Youth Workers Unite #10: Racism & Advocacy in Youth Work

Youth Workers Unite is YACWA's COVID-19 resilience and recovery series. It brings together professional speakers, government, sector leaders and front-line youth workers into an interactive webinar format for the latest information, innovations and adaptations relevant to the youth sector.

This 10th session in the series will explore the experiences of migrant and refugee, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people – the similarities and the differences – in relation to racism using storytelling through the lens of three diverse Australians. Attendees will then have the opportunity to unpack strategies and appropriate advocacy channels that can best support, as well as empower culturally rich young people with the various challenges of today and tomorrow. Youth workers, as supportive and caring individuals, must be equipped to understand and be an ally to young people experiencing racism within Australia. This session will be run by Imara Mandred & the Shout Out speakers Zahra Al Hilaly and Sara Terry. 

When: Thursday, 13 August, 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Where: Online via Zoom

MYAN WA's new look website is live

Over the last month, MYAN WA's wonderful intern, Ruby Wang has worked hard to redevelop the MYAN WA website. The new look website is now live and includes:

• MYAN WA membership registration (organisational & individual)!
• Shout Out program information - learn more about our amazing Shout Out speakers, Shout Out blog, where to book a speaker.
• Professional development and training opportunities - information our training: such as the Culturally Informed Approach, How to Culture, bespoke training and more!
• COVID-19 support information for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, including international students.
• Past networking forums and working group events reports, notes, photos, livestream links and more.

Book a Shout Out speaker

MYAN WA's Shout Out program is an opportunity for young people to redress the balance and present their stories and experiences to audiences that may not usually have the chance to hear them. Our speakers are all young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds that have been trained to deliver fresh, engaging and thought-provoking perspectives in a range of settings across WA. Our speakers present on topics from their perspectives and experiences and address topics including but not limited to: multiculturalism, education, refugee experience, leadership, discrimination, identity and belonging. 

Events & Workshops

MYAN Australia + NEDA National Meeting on Disability

The event will be co-hosted by MYAN and NEDA and moderated by Nadine Liddy (MYAN) and Dominic Hồng Ɖức Golding (NEDA). The conversation will open with youth perspectives, with attendees hearing from Cindy Liu and Grace Edward, and representatives from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.  The purpose of this meeting is to:

• Hear from and raise awareness about the personal/lived experiences of disability for young people (aged 12-24) from refugee and migrant backgrounds
• Better understand which organisations are working with this group of young people to provide support
• Identify what the gaps might be
• Help to inform MYAN and NEDA’s submission to the Royal Commission.

When: Wednesday 12 August, 11:00 AM - 12:45 PM (AEST)
Where: (Online - RSVP for meeting details)

Diversity dialogue: Quality care from a physical distance

The Health Consumers’ Council WA is holding a panel discussion webinar on Telehealth and people from a culturally linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. The webinar is designed for health service providers, consumer representatives and people engaged in the CaLD space. The panel discussion is focused on delivering quality and culturally responsive Telehealth services to people from CaLD backgrounds, through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
 

When: Thursday, 3 September, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Where: Online via Zoom

How do we stay mentally healthy in times of radical unease?
The How's Your Haal? project, in collaboration with Befriend Inc, DrawHistory and headspace Armadale is delighted to relaunch the How's Your Haal? Conversation Circles by hosting a facilitated but dynamic discussion on the topic of: "How do we stay mentally healthy in times of radical unease?" This event is aimed at discussing the experiences of young people (ages of 18 and 30) who consider themselves as coming from a 'Culturally and Linguistically Diverse' background. If this is you, or this perspective interests you, they would love to have you.
 

When: Wednesday, 12 August, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Where: Headspace Armadale, 40 Fourth Road, Armadale

Connecting with young people during COVID-19
This networking forum organised by the City of Stirling will provide information on how organisations have stayed connected with and supported young people during COVID-19. It is designed for anyone working with young people. You will have the opportunity to hear from:

• The City of Stirling's Stirling Youth Advocates (SYA)
• Headspace
• Youth Educating Peers (YEP) project
• WA Police

When: Tuesday, 11 August, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Where: Reception Hall, City of Stirling Administration, 25 Cedric St Stirling

Recognise and respond to D&FV

Do you want to understand the initial signs of domestic and family violence, and know how to respond appropriately and refer the case if necessary? This one day workshop lays the foundations to understanding and responding to domestic and family violence. 

