After September 11, each AFP Executive Team in respective regions
sought to develop strong relationships with Muslim and Arab communities. Formal and informal lines of communication continue with Islamic Councils as part of this outreach program. Specific examples follow.
The AFP Melbourne Office holds regular meetings with Muslim community leaders and representatives of the Islamic Council of Victoria.
The AFP Sydney Office has been engaged with the Sydney Muslim Community on a regular basis particularly focusing on forming new relationships with the Islamic youth. The frequency of this contact occurs weekly with formal meetings held monthly (approximately).
The AFP Adelaide Office meets with Muslim community leaders on a
quarterly basis. In August 2006 Adelaide Office initiated a cultural awareness presentation from the Muslim Women's Association. This highly successful event was attended by AFP, Customs, Australian Crime Commission (ACC), Attorney Generals Department and SA Police.
The AFP Perth Office have been engaged on a significant level with
Muslim communities since 1971 undertaking formal meetings every six months. The Manager of the Perth Office is regularly invited and attends various Muslim community events and in June 2006 led an open forum discussion attended by a wide range of organisations including councils and religious centres.
The AFP Darwin Office has reached an agreement with the recently elected Presidents of both the Darwin and Alice Springs Islamic Councils to involve them in a program of Islamic awareness seminars for AFP members.
(RLSSA) launched the Muslim Youth Aquatic Recreation Project in July
2006. The project is designed to provide Muslim community members
with the skills and qualifications required to secure employment as pool lifeguards and swimming teachers.
The project builds on the RLSSA pilot Arabic Youth Aquatic Recreation and Training Program that was conducted in Sydney’s west in 2005, which helped develop stronger links between Muslim community groups, their local aquatic facilities and the RLSSA.
Organisation, location, duration
Royal Life Saving /Australian Government Department of Immigration
African Think Tank ‐ African Community’s Initiative Workshop (VIC)
Description
Workshops to assist African refugee communities in Victoria to better
plan for the future in culturally diverse Australia, including opportunities for employment and leadership for African youth. Workshops identified challenges at the individual, family and whole‐ of‐community levels over the short, medium and long‐term and developed strategies to maximise participation of grassroots African refugee communities in Victoria.
Muslims in schools who were at risk of isolation and document what schools, systems and sectors had done to promote the message to Muslim young people, their parents and Australians generally, that Islam is compatible with, and can live alongside, other faiths and Australian values.
Organisation, location, duration
Australian Government Projects 2005‐2006
Target groups (e.g. sport, music,
interfaith, mosque based, community org, media, festivals etc)
The aims of the project were to examine issues affecting young
Muslims in schools who were at risk of potential isolation and document what schools, systems and sectors had done to promote the message to Muslim young people, their parents and Australians generally, that Islam is compatible with, and can live alongside, other faiths and Australian values.
Organisation, location, duration
Australian Government Projects 2005‐2006
Target groups (e.g. sport, music,
interfaith, mosque based, community org, media, festivals etc)
Young Muslim students 2005 Youth Encounters ‐ Hijab meets kippa as faiths say hello
2005 Youth Encounters ‐ Hijab meets Kippa as faiths say hello
Description
120 students of Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths came together,
not only to talk about religion but also to discuss common interests such as Australia's soccer success against Uruguay and Australian Idol.
Organisation, location, duration
Affinity Intercultural Foundation
Target groups (e.g. sport, music,
interfaith, mosque based,
community org, media, festivals etc)
Young Muslim and non‐Muslim students
Participants
120
Funding source
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and the Affinity Intercultural
Foundation
Achievements & Challenges
Contact Details:
Affinity Intercultural Foundation
Reference
http://www.affinity.org.au
Country
Australia
Project
'GENERATE, the Popular Culture of Middle Eastern and Asian youth’
Description
This research aims to:
‐ document the everyday life of young people from Middle Eastern and Asian communities in Western Sydney; and
‐ understand and appreciate the role of popular culture, cultural consumption and production experiences and activities in the construction of their identity.
Organisation, location, duration
University of Western Sydney
Target groups (e.g. sport, music,
interfaith, mosque based, community org, media, festivals etc)
Words, images, and sounds will form the basis of a series of events
during the life of the project, running throughout 2001 and 2002, culminating in a major exhibition. Through this process the project hopes to provide an opportunity for a wider understanding of the complexity and diversity of young migrant identities and the dynamic, positive contribution they make to Sydney's public life and Australia's culture. The geographic focus of the research is Western Sydney, and through interviews with young people from this area GENERATE will explore the experience of living in a multicultural society from the point of view of young people themselves. But the Project is not just about documentation. Young people from the communities will also be involved as researchers and in the production of popular culture that expresses their hybrid lives.
Participants
Funding source
Achievements & Challenges
Outcomes: A publication on Middle Eastern and Asian youth culture in
Western Sydney and an exhibition of different elements of youth culture produced by young people themselves.
Contact Details:
Melissa ButcherOInstitute for Cultural ResearchOUniversity of
Western SydneyOTel: 02 9685 9921OFax: 02 9685 9964OEmail:
A joint initiative by Muslim Youth Services and Brisbane City Council
has seen the development of two social networking websites for Brisbane Muslim Youth to communicate their ideas and opinions on issues that affect them.
‘Muslim Youth of Brisbane’ web pages from the Brisbane City Council's Community Portal, VisibleInk, (under construction) and the YMBriz social network site give Brisbane Muslim youth the opportunity to upload multimedia files such as digital pictures, video, audio and text; as well as different mediums for blogging space to communicate youth matters. The web pages also created a medium for the wider Brisbane community to familiarise themselves with Islam and Muslims. The social networking pages are associated with
‘ning.com’, which, unlike established networking sites, places more
emphasis on group orientated web pages as opposed to individual based content. The project provides an opportunity for Muslim youth to express themselves through a medium where they feel comfortable, and amongst peers from different ethnic backgrounds who share a Brisbane Muslim identity.O
Organisation, location, duration
Muslim Youth Services and Brisbane City Council. The net.
Target groups (e.g. sport, music,
interfaith, mosque based, community org, media, festivals etc)
Different ethnic backgrounds who share a Brisbane Muslim identity.
Participants
Numerous
Funding source
Achievements & Challenges
Contact Details:
Visit www.visible‐ink.org and click on the multicultural link to gain
access to the web pages. To get to the YMBriz site go to http://ymbriz.ning.com.
Reference
http://www.myservices.net.au/news.html
Country
Australian Youth
Program / Policy
Youth Participation and Access Program
Description
The Youth Participation and Access Program Victoria 2009‐2011
provides funding to local government and community organisations to engage with, and provide early support activities for, vulnerable
young people to participate in their community. OOThe $12.3 million YPA program funds organisations across the state to deliver
100 local support services.OWhile many young people are doing well, some have trouble getting involved in their communities because of barriers like their background, their sexual preference or because where they live is geographically isolated or socially disadvantaged.
Target groups
The YPA Priority Target Group focuses on supporting vulnerable young
people who face additional barriers to participation in their community. Specifically YPA targets young people between 12 ‐25 years of age including: culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD); with disabilities; newly arrived/refugee; Indigenous; same‐sex attracted; experiencing socio‐economic disadvantage; rurally isolated areas; and localities with rapid population growth.
