Our Diversity Toolkit

OUR DIVERSE CITY A practical toolkit for reaching and engaging across cultures, languages, people with disabilities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Canterbury-Bankstown

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Contents Our diverse city....................................................................... 4 Communities in CBCity............................................................. 7 Who’s here?................................................................................ 8 Why talk about diversity?........................................................ 10 Universal strategies for engaging seldom-heard groups.............. 12 Trust and respect......................................................................14 Cross-cultural engagement..................................................... 15 Reaching out across cultures..................................................... 17 Reaching out to specific cultural groups..................................... 19 Engaging across languages....................................................... 22 Checklist for cross-cultural engagement................................... 25 People with disabilities.......................................................... 26 Reaching people with disabilities.............................................. 28 Engaging people with disabilities.............................................. 29 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.............................. 30 Reaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people................ 31 Engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people................ 32 Where to learn more.............................................................. 34

Acknowledgment of Country We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Darug (Darag, Dharug, Daruk, Dharuk) and the Eora peoples. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living today.

Useful tools...........................................................................35 CBCity calendar....................................................................... 35 Multilingual conversation cards................................................ 36 Menu of engagement methods for diverse communities............ 38 Tips for online engagement with diverse communities............... 42

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Our diverse city

Have Your Say Saying that CBCity is a diverse place doesn’t do justice to the broad range of cultures, languages, abilities, and Aboriginal heritage that are represented here.

In our City there are around 200 languages spoken. 44 per cent of our population was born in another country, and 60 per cent speak a language other than English at home1. With an estimated population of around 374,000 people, our City is made up of many different communities.

It takes effort to meaningfully reach out and engage such a range of communities. Tailoring our outreach and engagement methods to suit the needs of each community means we can more effectively involve people in decisions that affect their lives.

Birthplace and language spoken at home, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Profile. ID.com.au

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

This booklet is designed to help you reach more people in our City by answering questions like: •

If I’m engaging people in Campsie, which languages should I consider?

•

If I want to engage people with disabilities, how should I set up my event?

•

Who can help me reach out to our Vietnamese-speaking community?

This document was created by the Community Engagement team with support from Community Planning and Development, Spatial Planning, City Plan and City Design. It is a living and regularly updated guideline for Council, responding to the everchanging cultural and demographic landscape of our City.

With the information, tools and further reading provided here, you’ll be better equipped to involve more of our community in meaningful ways.

CBCity: Our Diverse City

374,000

Communities in CBCity

60%

The make-up of our City is constantly changing, making it a vibrant and interesting place to live. While this creates many opportunities, a constantly evolving community also presents important challenges.

people live in CBCity

speak a language other than English

44%

were born in another country

Our organisation plays an important role in fostering community harmony so that all people, regardless of their ability, or cultural or linguistic background, are able to participate in public life and have equal access to services and facilities2.

There are a few ways to break down ‘diversity’ in our City. This toolkit focuses on: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people • Cultural diversity

23,000+

have a disability

2548

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Linguistic diversity • People with disability

The toolkit touches on some of the largest groups in our City, but doesn’t cover everyone comprehensively. There are many ways you can learn more yourself, like checking out the ‘where to learn more’ section (pp. 33-34), and by stepping out into our community to meet people at events and engagement activities.

Draft Cultural Diversity Plan 2020-2024, CBCity

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Who’s here Engaging any community starts by knowing who you’re talking to. Here’s a snapshot based on 2016 Census data of some – but not all – of the key groups who make up CBCity.

CBCity: Our Diverse City

People who speak languages other than English4 Around 3 in 5 people in our City speak a language other than English at home. The most commonly spoken languages other than English in CBCity are: Arabic 17.2% Chinese languages:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Mandarin 5% | Cantonese 3.9%

At the time of the 2016 Census there were 2548 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in CBCity, making up about 0.7 per cent of the population3. This statistic is likely understated as some people do not openly identify as such for a number of reasons.

Vietnamese 7.2% Greek 5.4% Chester Hill

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in all parts of our local government area, with a slightly higher proportion in Milperra and Panania.

