labourer at a construction company and then as a salesman for a saw milling company before being hired as a conductor at age 15 for Pacific Transport, a company he went on to spend 25 years with, eventually becoming National Traffic Manager. “That’s my real career – transport. It brought much needed stability to my family.” He left Pacific Transport in 1981 to start a tourism business with his two brothers, operating a fleet of taxis and a tourism bus service. In 1987 a military coup in Fiji damaged his business as tourism slowed down. Concerned for his family’s safety and their future he, with his wife and four children, migrated to Brisbane in 1988.

Surendra came first in his race category at the CresWalk2013 held on 26 May, organised by the Crescents of Brisbane and ECCQ Director, Mustafa Ally.

“I came to Brisbane with many years of experience in transport, but my qualifications were not good enough to get a job and I had to start from scratch.” He began his career in Brisbane at a packaging factory before getting a job as a bus driver with Brisbane City Council, where he worked for nearly 25 years. “The best thing in my life is to be engaged with so many different people, to hear their stories and to help where I can. That’s why I belong to so many organisations.”

Surendra speaking at the Diwali Festival in October 2011.

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SWAP IT, DON’T STOP IT LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION MADE SIMPLE ECCQ’s project, Swap It, Don’t Stop It, a joint Australian and State Government initiative under the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health, makes healthy living fun and accessible for all communities.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in Australia and in Queensland just over 58% of the population weighs more than the recommended weight for good health. Some CALD communities, such as the Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, South Sea Islander and Middle East communities, have a higher prevalence of obesity and chronic disease than that of the Australian population.

“Anyone can do it, irrespective of his or her culture. Simple everyday choices can make a big difference, especially in the long-run.”

Losing weight and eating healthy food is difficult for nearly everyone and ECCQ’s project, Swap It, Don’t Stop It, focuses on promoting simple everyday changes people can make to start living a healthier lifestyle without losing out on all the things they love. ECCQ began coordinating the statewide Swap It project in early 2010 and along with partner organisations in Mackay, Townsville and Rockhampton, the project has assisted hundreds of individuals from CALD backgrounds with losing weight by making smarter choices in everyday life – at work, at home or out shopping.

President of CQMA, Dawn Hay; Swap It, Don’t Stop It mascot, Erik, and ECCQ Project Officer, Anna Voloschenko at the Rockhampton graduation ceremony in April.

Anna Voloschenko, an ECCQ project officer says it’s a positive approach to weight management and lifestyle modification by educating communities about small sustainable swaps they can make in their everyday lives to become healthier and reduce their risk of chronic disease. “Anyone can do it, irrespective of his or her culture,” she said. “Healthier everyday choices can make a big difference, especially in the long-run, since we know that carrying excess weight can increase the risk of developing lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.” The project consists of culturally tailored sessions on good nutrition tips for healthier cooking and physical activity. The sessions are contextualized and translated for seven CALD communities and delivered by trained Multicultural Health Workers.

Erik with the orchestra at the graduation ceremony.

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“The idea is to make it fun and accessible – this means sharing healthy recipes using traditional ingredients, organising walking groups and bringing along the Swap It, Don’t Stop It mascot, Erik, to community events and some sessions, which is great for kids and families. “Erik is always a big draw card at events. His blue rounded body and friendly disposition is particularly attractive to children.” Erik attracted a lot of attraction at the Swap It, Don’t Stop It graduation BBQ in Rockhampton, hosted by the Central Queensland Multicultural Association (CQMA), on 27 April. The event celebrated the achievements of over 50 individuals from CALD backgrounds who took part in a 12-week Swap It, Don’t Stop It program.

Five year-old Rudra and his parents attended a Swap It, Don’t Stop It session for the Indian community where he drew a picture of mascot Erik. Many thanks to Rudra’s parents for the pictures!

During the festivities, held at Central Queensland University, the President of CQMA, Dawn Hay joined with Anna Voloschenko to hand out achievement awards to all who participated as well as appreciation certificates to those who helped make the 12-week program in Rockhampton such a big success. “Graduates and their families gathered in the shady areas of the campus where they listened to the local orchestra, participated in sack races and played a variety of active games. It was fun for all,” said Anna. CQMA coordinates the 12-week program and conducts many Swap It activities for CALD communities, including participating in Sunday Markets, cooking classes, cooking demonstrations and walking groups. “The 12-week program and Swap It activities have been embraced by many CALD communities as it’s easy to do and the results can be seen in a relatively short time.” www.eccq.com.au/health/chronic-disease ECCQ partnered with the Mackay Yamadi Lera Yumi Meta Association to deliver the Swap It program to the Australian South Sea Island (ASSI) communities in Mackay, with CQMA to deliver the program to Pacific Island communities in Rockhampton and with the Townsville Multicultural Association to deliver the program to Polynesian communities in Townsville.

