ECCV is excited to host our special member forum on Thursday, 15 June at Box Hill Town Hall, exploring how we can go beyond symbolism and meaningfully tackle racism together.
The first part of the forum will focus on the Victorian Government’s Anti-Racism Strategy. Nathan Lambert MP, Co-Chair of the Anti-Racism Taskforce, will provide an update on the Strategy’s development and lead discussions on how it can best address the needs and challenges of our diverse migrant and refugee communities. This will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and provide feedback on the Strategy’s proposed goals.
A panel discussion and Q&A session will follow, exploring effective anti-racism responses. Moderated by Rana Ebrahimi, the panel will include Nathan Lambert MP, Anti-Racism Taskforce member and Baw Baw Shire councillor Farhat Firdous, Ubuntu Project CEO Nor Shanino and Victoria University Associate Professor Mario Peucker.
TIME: 6pm – 8pm
DATE: Thursday, 15 June 2023
VENUE: Lower Hall, Box Hill Town Hall | 1022 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is essential as spots will be limited.
Meet our speakers
Nathan Lambert MP is the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and the Member for Preston and Reservoir. He is the Co-Chair of the Victorian Anti-Racism Taskforce. Prior to entering Parliament, Nathan was a Victorian public servant. He worked on the forestry, energy and climate change portfolios. As the Member for Preston and Reservoir and the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs, Nathan is committed to engaging, supporting and celebrating our migrant and multicultural communities.
Farhat Firdous is a Councillor to the Baw Baw Shire Council’s Central Ward. She is a passionate advocate for regional planning which reflect the diversity of the regional community. During the pandemic, she led the establishment of a regional forum called Together Gippsland, a network of local service providers and stakeholders who build welcoming communities and inclusive service environments in the region. Farhat is a member of the Gippsland Regional Partnership and Anti-Racism Taskforce. She previously participated in the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Regional Advisory Committee and FECCA’s Rural & Regional Advisory Committee.
Nor Shanino is a founding member and the CEO of Ubuntu Project, which works to improve policies, programs and services for Victoria’s African communities. He has worked in the advocacy and community development sector for the past decade. He is a community and youth worker who is passionate about the development of young people in his community. Nor has lived experience of observing the difficulties faced by young people in education, employment, and issues such as over policing, access to opportunity and systemic barriers and personal obstacles. He commissioned a 2022 report on racism and discrimination experienced by African-Australian students in schools.
Rana Ebrahimi is the National Director of the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network Australia. Rana is an expert in social inclusion and humanitarian ethics. She is the first Iranian woman to be a National Head of Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran. She was recently appointed to the reference group for the Australian Government’s Multiculturalism Framework Review. Rana is the President of Equal Employment Opportunity Network, board director of Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, management committee member of Australian Iranian Society of Victoria and member of several advisory groups, including Welcoming Australia.
Mario Peucker is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities at Victoria University and an executive member of the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies. Mario has been conducting research on racism and exclusion, citizenship, and radical political movements since 2003, both in Europe and Australia. Over the past four years he and his team at Victoria University have worked closely with communities across Victoria to develop the evidence base for tailored anti-racism support measures including the recently launched Casey and Greater Dandenong Roadmap. He is currently leading a research project on racism reporting pathways and support services, in partnership with ECCV and the Islamic Council of Victoria, funded by VicHealth.