MYAN WA had its final forum of 2021

MYAN WA hosted its final networking forum for the year during WA Pride Month. To celebrate Pride Month, MYAN WA is hosted a panel discussion with some exceptional LGBTQIA+ CaLD young people. Panelists engaged in meaningful discussions around experiences with service providers and the importance of community for LGBTQIA+ CALD young people. It was a wonderful way to end the year, with more networking forums to come in 2022. If you have any suggestions for what topics you'd like MYAN WA to explore next year, please email myanwa@yacwa.org.au. 

Farewell and thank you to MYAN WA and YPN McCusker Intern Avery

MYAN WA and the Youth Pride Network (YPN) have been very fortunate to have Avery on board as our intern over the past few weeks. Avery has been working on MYAN WA's social media strategy and has done wonderful work in helping MYAN WA continue to grow. She will be graduating this year and we wish her all the best in what she does next!

Sandy McKiernan is YACWA's new CEO

After an extensive recruitment process that included over 70 candidates nationwide, YACWA announced at its AGM last week that Sandy McKiernan has been appointed as YACWA's new Chief Executive Officer. Sandy stepped in as Acting CEO in May of this year following the announcement that Ross Wortham would be taking paternity leave. Inheriting a new management structure that followed unprecedented growth at YACWA, Sandy has overseen the rollout of the inaugural Lotterywest Youth Sector Grants Scheme; the successful multi-year contract re-tendering for the Youth Educating Peers Project and a subsequent partnership with WAAC; the first MYAN WA Catalyst Youth Summit in almost five years; the establishment of Regional YACWA, with offices in the Mid West and Great Southern; an inaugural roundtable between youth homelessness services and the Department of Communities; significant engagements with the Mental Health Commission and the Department of Justice; and myriad emerging projects and relationships across the youth sector.

Welcome and congratulations, Sandy!

Farewell to YACWA CEO Ross Wortham

Last week's AGM also served as our formal farewell to long-time YACWA CEO Ross Wortham. Ross' work as an advocate, a mentor and an unrelenting fighter for the rights of young people and the resourcing of our sector is hard to capture in words, but we hope our dedications over these last few weeks have helped to capture the scope of and extent of his work during his time leading the organisation. We're all excited for his new life direction as, first and foremost, a father, and secondly, as a fine furniture maker, an equally out-of-left-field yet perfectly appropriate career turn for someone as eager and irrepressible as Ross. Thank you, once again.

Workshops & events

Youth Futures Summit

The Youth Futures Summit is a virtual event that brings together thousands of diverse people across multiple sectors and communities to re-imagine the biggest challenges and systems impacting young people, and the rest of Australia.

The Youth Futures Summit will:

• Draw together thousands of people from multiple sectors and communities that are reflective of the diversity of cultures, backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs that make up all of Australia
• Be co-presented, co-attended and shaped by young people
• Deep-dive into the challenges and identify what the solutions should be
• Explore a number of different areas from climate change, youth mental health, jobs for the future, diversity in Australia and more. 

When: 5 - 7 April 2022
Where: Virtual

Resources and Supports

What the Religious Discrimination Bill means for you

The proposed Religious Discrimination Bill was supposed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religious belief or activity (including having no religious belief or refusing to engage in religious activity) in certain areas of public life, such as employment, education and the provision of goods and services. But the Bill that has been drafted threatens to undermine inclusive workplaces, schools and access to services like healthcare without judgement. Laws which should protect religious people from discrimination will be used to hand a licence to discriminate against LGBTIQ+ people, women, people with disability, and others.

