Mr Caputo has been awarded the medal as a part of Australia Day Awards for service to the Italian community in Australia, to the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and to local government.

Mr Caputo has held numerous high profile leadership positions in the community including as mayor of the City of Darebin, a commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission and is currently president of the Federazione Pugliese D'Australia as well as ECCV Chairperson.

Mr Caputo said he was looking forward to building on his 30 years of experience in multicultural advocacy.

 “I am honoured to receive this prestigious recognition,” Mr Caputo said.

“I will use this award to continue improving the lives and outcomes for multicultural Australians.”

ECCV Director Ross Barnett is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on 0410 534 457.

Mr Barnett’s comments respond to respected neurosurgeon Dr Charles Teo’s Australia Day Council celebration remarks that racism is “very much alive in Australia.”

“Mr Teo is describing personal racism which still occurs against Australians as they go about their everyday lives,” Mr Barnett says.

“There’s no point making excuses for racist remarks as ignorance, we should name them for what they are.”

Mr Barnett says Mr Teo’s comments show racism can affect Australians at all levels of society.

“Governments cannot pretend that personal racist attacks don’t occur or down play them,” Mr Barnett says.

“We need to transform this harmful cultural attitude that racist comments are made in a light-hearted way or with no real consequences.”  

Mr Barnett says, however, that institutionalized racism is being tackled well by the Australian Government.

 “The recent launch of the Australian Human Rights Commission Anti-Racism Partnership Strategy is a real sign the Federal Government is serious about institutionalised racism,” Mr Barnett says.

“The People of Australia Ambassadors, launched this week, also show our society has many leaders working to eliminate cases of personal racism.

“We look to the Federal Government to engage the community in a public awareness campaign about the harmful effects of racism.

 “It will take time for all the community to learn that it has no place in multicultural Australia.”

Mr Barnett adds the overwhelming majority of Australians live and work together in harmony.

Mr Barnett is available for comment and interview. Please call Sarah Hunt on 0410 534 457 / (03) 9349 4122.

What fostered your initial passion for robotics?

I went to an outreach program when I was ten in Cairns and we had to do some soldering of a cricket. That was my first experience where I got to make something with electronics and I really liked it.

What kind of challenges do you think women from diverse backgrounds face in accessing engineering?

I don’t think [ethnicity] makes much of a difference in Australia. I haven’t experienced discrimination based on my ethnicity and ethnic communities study hard so we can get into any course we want.

For women, I think there are perceptions of engineering that it involves maths, hard hats and that it’s boring. They don’t see the bigger pictures that engineers work together in teams and they solve problems that benefit everyone in society. That isn’t conveyed to girls when they’re younger.

How does your cultural background give you an advantage in your career pathway?

My family’s background has played a role in where I am. When my mother came here she carried with her a lot of qualities of Chinese parents overseas. She believed in diversity of skills, such as extra-curricular activities at young age, hard work and academia. My mum encouraged me to follow my dreams.

You speak Cantonese, Japanese and you are studying Mandarin. How does multilingualism provide you with a professional competitive advantage?

I think it's made me able to interact with people of different cultures a lot more easily and to be a lot more accepting of differences. I see the study of language as a portal to broadening my mind about other cultures, gaining understanding and new ways of thinking.

You’ve now expanded Robogals across Australian and overseas to 17 different chapters. How important is it for you to have an international perspective for your foundation?

I think the lack of females in engineering is a very western problem; in India and China they have enough female engineers. All these perceptions about [women’s] capabilities are just a myth.

The international perspective is important from a community point of view. So rather than being one chapter, it means we have fixed chapters all over Australia working on the same problem. It makes it exciting to know that people in the UK and the USA are experiencing the same thing - it makes the world a smaller place and that people overseas are exactly the same.

You’ve spoken about how robotics can offer the answers to mundane tasks. Does technology solve problems, or do you think creates new levels of complexity in life?

I think technology creates more simplicity. In the past 50 years our life expectancy has increased and most of that is because of engineering. That includes changes to the way we process sewage, transport innovations and our standards of food. In that sense, technology is incredible because there’s a lot more shared knowledge, resources and understanding between people.

