WestSeed: Meet the organisations taking refugee unity to the next level
Refugee Week elevates our understanding of refugees and refugee issues and celebrates their many contributions to Australian communities.
In Australia, Refugee Week is taking place this year from June 20 to June 26 and follows World Refugee Day.
The key aims of Refugee Week are:
To celebrate the ways in which people from refugee backgrounds enrich our communities and culture.
• To educate the public about who refugees are and why they have come to Australia, and to understand the many challenges they face in doing so.
• To foster empathy and understanding and in doing so, encourage a safe and welcoming environment for people seeking safety in Australia.
• To enable communities and individuals to take positive action and stand in solidarity with people seeking asylum and displaced people in Australia and around the world.
This year's Refugee Week theme is UNITY. We are encouraged to bring together ideas and actions to build more cohesive and unified communities.
“Volunteers play an essential role in this, providing a very special connection with refugees that goes beyond the kind of support that can be provided by paid employees.”
In Victoria, around 4000 refugees are settled through Australia’s Humanitarian Program and another 10,000 people who arrived as asylum seekers live in the Victorian community on bridging visas while they wait for the determination of their refugee status.
The Refugee Council identifies a range of factors in successful settlement of refugees, including income support, housing, employment and education, and other less tangible factors including sense of safety, security, dignity and control. A key to successful settlement is developing links between refugees and the host community. Volunteers play a vital role in supporting organisations that help refugees meet their basic needs and promote their settlement.
We also acknowledge the significant role volunteering has in promoting social cohesion and active participation. We support organisations to develop volunteering roles that are inclusive of people with diverse skillsets and backgrounds.
We are proud to work with the following organisations who support people and families from refugee backgrounds:
Oromo Refugee Service Association
Oromo refugee services Association (ORSA) is a not-for profit organisation and it has established with the main objective of supporting Oromo refugees in any field of resettlement process that they are able to help in their jurisdiction.
Phone: 0412563474
Email: oromoaus@gmail.com
Edmund Rice Community and Refugee Services
Edmund Rice Community and Refugee Services provides free learning support and a range of social services contributing to the lives of young people experiencing disadvantage because of their refugee and migrant background. This includes a homework club, tutoring programs and mentoring.
Phone: 9366 6436
Email: refugees.vic@edmundrice.org
The Migrant Hub Inc - WynTREE Nursery Co-operative
WynTREE is a social enterprise and tree farm that will create employment opportunities to grow trees and plants to supply local councils, VicRoads and landscaping and housing businesses. It also aims to promotes active citizenship and social cohesion by providing opportunities for asylum seekers and migrants to participate in local community activities.
Phone: 0422452019
Email: wv@tpg.com.au
Werribee Community Garden Project
Communal Gardens provide a great opportunity to grow fresh fruit and vegetables at a low cost, to provide a forum for discussions on good sustainability practices, and to meet and socialise with other members of their wonderful garden community. Their VISION is that people in the West will live sustainably and be immersed in multicultural experiences. The committee meet once every two months and organise working bees and BBQs once a month.
Phone: 0409 252 872
Email: info@wecpark.com
The organisations listed above are part of WestSeed 1.0.
See all the WestSeed blogs to get inspired by the wonderful organisations in Melbourne’s west.