Find My Family - Afghanistan Crisis Assistance

The Australian Red Cross program Find My Family: Restoring Family Links (RFL) assists with tracing family members and finding missing loved ones. If you have lost contact with family as a result of the crisis in Afghanistan, please call the Red Cross hotline on 1800 875 199 between 5 AM to 1 PM or email tracing@redcross.org.au If your family member has been detained in Afghanistan, Red Cross can collect an enquiry but given the current situation, it cannot be followed immediately. Unfortunately, the Restoring Family Links team cannot provide support on the ground for people at risk in Afghanistan, and cannot register family or friends with whom you are currently in contact.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine if you are not eligible for Medicare

Everyone 12 years and older can book a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is free for everyone, regardless of your visa status or Medicare eligibility. If you don’t have a Medicare card, or are not eligible for Medicare, you can get your free vaccination at a Commonwealth vaccination clinic, a state or territory vaccination clinic and community pharmacies that are administering COVID-19 vaccines. If you are not eligible for Medicare, GPs can still supply COVID-19 vaccines to you and the vaccine will be delivered free of charge. If you do not have a Medicare card, or are not eligible for Medicare, you can get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations online. You can get an immunisation history statement which shows a record of all the vaccines you have had that are recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. You can get a COVID-19 digital certificate which only shows your COVID-19 vaccinations. You will be able to see your digital certificate after you have had all required doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

National Coronavirus Helpline – CaLD priority service

A priority service within  the National Coronavirus Helpline has b een established to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse people have access to relevant information and assistance with finding vaccine appointments. Helpline call agents can provide COVID-19 information and help callers book their vaccination appointment. Translated resources can be sent to callers after the call by SMS in their language. Culturally and linguistically diverse people seeking to access this service should contact Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) National on 131 450 and ask to be connected to the National Coronavirus Helpline. You can reach the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080.

COVID health resources for WA's CaLD communities

WA Health has developed a range of video and social media tiles to promote COVID-safe behaviours and COVID vaccination to WA’s CALD communities. The resources feature WA healthcare workers and community leaders delivering COVID health messaging in English and in other languages.

The videos are available on the DoH Youtube channel.

The social media tiles and other resources are available on the Health WA website.

Opportunities

Afghan-Australian Community & Settlement Support Grant Program

The Afghan-Australian Community and Settlement Support Grant Program supports Afghan-Australian and other community and grassroots organisations undertaking critical work to welcome and support people recently evacuated from Afghanistan. Through an open competitive process, the program provides grants to organisations to facilitate positive settlement outcomes for newly arrived Afghan people. The grant program is administered by Migration Council Australia. Priority will be given to small not-for-profit organisations who directly represent, or are able to demonstrate close existing relationships with, the Afghan-Australian community. Collaborations between different organisations are welcomed. Smaller community organisations may wish to partner with larger organisations for example, or veterans’ organisations with Afghan community organisations. Round one of the grant program is open for projects starting in February 2022 (projects must finish by June 2023).

Applications close Thursday, 23 December 2021.

COVID-19 Outbreak Preparedness Project

Researchers at the Telethon Kids Institute, Curtin University and University of Melbourne are collaborating with the WA Department of Health to better understand how COVID-19 can transmit within Western Australia and CaLD communities specifically. Using detailed contact surveys and statistical modelling, they want to learn how COVID-19 spreads through a community like yours. They require your help by taking part in a quick 20- minute survey. Having CaLD voices represented in this survey will provide valuable input into this research. 

Become a Kaleidoscope Mentoring Program Mentor

The Kaleidoscope Mentoring Program has been helping skilled newcomer professionals improve their employment potential by matching them with mentors from their industry or occupation. KMP is looking for mentors to join its mentoring program and coach highly skilled migrant professionals. If you are a professional, with at least two years' experience in your industry, and would like to help a newcomer to connect with their career, please apply to join the program. The next mentoring cycle runs from February to May 2022 and mentees and mentors will be matched during December 2021.

National Anti-Racism Framework

The Australian Human Rights Commission has launched a plan to develop a National Anti-Racism Framework. The Framework will be a long-term, central reference point to guide actions on anti-racism by government, NGOs, business, educators, health professionals, police, other justice authorities, civil society, and the community. A Commission Concept Paper provides an initial overview of the Framework’s key principles, outcomes and strategies. The Commission is working with all levels of Government, peak bodies, human rights agencies and community organisations to progress the Framework. The Commission is accepting public submissions on the Framework from 21 October to 15 December 2021. If you or your organisation would like to make a submission, please visit the Have your say page where you can complete the guided form or upload your submission.

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

MYAN WA acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of this land. We are situated on the land of the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation and pay our respects to their Elders: past, present and emerging.