What is your vision and strategy for Robogals?

We are currently entirely student run and voluntary. We want to employ a full-time staff member. In the next 3-5 years, we want to teach 100,000 girls around the world and have 100 chapters which would be able to achieve with staff.

You can find out more about Robogals at www.robogals.org.

Newly elected Chairperson Joe Caputo said the decision allowed due process to be extended to all asylum seekers.

“It is a significant improvement that all asylum seekers, regardless of arrival method, will be released into the community and have access to the Refugee Review Tribunal,” Mr Caputo said.

“These changes are long overdue and I am pleased the Government has been listening to the community’s demands.”

Mr Caputo said the Government’s two stream processing system had been ineffective and inequitable.

“Long periods of mandatory detention do not deter arrivals or assist in determining who is a ‘genuine’ applicant,” he said. 

“Australia has a responsibility to uphold its commitment to the UN Refugee Convention by applying the rule of law to these applicants.”

Mr Caputo said the impacts of mandatory detention had been high on migrant communities.

“Many asylum seekers need additional mental health support from their community after they are released from detention,” he said.

“ECCV believes asylum seekers can contribute to the community if they are released as soon as initial checks are made by immigration staff.”

He added many former asylum seekers have become leaders in the Australian community.

“ We must encourage a compassionate response to those escaping difficult situations in their homelands,” Mr Caputo said.

“This policy change is in line with our vision of an accepting and empathetic Australian society.”

Chairperson Joe Caputo is available for comment and interview. Contact Sarah Hunt on (03) 9349 4122.

Illegal migrants are a small minority of individuals residing in Australia, who mostly arrive on temporary visas and overstay these visas. ECCV does not condone or encourage illegal migration to Australia.

Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria represents and advocates for migrants who reside in Australia on a legal basis. This includes refugees and international students.

The majority of media attention focuses on asylum seekers who arrive by boat. Applying for asylum in Australia is not illegal and should not be confused with illegal migration.

ECCV Chairperson Mr Sam Afra is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on 0410 534 457.

State Government cuts to VCAL funding will hit refugee and migrant background students hardest the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria reveals today.

ECCV Deputy Chairperson Eddie Micallef said many students from refugee and migrant backgrounds took VCAL education because it gave them additional language and workplace support.

“These students face additional challenges such as English language barriers, disrupted formal education and cultural barriers entering the workplace,” Mr Micallef said.

“They rely on a personal relationship with their VCAL teachers for the extra assistance they need to complete their formal studies.”

Many migrant and refugee background students were concentrated in lower socio-economic areas where schools could least afford to lose vital education funding. 

“Schools with high numbers of these vulnerable students will have to reduce their VCAL programs as a result of these cutbacks,” Mr Micallef said.

He added he was surprised the government has taken such a short-sighted approach to education funding. 

“We already face dire shortages of skilled labour so we must keep on providing students with as many workforce pathways as possible,” Mr Micallef said.

“Over 40 per cent of Victoria’s population come from migrant backgrounds and they need to be supported as much as possible to continue their studies.”

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria represents over 100,000 ethnic community members from sixty different ethnicities across Victoria.

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Eddie Micallef is available for comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on 0410 534 457/ (03) 9349 4122.

Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) is alarmed by 2011 Scanlon Foundation Survey findings which reveal widespread community misunderstanding on asylum seeker and migrant issues.

The survey, released today, showed under a quarter of Australians accurately knew how many asylum seekers arrived by boat each year.

 “The community’s perceptions of asylum seekers and migrants are being influenced by emotional arguments rather than fact,” ECCV Chairperson Mr Sam Afra said. 

“The major political parties must take more responsibility for using alarmist language and selective statistics when talking about immigration and cultural diversity issues.”

ECCV welcomed the findings that 64 per cent of Australians believed immigration made the country stronger and an even higher 73 per cent of Australians felt positively towards refugees. 

Mr Afra said these figures showed a discrepancy between current political debates and Australian’s overall belief in cultural diversity.

