If you’re a student and new to Melbourne, we encourage you to go along to the Lord Mayor’s Student Welcome for a free and fun-filled afternoon. This award-winning event, produced by young people for young people, will give you an opportunity to meet other students, view live crocodile feeding and enjoy cultural arts and dance performances from around the world.  They will also have Melbourne Victory footballers and Bombers player(s) coming to the event to sign autographs, so both local and international students may want to take up this golden opportunity. The Lord Mayor’s Student Welcome is all about celebrating the fantastic contribution that multiculturalism adds to this city, through overseas-born Melburnians and the presence of international students. (Nearly 24,000 international students live and study in Melbourne’s central city.)

As well as a variety of entertainment, the event will feature an official welcome to Melbourne by the Lord Mayor Robert Doyle. Students can also learn about support services available during their stay. Information booths will be run by the Australian Federation of International Students, Victoria Police, Melbourne Fire Brigade, Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the City of Melbourne. The event is on Saturday 13 March at Federation Square, from 1pm until 4pm. For more information about the event and other activities for young people in the city visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/internationalstudents.Click here for more information

1. Ensure that the participants are able to effectively respond to the media; articulate the interests and positions of their communities; and/or provide information to the public through the media;

2. Enable participants to strategically employ the media as a vehicle to engage and build connections with the wider Australian community;

3. Provide training and education to participants with regard to legal/risk considerations and legislative frameworks (such as the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act) when providing public commentary;

4. Encourage dialogue and develop relationships between participants and facilitate ongoing linkages between Victoria’s new and emerging communities into the future; and

5. Facilitate ongoing linkages and greater understanding between Victoria’s new and emerging communities, media representatives, and the wider Australian community.

Two separate training sessions will be provided for a total of 32 participants. The trainings will likely be held in April and May.

Please find attached a nomination form. You'll note that the VMC have placed special emphasis on "up-and-coming" leaders. They are eager to hear who you think should be involved in the training. Please return completed nomination forms to Tucker.Rader@vmc.vic.gov.au by Friday, 26 March 2010. Please note that while this is an open nomination process, the VMC will make all final selections.

Powers of attorney are legal documents that help people plan for future financial, health and lifestyle needs. They allow a person to choose someone to make decisions on his or her behalf. They are a useful way to plan for future care if a person becomes unable to make decisions for him or herself.

The Parliament of Victoria has asked the Committee to consider how power of attorney laws can be streamlined and simplified. The Committee’s terms of reference for the inquiry can be viewed by clicking here.

The Committee would like to know more about the use of power of attorney documents in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. In particular, the Committee is interested in hearing about:

• the level of awareness and use of powers of attorney
• barriers to greater use of powers of attorney
• suggestions to increase awareness and use of powers of attorney
• any personal experiences of abuse of powers of attorney
• other arrangements which are used instead of powers of attorney and how effective these arrangements are.

The Committee will use the evidence from this forum to help produce a report with recommendations for changing the power of attorney laws to help you and others. The Committee will complete its report by 31 August 2010.

The forum will be held on Tuesday 30 March 2010 between 2.30pm and 4:30pm in the Legislative Council Committee Room at Parliament House, Spring Street, East Melbourne (Melway reference 2F J2). Afternoon tea will be provided after the forum.

If you would like to contribute to this forum, please contact Dr Irene Bouzo at the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria on 9349 4122 or eccv@eccv.org.au by 22 March 2010 to express your interest in attending.

Our training provides many benefits to employers and service providers including:

• harmonious and innovative workplaces
• improved organisational processes
• social responsibility
• improved outcomes for your clients and service users
• compliance with legal requirements and avoidance of liability.

To view the 2010 Commission workshop calendar online go to:
2010 Training workshops for employers and service providers

If you would like to receive one or more hard copies of the calendar click on the link below and provide your address details and the number of copies required.
Email link to receive hard copy of calendar

The Multicultural Aged Care Services Directory is now available.

To place an order for the directory please fill in an application form

Family violence and violence against women must stop. In culturally and linguistically diverse communities levels of awareness about family violence services is low so the ECCV is hosted this forum to identify and develop recommendations for culturally appropriate strategies that will help reduce domestic violence. The forum focused on the development of preventative strategies and aimed to draw out suitable approaches for effectively addressing current issues impacting CALD communities.

For example:

• Creating inclusive community education methodologies and pathways
• Developing culturally and linguistically relevant ideas for men’s behaviour change programs

It is expected that the forum outcomes will contribute to domestic violence work currently being undertaken at both state and Commonwealth levels.

Opened by
The Hon Rob Hulls MP
Attorney-General

Download Brochure (81KB)

To be held in Shepparton, enjoy the fresh produce as well as the stimulating and informative panel session and plenary topics including: Human Rights for Ethnic and Religious Minorities, Multicultural Youth: Identity and Access, Regional Settlement, Interfaith, Social Inclusion for New and Emerging Communities, and Economic Participation and Skills.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Laurie Ferguson, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services
• Senator Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector
• Dr Sharman Stone, MP, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
• Dr Tanveer Ahmed, Psychiatrist and Writer
• Clare Martin, CEO, ACOSS
• Shaun Brown, Managing Director, SBS     

Date: October 29-30

Venue: Eastbank Centre, Shepparton, Victoria

Book now to take advantage of early bird rates.

Early bird conference registration costs range from $100 to $400 depending on the package.

For further information and to register on line visit www.fecca.org.au or call 02 6282 5755.