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BY PREETI JABBAL

paper, staten1ents and photographs supplied by candidates, voting instructions and a reply-paid envelope have been posted to voters. All votes n1ust be in by 6:00 pn1 on Friday, 23 Oct.

people.

ictor ia's 202 0 local council elections,

This year marks the first electio n where all candidates d uring the state's strict coronavirus restrictions, will be conducted by postal vote and will be the largest ever undertaken in Victoria w i th n1ore than 4 .5 million voters enrolled.

Ballot packs containing a ballot have taken a n1andatory Local Govern1nent Candidate Training Course through Local Government Victoria. The online course about councillor roles and responsibilities introduced through the new Local Govern1nent Act was completed by n1ore than 3,000 (Fu ll deta ils at www. india nlink.c om.au)

Given the current restrictions in Victoria there is limited opportunjty for aspi r ing can d idates for the upcoming Council elections to vis it homes, door knock or shift attention to what matte r s most in t heir council rjght now.

A considerably large number of people from Indian background are contesting the elections this year. Indian link spoke to some to fin d out why we shoul d consider them for our vote.

Amandeep Kaur

lramoo Ward, Wyndham City Council

I am standing for Council because I ain pass ionate about multiculturalism, supporting peop le's ,ne n ta l health and ach iev ing gender equality. I believe Whiteho r se Council plays an important role in ensuring good outcomes for the community. I have resided in Whitehorse fo r mo r e than 20 years w ith n1y mu lticu ltural fa mily comprising my Australian born husband and three young adult ch ildren. l am a progressive community advocate and a member of M ental Hea lt h Foundat ion Australia, I ndonesian Community Association l stood for council election in 2016 as well which was a great learning expedence. I an1 running this year because 1 believe the voices of migrants, especially women migrants, are under-represented and there is muc h work to be done to 1nake our coinmunity even more beautiful, safe, and prosperous. I have extensive experience across a range of community activities, as a com1nittee n1ember of Vermont South Community Centre and Whitehorse I nterfaith Network; founder of Australia I n dia Wo1ne n Entrepreneurs Forum; and Lions C lub of Ver ntont South (Festivals and Fundraising Ass istance). I was previously a con1mittee member of the W hitehorse Bus i ness G roup for several years and recently worked with the D epartment of Health and H um an Services, as part of their C O VI D-19 Commun ity Engagement Team. If elected, my postpandemic key goa ls will be to: Drive economic reviva l ; Engage with kids and young people in the com n1un ity; Create e mployment opportunities for t h e res idents. lam connected at grassroot leve l with many con1n1unities. I'm the only candidate fro1n 1ny ward from a diverse background ; given Melton Council is a growing 1nulti cu ltural hub , it is in1perative we have diverse representation. l have worked in the areas of fan1ily violence, se nior care, youth outreach, COV I D care, and fundraised for Cancer Council, Beyond Blu e, Don at ion Driv es for Bu shfire Victim s J have served on numerous boards including the lnl e rcultur al Advisory Board of Melton City Council, and have placed on various award li sts for Won1 en, Leadership and Community Service. I worked with a top-four bank for n1any years and then started 1ny own financial planning concern. A Mu111bai girl, I 1nigrated to Australia a decad e ago and now live in Taylot·s HilJ with my young family. lf elected, 1ny post-panden1ic key goa ls will be to: Build a safe comn1unity; Focus on env ironm en t and susta in ability initiatives in our community; D eliver projects with comn1unity focus.

Victoria, and Australia India Society of Victor ia My vision for Whitehorse is for peop le fron1 a ll cu lt ures to be able to live, work and play in a secu re, familyfriendly environn1ent. I will suppott init iatives that ensu r e Whitehorse is well known for its employ111e nt, education, health, and open space offerings and that it becomes the Eastern Suburbs capital of arts and culture. l f elected, my post-pandemic key goa ls will be to: Introduce robust health initiatives to ensure contro l of the spread of infection to manageab le levels; Create jobs; Focus on small business recovery.