Rudra’s finished drawing.

ECCQ delivers the program in South East Queensland to seven different communities:, Sudanese, Samoan, Indian, Spanishspeaking, Arabic-speaking, Vietnamese and Sri-Lankan. For more information, contact Anna, at annav@eccq.com.au.

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ECCQ CALLS FOR MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS IN PLANNED PUBLIC HOUSING SHIFT

As the Queensland Government embarks on significant reforms to the delivery of public housing, ECCQ is working to explore, identify and support an implementation process that is culturally responsive.

ECCQ has called on the State Government to be vigilant in ensuring minimal dislocation to some ethnic and refugee communities as public housing is transferred to community management in Logan, Australia’s most culturally diverse city. Speaking at an ECCQ public meeting on 19 June, Queensland Shelter Executive Officer, Adrian Pisarski, welcomed the transfer of public housing to the community sector but cautioned that defunding of tenant advisory services and the implementation of the Newman Government’s anti-social behaviour policy, which becomes effective next month, may mean increased evictions, and thus homelessness, especially in disadvantaged communities. ECCQ’s Senior Policy Officer, Fiona Caniglia, called on the government to implement a culturally responsive approach which includes matching larger households to larger dwellings and integrating employment opportunities with the expansion of community housing service providers and the housing stock. “The pilot location for the transfer of housing stock is Logan, one of the most culturally diverse locations in Queensland and a place where there is a high concentration of public housing,” she said. “The objective must be sustained housing and providers will need to be culturally competent to address the needs of these communities.” She said that recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data on homelessness in Australia show a significant increase in CALD representation among homeless people with 75% of the increase in homelessness accounted for by people born overseas. “Unemployment and low English language proficiency are negatively correlated and low income impacts access to housing and other opportunities to participate fully in society, such as education and social activities.

“We need to get back to public housing as infrastructure issue rather than a welfare issue.” “This is an opportunity to bring about broader changes in the arrangements between public and private housing, such as improvements in infrastructure that create a sense of belonging, further collaboration with stakeholders as well as situations where CALD community members are trained and employed to deliver housing services.” She said ECCQ was working to identify and support an implementation process that is culturally responsive to ensure communities have access to affordable housing close to employment and services. Mr Pisarski said state and federal governments had, until recently, significantly underfunded, and reduced, public housing “which makes meeting the needs of lowincome families, recently arrived migrants and some CALD communities a huge challenge.” “In 2007 the Federal Government invested heavily in social and affordable housing by marrying the need for housing with the need for an effective economic stimulus package and this resulted in several thousand new dwellings in Queensland,” he said. “We need to get back to public housing as infrastructure issue rather than a welfare issue.”

To view the ECCQ discussion paper, ‘From Strength to Strength: Cultural responsiveness and social housing reforms’, visit www.eccq.au/policy.

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2013 BUDGET OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES The 2013 State Budget, passed by Parliament on 4 June, unsurprisingly shows continued fiscal restraint as the State grapples with reduced revenue. ECCQ was pleased to see 3% indexation of grants to community organisations and additional funding to neighbourhood centres. There were no further cuts to programs supporting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Overall, the budget represents both opportunities and challenges for the year ahead. ECCQ Executive Manager, Ian Muil, says the challenge is to become more creative, innovative and resourceful in the current environment as many communities still have significant unmet needs. There are also planned reforms in the way community services are delivered which needs careful attention to ensure the needs of CALD communities are met. He said it is essential that mainstream services deliver outcomes appropriate for a truly multicultural society and that all system reforms demonstrate high standards of cultural competency and responsiveness. “ECCQ acknowledges that while there are few measures in the Budget focused on specialist services to CALD communities, the role of mainstream community services, such as education, housing and health, all contribute to maintaining and strengthening diverse communities within Queensland,” he said.

“ECCQ will continue to offer support and advice on how to ensure that quality services continue to be delivered to CALD communities,” CALD communities absolutely rely on this flexibility and responsiveness, particularly when they are vulnerable,” he said. ECCQ is particularly pleased that there have been no further cuts to Multicultural Affairs Queensland (MAQ), an essential expert unit within Government that provides critical resources in working across agencies to respond to the needs of CALD communities. “We are also very pleased to see plans to develop a Cultural Diversity Policy Framework. This is essential to guiding the work of all government agencies towards the highest standards of cultural responsiveness.” ECCQ also notes an increase in the budget for health prevention, promotion and protection, which is essential to reducing healthcare expenses in the long term. ECCQ’s health programs continue to offer targeted health education using proven, culturally responsive approaches ensuring better health outcomes.

