Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia. Submission to the Commonwealth Budget

Transcription

1 Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia Submission to the Commonwealth Budget Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia... 1 Submission to the Commonwealth Budget Introduction Multicultural Policy Immigration and Population Policy Rural and Regional Development Human Rights Social Inclusion Employment Participation Housing Racism and Discrimination Aged Care Refugee Policy SBS and Ethnic Broadcasting Digital Literacy Education Child and Family Services Youth Women Arts Health

2 1. Introduction FECCA is the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. We provide advocacy, develop policy and promote issues on behalf of our constituency to government and the broader community. FECCA supports multiculturalism, community harmony, social inclusion and the rejection of all forms of discrimination and racism. Almost one in four Australians were born overseas and up to half of all Australians (45 per cent) were either born overseas or have one or both parents born overseas. As a nation we speak over 300 languages, come from over 200 ancestries and practices more than 100 religions. Some migrants and particularly refugees suffer discrimination in areas like employment and housing and face challenges in accessing Government services equitably. They may also be more at risk of disadvantage and social isolation and social exclusion. More generally, the Commonwealth Government needs to consider Australians from migrant and refugee backgrounds as a distinct grouping with particular needs and disadvantages when framing government policy. Funding allocation for the Budget must be inclusive of the needs of CALD Australians to ensure fairness and equity in the delivery of Commonwealth services. With this in mind FECCA has identified a number of budgetary areas of interest for the Commonwealth Budget. Multicultural Policy Immigration and Population Policy Human Rights Social Inclusion Employment Participation Housing Racism and Discrimination Aged Care Refugee Policy 2

3 SBS and ethnic broadcasting Digital Literacy Child and Family services Youth services Education Women Arts Health FECCA commends this submission to Government. 2. Multicultural Policy In November 2010, FECCA released a comprehensive and overarching National Multicultural Agenda outlining 11 key principles and 55 recommendations across government. In this submission, we reiterate our call for a national multicultural policy as a framework to support and create effectiveness for policy and budget decisions in the CALD sector. Australia s last national multicultural policy expired in The current government set up the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council (AMAC) to create a document and recommendations for cultural diversity issues. AMAC released The People of Australia statement in April FECCA goes further in proposing a national policy framework to manage cultural diversity issues in Australia. The key aspects of FECCA s National Multicultural Agenda are: Definition A National Multicultural Agenda defines the terms of relationships between different cultural communities. It proposes equal dialogue between them to arrive at principles of access, equity and social justice. Through this, it delivers equality in the public arena and social cohesion for all Australians. 3

4 Principles Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the First Australians The primary premise of the National Multicultural Agenda is that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the First Australians. Reconciliation with them is primary to the ability of our country to create a strong sense of nationhood and cohesion. Equality The National Multicultural Agenda is a recognition of and response to the reality of Australia s culturally diverse population. It defines the nature of the relationship between all Australian people, between communities and between government and all Australians as one that upholds the principles of social justice by ensuring that real equality can be achieved only by alleviating inequality. Equal Dialogues The National Multicultural Agenda proposes the creation of equal dialogues amongst all Australians within the framework of Australian legal and political systems. This does not, however, take away from the unique position that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people occupy in Australia as the First Australians. Equal dialogue is also the basis for reform of our Human Rights and Legal systems to be inclusive, where necessary, of particular concerns of CALD communities including cultural rights, discrimination and racism. Right to cultural maintenance A national agenda protects the rights of all Australians to express their cultural heritage, to maintain their languages and religions in equal measure without upholding the rights of any special group as being above the others. Responsibility for cross and intercultural engagement It expects from all Australians the obligation to be proactive in cross cultural and intercultural dialogues at all levels as importantly as maintaining their heritage and culture. Thus it expects Australians to be open to change and to building intercultural communities while enjoying the rights to cultural maintenance. 4