“The survey tells us Australians generally see immigration as an opportunity - not a threat - but are being influenced by political games,” Mr Afra said.

Mr Afra added ECCV was leading the way to rebuild trust and respect for Australia’s diverse community.

“ Our work with Victoria’s community regularly shows the many benefits of a culturally diverse society ,” Mr Afra said.

“We must work together to ensure positive values of community harmony, respect and tolerance are reinforced and not eroded.”

ECCV commended Monash University and Scanlon Foundation for their continued support of social inclusion research.  

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Mr Afra is available for interviews and comment. Contact Sarah Hunt on (03) 9349 4122.  

The 2011 ‘Mapping Social Cohesion’ Scanlon Foundation Survey is released by Monash University in Partnership with Scanlon Foundation and Australian Multicultural Foundation.

Multilingual community education needed to solve dementia health care crisis  

16 September 2011

Dementia health care has reached a crisis point for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) seniors who aren’t accessing the services they need.

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) will release its research report, Meant to Care about Culturally Relevant Dementia Care: Empowering, Informing, Resourcing today during Dementia Awareness Week, to raise awareness for multilingual dementia support services.

ECCV Chairperson Sam Afra said the ageing CALD population, in particular, was growing four times faster than the general population.

“CALD seniors have a poor understanding of the risk factors and symptoms of dementia,” Mr Afra said.

The Meant to Care report finds that non-English speaking seniors often don’t access services because of poor English, lack of knowledge and cultural beliefs.

“There is a flow on effect because when CALD seniors access health care services late they present with more severe symptoms,” Mr Afra said.

The Meant to Care report will be presented to Hon Nick Wakeling MP in partnership with Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria at the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) Seminar on Cultural Diversity and Ageing.

“We urge the State Government to resource multilingual community education about dementia care,” Mr Afra said.

“It is important we have initiatives and strategies in place now so we can empower CALD communities to deal with this health care issue in the future.”

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The Meant To Care Report will be launched at the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) Seminar on Cultural Diversity and Ageing, 16 September 2011, Russell Kennedy, Level 12, 469 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, 12:10pm.

Mr Sam Afra is available for comment. Please contact Sarah Hunt on (03) 9349 4122 / 0410 534 457 for an interview or for copies of the Meant to Care report.

I write in response to your article, Refugee pleads guilty to rampage at Docklands and Southbank (27.7.11) detailing John Gatwech-Chouil’s conviction for intentionally causing serious injury.

This article highlights Mr Gatwech-Chouil’s ethnic heritage and refugee background as facts relevant to the central story. The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) advocates for fair representation of multicultural communities in the media. This type of reporting reinforces negative stereotypes by implying Mr Gatwech-Chouil’s ethnicity and refugee status are related to the crime he has committed. By doing so, the article links an ethnic community with the actions of one individual within that community, creating an implicit association between crime and ethnicity.

More generally, ECCV notes Australians of refugee background are regularly described as ‘Australian’ in stories of achievement and success, but reported as ‘refugees’ in stories of crime or negative contexts. The majority of refugees that arrive in Australia make excellent contributions to our society. Our consultations suggest these members of our community wish to be accepted as Australians. Needlessly referring to a person’s ethnic heritage or migration background does not help build an accepting society and we call for more balanced reporting on this issue.

Thank you,

Mr Sam Afra JP, Chairperson Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria

The Ethnic Communities‟ Council of Victoria (ECCV) condemned the 'Ban the Burqa Day' Facebook group today as an example of religious intolerance disguised as security concern.

ECCV Chairperson Mr Sam Afra said the burqa was worn by a small number of Victorian women who complied with Victoria Police identification requirements.

"Victoria Police have said they face no significant issues when dealing with women wearing Islamic dress," Mr Afra said.

Mr Afra said he did not believe the 'Ban the Burqa Day' was addressing a security or privacy issue.

"The day represents the misinformed views of a small number of Victorians about expressions of religious difference," Mr Afra said.

He added the Victorian Charter of Human Rights provides Victorians with the right to demonstrate their religion or belief in worship both in public or privately.

