Louise Annual General Meeting - YOU ARE INVITED

Safari For Life Fundraising Dinner

South Sudan became an independent country just over a month ago and it's the world's least developed country.

My friends Tut Pal and Susan Yengi are helping to organise this fantastic event next Friday night. The aim of the event is to raise money to go towards building a learning centre/library that will help everyone in the community including school children to access learning materials.  The organisation, Kadi which was originally founded in Australia, is working to develop schools in South Sudan.

The event is proudly supported by World Vision Australia and the CEO of the World Vision Australia Tim Costello, will be guest speaker onthe night.

It should be a great event and it's definitely a worthy cause so please if you are free next Friday grab a ticket and come along!

What would you ask?

I'm VERY excited! ABC television show, Q&A, is being filmed in Melbourne next week as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival AND I have been lucky enough to secure a spot in the live studio audience.
The program is advertised as being 'democracy in action' and allows members of the audience to ask questions of the panel - this means I may have the opportunity to ask a question!




Im thrilled with this weeks panel line-up:

• Kate Grenville - Celebrated Australian author
• Don Watson - Former speechwriter for Paul Keating and distinguished writer
• Anna Funder - author of Stasiland
• Malalai Joya - Former Afghan parliamentarian and writer
• Omar Musa - Malaysian-Australian rapper and poet

I would love to hear any ideas you have on questions I could ask- please send them through!! And watch it on Monday -  I may get to ask your suggestion!

The Louise supports the Make Poverty History promise

 

 

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY is a coalition of more than 70 aid and development organisations, community and faith-based groups. In Australia, they work in partnership with Micah Challenge and the Global Call For Action Against Poverty (GCAP) to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and halve global poverty by 2015.

On October 15, 16 and 17 this year they are asking us to join them in asking Australian politicians to Keep The Promise to the world’s poor and the commitment to halve global poverty by 2015.

How Can I Join In?

They want to see your photos of a handshake; a photo of two people shaking hands, a group handshake, or a pyramid of piled shaking hands. It could even be your pet shaking a paw! Your handshake idea can be big and bold or simple yet effective—be as creative as you like! Once you’ve got your photo, send it to your local MP with a message that you want Australian politicians to Keep the Promise. 

More information can be found here:

http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/keep-the-promise/#

The Louise Multicultural Community Centre thinks this is a great initiative and encourages everyone to get involved! Be sure to send us a copy of your handshake photograph so that we can include them all in the blog.  Send them to me at caradixon123@gmail.com

  

 

The Louise's Korean contingent arrives

 

 

A gift from our visitors


The power of the internet never fails to amaze! Three months ago, four Korean university students came across the Louise on an internet chat room and wrote to us. They were studying Child Care and Welfare at Shingu University in South Korea and were planning a trip to Melbourne and Sydney to visit a handful of Australian welfare organisations - including ours!

So it was last week that Eun-ji, Ye-ji, Hyo-jin and Ji-young arrived. Luckily, Matt (Jinseok Eun) one of our volunteers who also comes from a Korean background, leapt to our aid as an interpreter, navigator, host and photographer. Without him, life would have been very difficult, and the visit may not have happened - thanks Matt!

Louise staff, tutors, students and Korean visitors outside the Centre

The students compared notes on learning a second language with some of our own adult students and also chatted with a number of our tutors. They gave a great presentation about Korea, the food and culture and from all reports there was lots of laughter and everyone was sad to see them go...

"We are Multi" students' presentation

It's great to know that we are reaching people across the world! Eun-ji, Ye-ji, Hyo-jin and Ji-young -  if you are reading this - thanks for coming and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip! We would love to hear how you are getting on so please feel free to send us an update.

The internet has certainly changed the world and how we communicate. This is a great example of how it has enriched our lives. Does anyone here have an interesting story about how the internet has helped them - perhaps enabled their own intercultural communication experience? I've got a good story. myself.. so you will have to stay tuned!

Films from around the world..

As the Melbourne International Film Festival is drawn to a close - we don't have to return to just Hollywood at Hoyts and Village.. there are lots of great international films on in Melbourne.