5 Multicultural society is a valuable Australian asset It proactively promotes multicultural society as a valuable resource and asset in the shaping of Australia s future. In order to do this, it will support new research and data on multicultural issues to build an evidence base for future policy in this complex and important area for Australian society. Recognition of the historic contributions of all Australians It recognises the historic contribution of all Australians and includes their welfare and enhancement in its vision and implementation. Languages are important expressions of cultures It recognises the fact than language can be both a barrier and an enabler for social inclusion. It accepts that language acquisition or maintenance is a cultural issue. As such, it will celebrate and harness the value of a multi- lingual society while strengthening English as the language for communication for all Australians. Creation of an inclusive national Australian identity It will promote the creation of an inclusive national Australian identity and of the symbolic communications of such an identity. Rejection of culture blindness and support of reform where necessary It also rejects culture blindness by engaging with reform where necessary when cultural practices are illegal or against the democratic principles of Australia. However, this will be done firstly by supporting reformist movements from within cultural communities and through dialogue, consultation and education wherever possible, recognising that transformation is possible on both sides. Reinvigorate grassroots efforts It will reinvigorate efforts at community and grass root levels that will create a bottom up approach to diversity by supporting local initiatives to link cultures. The 11 principles are delivered through a policy structure that situates government and community roles in the context of 3 pillars of social interaction: Belonging Participation 5

6 Contribution 1. That the government urgently adopt a National Multicultural Agenda, along the principles outlined above, as an overarching whole of government framework. 2. That the National Multicultural Agenda is located in the Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet which will be responsible for the design, implementation and support. 3. That all government departments will have individual Multicultural Plans which will frame their strategies to address the principles of the National Multicultural Agenda. These plans will subsume the current Access and Equity plans. 4. That the National Audit Office or the Productivity Commission is responsible for monitoring the Agenda against new indicators which are based on the delivery of the principles of the National Multicultural Agenda 5. The establishment of a Multicultural Research Institute which will work with existing multicultural researchers and organisations to create evidence and knowledge to review, modify and update approaches to multiculturalism on an ongoing basis and across all sectors 3. Immigration and Population Policy The Australian population is growing rapidly and Treasury projects that Australia s population is expected to grow to 35.9 million people by 2050 based on fertility rates and net overseas migration. In response to the heightened public debate around population policy, FECCA has released an Immigration and Population Policy which calls on the Government to ensure that the current family reunion program and humanitarian programs are not affected by any reductions in our immigration intake due to higher than expected population growth. Australia s immigration policy should continue to include a human rights focus with regards to maintaining and strengthening our humanitarian intake and family reunion programs. We should also dedicate funding towards greater independent research capacity in this area. 6

7 1. The Government should determine the appropriate skilled migration levels taking into account current population trends and economic needs. 2. Australia s humanitarian refugee intake should be increased from its current levels of 13,750 to 20,000 and this increase should occur over four years. Australia has the capacity to absorb more refugees under our humanitarian program. The refugee program has been relatively static over the last decade, whereas skilled migration has increased considerably. 3. Our family reunion program should be maintained at its current level of 60,300 and increased over time. Family migration provides the most effective settlement networks supporting social inclusion and self-reliance. 4. A dedicated independent research body should be established in the Population and Immigration area. The body that previously conducted research around immigration and multiculturalism, the Bureau of Population, Immigration and Multicultural Research was disbanded by the Howard Government after coming to office. The United Nations has in recent times criticised the Australian Government for having insufficient data and information around ethnic diversity. This body would conduct research into the economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts of immigration and population and to assist in policy development around these important national issues. Immigration and Population Policy Institute 11/12 12/13 13/14 TOTAL $5.25m $5.5m $5.75m $16.5m 4. Rural and Regional Development The current emphasis on the distribution of immigrants to rural and regional areas raises issues related to service infrastructure and culturally sensitive support in such regions. Rural and regional communities already face challenges in access to support services in key sectors such as health and education. CALD communities face further challenges as they often need ethno specific services in some cases. New and 7