"Muslim women of Victoria are a vulnerable group due to their high visibility in the community and because of this kind of targeted discrimination," Mr Afra said.

"We support Muslim women's right to choose to wear the burqa as a display of religious faith."

Mr Afra added it was a community responsibility to educate individuals about the importance of religious and cultural tolerance.

"We urge the government to promote education programs with facilitate better understanding and cross-cultural engagement on this issue," he said.

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria represents 65,000 members of the Victoria community from multicultural backgrounds.

ECCV Chairperson Mr Sam Afra is available for comment today. For further enquires contact Sarah Hunt (03) 9349 4122.

“While we do not support the ‘right’ of veiled Muslim women to refuse a lawful request from Police or other authorised public official to identify themselves, there needs to be a more compelling reason than just one incident in NSW to give Victorian Police more powers than they already have”, Mr Afra said

 “In Victoria we have a different approach to Policing in our multicultural society” he said. “Victoria Police themselves have said they face no significant issues when dealing with women wearing Islamic dress.”

 He supported the approach taken by Victoria Police who work to maintain positive relations with all communities in Victoria limiting the potential for them to be isolated.

 “They understand there is no need to be deliberately provocative, they’re trained to work with people from a wide range of diverse backgrounds and can deal with cultural and religious differences in dress without confrontation”, Mr Afra said

 “In Victoria’s very successful Multicultural society we should not be spooked by minor issues that arise in other jurisdictions”, he said. “We need to acknowledge and respect religious and cultural diversities in all aspects of our public life including in the way our Police go about their duties.

 Mr Afra expressed confidence the Victorian government would take stock and not act before giving the matter careful consideration.

“As a section of the community too often victimised by biased and prejudicial attitudes and behaviour, there is obvious concern that some of the changes being mooted to the Equal Opportunity Act would effectively sanction discriminatory conduct, especially in the area of recruitment and education,” Mr Afra said.

A second attempt to pass proposed amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act is being sought by the Baillieu Government after a first attempt failed to garner the necessary votes.

The proposed amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act are intended to allow organisations such as clubs the right to automatically discount an otherwise suitable candidate for membership or employment based on their political and religious beliefs.

Mr Afra said “it sets an uncomfortable precedent for state laws to seemingly condone systematic exclusion rather than inclusion.”

“All organisations – whatever their status, structure or purpose – should be encouraged to broaden their minds and open their doors to the possibilities of a more diverse workforce and clientele rather than seek new ways to put up barriers,” Mr Afra added.

Mr Afra said that while there were instances when a particular job might reasonably be considered gender-specific, he noted that “such cases had to be fully scrutinised and well-argued and could not simply rely on a snap-of-the-finger catch-all out-clause.”

Mr Afra also questioned how the proposed changes to the Equal Opportunity Act would reconcile with the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.

“It seems to me that any organisation that automatically eliminates the possibility of hiring an individual based on their religious beliefs is in direct breach of that individual’s right to practice their religion of choice,” Mr Afra observed.

“Clearly there needs to be far greater effort made to clarify the impact of the proposed changes to the Equal Opportunity Act and ensure it does not become an instrument for pursuing outcomes opposite to its original intent.”

For media enquiries, please contact 0421 124 112 or 0417 489 226.

“With an extra 16,300 places added under the Migration program and an increase of 4,000 Humanitarian Entrants over the next four years under the proposed agreement with Malaysia, we cannot afford to fall behind with appropriate social support and infrastructure development,” Mr Afra said.

Mr Afra called the $4.8 million earmarked over four years to implement initiatives that encourage migration to regional Australia a worthwhile investment, but added that “close dialogue between the Federal and state governments is essential if we are to get the very best outcomes from this investment.”

“A lot of support networks and service providers in regional centres are already overstretched and require an urgent injection of funding, resources and personnel to meet demand.” 

Mr Afra said the establishment of a dedicated regional health and aged care unit within the Department of Health and Ageing was a good start and hoped that issues affecting communities from non-English and newly-arrived backgrounds would feature prominently.

