What is Social Inclusion Week?
Social Inclusion Week is about encouraging communities to reconnect and be inclusive of all cultures, age groups, nationalities and the disadvantaged.
Social Inclusion Week aims to help Australians feel valued and to give people the opportunity to participate fully in society. It’s about connecting with local communities, work mates, family and friends to build relationships and networks, addressing isolation and exclusion by supporting people who may be unable to help themselves.
Conceptualised by Dr Jonathon Welch AM, founder of the award winning choir of Hard Knocks, SIW was launched in 2009 as a way for communities to share knowledge and experience to educate and raise awareness.
It is an annual initiative that takes place the last week in November. Social Inclusion Week runs from Saturday November 24 to Sunday December 2, 2018.
Social Inclusion Week's theme is: Collaborate, Connect and Celebrate – a strong call to action to encourage people of all ages to join together and engage with the objectives of the Week by hosting or attending a social inclusion focused event.
In addition to grass-roots, community created events, which we refer to as “National Street Parties," there will be a number of national events and activities during the Week created by the SIW team.
Key social inclusion target groups include: young people 12-25 years of age, jobless families with children, disadvantaged Australians, people with a disability or mental illness, people who are homeless, older people and Indigenous Australians.