Page 3058 - Week 08 - Thursday, 7 August 2008
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While all ACT government departments have reported favourably on providing opportunities for staff to undertake cross-cultural awareness training, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a recent development which signals the importance we place on this training to assist in combating undesirable and negative behaviours which can be racist or discriminatory.
All ACT Corrective Services staff are required to undertake Indigenous and other cultural awareness training. A training regime has commenced to ensure that all custodial officers who have not received this training in the last six months attend a cultural awareness course prior to the commissioning of ACT’s first prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, the ANC, in August 2008. Additionally, an interpreter and translator for commonly used languages will be employed to interpret and translate relevant information when required in the ANC. These initiatives will help to prevent additional barriers to the successful rehabilitation of culturally and linguistically diverse prisoners into the community.
In August 2007, I hosted, facilitated and spoke at the multicultural youth forum entitled “Youth together—talking together”. And they did. The youth took the opportunity to express their views and discuss ideas that would benefit Canberra’s wider and culturally linguistically diverse youth. In addition, the forum provided an opportunity for the youth to discuss particular challenges that they face. The themes that were discussed included community attitudes to multicultural people; cultural education; making culture cool; and sport, recreation and health. The forum resulted in a number of suggested actions aimed at addressing issues related to these themes. One key strategy has been taken up by ACT Policing—to include guest speakers from the multicultural or refugee community in its induction program for new police recruits.
The report card demonstrates that the ACT government addresses issues of concern in relation to racism and unfair discrimination. If you draw together all the specific activities that provide opportunities for members of the Muslim community and members of the broader community to come together, you will see harmonious and open interactions. I am speaking of the members of the ACT Muslim Advisory Council, who have facilitated events such as a two-way media training program. This arose in response to the need to improve understanding from both points of view in relation to the influence of media across the country and how issues are reported, particularly in the current context of terrorism and issuer relating to the Muslim community. Media personnel are encouraged to consider how best to interview and report within a culturally appropriate context.
Further, the mosque opens its doors to the community and invites people in to tour the premises and mingle with the Muslim community, and vice versa. In 2008, thousands responded to the invite. There was an air of openness and mateship and, once again, a sharing of cultures, leading to further understanding between peoples.
In another sphere, the Muslim aquatic recreation program at the Kaleen Swim Centre, which began in 2007, has increased the opportunity for members of the Muslim community, particularly women, to swim in a culturally sensitive environment and experience a source of exercise and fun.
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