Regents Park

Villawood

Lansdowne

A global community

Bass Hill

Bankstown Airport

Emerging communities include people born in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Other fast-growing communities include Indonesian, Filipino, Syrian, Burmese and Palestinian.

Sefton

BASS HILL

Georges Hall

Apart from Australian and English, the four most common ancestries in CBCity are Lebanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Greek.

Birrong

Potts Hill

Chullora

Greenacre

Croydon Park Ashbury Canterbury

Belfield

Yagoona

Campsie

Mount Lewis

BANKSTOWN

Condell Park

Punchbowl

Bankstown

Lakemba Belmore

Wiley Park

ROSELANDS

Milperra

Hurlstone Park

CANTERBURY Clemton Park

Earlwood

Roselands Beverly Kingsgrove Hills

Revesby

People with disabilities

Riverwood

Narwee

Padstow

More than 23,000 people in CBCity have a disability, making up 6.7 per cent of our population.

Panania East Hills

REVESBY

Picnic Point

Revesby Heights

Padstow Heights

What’s YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN Canterbury-Bankstown?

A number of languages are becoming more commonly spoken as people move into CBCity. The following languages grew the most between 2011 and 2016:

Population summary, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Profile.id.com.au

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•

Mandarin (+5362 people)

•

Bengali (+2917 people)

•

Vietnamese (+3224 people)

•

Urdu (+2868 people)

Language spoken at home, City of Canterbury Bankstown, profile.ID.com.au

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Why talk about diversity?

You may have heard of ‘hard to reach groups’, but this term implies that there’s something about these people that makes it difficult to engage them5. ‘Seldom-heard groups’ places the onus on us, as a service provider, to engage these people.

Many people in the groups described in this booklet are seldom-heard, so it’s up to us to use the tools and resources described here to involve them in creating services and facilities that will help them to thrive.

‘Diverse communities’ and ‘seldom-heard groups’ are often one and the same.

Barriers to participating in engagement There are often multiple barriers to people participating in engagement, many of which apply to the groups discussed in this booklet. Here are just a few: •

Financial situation

•

Disability

•

Ethnicity

•

Language

•

Access to transport

•

Mental health difficulties

•

Not enough free time

•

Lack of trust in government

•

Access to technology

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Effectively engaging and involving seldom-heard groups, Iriss.org.uk

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Universal strategies for engaging seldom-heard groups6

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Tips for engaging seldom-heard groups7 Ask for advice. Speak to Council’s Diversity Officers, community leaders, service providers and others who already work with the community on the best way to engage them.

If you use these principles, you’ll be set to meaningfully engage our diverse community.

1. Ask the individual how they want to be engaged.

Think about the barriers faced by this community and build your efforts around them. For example, if transport is an issue then go to the community yourself. Or if child care is an issue then choose a space where people can bring the kids and provide child minding if necessary.

2. Use existing relationships or networks.

Use inclusive language that reflects how the community or individual would describe themselves and avoid labels like ‘disadvantaged’ and ‘poor’.

3. Address and reduce barriers to participation.

Consider how you are recognising and rewarding people for participating in your consultation - not just incentivising. Providing leadership and capability development opportunities can support people from small sections of the community to take part, as can honorariums and providing meals.

4. Go to where they are, or partner with other events.

Host community-specific events to enable participation. For example, an event just for people with disabilities, or a meeting held in Vietnamese.

Build on existing relationships and networks, and partner with community leaders to engage with your issue.

Engaging with hard-to-reach groups and individuals, Better Together, Government of South Australia

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Engagement Methods Training, Helen Christensen, International Association for Public Participation

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Trust and respect

notes Fostering trust and respect is the most impactful thing you can do to improve engagement with diverse communities.

Building trust with the individual/community that is culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse is essential for supporting sustainable and amicable relationships that acknowledge people for who they are.

