Do yourself a favour, say hi
While our chief executive Julie Pettet is on study leave on the other side of the world, I’ve been given the pleasure of bringing you this month’s column.
We are so incredibly lucky to live and work among a variety of cultures here in the Wimmera-mallee.
As Refugee Week back in June highlighted, refugees and migrants making their home in the region not only bring with them an exceptionally positive, resilient spirit, but also present their new communities with an excellent learning opportunity.
Making up more than 28 percent of the current 24.8-million Australian population, migrants bring with them hundreds – sometimes thousands – of years of culture and tradition.
From the Karen community at Nhill to the Filipino community in Ararat, as well as the Asian, African, Indian, Caribbean, Mediterranean and European communities spread across the region, there is so much we can learn from each other; from spectacular traditional dress to mouth-watering recipes, language and dialect, to music and the way different cultures care for their family.
In return, we can welcome and teach our new residents about Australian culture and, at times, slang, workplace and road rules, laws, traditions and so much more.
We truly value working with organisations and groups who welcome all cultures, just like Oasis Wimmera, which was started by migrants and aims to support and assist them to integrate into Australian society and understand the cultural transition.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the most common languages spoken in Australia include Italian, Spanish, Greek, Chinese, Indian, Arabic, Macedonian and Aboriginal.
And, while the positives most definitely outweigh the negatives, the recent reports of alleged African gang violence in Melbourne by members of the Apex Gang have appeared to create a culture of fear. How sad.
However, without getting too detailed, it might interest readers to learn that according to Crime Statistics Agency data for the year ending March 2018, the overall offences committed in Horsham decreased by an estimated 5.5 percent.
On a positive note, let’s look at the wonderful examples we have in our region, such as Paw Po at Nhill, where the Karen ladies showcase their incredible craft skills to create breathtaking traditional clothing, accessories and furniture and, further south, the Laharum flower farm employs migrants to assist with their flower harvest and selling of the luscious native blooms.
And here at the Centre for Participation we’re committed to helping our new friends settle in as quickly as possible – whether that means learning English through our English language program, understanding just what that Australian slang word means via Australiana mentoring, increasing or refreshing their skills so they can gain employment via our range of courses, or even by helping them learn to drive through our Licencing the Wimmera program so they can access the, often isolated, rural communities.
If you haven’t already introduced yourself to your new neighbour, school friend or colleague, do yourself a favour and take the time to say hi.
You could not only make a new friend but could also open up a whole new world of experiences.
• Robbie Miller is the Wimmera’s Centre for Participation acting chief executive.