8 Emerging communities, especially when they have a history of trauma, need specialist mental health services when they are located in regional areas. 1. Adequate community consultation and education of rural and regional communities before migrant groups are moved to rural and regional areas. 2. Recognition of the complex and culture specific needs of culturally diverse communities and establishment of appropriate support services in rural and regional areas. 5. Human Rights Australians come from more than 200 ancestries, speak more than 300 languages and practice more than 100 faiths. It is therefore imperative that formal human rights protection mechanisms are put in place to ensure that all people, regardless of culture, ethnicity or religion, are treated equally and can live their lives without fear of discrimination. The current mechanisms in place to protect human rights in Australia implied constitutional rights, limited legislative protection and piecemeal common law are inadequate. These existing mechanisms do not do justice to Australia s international human rights obligations, nor do they guarantee basic rights, such as the right to religious freedom and right to cultural freedom. Australia has come under criticism from United Nations reviews for its human rights issues and frameworks. In this regard FECCA welcomes the Government s recent announcement of a stand alone position of Race Discrimination Commissioner for Australia, which was a key aspect of FECCA s National Multicultural Agenda launched in November The Australian Human Rights Commission needs increased funding to deal with the significant issues around racial and religious discrimination and vilification in Australia. The work of the commission is invaluable in project and policy development in the arena of human rights but it is currently significantly under resourced by international standards. 1. In line with the Australian Human Rights Commission s recommendation to implement a Human Rights Act in Australia (as a result of its 2009 inquiry), the government should work towards 8

9 implementing a Human Rights Act at a Federal Level. FECCA believes that the following rights must be included in any new Charter: 2. The Right to freedom from discrimination on Racial or Religious grounds 3. The Right to Religious Freedom/Right not to be Subjected to Religious Vilification 4. The Right to Cultural and Linguistic Freedom 5. The Right to Liberty / Right to not be Subject to Arbitrary Arrest 6. The Right to Work, Family and Housing 7. The Right to Citizenship Following Immigration Clearance 8. The government should increase funding for the Australian Human Rights Commission by $2.5 million per annum to enable it to properly address racial and religious discrimination in Australia. 9. Once a new Human Rights Act is implemented the government should fund education programs to ensure that both lawmakers and the wider community are made aware of the rights contained in the Act, and understand the Act s implication. AHRC Increased Funding 11/12 12/13 13/14 TOTAL $2.5m $2.5m $2.5m $7.5m 6. Social Inclusion Social Inclusion has become one of the key drivers of social policy in the Commonwealth Government. A major goal of the Social Inclusion agenda is, one in which all Australians feel valued and have the opportunity to participate fully in the life of our society. Central to the concept of social inclusion is recognition that it is not sufficient for service systems to collaborate just so that people get improved access to services and that services improve in quality and relevance; it is to create the environments necessary to increase citizens social, economic and civic 9

10 participation in their communities. Also integral to Social Inclusion are the concepts of social capital and trust. FECCA s view is that the multicultural agenda cannot be subsumed by Social Inclusion. The current Social Inclusion Agenda does not give cultural diversity the significance it needs in order to address social cohesion issues which arise as a consequence of cultural differences. in this area indicate broad policy initiatives which would form part of the National Multicultural Agenda and would more appropriately address some of the focus areas of the Social Inclusion agenda. In addition, FECCA would like to see greater focus on specific whole of government initiatives targeting vulnerable migrants and refugees in areas like housing, employment and social participation. 1. Encourage Active Citizenship which envisages that all Australians will participate in the public sphere whether it be through engagement with local communities or political parties or through cultural practices. Rather than a laissez faire approach, it needs proactive creation of spaces where people feel welcome to interact, engage and share their skills and talents. This will prevent the creation of cultural ghettos, which FECCA opposes. 2. Education in rights and responsibilities for all people who come to Australia. While this is already being done in some cases such as Settlement programs, the feedback FECCA receives is that the programs are too intense and often happen at the outset when people are already coping with a large amount of new information. Such education has to be broad based and tailored and should be extended to all categories of arrivals including 457s and students (as they do in countries such as the Netherlands). 3. Public Campaigns that create an inclusive national identity. FECCA notes that government campaigns promoting diversity continue to highlight aesthetic values such as food and entertainment. It needs to include debates about the economic values of diversity by adding concepts of new knowledge acquisition in key areas such as environment, work and lifestyle choices. 4. Establish the role of mentor or navigator with specific bi cultural skills and lived experience of cultures where the need is identified to be most urgent. 10