Strategies to foster trust and respect include: • establishing long-term relationships • using bilingual staff from community organisations • using Council Language Aides to interpret information • regularly providing information • developing public relations activities • holding open days (if relevant) • providing one-on-one support to participants or clients • ensuring accessible services and staff • showing respect in the timing and location of activities • explaining processes, structures and systems8

Multicultural communities and people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds: A guide to engagement, Tasmanian Government

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Cross-cultural engagement Most groups within CBCity have strong networks, associations, and leaders who can help you engage within their communities.

Many groups have special customs and needs that are important to consider. Keep this in mind so that your engagement is appropriate and respectful.

The Community Engagement team can guide you in your planning and outreach, including online at cb.city/haveyoursay, and a range of tools that suit seldom-heard groups.

Community Engagement Contact your business partner on 9707 9602, or email community.engagement@cbcity.nsw.gov.au CBCity’s Community Planning and Development team has strong relationships with our community and can act as a gateway.

If you’re ever unsure who to contact or how to go about it, they can offer advice: Community Planning and Development commdev@cbcity.nsw.gov.au Diversity Officers: 9707 9863 or 9789 9472 Access and Inclusion Officer: 9707 9857

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Reaching out across cultures Key networks Search online for the networks listed below, or speak to the Community Engagement or Community Planning and Development teams for an introduction.

• Canterbury-Bankstown

Prominent multicultural service providers and associations • Arab Council of Australia • The Multicultural Network • MetroAssist • SSI (Settlement Services

Multicultural Interagency

International)

• Multicultural NSW email

• Creating Links

newsletter • Watson Women’s Network (always

via the Community Engagement team) • CBCity Community Planning and

Development email lists • CBCity Inter-Faith Reference

Group • Council’s other reference groups

• Bankstown Community Resource

Group • ECRC (Emerging Communities

Resource Centre) • Humanity Matters • Bankstown Women’s Health

Centre • Local neighbourhood centres

and advisory committees

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Large service providers such as Police, Centrelink, TAFE, and local health districts have dedicated multicultural liaison officers who can provide advice and support.

You can find all of the above and many more networks, interagencies, community services and associations via the CBCity Community Directory at cb.city/communitydirectory

Contact the CBCity Governance team for guidance on contacting these groups.

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Reaching out to specific cultural groups Muslim communities Islam is the largest religious group in CBCity at around 20 per cent of the population.

Like Christianity, Islam is ethnically quite diverse.

Reaching Arabic-speaking Muslims is different to reaching sub-continental or Indonesian Muslim communities – so be aware that reaching one Muslim group is not reaching all.

Ramadan is a month-long religious period in Islam that involves daily fasting and various events, usually from late April until late May. Consider whether your engagement or events will conflict with, or complement, this period.

Some prominent organisations and associations (not comprehensive): • Lebanese Muslim

Association • United Muslims Association • Muslim Women Association

Free, quality, halal food at meetings and events will be highly appreciated. Consider prayer times to avoid clashes, and reconsider using venues that serve alcohol.

Arabic-speaking communities Our Arabic-speaking communities are also ethnically diverse and practice different religions. The organisations listed below are just a few that represent the different communities: • Lebanese Muslim

Association (Lakemba) • Maronite Eparchy of

Australia (Strathfield with presence in Canterbury) • Melkite Eparchy of Australia

and NZ (Greenacre) • Antiochian Orthodox

Archdiocese of Australia, NZ and The Philippines (Punchbowl) • Lebanese Maronite Order

(Punchbowl) • Australian Arab Business

Council • Lebanese Chamber of

Commerce • Tripoli and Mena Association • Australian Islamic Mission

Search cb.city/ communitydirectory for current contact details.

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Chinese community Mandarin and Cantonese are the most commonly spoken languages among CBCity residents with Chinese ancestry, and the majority use Simplified Chinese as their written language.

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Newspapers and community radio stations10 Contact your Communications partner to discuss options for reaching your target groups, such as placing an ad or sending a media release to multicultural media outlets.

