Emerging Issues 2007-08

To date, in the financial year 2007-08 funding has been awarded to three projects to respond to emerging issues. Summaries of the projects are provided below:

Organisation: Newcastle University Students’ Association
Project Name: Refugee-Student Support Program
Locality: Newcastle
State: NSW
Amount: $28 950
Project Summary:
Refugee-Student Support Program is a project that aims to address issues of intolerance and barriers to integration experienced by African refugee school students new to Newcastle.  The project will develop a mentoring program between university student volunteers and students of Callaghan College, a multi‑campus secondary school.

Project activities will include:

  • tutoring in computer literacy and civics,
  • mentoring of students; community partnerships and social events, allowing the students to feel integrated into the local community, and
  • a peer support/buddy system between refugee students and the university student volunteers. 

There will also be an essay writing competition for school students on the theme of diversity.

Organisation: Deception Bay Community Youth Programs Assoc Inc
Project Name: The D Bay Way
Locality: Caboolture
State: QLD
Amount: $66 021
Project Summary:
This project responds to social issues arising from Pacific Islander youth alienation and escalating community tension in the Caboolture Shire, in particular Deception Bay.

Pacific Islander and mainstream youth will participate in a Youth Reference Group (YRG) to discuss their concerns and aspirations with key community stakeholders. A strategy will be developed and implemented to foster a sense of belonging for all participants.

Sport and music activities at the Deception Bay High School and elsewhere will be used as a way of increasing self-confidence, understanding and respect between young people of different backgrounds. Leadership and cross-cultural awareness workshops will also be held at the school, involving students and staff.

The project also seeks to work with local leaders and community organisations to support community events involving a broad cross-section of the local community.

Organisation: Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre Inc
Project Name: North Region Youth Community Support Project
Locality: Perth
State: WA
Amount: $60 000
Project Summary:
The northern region of the Perth metropolitan area has experienced some tensions between young people of various cultural backgrounds, predominantly Indigenous, African and Anglo-Celtics. The North Region Youth Community Support Project aims to address these tensions by promoting understanding and developing the leadership skills of young people in the area.

Aged between 14 to 16, these young people will be recruited from three local high schools, and will bond together through seminars, events, arts and sports activities focussing on community harmony themes.

The project aims to improve community relations by:

  • building the capacity of community leaders and community members to have a better understanding of other cultures
  • providing a forum where young people, their parents and elders can discuss and design strategies to address identified issues
  • providing opportunities for young people to have better understanding of, and respect for, other cultures
  • providing opportunities for young people to interact with people of various backgrounds and educate their peers in a supportive setting.