11 5. In sectors such as aged care, ethno specific service provision has strong positive outcomes. In some sectors or localities, ethno specificity in service provision may be necessary to ensure access and participation. 6. In addition to ethno specific service provision in some sectors, there should be resources and strategies to recruit and train culturally sensitive staff in all sectors. 7. Support for an approach that is not culture blind by engaging with reform where necessary and by creating inter-faith dialogues about religious practices and beliefs that challenge currently held perceptions 8. Support for neighbourhood and grass roots levels of intercultural engagement through inter faith forums. 9. Support for leaders from within communities to advocate and represent cultural views and to speak for their concerns. The adage of Nothing about us without us needs to apply in this area. Often multicultural communities are spoken about by academics, politicians and others without adequate understanding of who might be the most appropriate representative for specific issues within those cultures. 7. Employment Participation Historically migrant workers have often been hit hardest by increases in unemployment and are also often at the back of the queue in finding work following a downturn. For example, during the 1990s recession, the unemployment rate of newly arrived migrants reached a peak of over 30% in the year after arrival. Higher unemployment amongst migrants occurs for a range of reasons, including discrimination, limited language skills, education, and a lack of local experience, training, and labour market knowledge. It can also occur due to volatility in industries, such as services and manufacturing, where migrants are disproportionately represented. Refugees often have far greater needs than skilled migrants and tend to have far higher unemployment rates. According to DIAC, humanitarian entrants had an unemployment rate of 32% when compared with other cohorts of migrants who had entered Australia under different migration schemes. Further, for new and emerging communities from the Horn of Africa the unemployment rate was found to range from around 25% to 50% in Even highly skilled migrants can face discrimination and may work in areas well below their capacities. 11

12 A study by Andrew Leigh at Australian National University found that ethnic minority candidates would need to apply for more jobs in order to receive the same number of interviews. It is in Australia s interest that migrants and new and emerging communities enter the labour market as smoothly as possible and minimise the disproportionate impact of the economic downturn on them. 1. Policy recognition that migrants are likely to be amongst the worst hit by rising unemployment in Australia. 2. Agreement that current and future stimulus packages should contain adequate provisions to address migrant and refugee disadvantage. 3. The development of programs focused on re-skilling resident migrants who have lost employment in declining industries. For example programs that teach migrants affected by closures in textile, footwear and clothing, new skills in areas like aged care (where employment demand is strong) are highly recommended. 4. The extension of employment assistance services to all newly arrived migrants, regardless of visa type. 5. The establishment of large-scale mentoring and job experience programs for skilled migrants (including skilled refugees) through government and business sponsorships and the provision of career planning and counselling services to all migrants in vocational and further education. 6. Employment pathway programs for migrants and refugees need to be strengthened. For instance, programs that link unskilled refugees to areas with rural labour shortages have proven very successful. 7. Reduced reliance on temporary migrants to help fill skill shortages accompanied by a focus on developing effective employment pathway programs for permanent migrants and refugees. 8. Dedicated funding stream for providing intensive support for refuge and migrant young people with alternative pathways to employment and training. 9. Programs for public sector employers to increase migrant employment levels through targeted recruitment campaigns, review of recruitment processes, creation of migrant support 12

13 committees and regular reporting on antidiscrimination strategies aimed at migrants and refugees. 10. The strengthening of anti-discrimination laws to provide opportunities for systemic (organisation or industry-wide) interventions by equal employment opportunity commissions, and requirements for medium to large organisations to submit equal opportunity employment plans. 11. Strengthen requirements for all government agencies and organisations funded by government to ensure employees are regularly trained and updated in understanding principles of access and Job Services Australia to recognise and cater for a need for greater levels of support (both duration and intensity) to ensure that new arrivals have the skills to navigate the system. For example this could be support which enables job seekers to learn about workplace requirements and expectations, undertake appropriate orientation, workplace orientation and work placement programs. 12. Assessment instruments such as Job Seeker Classification Instrument and intake processes to be enhanced in terms of their cultural appropriateness. 13. Stronger emphasis on educating people about their rights in the workplace as well as about their options for appeal and complaints. 14. Review of skills recognition processes and requirements and apprenticeship models particularly in the vocational trades. 15. Post employment support to ensure that new and emerging communities are able to sustain their jobs. 16. Joined up approach to support services for new and emerging communities by working with other counseling and specialist service providers. 17. Encouragement for and recognition of existing skills and trades from cultures by supporting ethnic entrepreneurs to start new businesses that offer new products or services to Australia. 18. Creation of pathways for such entrepreneurs to work in the domestic and international market. 13