Newspapers

Community radio and TV

Arabic

Al Anwar, An Nahar, El Telegraph, An Nahar, The Middle East Herald, The World Observer, The Future

Radio 2MORO Sawteghad, 2ME Radio Australia, SBS Radio Arabic

Vietnamese

Viet Luan, Dan Chieu Duong (Sunrise Daily), Dan Viet (Vietnamese Tribune)

SBS Radio Vietnamese

Chinese languages

Australian Chinese Daily, Daily Chinese Herald

Chinese Radio 20R, 2CR China Radio, Chinese Radio 2AC, SBS Radio Mandarin, SBS Radio Cantonese

Greek

Ellinis, Greek City Times, O Kosmos, Greek Herald

Meraki TV, Radio 2MM

• CASS (Chinese Australian Services Society) • Australian Nursing Home Foundation • Asian Women at Work • Chinese Parents Association – Children with Disabilities Inc

Vietnamese community • Vietnamese Community in Australia • Vietnamese Australian Welfare Association • Australian Nursing Home Foundation • Canterbury Vietnamese Seniors Association • Vietnamese Catholic Community • Australasian Dragon Business Association

Greek community • Greek Orthodox Community of NSW • St Euphemia Greek Orthodox Church • All Saints Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Belmore

Search cb.city/communitydirectory for current contact details.

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Where to learn more Enrol yourself in cultural awareness training. Speak to your Corporate Development partner about CBCity-provided training.

Cultural Competence Program by SBS and Multicultural NSW is a 3-hour app-based program with a certificate at the end.

Read the South Australian Government’s fact sheet on Engaging with hard-to reach groups and individuals.

Attend multicultural events in the Canterbury-Bankstown area, especially events organised by Council.

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Multicultural Media Outlets, MulticulturalNSW

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Engaging across languages

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In person

More than 45,000 people in CBCity are not fluent in English – that’s as many as 1 in 5 people in some suburbs.

It’s okay to chat with parents via their teenage kids if they’re comfortable with it.

Try using translation apps like Google Translate for face-to-face chats, but keep in mind these apps can sometimes lose the nuance or tone of your message – or even be incorrect. Try to use an app that’s preferred by whomever you’re speaking to.

Try the CBCity ‘Conversation Card’ (see the Helpful Tools section). It will help you decide, together, whether to chat via an interpreter, an app, or at another time.

Reach out to the CBCity Language Aides members so that you can have bilingual workers or interpreters attend face-to-face Council engagements. Speak to Council’s Diversity Officer on 9789 9472.

Speaking through an interpreter takes at least twice as long as without, so allow sufficient time for cross-cultural input and communication.

Target distribution of collateral in languages other than English to services and community organisations that work in those languages.

Low fluency in English

If you’re door-knocking or running a pop-up session in these areas then there’s a high chance you’ll come across people you can’t communicate with in English.

Here are some things you can prepare to make the most of your time, and theirs.

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Collateral

CBCity: Our Diverse City

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Checklist for cross-cultural engagement11 Look up the community you’re working with on Profile.ID.com.au.

Focus on the sections about ancestry, overseas arrivals, proficiency in English, languages spoken at home, and religion.

Consider translating your collateral such as surveys and promotional flyers.

Use visual aids wherever possible. This can include using familiar icons such as thumbs up and down, and adding relevant pictograms with cultural relevance.

Reach out via existing networks and relationships.

Have your team complete cultural awareness training.

Provide information in creative and culturally-inclusive ways, across a range of formats: such as written, spoken, electronic, printed, interactive, etc.

Include the cost and time required for translation and interpreting in your budget.

If you’re translating materials, use an accredited service and have it checked by a CBCity Language Aide to make sure that it is locally relevant. ‘All Language’ is a good accredited translation provider.

Wherever possible, have bilingual staff on-site.

If group work is planned, consider if it’s appropriate for it to be mixed-gender, mixed-age, a mix of cultural groups, or curated groups.

Include translation in your budget. A good rule of thumb is to budget $100 per page.

Include the interpreter symbol and TIS National phone number, 13 14 50, in your materials.