When: 13 August, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Where: Riverton Library, 67 Riley Road, Riverton

Digital marketing workshop for small businesses

Are you from a culturally and linguistically diverse background? Do you own a small business? The Office of Multicultural Interests is running a workshop for culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) small business owners. At this interactive workshop, participants will gain information on how to best use digital marketing strategies to promote products and services.

When: Tuesday, 25 August, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Where: Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, 246 Vincent Street, Leederville

Living in a Pandemic webinar

The Living in a Pandemic webinar tells the story of five multicultural people and their experiences with loneliness, domestic violence and health anxiety during COVID 19. The webinar panel consists of service providers from Multicultural Futures, Headspace and The Smith Family who discuss the impact of COVID 19 on their clients and how service providers can better support this cohort.

Support and resources

NDIS access support for people from CaLD backgrounds with a psychosocial disability

The Mental Health Commission in partnership with Multicultural Futures have support available for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds with a psychosocial disability to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). If you, or someone you know have a psychosocial disability and are finding daily life difficult because of mental health, please contact Geoff from Multicultural Futures to find out how you may be able to access NDIS. Geoff can be contacted on 9336 8282 or email geoff@multiculturalfutures.org.au

Translated tax-time resources

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has information available in languages other than English to help clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds understand their tax obligations in Australia. The resources are available in Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Dari, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Nepali, Punjabi, Spanish, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese.

Helping children and young people to make complaints

The Commissioner for Children and Young People WA has been appointed to develop resources for children and young people explaining their right to speak up when they feel uncomfortable, unsafe or marginalised, and outlining the steps they can take to raise their concerns or make complaints within organisations. As part of this project, the Commissioner will also develop a resource to help adults to talk about the resources with children and young people in their lives, communities and organisations.

Young Carer Bursary Program

The Young Carer Bursary Program supports young carers to continue with their education. The program offers a limited number of $3,000 bursaries each year.

Applications are open for young carers aged 12 - 25 engaged in education at the high school level or beyond, including TAFE, apprenticeships and undergraduate programs at university. Applications for the 2021 Young Carers Bursary Program are open from 28 July to 8 September 2020.

Opportunities

World Music Café Enterprise Training Program

The World Music Café enterprise is an experiential training program where participants learn-by-doing to gain employability skills guided by experienced arts and food industry mentors. To participate, applicants should fit the following criteria:

• Be from a migrant or refugee background
• Be aged between 16-64
• Have a right to work in Australia
• Receive income support or be at risk of exclusion from economic participation

Training sessions are held on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2 PM to 5 PM. Participation is based on an 8-week full-term commitment. To register your interest in joining the enterprise training program, please call Jon Cope, Social Enterprise Facilitator on 9336 8282 or email wmc@multiculturalfutures.org.au

Submissions wanted!

Unlimited Futures is a joint project between Fremantle Press and Djed Press and will be a ground-breaking collection featuring debut, emerging and established Bla(c)k Own Voices works of visionary fiction that challenge and enrich this continent’s creative canon. Submissions to this new anthology will open this week and they intend to run a free online information session on Saturday 15 August.

Join Perth Festival's Inaugural Youth Advisory Council
Perth Festival is looking for young art lovers age 18 - 26 to join its inaugural Youth Advisory Council. From September 2020 – February 2021, members of the Youth Advisory Council will contribute to Perth Festival 2021 – advising on youth related issues across festival operations, participating in program development and delivery, and producing their own project. Expressions of Interest close on Monday 17 August.

MYAN WA e-News 
If you would like any of your events, programs, services, or projects that are relevant to refugee or migrant young people and the sector that supports them shared in the MYAN WA newsletters or Facebook page, please send it through to myanwa@yacwa.org.au