EVENTS

Current Events

Current and future events are available here, past events are available using the button below.

Past

Refugee Week Celebration

The purpose of this event is to strengthen relationships and understanding between broader communities, diverse refugee communities and Indigenous communities in the Eastern Region of Melbourne. During COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, we all realized how important togetherness and healing is.

This event will promote togetherness and help with the “post” pandemic healing period where sharing and connecting through culture, arts and music will contribute positively to understanding. This event will also provide an opportunity to welcome and educate new and emerging communities about the rich history and cultures of First Nations People.

Activities include:

  • Indigenous Smoking Ceremony
  • Storytelling: stories from refugees about their journey to Australia
  • Song, dance and other performances
  • Family friendly activities including Art Competition for Children ages 12
  • Light Multicultural lunch provided

Donations can be made on the day or via this link here AUV Donate Now to support Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war.

Current MSC Meetings: 2022

All are welcome to attend MSC’s meetings on the first Friday of the month (with no meetings in January and July). Everyone on our mailing list will be notified about when the meetings will take place. If you would like to be included on our mailing list please email chair.msc@gmail.com.

Meetings are currently taking place on Zoom from 9:30am-11:00am

  • 4th February 2022 9:30am-11:00am
  • 4th March 2022
  • 1st April 2022
  • 6th May 2022
  • 3rd June 2022
  • No meeting in July
  • 5th August 2022
  • 2nd September 2022
  • 7th October 2022
  • 4th November 2022
  • 2nd December 2022

Upcoming MSC Meeting: 4th February 2022

CCOEI’s Migrant Settlement Committee resumes its meetings in 2022 with the first meeting on Friday February 4th focusing on two areas of great interest: the resettling of recently arrived Afghan refugees, and a local council’s effective ways of engaging with its migrant communities.

The first item will see the participation of settlement service providers and agencies working with refugee entrants. Presenters include a recently arrived Afghan, Jawad, who has gone through the experience of resettlement and who is now supporting the settlement of others to rebuild their lives.

The second item, presented by the City of Knox, is informed by research: how not to engage with migrant communities – lessons learnt from research on communicating and engaging with migrant communities. Councils are embracing the notion of deliberative engagement and how best to reach the hardly reached and seldom heard segments of multicultural communities.

PRMC Volunteers

CCOEI would like to thank all of our Priority Responses for Multicultural Communities (PRMC) project volunteers who helped distribute our food relief parcels to vulnerable community members in need throughout the pandemic. We thank volunteers like Robert Lintun (below left) and Piang Lilian (below right) for their ongoing involvement in community projects.

Robert is currently the General Secretary of Burmese Welfare Association of Victoria, which is an organisation that advocates for the welfare and wellbeing of the broader Burmese communities across Victoria. Robert has been distributing food relief packages, helping with crime stopper community forums, contributing to the VMC-DH COVID-19 Fortnightly Update and organising fundraisers to help people in need.

Piang is currently a board member of the Burmese Welfare Association of Victoria, the president of Falam Chin community in Victoria and the chairperson of the Australia Chin Communities Council. Piang has supported refugee communities by establishing a homework program and Falam Chin language school for refugee children in Maroondah, and has helped with food relief drives and community outreach initiatives for vulnerable community members.