I have been working in social ser vices for a long time and I have enough experience to call myself a go-getter who can resolve issues. [ am he re to listen to my community so I can advocate at the council level. I have assisted ma ny women who suffered fron1 do1nestic violence, who were sexuaJly abused, and connected them to relevant services and organisations. I have helped many international studen ts and citizens with groceries and other essentials during the CO VID-19 pandemic.

I p layed a role in a charity event fo r bushfire s u rvivors and have volunteered fo r many other community causes. If elected, n1y post-pan demic key goals will be to: Advocate for council relief packages for people, small and medium business so they can restart their businesses after lockdown; Establish a mechanism for smoother communication to engage community 1nembers for mental support, and counselling; Establish effective and active communication especially for multicultural communities which I think is critically imp ortant because effective communication could have curbed COVID1 9 cases in the wester n suburbs.

I am a local resident who migrated to Australia 2 2 years ago. I am married w ith two Loving kids and 1 have a strong desire to serve our community. 1 hold a Bache lor of Business in Sustainability and currently work in the I T industry. D uring my time in Australia, 1 participated in various volunteer i ng p r ograms that range from feeding home l ess people, assist i ng senior citizens, organizing not-fo r -p r ofit eve n ts, planting trees and collecting waste. I have been a Monash Council Con1munity Ambassador since Octobe r 201 9 assisting in progra m s re l ated to diversity, multictilturalism, and inc lus iveness. I f elected, my post-pandemic key goa ls w ill be to: Build a strong loca l economy by suppo r ting local business and promote eve n ts that bring i n m ore business; I mprove the quality of life of the resi d ents by focusing on education, hea lth, and social welfa r e equal opportunity to a ll ; R evisit past strateg ies to ensure they are strong and susta i nable for the p ostpandemic world.

Rishi Prabhakar

Chaffey Ward. Wyndham City Council

I an, an accountant and a fa1nily n1an with two school going kids. I ha ve been a local resident for over a decade and as a selfless comn1unity volunteer and an activist, l have a great understanding of the issues affecting our community in daily life. I am blessed t o be able to give back to t h e Wyndhan1 community in diverse roles with some great co1nmunity organisat ion s like T arne it Neighbourhood Watch, Werribee H ospital Foundation, Sri Durga Temple, I nternational Students Support HeJpline, FlA , NO to YDC, WYNBUS (Patron) to nan1e a few. [f elected, n1y post-pandemic key goals will be to: Pri oritise support for local jobs and small businesses; I nclusive sporting, open spa ces and recreational facilities because they play a major role in peoples n1ental & physical wellbeing; Upskilling pr ograms for youth en1powerment by partnering with local social enterprises.

SHASHIKOCHHAR Mulgrave Ward. Monash City Council

I believe my biggest strength is my sense of gratitude to the community - I have a st rong desire to give back. As a fir st-generat ion migrant, l know the value of hard work, in fact, my passion for se rvic e sees me working harder in retirement than when I was in paid employment. r have been awarded recognition as the Sir John Monash Comn1unity Le ader in 200 7, the Monash Multicultural cha1npion in 2018, and my greatest honour to date - an Order of Australia in 2019. I am Justice of Peace and donated Blood / Plasma 180 times. I am the founder/president of Charitable Community organisation "Friends of th e ch ildre11 Fo undation In c" fou nd e d in 1998. I am also the Chair of Mon ash Int e rfaith Gathering and an active men1ber of the local Rotary and Lions Club. If e lected, my postpandemic key goals will be to: Look after se nior s and the vulnerable in our com munity ; Create more jobs in the recycling and manufactutiog I ndustry; Make Council more transparent, accountable, and effic ient , so they can demonstrate that they are using ratepayer n1oney in an effective mannet·.