14 Development of Migrant and Refugee Employment Strategy 11/12 12/13 13/14 TOTAL $2m $2m $2m $6m 8. Housing FECCA recognises that there is a national housing crisis in housing in Australia. While it affects many Australians, those from culturally diverse backgrounds are further disadvantaged in already tight rental markets. FECCA s community consultations have had strong feedback from people about the specific issues facing new arrivals and Australians from CALD backgrounds in accessing housing. FECCA Recommendations 1. Education and orientation programs are needed as a matter of urgency for all new arrivals to equip people to understand their rights and responsibilities and expectations of tenants and to develop skills in navigating both public and private housing sectors in Australia 2. Non discriminatory practices in the private rental market to be encouraged through a combination of education and incentive programs. 3. Recognition of the different ideas of families in some cultures (joint families or large families) and investment in the development of accommodation options and supports for large families to prevent overcrowding and eviction. 4. The initial period of six months housing for humanitarian entrants could be extended to 12 months before they become exposed to the private rental market as they are in no position to compete against local residents given the additional barriers they face. This would allow them to better establish themselves in education and employment, building greater resilience and more effective long term settlement prospects. 9. Racism and Discrimination The recently released Scanlon report found that the majority of Australians support cultural diversity. It is generally accepted that Australia is the land of fair go and that we are more tolerant than other countries when it comes to diversity. The Scanlon survey affirms that Australia does fare positively in international comparisons for support for immigration and new cultures. It indicates that 62.4 per cent of Australians 14

15 agree that accepting immigrants from many different countries makes Australia stronger. 1 This indicates that the majority of Australians see diversity as a positive aspect of Australian life. However, there is cause for concern in the survey s picture of Australian attitudes to diversity. The Scanlon survey indicates that there is a significant level of intolerance in Australia. According to the survey, a consistent finding of surveys conducted in Australia over the last 30 years is that levels of intolerance and rejection of cultural diversity can reach 40-45% of the respondents. The core of the intolerant, numbering close to 10%, holds strongly negative views on issues related to a diverse immigration intake and multiculturalism. 2 More significant than the above is the result of the Scanlon- Monash Index of Social Cohesion which measured the five domains of social cohesion- worth, belonging, participation, acceptance and rejection, legitimacy and social justice and equity. While the 2007 and 2009 surveys had high levels in all these domains, the 2010 survey revealed lower scores in all five domains. The greatest variance was in the domain of Social Justice and Equity (down 21 percentage points from 2009). There was also an increase in the level of experience of discrimination from 10% to 14% from 2009 to Such evidence indicates very strongly that even if we do assume that we have managed diversity successfully in Australia, it is a fragile situation demanding vigilance and proactive action to ensure that it is not undermined by subversive trends. FECCA would like to see the Government continue to focus on and strengthen its anti-racism and social cohesion initiatives. 1. Harmonising strong and effective racial and religious discrimination and vilification laws at the state, territory and national levels. The strengthening of the Anti-Discrimination Legislation to include: Criminalisation of vilification 1 Prof. Andrew Markus, Mapping Social Cohesion: The Scanlon Foundation Surveys Summary Report 2010, Scanlon 2 Prof. Andrew Markus, Mapping Social Cohesion: The Scanlon Foundation Surveys Summary Report 2010, Scanlon Foundation, Australian Multicultural Foundation and Monash University, Victoria 2010 (hereinafter referred to as Scanlon), p.41 3 Scanlon pp

