Purpose: Welcoming Refugees through Refugee Week
Stimulus/Rationale:
“Refugee week” is Australia’s peak annual activity to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. The 2020 theme was celebrating the year of welcome. By contributing, Maribyrnong aimed to amplify work already undertaken for the year of welcome with a shift to how people could celebrate within their own homes and communities as a result of Covid-19.
Process:
Maribyrnong’s contributions included:
Feeling Welcome videos
Maribyrnong’s Inclusion, Communications, and Community Development team worked with community members to produce a series of three videos to mark the beginning of Refugee week by sharing stories of local community members, and what feeling 'welcome' meant to them.
World Refugee Day
International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. Through the intercultural Cities network the City Council contributed to a campaign to show that “Everyone can make a difference, Every action counts”.
Refugee and Asylum Seeker Statement
The City of Maribyrnong has seen multiple waves of migration and according to the 2016 Census has recently seen a high number of new arrivals since 2006. The City Council has welcomed many new residents predominantly from India, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Nepal.
The City Council does not provide settlement services but has a key role in ensuring that our service offerings such as sport and recreation, libraries, youth services and family services are inclusive of people who have arrived on humanitarian visas, people seeking asylum, those from refugee backgrounds who arrive on other visa types, and individuals who have migrated to Australia.
The City of Maribyrnong officially became a Refugee Welcome Zone when the City Council made a commitment to welcome refugees into the community, uphold their human rights, demonstrate compassion, and enhance cultural and religious diversity in the community. The city has committed to ensure Maribyrnong is a place where all people feel welcome.
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