PIA NEWS VOL.

Issue 18

PIA News
Vol.5

31st August 2015

A

FESTIVITY BEGINS

PASSION, INTEGRITY & APNAPAN

OCTOBER HAS NEVER BEEN SO BUSY

We are now planning for Eidul Azha Barbecue in collaboration with Muslim Social Sports Association
supported by the Office of Multicultural Interests and City of Perth at Perth Piazza, Lake Street North
Bridge.
This event will be followed by the visit of a renowned Muslim scholar across Australia( Program on page
3).
We then begin the holy month of Muharram where first ten days are very important for the Muslim
Ummah across the globe as we mourn the Shahadat of Imam Hussien.
As soon as the Ashura ends, we will be welcoming our High Commissioner HE Naila Chauhan to Perth on
her first official visit and the final program will be hopefully available in next couple of weeks.
We will then begin working on our literary event scheduled for 15th November, 2015.
Hon. Ian Britza is organising a fundraiser breakfast on 18th September and Hon. Dean Nalder is the
special guest. Details on page 4.

SiS: SISTER SUPPORT IS OUR NEW INITIATIVE

Unfortunately we still requests for support from women who have been victim of domestic violence or
are at the verge of a family break up. While there is legal aid support available for the victim, for
someone who is not well versed with English and/or has a male lawyer it is very difficult to convey what
she has been going through. It becomes more difficult when one has to face her spouse( and his family)
in the court. A need has arisen where we have been asked if there is someone who can just go with the
victim to lawyer or court of law as a support.

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As all of our Members of Executive committee work full time, it is difficult to manage however last
month we circulated an appeal through our closed circle of friends. It is a pleasure to inform that we
already have two volunteers: Mrs. Bushra Khan and Mrs. Shireen Qamar who offered their assistance
immediately.
As the word of mouth goes, we have been approached by other ethnic organisation if this project can be
extended to other ethnic communities and I hope we will be able to formalise the program and extend
it to support others with assistance from other communities as it does not require major resources.
If you want to volunteer your time please drop us a line.

INFORMATION ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON YOUTUBE

The Law and Family Violence is an educational DVD for culturally and linguistically diverse communities
in Western Australia and is now available on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI_th3rGv2w
The educational DVD was made in response to community concerns about family violence. Its aim is to
educate communities about family violence and to demonstrate the effect of family violence on the
family including children.
The aim of the DVD is to:

create general awareness of family violence within the CaLD community

strengthen victims and family

connect to community

increase health and wellbeing of the community.

The Law and Family Violence is the second in a series of educational DVDs developed by the partnership
of the WA Police and Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre. It followed consultation with
community members and agencies in the Mirrabooka area. The first DVD, Driving in Western Australia is
also available on YouTube and can be accessed at the website of the Northern Suburbs Community
Legal Centre www.nesclegal.org.au.
The DVD was funded by WA Police and produced by the Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre in
partnership with WA Police and the community.
The Department of Child Protection and Family Support contributed to the development of the DVD and
are funding the translation into different languages.

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COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITIES NETWORK

Our network of ethnic communities is getting stronger every day and we hope to hold our next meeting
in the second week of September to identify strategic directions for this group to work in collaboration
with each other.
At the same time we are also exploring opportunities to collaborate with our sister organisations
across Australia following SBS program during independence week to see how we can use resources
efficiently.

AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP NATIONAL CONSULTATION COMES TO PERTH

The discussion will be led by the Hon. Philip Ruddock MP, Special Envoy for Citizenship and Community
Engagement, and will cover topics raised in the discussion paper, Australian Citizenship, Your Right, Your
Responsibility, which is available on the department's website at:
http://www.border.gov.au/News/Pages/citizenship-consultation-your-right-your-responsibility.aspx
The session provides an additional opportunity for a broad range of views to be canvassed during the
consultations, which commenced in May 2015. If you have already provided input to the process you
are still welcome to come along to the meeting if you wish.
Details are:
5.00pm - 7.00pm on Wednesday, 2 September at Girrawheen Senior High School, 39 Calvert Way,
Girrawheen, Perth.
Please note that seating is limited. The meeting is open to the general public and there is no reserved
seating. The registration desk at the venue opens at 4.00pm.

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PAKISTAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION

VVIP RED CARPET SCREENING EVENT - 6TH SEPTEMBER 2015- NATIONAL FILM AND
SOUND ANU
Pakistan Cultural Association in Canberra is organising a VVIP Red Carpet Screening Event for our
Pakistani community members in Canberra city only:
Please send your interest for this VVIP event. This is a special venue event with full Pakistani Culture
experience including refreshments. Only limited seats available on first come first served basis with
Admission fee. For details please contact the President Mr Khawar Saleem Khan on 0400388385 or
Vice President: Sohail Talib on 0419144791.
President Khawar Saleem has met with Hon. Peter Dutton, Federal Minister for Immigration and
Border Protection and Philip Ruddock, Party Whip.
President Khawar saleem also met with Hon. Andrew Barr, ACT Chief Minister and Hon. Ms Joy
Burch, Minister for Education and Training.
In the coming months Khawar will be meeting with other federal ministers to promote the
multicultural community and the refugee rights and needs.
Please find below, information relating to the canberra event we are helping to host by Refugee
council along with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network and other partners in Melbourne,
Sydney and Canberra over the 1-8 September, 2015.
As billions of Australian taxpayer dollars are spent on keeping asylum seekers at bay, the AsiaPacific region is struggling to deal with the needs of 3.9 million refugees. Experts dealing with
refugees and asylum seekers every day across the region will explain the need to shift the focus to
finding durable solutions for refugees. These seminars will feature senior NGO leaders from the
Asia-Pacific Refugee Rights Network, a growing network of more than 240 civil society
organisations and individuals from 26 countries, who work every day to improve the lives of
refugees and asylum seekers.
These events provide the opportunity to hear firsthand from experts working across the AsiaPacific region about what we can all be doing to improve the situations of 3.9 million refugees, who
require durable solutions.
Canberra on September 7th, the Finding Better Answer for Asias Refugee seminars will feature a
focus on practical examples that are working, and opportunities to strengthen and grow these
initiatives.
Imran Khan Laghari, Human Rights Alliance (Pakistan)
Dr Gopal Krishna Siwakoti Chair, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, International Institute for
Human Rights, Environment and Development (Nepal).
Anoop Sukumaran Executive Director, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network.
Yunita SUAKA: Civil Society Network for Refugee Rights Protection (Indonesia)
Dr Sharuna Verghis Director, Health Equity Initiatives (Malaysia)
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Lakshan Dias South Asian Network for Refugees, IDPs and Migrants (Sri Lanka)
CANBERRA
FINDING BETTER ANSWERS FOR ASIAS REFUGEES
7pm Monday, 7th September
Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 180 London Circuit, Canberra, ACT.
Please RSVP by 31st August.

HIGH COMMISSION FOR PAKISTAN

CANBERRA
PRESS RELEASE
Independence Day Celebrations 14 August 2015

A flag hoisting ceremony was held at the High Commission for Pakistan, Canberra in the New
Chancery Building, to mark the 69th Independence Day of Pakistan. The National Day ceremony
started with the recitation of Holy Quran which was followed by the National Anthem and Flag
Hoisting.
High Commissioner, Mrs. Naela Chohan, read out the messages of the President and the Prime
Minister of Pakistan for the occasion. The High Commissioner, in her speech, thanked the
community for taking time out to attend the flag hoisting ceremony on a working day.
The event was attended by a large number of Pakistanis from Canberra and the adjoining regions.
High tea was served at the conclusion of the event.