16 Stronger complaint mechanisms and a targeted and broader dissemination of information about these to CALD Australians Strong emphasis on public campaigns to educate people about racism. 2. Expanding Harmony Day to Harmony Week so as to increase its effectiveness and reach. 3. A well funded public advertising campaign aimed at mainstream communities promoting Australia s cultural diversity, and educating the Australian public about the levels and strengths of cultural diversity in Australia. 4. Greater cultural diversity training for police, greater diverse recruitment in our police forces and strengthened police cultural diversity policies. 5. All jurisdictions should agree to stop using ethnic descriptors for criminal suspects. For instance terms like of Middle Eastern appearance should be replaced with olive skin and black eyes. 6. Strengthened regulations and enforcement against racist material in broadcasting and on the Internet. Harmony Week and Strengthened Social Cohesion & Anti-Racism Campaign 11/12 12/13 13/14 TOTAL $2.5m $2m $2m $6.5m 10. Aged Care The ageing CALD population is experiencing more rapid growth than the general population in terms of its population size. Around 23 percent, or over 1 million Australians over 65 are now from CALD backgrounds. Older Australians from CALD backgrounds have much lower English language proficiency than the wider community. Over one third (38%) of all people aged over 65 in Australia cannot speak English well which underlines the dimension of the challenge of providing accessible aged care services to older Australians from migrant and refugee backgrounds. 16

17 At present there in no federal government policy in this area and the last such policy was the Ethnic Older Person s Strategy in FECCA has consistently alerted the Government to the policy vacuum in this area without success. 1. The creation of a National CALD Aged Policy. 2. Inclusion of CALD communities in plans and strategies for aged care in this sector. 3. Equitable access to aged care services for Australians from migrant and refugee backgrounds. 4. Encouraging and developing a bilingual workforce. 5. Appropriate funding for language services (interpreting and translation services) for critical communications. 6. Improved aged care standards around cultural diversity. 7. Improved funding for ethno-specific and multicultural aged care services, including brokerage programs with mainstream providers. National CALD Aged Care Policy Development 11/12 12/13 13/14 TOTAL $0.5m $0.2m $0.2m $0.9m 11. Refugee Policy The record shows that refugee and humanitarian entrants have greatly enriched Australia -economically, socially and culturally. FECCA strongly supports the maintenance and enhancement of Australia s refugee and humanitarian program. As a prosperous first world country, Australia should continue to play a leading role in resettling those seeking refuge. More should be done to ensure that the facts about refugees and asylum seekers are widely disseminated in the community. FECCA calls for a longer term vision that fosters practical and realistic opportunities for new communities to belong, contribute and participate in Australian society; with practical and realistic services to support the sustainable settlement of new arrivals. Presently Australia accepts 13,750 refugee and humanitarian entrants per year, a number which FECCA 17

18 should be increased, given both scale of refugees worldwide and the small number of refugees Australia accepts overall compared to the large number of immigrants coming to Australia each year (for example, through the Australian skilled migration program). 1. The government should commit to accepting 20,000 refugee and humanitarian entrants per year, up from 13,750. Such an increase should occur in stages over four years at an increase of around 2,000 a year to allow settlement services to adapt to increased numbers. Such a modest increase would give Australia greater leverage in arguing for greater international and regional cooperation on asylum seekers. FECCA acknowledges that the resettlement of these persons in Australia will come at some cost, however FECCA believes that this cost will be repaid many times over by the economic, social and cultural contributions that will be made by these new arrivals in the years after settlement.. 2. FECCA strongly opposes offshore processing a regime that facilitates the damaging isolation of asylum seekers and denies them effective expression of their human rights. Offshore processing makes it far more difficult for aid agencies to and legal assistance agencies to reach asylum seekers. Dismantling the offshore processing regime would also result in significant savings to Government. In the meantime, FECCA is pleased the government is supporting the recent high court decision regarding offshore review rights and is working to facilitate means of allowing asylum seekers in the pipeline to access more comprehensive avenues of legal review. 3. With regard to detention of asylum seekers, the government should honour its pledge to detain them only as a last resort for fast identity, security and health checks and also ensure that no children are ever detained. 4. FECCA believes that the government should fully pursue plans for better modelling around the economic contribution made by refugee and humanitarian entrants (little research has been conducted on this point to date leading some to question the economic contribution new arrivals make to Australia). Such research should also consider the valuable role refugee and humanitarian entrants play in filling jobs in regional areas. 5. FECCA calls for increased funding to support the valuable IHSS and SGP programs, in particular those programs which offer education and employment training and assistance. 6. FECCA also calls for the implementation of a standardised health assessment and immunisation program for all refugee and humanitarian entrants, as well as for increased funding for cultural 18