Bear in mind that some migrants and refugees are not literate in their own language. Use plain language to ensure people of varying literacy levels can understand translated materials.

Include the Australian Government’s Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) phone number in your collateral: 13 14 50.

Their website includes pre-translated materials explaining their service in a range of languages. Learn more at tisnational.gov.au Use Council’s standard letterhead, which features a translated call-to-action about how to get in touch with Council.

Tips for engaging culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Government of Western Australia

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

People with disabilities More than 23,000 people in CBCity are living with disability12. Our City is also home to a large number of passionate advocates, service providers, groups and associations who can help to reach and engage people with disabilities.

What is a disability?

Disabilities vary in severity from person to person, and some people have multiple disabilities. It’s important to make time to understand how people’s disabilities affect them so that you can help them participate in engagement activities.

Types of disabilities include: • Intellectual • Physical • Neurological • Mental illness • Sensory • Acquired brain injury • Autism

Need for assistance, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Profile.id.com.au

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Reaching people with disabilities

Community organisations and associations

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Engaging people with disabilities There are many barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating in engagement activities.

However, there are some simple steps you can take to enable their participation.

•

CBCity Universal Access Reference Group

•

Disability Services Australia

•

Bankstown–East Hills Handicapped Association

•

Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW

•

National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)

•

Disability Advocacy Network Australia

Key features of accessible venues and locations

•

Diversity and Disability Alliance

•

•

First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN)

Accessible toilets and pathways

•

Inclusion Australia

•

•

Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA)

Parking and passenger drop-off points

•

Wheelchair access to internal spaces

•

Proximity to public transport

•

Ethnic Community Services Cooperative

•

Canterbury City Community Centre

•

Centacare

•

Anglicare

•

Catholicare

•

Chinese Association of Social Services (CASS)

You can find all of the above, and more, networks, interagencies and community services via the CBCity Community Directory at cb.city/communitydirectory

Where to learn more CBCity’s Inclusion and Awareness Guide (via OurIntranet).

Check out People with Disability Australia’s Language Guide: •

pwd.org.au.

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Designing an accessible event •

Combine with existing meetings, where appropriate

•

Plan sessions that are maximum 90 minutes without a break, or 45 minutes maximum for people with cognitive disabilities.

•

Consider whether Auslan sign interpreters, hearing loop, real-time captioning and quiet spaces are suitable for your event.

Overcoming language and communication barriers •

Use plain language, without jargon or complex words.

•

If possible, publish documents in Easy Read.

•

Print materials in 16-point font.

•

Don’t forget that people with disabilities are culturally and linguistically diverse, too – so consider cultural appropriateness and translation.

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

CBCity: Our Diverse City

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Reaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Tips for reaching out

Key networks

Getting permission is essential.

When doing research or working on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander project, you must get the consent of the community involved – usually from Elders or local Land Councils listed below.

• CBCity Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Relationships are paramount. Make sure to work with Council officers that have existing relationships with these networks, such as Council’s Diversity Officers in Community Services (9707 9863 or 9789 9472).

• Gandangara Aboriginal

Islander Reference Group • South Western Sydney Koori

Interagency Meeting • Metropolitan Aboriginal

Land Council Land Council

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

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Engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Tips for engaging •

•

•

Acknowledge country or arrange a welcome to country from a local elder if appropriate. Do your research beforehand so that you’re sure to acknowledge the correct local people – in CBCity, it’s the Darug and Eora people. Here’s a script: I’d like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we’re meeting on today, the Darug and Eora people, and pay my respect to their elders past, present and emerging.

•

•

CollaborateNSW.org: Local government and Aboriginal communities working together, Local Government NSW

There are often many pressures on Elders’ time to take part in consultations, so consider an honorarium that recognises their time and efforts. An honorarium is a small payment that covers incidentals incurred through their participation, like transport and internet access.

