Page 1009 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 March 2019
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doubt identify areas for improvement. I hope it will result in actionable reforms so that we can continue to achieve our aspirations as an inclusive city.
The recent success of the 2018 multicultural summit and the National Multicultural Festival demonstrates the ACT government’s commitment to promoting activities and initiatives that nurture the connection between migrant communities and our own and is one of the first steps in starting the benchmarking process by satisfying the standard of leadership.
The standards that are already being met by the ACT government are numerous. A few worth noting include the ACT multicultural framework 2015-20, which has been guiding our vision for an inclusive and cohesive Canberra. It demonstrates our capacity to meet standard 2 of social and cultural inclusion, drawing on diversity to enhance social, economic and civic participation. The framework’s principal objectives are accessible and responsive services, citizenship, participation and cohesion and capitalising on the benefits of cultural diversity.
The work experience and support program has been running for over 20 years and supports the network’s economic development standard by helping to address the barriers some members of our migrant and multicultural communities face when seeking employment. The program assists ACT residents who have recently moved to the city to gain office skills and training and work experience as well as the confidence to enter the workforce and gain meaningful paid employment. Many participants have gone on to find employment within the ACT public service, bringing their unique experience and perspectives to our workplaces.
Tomorrow night the ACT government is hosting a forum in partnership with the ACT South Sudanese community on the importance of belonging. The Welcoming Cities network actively encourages all residents to participate in civic life. I am pleased this forum will be the first in a series of forums to highlight the contributions of our local communities and promote our understanding of the unique cultures represented in Canberra. Furthermore, it will also meet standard 5 of the Welcoming Cities network that encourages civic participation and civic leadership that reflects the diversity of our community.
There has been enormous interest in the forum, which will feature Mr Aleem Ali as a guest speaker, along with Mr Deng Adut, who is known to many as a former refugee and is now a successful criminal lawyer who has made an enormous contribution here in Australia and particularly in New South Wales.
I am confident that joining the Welcoming Cities network will have a positive impact on the ACT community by strengthening the economic and social participation of all people who have made Canberra their home. By joining a network of like-minded cities we can learn from one another, share best practice approaches and models and ensure Canberra remains the most inclusive city in Australia.
I look forward to sharing with the Assembly in the near future the second action plan under the multicultural framework, which is being developed in collaboration with the ACT multicultural community. The action plan will communicate the outcomes we
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