It is that time of year again. The fourth Australian Migration and Settlement Awards, hosted by the Migration Council Australia (MCA), will recognise the contribution of organisations and individuals in supporting migrants settle in Australia.

Twenty-two individuals and organisations have been selected as finalists in 2017. MCA Chief Executive Officer Carla Wilshire said the finalists demonstrate how welcome and support can bring out the best of migrants living in Australia.

“Diversity is a virtue for multicultural Australia. Individuals and organisations like these selected as finalists in the Australian and Migration Settlement Awards show how important the value of support is to newly arrived migrants. Social cohesion doesn’t just appear, it is created by many within our community,” Ms Wilshire said.

The nominees’ efforts in assisting new migrants and refugees will be recognised and the winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner, held in the Great Hall of Parliament House on 22 March. An independent judging panel undertook the selection of finalists and award winners and comprised Dr Hass Dellal, Ms Padmini Sebastian, Mr Mike Smith and Mr Andrew O’Keefe.

The awards include eight categories:

• Settlement Innovation Award
• Case Worker of the Year Award
• Diversity and the Law Award
• Journalism Excellence Award
• Business Inclusion Award
• Sports Leadership Award
• Empowering Women Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award

The Migration Council Australia would like to thank all of the individuals who took the time and effort to nominate themselves, colleagues, organisations or friends.

A full list of finalists is available in the appendix below.

Contact MCA Media: 02 6162 0361 or MCA CEO Carla Wilshire: 0409 363 888

Appendix:

Settlement Innovation Award recognises an organisation or initiative that has demonstrated the most innovate methods in support of new refugees, migrants or the local community.

Finalists:

• Settlement Services International for their continual innovation in the settlement sector with programs such as the Ignite small business initiative, working to promote small business creation start-ups and social enterprises and – SSI has helped 2000 people into work in the past twelve months.

• Parks Victoria and AMES Australia for Parks Victoria has partnered with AMES to provide a community suffering from homesickness, isolation and displacement from their traditional agricultural practices with a place to call their own. Helping more than 500 refugees, Parks Victoria and AMES Australia have created a new model for environmental sustainability and renewal, and a place for meeting and healing.

• Centre for Multicultural Youth for their ‘Shout Out’ public speaking program for to refugee youth. Providing them with the confidence and ability to reinterpret themselves, to form new identities as young leaders and as agents of change and to help transform their stories from ones of hardship into journeys of courage and resilience.

Case Worker of the Year Award recognises individuals who have performed beyond expectations in the settlement of newly arrived refugees or migrants.

Finalists:

• Adam Bujairami, Settlement Services International for his tireless dedication to ensuring that newly arrived refugees are able to settle and integrate into Australian life.

• Clare Pritchard from Kindred Kindness, for her devotion to building a kind and compassionate Australia engaging with refugees and asylum seekers to support them with a model of friendship and community in the Dandenong ranges.

• Sophal Su from Access Community Services for his lifetime of work helping the most disadvantaged and complicated cases of refugees arriving in Australia in the Logan region.

Business Inclusion Award recognises a business that has successfully delivered a community-orientated program aimed at improving the inclusion of migrants within the Australian workforce.

Finalists:

• ANZ for their ‘Given The Chance’ program which assists in building bridges between migrant jobseekers and the mainstream workforce. ANZ have designed an innovative and adaptable work placement employment program with support from the community sector.

• Allianz for their refugee employment program, partnering with SSI to create an innovative new cadet program aimed at ensuring their talent pool draws from Sydney’s newest arrivals with a focus on young refugees.

• AES building and Maintenance Solutions, a company like no other, created with the express purpose of helping newly arrived refugees find their feet in the world of Australian construction. Working alongside Access services, AES adopts a continuous case management model with its employees, helping to break down non-vocational barriers to long-term employment.

Sports Leadership Award recognises an Australian sports code, organisation or individual that has developed programs or strategies to include new migrants and people from diverse backgrounds.

Finalists:

• Life Saving Victoria for their “Multicultural Water Safety and Settlement Program” which has helped develop water safety awareness amongst ethnically diverse communities in Victoria and helped over 13,000 migrants from 260 multicultural organisations familiarise themselves with safe water practices.
• Netball Australia, Netball NSW and the Muslim Women’s Association for their “Saturday Afternoon Youth InTensive (SAY-IT) Netball Program”. In just one school temr SAY-IT has worked with 20 Muslim girls from Sydney’s southwest region to coach them and promote cross cultural social activities in sporting communities.
• Abdul Razzaq for his leadership in the “All Nations Social Cricket Program”. Abdul has worked tirelessly to develop the All Nations Social Cricket Program and the Victorian Seeker Cup, giving over 200 young refugee men a chance to play and socialise through sport.

Journalism Excellence Award recognises excellence in reporting on issues relating to Australian migration.

Finalists:

• Madeleine King, Saber Baluch and Elise Potaka from SBS for their story on Kbora Ali, an Afghan Refugee and Australian Soldier, entitled “First of her kind: Afghan refugee, Australian solider”.
• Belinda Mason for Constance on the Edge, A documentary film about the captivating story of courage and resilience of Constance, a Sudanese refugee and her children who have struggled through Kakuma refugee camp and now bravely struggling to integrate into Australian society.
• Klaus Neumann for his series in Inside Story. Professor Klaus Neumann has made a substantial contribution to the public debate surrounding the European migration crisis and the Australian role within the international order.

Diversity and the Law Award recognises an organisation or individual who has worked to raise awareness of our social and justice systems among new migrants and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Finalists:

• InTouch, Multicultural Centre against Family Violence for their Health Justice Partnership Model, training over 600 health practitioners in family violence and referral knowledge.
• Refugee Legal for their work responding to the global refugee crisis with a dedicated team providing legal advice for free to people seeking asylum and disadvantaged migrants.
• Senior Segeant Peta Jordan for her work with the :Open Doors. Act Now. Break the Cycle” to break the cycle of family violence in culturally and linguistically diverse individuals in the Logan area.

Empowering Women Award recognises an organisation, individual or initiative that has empowered migrant women through a focus on safety, participation, or leadership.

Finalists:

• Gail Ker for her life’s work advocating for the needs of migrant and refugee women in Queensland, pioneering cutting edge programs such as, trades training for refugee women, all female social enterprises like the spice exchange, and her focus on support for family violence victims.
• Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing for their “Thriving Women” program, which has worked tirelewss to empowering refugee women who are socially isolated and experiencing mental health issues through the promotion of cross-cultural friendships, networks, and mentoring.
• TAFE South Australia for their “Women’s Leadership Program” which has been specifically designed for migrant women. Through a purpose built program, TAFE SA has helped migrant women realise that their values, skills and experiences stem from their own cultural backgrounds are strengths.

Lifetime Achievement Award honours an eminent person who has made a sustained and invaluable contribution at the national level to the understanding of migration or to bettering the lives of new migrants.

The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced at the awards ceremony.