Yarra Settlement Forum: February 2008

Yarra Settlement Forum Blog

The Yarra Settlement Forum (YSF) was established in or around 1999 as a sub-committee of the The Yarra Ethnic Communities' Council (YECC). With the folding of the YECC in 2003 the YSF has continued as a network providing a forum for settlement providers in the CoY. Since 2001, through the Refugee and Asylum Seeker project, which was funded by CoY, the YSF has been under the shared leadership of North Yarra Community Health (NYCH) and CoY.

Purpose of the blog:

The Yarra Settlement Forum blog is intended to be the means by which members of the Yarra Settlement Forum communicate electronically, in addition to email. Anything that is related to the YSF or which members would like to inform others about, is material that is relevant to the blog.

However, it some main purposes including:

Building relationships between YSF members through enabling more frequent communication.

Notifying and keeping members informed of what is happening in the community, practically when it comes to settlement related issues.

Being a means to reflect and react about the effectiveness of the Yarra Settlement Forum, and allowing members to report back to the Forum about changes they would like to see to the YSF to make it more effective.

Minimum commitment expected:

Posting on the blog does not require a significant time commitment. However, as the blog is intended to be a collection of consistent and useful information, it is important that members see their participation in the blog as a part of their commitments to the Yarra Settlement Forum. It is expected that if members have any information that they would like to share with other members of the YSF, they do so via the blog.

It is also expected that members make every effort to make sure they are able to use the blog including liaising with their employer about the need to access the blog site, and undoing training on how to blog.

Code of Conduct:

To maintain trust and ensure the blog is used in an appropriate manner, it is important to:

Respect individuals, community members and/or service providers.

Never identify individuals, community members or services in a defamatory manner.

Make it clear in opinion pieces that the views expressed are yours alone and do not necessarily represent the views of your employer or the rest of the YSF.

Keep private issues and topics private, since discussing private issues can jeopardize personal and work relationships.

Disclose conflicts of interest.

Acknowledge and correct mistakes promptly.

Reply to emails and comments when appropriate, and do so promptly.

Consequences if policy is breached:

If you have any questions about what is appropriate to include in your blog it is important that you ask the administrator – Melinie Ridge, co-facilitator of the Yarra Settlement Forum as any breach of the policy will result in your blog being deleted an/or your membership to the blog being revoked.

How to post to the Yarra Settlement Forum Blog
Step 1:
Open internet browser and go to: www.yarrasettlementforum.blogspot.com
Step 2:
Right click on the sign in link (top right hand corner) and click open in a new window.
Step 3:
Sign in using your newly created Google account (unfortunately this is necessary).
Step 4:
Once you've logged into Blogger you'll see your Dashboard, showing your list of blogs. Click the blue “new post” icon to create a new post.
Step 5:
Next, you’ll see the page for creating a new post. Start by giving your post a title (optional), then enter the post itself
Step 6:
When you're done, click the "Preview" link to make sure it's ready to go
Step 7:
Once you're satisfied with your post, click the "Publish" button. This will publish your new post

Monday, February 18, 2008

BRIEFING PAPER ON TRAINING PATHWAYS FOR SETTLEMENT WORKERS

Dear All,

The attached paper has been prepared in the context of the release of the second draft of the revised National Community Services Training Package which, for the first time, contains units specifically designed for those working in the settlement sector.
It is intended to explain the relevance of the additions to the Training Package and encourage those working in this sector to become involved in the national consultations the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council will be running in February-March (see pages
24-25 for a list of dates, locations and participation details).
It would be great if you could use your networks to alert people to the consultation process and encourage them to either respond in writing (by 31st March) or participate in the industry consultations.

To help you to do this, I have attached:
* an updated version of the briefing paper we developed last year:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfxrms2t_26hn9bj5c3
-
this one incorporating the developments since then;
* a stand alone version of the ISC consultation schedule:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfxrms2t_26dk49tpfh

* the two new units relating to working with forced migrants:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfxrms2t_32grjfcsdv
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfxrms2t_30z59jrxgk

Regards,
Ramesh
Ramesh Kumar M
Manager, Settlement Services
AMES,
255 William Street
Melbourne 3000
Phone: 9926 4604
Mobile: 0409 354 935
Fax: 9670 8573
www.ames.net.au

Fitzroy Learning Network - Refugee Support and Volunteer Coordinator

The Fitzroy Learning Network is a community based neighbourhood house that welcomes people from diverse educational, cultural and social backgrounds. We 'open doors to our community' by providing adult education programmes, youth programmes and a refugee support service.
We have a large active volunteer programme which supports our services.
We require an experienced full time coordinator to provide refugee support services and to manage the Network's volunteer programme. Good knowledge of community support services is essential, along with a degree in social work or community development.