ECCQ welcomes the planned increases in frontline workers in areas such as health and education as frontline services inevitably contribute to greater capacity for responding to vulnerable population groups.

Overall ECCQ calls on the community sector to be proactive in improving quality services, focusing more on prevention and service integration as well as collaboration in establishing a robust data framework for measuring success or failure as a basis for further policy and program planning or implementation.

“We know that most, if not all, community services are accessed by people born overseas and people who speak a language other than English, and many organisations working at the local level have the flexibility to respond to people’s real and unique needs and issues.

“We support the Government’s current and planned engagement with the sector and ECCQ will continue to offer support and advice on how to ensure that quality services continue to be delivered to CALD communities,” he said.

“We have to be committed to sustaining this capacity to respond to diverse needs at the frontline. People from

To read ECCQ’s 2013 Budget response in its entirety, visit www.eccq.com.au/policy

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2013 BUDGET AREA SNAPSHOTS Though there are few measures in the Budget focused on specialist services to CALD communities, mainstream community services contribute to maintaining and strengthening diverse communities within Queensland.

Education • Commitment to an extra 724 teachers and teacher aides in the areas of greatest need – this is bound to benefit CALD communities, especially in areas where there are high numbers of people from new and emerging communities and new arrivals. • A focus on early education and early family support programs, including $4 million over four years to implement the Step Up into Education Program which better prepares children for school, with a focus on relatively disadvantaged places. It will be essential that a robust data collection captures the extent that CALD communities are able to access and benefit from these programs and that all quality measures include excellence in cultural responsiveness and competency.

Employment • Plans to increase access to subsidised training places will be an important opportunity for CALD job seekers and ECCQ will work with government to identify how these opportunities can be effectively accessed. ECCQ proposes reducing unemployment among disadvantaged CALD communities by setting targets of reduced unemployment and targets for employment of a culturally diverse workforce by government agencies. ECCQ also recommends increasing the capacity of work experience programs to engage with the private sector.

Housing • Plans to reconfigure public housing in Logan, with regional planning in the Gold Coast, Mt Isa, Townsville and Gladstone areas. • Logan is the pilot location for large scale transfer of public housing stock from the government to other providers ECCQ recommends providers implement a culturally responsive plan that caters to larger households and in locations near to transport, services and employment.

Health • Health budget has increased by 4.5%, which includes in increase in prevention, promotion and protection services. ECCQ recommends that the government support health education programs that target CALD communities. www.eccq.com.au/policy

ECCQ MEMBERSHIP By becoming an ECCQ member you will be contributing to, and strengthening the voice of culturally and linguistically diverse communities across Queensland. Through individual and association membership, ECCQ can better represent the needs and interests of Queensland’s many communities, and influence positive change across all levels of government. As an ECCQ member you will not only be helping your local community, but you will also be receiving some great benefits BUILDING A STRONGER MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY • You will become an integral part of a diverse and robust network of individuals, groups and associations who support a multicultural society. • You will have voting rights to select who represents you on the governing body. • You will have the chance to contribute to ECCQ’s work in developing policy, undertaking advocacy and preparing submissions. KEEPING INFORMED • You will be regularly updated on how your support of ECCQ is helping the community, and of the key priorities identified by ECCQ for action. • You will receive our quarterly EVOCA newsletter, fortnightly e-bulletin, media releases and other critical sector information as it develops. • You will be kept up-to-date on community and sector news, events, training, resources and information. ACCESSING SERVICES AND SUPPORT • You will have access to ECCQ’s resources, services and support on a day-to-day basis. PROMOTING YOUR WORK • You will be able to promote relevant news, resources and events free through our fortnightly e-bulletin and website GETTING INVOLVED • You will receive invitations to a range of interesting ECCQ events throughout the year. • You will be invited to attend monthly members’ meetings, which feature interesting guest speakers, updates from ECCQ’s Executive Manager and Board of Directors, and opportunities to meet other members. Join ECCQ by becoming a member today! Download the individual or association membership form at www.eccq. com.au/about-us/membership If you have any further questions about becoming a member, please contact Manager – Human Resources, Chris Dougherty on 3844 9166 or email administration@eccq. com.au.

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