Mr Afra also praised the $20 million set aside over four years to provide additional training places for workers with low language, literacy and numeracy skills, and the $600,000 to the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).

“Along with the continuation of the Community Settlement Services and Diversity and Social Cohesion programs, these programs have the capacity to make a real difference to people’s lives at the grassroots level.”

Like others in the community sector, Mr Afra expressed concerns about how new income support changes might adversely impact upon migrants and refugees at the lower end of socio-economic spectrum.

“Without the exercising of due caution, the tightening of eligibility requirements for welfare recipients can easily result in further destabilisation and marginalisation of already vulnerable members of the community,” Mr Afra warned.

Places under 2011‑12 Migration Program

For further information, please contact 0421 124 112 or 0417 489 226.

“Overall, ethnic Victorians were seeking two key outcomes from this budget,” Mr Afra said, “direct action to curb spiraling inequities in the cost of living and access to basic services, and the allocation of targeted resources to help vulnerable Victorians become more socially mobile and financially self-sufficient.”

“In both areas, a number of worthwhile initiatives have been outlined, although the true test will of course come with the implementation.”

Mr Afra said he was particularly pleased to see $2 million earmarked over four years to help people with limited English language skills to access essential health, legal, education and employment services.

Mr Afra also described to the $2.4 million set aside over four years to establish a migrant settlement co-ordination unit as a valuable investment in community strengthening and capacity building.

“We already know which pockets of the community are feeling isolated, excluded and disengaged from the rest of society.  The signs of entrenched disadvantage, hardship, and social isolation are nothing new.”

“Migrants and refugees with low-incomes will certainly benefit from concessions for rising utility, energy and sewerage costs.”

Mr Afra also welcomed news of a 4.9% increase to aged and home care funding and $70.2 million in support for rural health services through the Department of Health, stressing that the unique needs of ethnic Victorians must not be forgotten.

Mr Afra also praised the allocation of $150,000 over three years for a leadership program for African communities and the investment of $400,000 to establish a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Job Bank Registry

“Ethnic Victorians have always been among the most energetic and successful entrepreneurs and small business owners once they are given the opportunity and appropriate support,” Mr Afra said.  “So we have been hoping the Baillieu government would include specific measures in its first budget to help stimulate and nurture those endeavours.”

Mr Afra said he looked forward to working closely with the Baillieu government to help enact their policies at the grassroots level.

“Wanting all members of our society to lead independent and productive lives means we all have a part to play in enabling those ambitions to become a reality,” Mr Afra said.  “We need to be pre-emptive, consultative, co-operative and responsive.”

For media inquiries, please contact 0421 124 112 or 0417 489 226.

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Key 2011-2012 state budget announcements for Victoria’s migrant and multicultural communities include :

Industry, employment and vocational training

• $8.8 million over four years to refocus Victoria’s skilled and business migration program
• $400,000 to establish a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Job Bank Registry
• $400,000 over four years for the establishment of the Victorian Diversity Employment Awards.
• $400,000 over four years for Multicultural Volunteer awards
• $480,000 over four years for the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll

Multicultural Arts and Multilingual Education

•  $4.4 million over four years to establish an annual calendar of major multicultural events throughout regional and metropolitan Victoria
• $480,000 in funding over four years to Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) to continue to promote culturally diverse art and artists 
• An additional $775,000 in funding for the International Student Care Services (ISCS)
• An additional $16.3 million over four years in Community Language Schools to help teach languages other than English (LOTE)

 New and emerging Communities

•  $150,000 over three years for a leadership program for African communities 
• $650,000 in capital funding to build and maintain South Asian community facilities
• $800,000 over four years for free seminars for newly-arrived migrants and refugees on citizen’s rights and responsibilities

Multicultural Youth and Recreation

• $1.8 million over four years for the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) to establish two regional offices for young people from CALD backgrounds
• $ 5 million over four years for Scouts Victoria and Guides Victoria to help engage young people from CALD backgrounds
• Establishment of a Recreational Fishing Multicultural Liaison Team