For a position description and further information on the Fitzroy Learning Network, visit www.fitzroylearningnetwork.org.au or contact the Executive Officer on 9417 2897 or colleen@fitzroylearningnetwork.org.au.

Applications addressing the selection criteria outlined in the position description should be emailed or posted by 5.00 pm, 3 March 2008 to:

The Executive Officer, Fitzroy Learning Network, 198 Napier Street, Fitzroy 3065, colleen@fitzroylearningnetwork.org.au

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Researchers for Asylum Seekers (ras.unimelb.edu.au) are co-sponsoring a free public lecture, at the University of Melbourne, Friday March 14, 2008.

Who are RAS?

The Researchers for Asylum Seekers (RAS) group is a voluntary and non-profit group concerned about the current treatment of asylum seekers in Australia. Officially affiliated within the School of Behavioural Science, University of Melbourne, RAS aims to raise awareness of the plight of asylum seekers through forums, conferences, research and the distribution of information on asylum seeker issues.

Lecture details

Title: Culture and Conflict: Cultures of War, Cultures of Peace
Speaker: Professor Anthony Marsella
Date: Friday 14 March 2008
Time: 2.15pm to 4pm
Venue: Sunderland Theatre, Medical Building, University of Melbourne

This public lecture is FREE!

Please RSVP to Sharon Fong, at the University of Melbourne, phone (03) 8344 6376.

About the Speaker

Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D., D.H.C., is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Marsella has published 14 edited books and more than 190 book chapters, journal articles, and technical reports in the areas of cultural and international psychology and psychopathology. He received the International Advancement of Psychology Award from the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1998, the International Psychologist of the Year Award from the International Division of APA in 2004, And the Asian-American Psychological Association Presidentâ€™s Award for lifetime contributions to Asian-American Psychology in 2004. In 1999, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Copenhagen (Doctoris Honoris Causas) for his contributions to international peace and understanding. Today, Dr. Marsella serves as President of thePsychologists for Social Responsibility, an organization committed to peace through social justice.

In this lecture

Dr. Marsella will explore the relations between culture and conflict that emerge when parties with differing constructions of reality come into contention regarding the distribution of power, control, and influence, and the competition for identities, roles, and economic, political, and religious needs. While differences in the construction of reality do not necessarily mean conflict, and while conflict does not necessarily lead to violence, differences in the construction of reality that are codified and asserted in unassailable belief systems and group policies often elicits and sustains violence and war. Building on this framework, and adding to it the influences of history, cultural ethoses, and national myths, the presentation then explores the forces involved in creating and supporting cultures of war, and the forces that are necessary for creating and supporting cultures of peace.

Friday, February 15, 2008

YSF News for February

Yarra Settlement Forum Planning Day Notes and

February Agenda

Agenda:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfxrms2t_242vrkr97c

Planning Day Notes:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfxrms2t_23hn38x5gw

Please advise of any additions to the aganda or comments to the planning day notes by posting to the comments section below.

See you all at the Forum...

Maggie

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Refugee Council of Australia Bulletin

Click on link to go to document http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfxrms2t_20jbmwnzgs

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

African Women's Group

Term 1

2008

This is a program for African women and their children within the City of Yarra.
While the women’s program is running there will be free activities for the children

The program aims to:
Reduce isolation by providing links into the local community and access to services such as North Yarra Community Health & City of Yarra and Family Services, Neighbourhood House, Fitzroy Learning Network;
Provide information sessions with guest speakers on health & nutrition, sexual health, asthma, outings and a BBQ;
Provide structured play, art and music activities for the children

Venue: Yarra Youth Centre
156 Napier Street, Fitzroy

When: Tuesday from 12.30pm till 2.30pm
Starting from 5 February till 18 March 2008

For further information and bookings, please call

Robyn Fletcher 9411 4333
Hong Vo 9205 5484

This is a joint project run by North Yarra Community Health and City of Yarra.

Yarra Settlement Forum