The ‘Appraising Multiculturalism: Politics, Policy and Practice’ National Symposium took place on 26 October 2023, at Deakin Downtown. The Symposium aimed to share evidence-based knowledge and ideas across sectors to improve multicultural policies and practices in Australia. It also launched the executive summary of key findings from the ‘Mapping Social Services for Diverse Communities’ project. The project was an Australian Research Council Linkage Project, funded from 2020-23.
About the Symposium
The day commenced with a warm welcome from Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic & Alfred Deakin Professor Liz Johnson. Professor Johnson introduced the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation. Then, The Hon. Ingrid Stitt MP, Minister for Mental Health, Ageing, and Multicultural Affairs, officially opened the Symposium.
To begin, Chief Investigator Professor Fethi Mansouri introduced the research project. Following that, a panel discussion included representatives from Partner Organisations in the discussion. Specifically, the speakers were:
- Diana Sayed, CEO of the Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights (AMWCHR),
- Vivienne Nguyen AM, Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC),
- Mo Elrafihi, CEO of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (ECCV).
After lunch, another panel discussion included researchers:
- Associate Professor Anthony Moran from La Trobe University
- Dr Glenda Ballantyne from Swinburne University, and
- Professor Karen Farquharson from the University of Melbourne
Panellists drew on their research and offered intriguing perspectives on multiculturalism, diversity, and governance in Australia.
Finally, the research team presented the key findings from the ‘Mapping Social Services for Diverse Communities’ research project. The research team included Chief Investigator and Deakin Distinugished Professor Fethi Mansouri, Co-Investigator Dr Matteo Vergani, and Research Fellow Dr Enqi Weng. The audience, comprised of researchers, policymakers, community leaders, and organisations in the multicultural affairs field, remained engaged and inspired throughout the day.