Check out:  The Sixth Indonesian Film Festival

Now in its sixth year, the Indonesian Film Festival returns with the finest selection of new and classic Indonesian cinema.

This year's program includes films by award-winning directors exploring social, religious and mythical elements of Indonesian culture.

Friday 19 August - Thursday 25 August 2011

Single Sessions: Full $15 ACMI Members $11
Festival Passport $40 (excludes opening and closing nights)
Opening Night Film $20
Closing Night Film $18
Shorts Session (BelkiBolang) $10


There is also a series of films by Japanese film Director, Masahiro Shinoda presented by Melbourne Cinematheque.


The films, 'Samurais, Assassins, Rebels and Double Suicides' is a season of Shinoda's best films from the 1960s, including The Assassination, Samurai Spy and what is arguably his masterpiece, Double Suicide. A reworking of an 18th century bunraku play, Double Suicide epitomises Shinoda's radical style and theatrical influences, particularly with the presence of the kukuro (hooded, black-clad puppeteers) who seemingly act as silent witnesses. The film is, according to Aaron Cutler in Slant Magazine, "a film that both disturbs and shakes in total effect" and is not to be missed.

If you go to one of these, be sure to send in your reviews! Or if you have any other recommendations - let us know!

Tomorrow! Saturday, 6th of August Chinese Australian Family History Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10am - 2pm)

Chinese Museum, 22 Cohen Place, Melbourne

The Chinese Museum's curator, Dr Sophie Couchman will be available to talk with families about researching the history of their family. You will also be able to meet and speak with members of the Chinese-Australian Family Historians of Victoria. Families participating will receive two-for-one entry to the Museum. Adults: $7.50, Concessions: $5.50. For more information call: (03) 9662 2888 or email: info@chinesemuseum.com.au

Source: http://www.multicultural.vic.gov.au/resources/events-calender/chinese-australian-family-history-day

The Koran, the Ghan and a Yarn

I'm off to see one of my favourite Australian bands this weekend - My Friend the Chocolate Cake - and I thought I would share with you one of their newer tracks - The Koran, the Ghan and a Yarn. I think the title alone beautifully captures Australia's multiculturalism.

Youtube clip - The Koran, the Ghan and a Yarn





To fill you in for those that aren't familiar...The Ghan is a passenger train that runs between Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin and is named after the Afghan camel drivers who arrived in Australia in the late 19th Century to help us find a way to reach the country's unexplored centre. They worked in the harsh environment of outback Australia (although stunning in photographs as shown above!) between the 1860s and 1930s and also played a huge rule in establishing muslim faith in Australia.

How amazing to think that all those years ago we recognised the value of diversity! And what a great link for Afghans just settling in Australia today ...

New blogger for the Louise Multicultural Centre!!

Hello! My name is Cara and I'm excited to be the new blogger for the  Louise Multicultural Centre!

I thought I would take this first posting as a chance to introduce myself and tell you a bit about me...and I also hope to hear from you!

I was born and have always lived in Melbourne - same suburb, same house. But I've also always been fascinated with the rest of the world and the people in it. At University I studied Mandarin, and completed a major in Asian Studies. This certainly helped when I spent a year in China in 2006 where I taught English in Dandong (Liaoning Province) and then worked for an Australian organisation in Shanghai.

This is me on the Great Wall on my first trip to China

Since then, I've taught English to migrants and refugees in South Australia and Victoria. At the moment I am working for Consumer Affairs Victoria which has involved helping newly arrived migrants, refugees and international students understand their consumer rights.

On this blog, I would like to keep you up to date with all the events and news of the Centre, but we also want it to be a place for people involved in the Centre to have discussions, share information and advice and meet people.

The only blog rule is: Be nice! 

So, no swearing; no religious vilification;  no comments that could offend migrants or refugees and nothing that might hurt vulnerable people (such as children, the elderly, people with a disability, the poor) etc.

I'd love to get to know everyone too! So feel free to comment below and introduce yourself!