19 orientation programs for those leaving for Australia. FECCA believes that these programs will assist new arrivals to settle smoothly, and to live happy and healthy lives in Australia. 7. FECCA calls for increased funding for citizenship test preparation assistance is also imperative; to help new arrivals attain citizenship and all the rights and responsibilities citizenship confers. 8. FECCA also notes that in the coming years Australia will be faced with new waves of refugees - Climate Change Refugees seeking asylum from Australia s neighbouring areas. FECCA therefore calls for funding to research this area, research which will ensure Australia is ready to facilitate such refugees when the need arises. 9. Enhancement of English Language Services. Language is the key to empowered participation for all Australians. The complexity of language acquisition is underestimated in the current programs. FECCA s consultations indicate that the duration, the training modes and the lack of bi-lingual teachers mean that it is quite common for people to acquire few skills in English after these courses. The Adult English Migrant (AMEP) program was reviewed in 2009 and FECCA recommends that the outcomes of the review be implemented particularly in relation to people with limited literacy, women with children and people with mental and health barriers. 12. SBS and Ethnic Broadcasting FECCA supports SBS as a strong and vibrant multicultural and multilingual broadcaster delivering services to all Australians. This includes the three million Australians who speak a language other than English at home and who do not receive similar services from other public and free-to-air commercial television broadcasters. It also includes for instance the 38% of Australians over the age of 65 who do not speak English well. SBS s role in providing essential broadcasting services to these and many other Australians is critical. SBS s Plans for the Future document and their claim for $70 million per annum as part of their new triennial funding agreement from was effectively rejected by the Government in last year s budget. SBS has not received a significant funding boost in many years and with the renewed emphasis on SBS s multicultural broadcasting objectives an SBS funding increase is warranted and long overdue. FECCA supports SBS previous plans for a new SBS World multichannel with predominantly languages other than English (LOTE) programming, including important features such as children s LOTE programming and English language tuition programming. 19

20 FECCA also fully supports plans to improve the hugely important SBS radio division including through upgrading SBS radio services in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and increasing services through digital conversion. FECCA also calls on the Government to support ethnic community broadcasters and their need for adequate funding to properly service their communities. FECCA recommendation 1. That the Federal Government substantially increase SBS funding by $50 million per year to enable SBS to better service CALD communities and other Australians and that the Government provide a more significant boost of $70 million per year when the next triennial funding period begins in SBS Increased Funding for Better Multicultural Services 11/12 12/13 13/14 TOTAL $50m $70m $70m $190m 13. Digital Literacy With plans for the rollout of the National Broadband Network, the access and participation by all Australians in this sector becomes a key issue. Digital literacy presents specific issues for CALD Australians. Like language acquisition, digital literacy can be both a barrier and an enabler to participation. With increasing reliance of government services on digital technology, the ability of this technology to reach some sectors of Australian population is an issue. CALD Australians can face the following barriers with Digital Literacy: Older CALD migrants who form 23% of the Australian population aged over 65 years 4 have limited English language ability, limited digital literacy and limited access to digital technology due to financial constraints 4 Pino Migliorino, FECCA and CALD communities in the Digital Age, speech delivered at My Language Conference, 11 August 2010 accessed at on 17 October 2010, p.6 20

21 Refugee and humanitarian entrants have often not been exposed to digital technology. Many of them are under the age of 30 years and would need to acquire skills in this area to find employment. Some skilled migrants may be limited in their English language skills and this would limit their ability to access and use Digital Technology. 2. Additional resources to expand the availability of free internet at public libraries 3. Availability of English language teaching modules on the Internet 4. Information about digital technology to be targeted towards non English speaking Australians 5. An acknowledgment that service providers may need to focus more on human interaction and actively engage interpreters and translators, as well as employ bilingual staff, in service provision for sectors of CALD service provision, particularly for New and Emerging Communities and older CALD people. 6. Support for research in this area to develop an evidence base for creating access to digital technology by all Australians. 14. Education A strong multicultural school curriculum is urgently required to build a true sense of belonging for all Australians. FECCA s Access and Equity consultations received strong feedback about the importance of schools being the crucial sites of information about identity for young people. There is evidence that large numbers of youth from CALD backgrounds feel that they do not belong. The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians 5 needs to have a stronger commitment to multicultural education. Bilingualism to be supported as an educational base and Australian children should be supported to learn another language other than English, and English. In specific areas of the curriculum such as History, cultural diversity perspectives must be included. 5 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, Ministerial Council on Education, Employment and Youth Affairs, December 2008, accessed at lians.pdf on 27 October