•

Practical protocols for working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within CBCity, City of Canterbury Bankstown

•

CreativeSpirits.info, Jens Korff

•

SydneyBarani.com.au, City of Sydney

•

Aboriginal History along the Cooks River, Cooks River Alliance: cooksriver.org.au

Consider conducting a meeting, workshop or consultation that’s specific to this community. This can help participants feel more comfortable to raise issues that are specific to their experiences and culture. Consider co-designing the event in partnership with the community.

Allow time for leaders to increase the participation of community members. Invite the leaders to provide reports in person on the outcomes they have come to.

This will build trust and long-term relationships.

Where to learn more

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Where to learn more

Useful tools

Check out cb.city/communitydirectory for an overview of key networks and interagency meetings, and refer to the CBCity Engagement Toolkit for high-level planning tools.

CBCity calendar

Engaging seldom-heard groups •

Engaging with hard-to reach groups and individuals, BetterTogether.sa.gov.au, Government of South Australia

Cultural and linguistic diversity

People with disabilities •

Disability Inclusion Action Plan, CBCity

•

Language Guide, People with Disability Australia

•

Robinson, S., Dyke, J., 2004, Walking the Talk: A framework for effective engagement with people with disability, families and people who support them, Disability Services Queensland.

•

Cultural Diversity Plan (forthcoming), CBCity

•

Community Collaboration Resource, Arab Council of Australia

•

Cultural Competence Program, SBS and Multicultural NSW

•

Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities: A guide for the Western Australian Public Sector, Government of Western Australia.

•

Reconciliation Action Plan, CBCity

•

CollaborateNSW.org: Local government and Aboriginal communities working together, Local Government NSW

Multicultural communities and people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds: A guide to engagement, Tasmanian Government

•

•

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Practical protocols for working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within CBCity, City of Canterbury Bankstown

•

Creative Spirits, Jens Korff

•

Sydney Barani, City of Sydney

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There are many cultural and religious celebrations in CBCity.

Keep these dates in mind and check the timing of your event or engagement to reduce conflicts.

Cultural and religious events and celebration days Note that dates for these events change significantly every year.

School holidays

Jan-Mar

Apr-Jun

Jul-Sep

Oct-Dec

Chinese New Year

Western Easter

NAIDOC Week

International Day of People with Disability

July for two weeks

From late December

Vietnamese New Year Harmony Day

All of January

Orthodox Easter Ramadan National Reconciliation Week

April for two weeks

Late Sep for two weeks Public holidays

New Year’s Day

Good Friday

Labour Day

Australia Day

Easter Sunday

Christmas Day

Anzac Day

Boxing Day

Queen’s Birthday

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Multilingual conversation cards

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Multilingual conversation cards Hello

Try the CBCity Conversation Cards when door-knocking or approaching people in the community. They’ll help you decide, together, whether to chat via an interpreter, an app, or at another time. Find the full set by searching CBCity OurIntranet.

I work for the Council.

Arabic

Vietnamese

Chinese (simplified)

Greek

Indonesian

Bengali

Urdu

Korean

Arabic

Vietnamese

Chinese (simplified)

Greek

Indonesian

Bengali

Urdu

Korean

Arabic

Can you help us with some feedback?

What’s the best way for us to have a conversation?

Let’s talk slowly in English.

Let’s use Google Translate.

Please wait while I get someone else who speaks English.

Please leave some information with me.

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Menu of engagement methods for diverse communities There are many ways to engage your community. Here are a few ideas to stretch your thinking before you speak to your Community Engagement business partner for more support.

If the ideas below don’t suit, then try the following: •

SessionLab.com/Library

•

Participedia.net

•

IAP2.org.au Engagement Methods course

•

Engagement tools and techniques Information sheet, Local Government NSW

We’ve included estimated resourcing requirements: •

$: Less than one day of staff time.

•

$$: Some preparation and more than one staff member involved.

•

$$$: Some preparation, multiple staff and some hard costs up to $1000.

•

$$$$: Some weeks of preparation, multiple staff, and costs of $1000 or more.

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Roaming Council officer in a busy area

$$

Wear a bright, identifiable uniform in busy places like shopping centres. Take a pull-up banner to explain why you’re there.