Two decades ago, l migrated to Australia as an international student and have been proud to caU More land home ever since. Moreland has been a gteat place to live and raise my children -but 1 run confident that it can be better. Moteland needs counciUors who are involved in out local community and who understand the needs of the local residents. I've been fortunate to be involved in a number of community and sporting groups: including the Glenroy Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Pascoe Vale United Cricket Club, Hope Centre and Glenroy West Kindergarten. I have also been a proud Multicultural Ambassador fot a variety of events and organisations, including the M festival, Gold Coast Commonwealth Gaines and Melbourne Stars Twenty20 tean1. If elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to: Promote local economic recovery; Advocate for service s that families rely on (we need n1ore funding fot local childcare, maternal health services, and quality aged care); Support safety and security through unproved lighting and CCTV where required , and implement localised progran1s to curb family violence.

I 'm sta ndin g for council electio n s as there is still a lack of representation of people of Indian origin. In 2012, 1 was among the first few from Indian background to contest as a Councillor from City of Melbourne. I act i\Yely encou r age youngsters to get involved in Australian politics rather than I ndian politics if they are citizens of Australia as 1 believe that migrants shoul d pro vide equal input to this country. To serve the community is my pa ssion. I was one of the pioneers of organising multicultural festivals in Melbourne like D iwali and Holi and have been involved with various Indian Associations as President, Vice P resident an d Secretary. I am c urr e ntly the Dir ector of GHARS (Global Hindu A ssociatio n s for Reform and Sustainable Societies) and have served as a Justice of Peace fo r over a decade. If elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to: Bdng businesses back; Oppo se the Inje ction roon1 proposed by State Government near Victoria Market (even if it means taking legal action); Make sure that the rates are cut by 10 per cent.

I migrated to Melbourne with my family in 2004. I used to run a succes.sfu l restaurant in New Delhi and now I am a Bu siness Developm ent Manager with a construction company in Dandenong South. I was motivated to stand for the elections with a vision of bringing otlr community to the forefront. I believe we should have representatives in various tiers of the society to help the society bring about positive changes Blackburn Gurudwara is my place to be on Sunday mornings, and I try my leve l best to be part of my ethnicity and provide comfort to all around to the best of my ability. I also partake in meaningful efforts on any front like working with sen iors , organising cultural events or working with groups supporting mental health. If elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to : Evaluate the flow of funds towards immediate and life-changing projects; Focus on challenges with climate change and how to project achievable targets within meaningful timeframes; Interact with residents and focus on the concerns of my Ward.

BY MOHAN DHALL

uch has bee n discussed r ece ntl y about the leaking of the Mu ckUp day Jist writte n by son1e boys at Sydney 's Shore School. T h e comn1entary has includ ed condemnat ion a b out s on,e of the c h a ll e nges, which ranged from dista s teful to n1isogynistic, illegal a nd c ru e l. Oth e r cha ll e n ges were within the r ange of what would b e expected from young n1en celebrating a rit e of pas sage.

Whil st there n1ay be leg iti1nat e questions to ask a bout the socia li sation of boy s in some financi a lly e lit e private sc h ools, the ce nt ra l que s tion s for me are, what pres s ures are young n1en faci n g, a nd what is it that shapes them to becom e men?

I do not t h ink 1nost boy s in elite private schools are socia li se d to hate or abuse wom e n I a lso do not think th ey are soc ialised to lau g h or sp it on homeless people In my exper ience, n1 ost young 1nen ar e r es p ectful , r es pon sible, a nd mostly awar e of th ei r com1nuni ty. In every co hor t how e ver there a re so n1e people who are reckless, carele ss, and im1nature - but that is the sa1ne in all com muniti es r egard less of wealth.

Despite the hardship s faced by pre v iou s generations s uch as war, th e present generation has grown up in a time when the ov e rriding so cial anthem is a foc u s on the self. I mmediacy is the n ew long-term goal and e xterna l 1ueas ur es, likes, laughs, shares are the s hin y badges th at d enote se lf-wo rth.