22 1. Resourcing the provision to teach major non European languages based on the location of the school and its population context. 2. More support for school staff to deal with the cultural diversity needs of children from specific backgrounds who face challenges in dealing with the Australian education model. 15. Child and Family Services CALD women face specific issues in addition to issues faced by all women in Australia. The combination of ethnicity and gender can be doubly disempowering for many Australian women. 1. Resource support for culturally appropriate and gender sensitive information provision for CALD women particularly with regard to rights and systems knowledge. 2. Culturally appropriate support and resources in Family Violence Issues. 3. Support for research and data on violence against CALD women to build an evidence base that can facilitate both prevention and intervention. 15. Youth The lack of a multicultural agenda has arguably led to an increase in discrimination and racism in Australia as revealed by the Scanlon survey. There is evidence to show that discrimination can profoundly affect the health of young people, particularly in relation to mental health issues. CALD youth are often portrayed negatively in the media (as youth gangs). FECCA s community consultations have found that many of them face fundamental issues of identity and belonging. There are other significant issues in this sector including support for international students and targeted mental health services to address specific issues such as cultural stigma. 1. Advocacy efforts in this sector to be shaped and led by CALD youth. 2. Appropriate and targeted information available not just on specialised ethnic media but also on commercial media and through social networking pathways. 22

23 3. Strong advocacy and leadership from government to stop media stereotypes and portrayals of CALD youth as criminal and anti-social. 4. Research into intergenerational issues is an urgent need in the youth sector where young people face the stress of negotiating two cultures. 16. Women CALD women face specific issues in addition to issues faced by all women in Australia. The combination of ethnicity and gender can be doubly disempowering for many Australian women. 1. Support for culturally appropriate and gender sensitive information provision for CALD women particularly with regard to rights and systems knowledge. 2. Culturally appropriate support and resources in Family Violence Issues. 3. Support for research and data on violence against CALD women to build an evidence base that can facilitate both prevention and intervention. 17. Arts Art is often the key to cross cultural and inter cultural communication. What policy and other initiatives may labour long to achieve, art can succeed in doing the same more efficiently and with less confrontation. While we recognise the role of sports in dissolving cultural boundaries, arts have an equally important role in creating meaningful communication. For many communities art is an important symbolic expression of their identity just as sport is for many Australians. The Arts has been increasingly on the wane in terms of significance in Australian public policy. This leads to the potential loss of the one of the most significant ways of achieving social cohesion in a non confrontational way. The current location of the Arts portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, in combination with FECCA s recommendation to locate the National Multicultural Agenda in the same office, creates a valuable opportunity for both these sectors to work together to create non confrontational spaces of social transformation for all Australians. 23

24 1. Increased funding for both heritage and innovative arts practices that are led by people from diverse communities 2. Increased funding to community arts initiatives which work on building social cohesion or inter cultural dialogues 3. Creation of new arts funding criteria that recognise the role of the arts in the social transformation agenda 18. Health There are ongoing issues in the health sector for Australians from CALD backgrounds related to language. This affects information provision, translation services and support services, especially when they are telephone help or other online options. Some communities will be disadvantaged by the move to electronic health records unless there is some support to alleviate the digital divide as noted previously. FECCA Recommendations 1. Enhancement of interpreting and translating services, with particular emphasis on targeting them in response to the local language requirements. FECCA acknowledges the work of the national Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) in responding to the recent demands for new language services. 2. Compulsory cultural awareness training for staff in emergency services. 3. Targeted and culturally appropriate information provision. Here again, there are innovative models which are piloted by the NGO sector. These models can be supported and developed across the government sector. 4. Outreach work in collaboration with community leaders to disseminate information about preventive health and health promotion. 5. Recruitment of cultural navigators to help communities access timely and appropriate assistance. Such navigators or ambassadors can be retired community members who in turn will also be assisted to remain active in the community by providing such services. 24