Host a standalone meeting or event

$$$

Work with community leaders to promote and host a workshop in a community language, or specifically for people with disabilities.

Social media

Community panels and committees $$

Set up for several hours at shopping centres, pools, parks, libraries, schools, TAFE and universities.

Offer a healthy, edible giveaway in exchange for a chat.

$$

Usually involves briefings from experts and workshops over a number of days.

Or use a large interactive board, which gives people freedom to respond in their own language.

Focus group

$$$

Work with community leaders to promote and host a workshop in a community language, or specifically for people with disabilities.

$$$$

$$$

A facilitated workshop with 10-20 people who are generally provided with $80-120 honorarium for participating.

Informal engagement

$

Phone calls, 1:1 interviews and discussions, and attendance at events.

Wear a bright, identifiable uniform in busy places like shopping centres. Take a pull-up banner to explain why you’re there.

People can participate from home and in their own time, which makes it easier for people with disabilities. It also gives more time for people to interpret other languages.

$$$

A workshop with a representative sample of a community.

Translate contributions later, if needed.

Online forums and video briefings

$

Build a deep understanding of an issue and build consensus on the preferred approach.

Create a short, printed survey in community languages with icons/pictograms.

Host a standalone meeting or event

$

Work with community members and leaders to guide your project. Support them to participate with an honorarium, room hire and catering, and work to address other barriers to their participation.

Deliberative workshops

Set up a drawing table to keep kids busy while parents chat.

Printed survey

Attend an existing event or meeting Such as: CBCity Wellbeing Expo, local health expos, the Canterbury-Bankstown Multicultural Interagency and CBCity reference groups.

Start a conversation on social media and boost it with a little advertising budget, targeting your desired community. Engage a bilingual staff member to help facilitate in community language.

Wear a bright, identifiable uniform in busy places like shopping centres. Take a pull-up banner to explain why you’re there.

Pop-up or drop-in sessions

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

Reach out directly to community leaders and influencers.

$

Discuss and record feedback to inform the project.

Highly visual online tools Image-driven surveys and survey alternatives such as VideoAsk, HaveYourSay’s ‘Gather’ tool, and quizzes like the Riddle.com ‘choose your own adventure’ and Quizizz.com, which both record responses.

$$

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CBCity: Our Diverse City

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Tips for online engagement with diverse communities Council’s Digital Engagement Officers are ready to support you to make your online engagement accessible and interesting – just ensure you offer at least several weeks’ lead time.

Here are a few principles they work by.

Web accessibility When the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ‘AA’ standard is met, it’s easier for people with disabilities, who often have their own tools installed, to read and understand online content.

A few key techniques that make web pages more accessible are: large font options, high contrast colours, text descriptions for images, video captions, keyboard-navigable sections and links, and built-in readaloud tools.

How accessibility helps CALD communities Web accessibility guidelines benefit culturally and linguistically diverse communities too. For example, a video transcription and captions mean someone with a hearing impairment can understand the video – but it also makes translated captions simpler.

‘Read aloud’ tools that read words from the screen in a number of languages can engage people who aren’t literate in both English and their own language14. For example, the UserWay website plugin can read aloud and translate pages.

If you know the main languages spoken by the community you’re engaging, create duplicate ‘magic tabs’ on your page that translate content.

Digital Access and Equity for Multicultural Communities, Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia

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Highly visual formats are more engaging

Keep online tools simple to engage more people

Pictograms are often understood cross languages. Instead of using a word-based scale in a form, try emoji, thumbs up and down, hearts or stars.

Digital engagement doesn’t work for everyone, especially seniors, but featuring photos of Council officers on a project’s Have Your Say page makes the experience more personal when residents do choose to pick up the phone. You can even set up a ‘request a callback’ tool so that we can connect with people when it suits them.

When translating a survey into multiple languages, consider whether it will be self-guided or facilitated by staff. If it’s facilitated, then remember to include translations or pictograms so that both users understand what’s being asked.

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CBCity: Our Diverse City