To s urvive and compe te in such a world, so m ething needs to be done to push li1nit s, create dissonance, shock, ga in attention, stand out. Th at this is so is ent ire ly predictable. Ad olesce n ce is ex ub erance, a nd oftent i1n es it is iinpulsive.

W hen a youth's impression of kudos, affi rm at ion or fatne can be claimed th r ough risk-taking, repugnant or c rimin a l behaviours, then Muck-Up da y li sts w i ll r eflect that. Mu ck-U p days in aU schoo ls across the nation hi storically would lay test ituony to this.

Scientific understanding reveals that it takes lon ger for yo un g men to 1nature than was previously thought. So , h ow ca n we he lp boy s to become 1nen and to und e r stan d cause and effect 1nore full y a nd at a younger age? This is in1por ta nt b eca u se the ce ntral te n et to rehabilitat ion of the worst b ehavio ur s, and in1prov e m e nt of the best b e h avio ur s, con1mences with a d eep u nderstanding of ca u se and co n seq uen ce.

Empathy and the und e r standing of cause an d c oi1se quen ce can be hastened by experiences. Per h aps the e du cat ion of ad olescent boys shoul d include units o f study on each of the fo ll owi ng:

• Th e na ture of p o w e r a nd vio le nce, including guest speakers from surv iv ors of domestic violence, the police an d eve n remorseful self-re fl ec tin g people who h ave been jailed fo r such offences

• T he imp ac t o f impul s ivity o n a pe rson 's Life, including guest speake r s fro1n a m ong hospital Accident and Em e r ge n cy Spec ialists a n d ph ysica lly o r brai n-impaired su rvi vors of ca r accidents occu rr ing due to spee ding or drunkenness

• The nature o f unbridJ e d ambiti o n o n frie nd s hip s, famil y life , and m e nt a l a nd phys icaJ he a lth including g u est speake r s who ar e rich but whose c hildt·en are estranged

• T he n a ture o f v ulne rability, und e rs ta nding e m o ti o n a nd its importa nce to be in g in to uch with s elf, co mmuni ty, and those less fo rtun ate including guest speakers who o n ce thought manliness meant stoic s il ence, b r avado, ri s k-taking, com pari so n and agg r essio n.

• T he na ture o f luck a nd th e wafe r-thin diffe re nc e be tween rich and poo r with g ues t speake r s from t h ose who advocat e for th ose who h a ve noth ing

• Why a ll in s tituti o nal st ructures, e du c a tio n a l, p o liti ca l, lega l , bu s in ess s ho uld have a n e qu a l repre se ntati o n o f w o m e n and men at all le ve ls, co n1m e ncin g with the st ru ct ur es sha ping the e du cat io n of t he st ud e nt 's s ubj ect to these unit s of s tudy

• Ex te nd e d j o int c o mmun ity -buildin g pr oj e ct s where boys in fin a nc ia ll y elite pri vate s ch oo ls w o rk with st ud e nt s fr o m s uburb s w her e yo uth un e mpl oy men t a nd so cial/public hou s ing i s hi g h est, n1ay also connect young p eo pl e wi t h a co mmon ca u se a nd r a ise awareness about how indistinct w e all are but for the cloth es we wear. Such common proj ects ca n inc lud e c r ea ting green spaces, ass isting in building improved e ducational facilities - through being trained a nd s up ervise d in so n1 e manual labour -a nd competing in scie ntific competitions based on the d evelop1n e nt of renewables , or oth e r s ignificant areas o f scie nce.

Such experiences would be rewarding, eye-open ing, possibly co n £rontin g, and truly Life changing. B ut what is an e du cat io n for if no t to assist in h elp in g our st ud ents to und e r stand how to think crit ically?

When yo ung p eop le make tni stakes, those who create st ructure s can take opportun iti es to re-shape t h e ex p e rie nc es those yo un g people have It n1ay tak e imagination bu t, in an age of discontinuity, imagination energises action.