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Refugee Communities Association of Australia RCAA

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25.01.2022 Well done Victorians!

24.01.2022 Today Victorian Government has announced Second Step in the roadmap for reopening for Metropolitan Melbourne. Please visit for more details in the link vic.gov.au/roadmap.

24.01.2022 During the COVID-19 Pandemic RCAA National Committee have been working actively with communities across Australia, more closely in Victoria during the lockdown- stage 4 restriction. RCAA is humbled and thankful to the Victorian Multicultural Commission Chairperson Viv Nguyen - Victorian Multicultural Commissioner for meeting with us and support VMC have provided for COVID Relief projects along with Victorian government. This support has enabled RCAA to reach vulnerable commu...nities to provide much needed assistance. RCAA updated about the work done through RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce that to date the Taskforce distributed 8.5 tons of food, 6200 masks reusable cloth masks donated by Vietnamese community. Thank you Giang Nguyen, State Co-Coordinator, RCAA Victorian Chapter for coordinating masks. With VMC, RCAA mobilised volunteers from multicultural communities for #DHHS door knock in Hume, Moreland and Reservoir for COVID-19 testing in June and July. RCAA as an independent refugee-led peak national advocacy organisation providing a unified voice for people with a lived refugee experience in Australia will always commit to come in frontline to assist Australians to come out of COVID-19 Pandemic. Bwe Thay Huseyin Huss Mustafa Oam Elijah Buol OAM- Community Advocate Rayaka Tej M Monger @ Nasiba Akram Dalal Samaan Juma Piri Piri James Tuang Rose Wani Kamal Dahal Parsuram Sharma-Luital JP John Haddad Ehsu Might Dar Thien Giang #InThisTogether #StayHome #StaySafe #ForRefugee #WithRefugee #ByRefugees

24.01.2022 URGENT COMMUNITY NOTICE FOR COVID TEST: This is a request to all community members to inform your communities, families and friends go for COVID-19 testing if you live in the following suburbs: Broadmeadows Roxburgh Park... Dallas Preston West Heidelberg There has been outbreak of COVID cases in these suburbs. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an illness that has affected all communities in Victoria. Anybody can get coronavirus (COVID-19) if they have contact with a person. Testing sites have been set up at various locations. To find one near you visit https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19 New testing sites in addition are: 1. Banyule Community Health, West Heidelberg, from 10am to 4pm; 2. Northland Shopping Centre, from Monday 19 to Sunday 25 October, from 9am to 5pm; and 3. Roxburgh Park Youth and Recreation Centre, from 9am to 12:30pm and 1pm to 5pm. Victoria Multi Viv Nguyen - Victorian Multicultural Commissioner HelpHimalayan YouthFoundation HHYF Bhutanese Community in Australia Inc Hume City Council Hume & Cragieburn Comunity Action Group Eyewatch - Hume Police Service Area Ros Spence MP

22.01.2022 This is unexpected but we will overcome! Please make sure you only go out of your home for FOUR reasons! We have done it! We will do it again- Victorians. Victorian Multicultural Commission Victorian Department of Health Ros Spence MP

22.01.2022 Victorian Government appoints former refugee in a senior position of Deputy Chairperson at Victorian Multicultural Commission The Refugee Communities Association of Australia Inc (RCAA) congratulates Bwe Thay for assuming the position of Deputy Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission. RCAA would like to thank the Victoria Government for the appointment of Mr Thay who have extensive expertise and in-depth knowledge and issues challenging the multicultural communi...ties, particularly in the space of new and emerging communities and recently arrived refugees and migrants. RCAA Chairperson Juma Piri Piri said, I am immensely proud for the choice made by the Victoria Government to appoint Mr Thay as deputy chair who is RCCA founding member and advisor. Mr Thay’s contribution to refugee communities through RCAA, particularly in RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce has made significant contribution to refugees, Asylum Seekers and international students affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Please read our media release: https://bit.ly/2ZoOC6n Viv Nguyen - Victorian Multicultural Commissioner, Ros Spence MP Elijah Buol OAM- Community Advocate Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia - FECCA HOST International Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) AMES Australia Southern Migrant & Refugee Centre Spectrum Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency Australia for UNHCR Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) Australian Department of Home Affairs Alan Tudge MP Andrew Giles MP Jason Wood MP Kristina Keneally Peter Dutton Australian Karen Organisation INC. Australian Karen Organisation Victoria Swinburne University of Technology

21.01.2022 Please find the testing sites for COVID-19 in Northern Suburbs! Victorian Multicultural Commission Viv Nguyen Hakan Akyol Bwe Thay Tina Hosseini Victorian Department of Health & Human Services Eyewatch - Hume Police Service Area HelpHimalayan YouthFoundation HHYF Bhutanese Community in Australia Inc John Haddad Dalal Samaan Indra Bhandari

21.01.2022 On Saturday 21 November, RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce organised major food relief distribution under the Victorian Government’s CALD Communities Taskforce Program for refugee communities, Asylum Seekers and international students impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Refugee communities and volunteers from across Melbourne (From Werribee to Dandenong & Pakenham) with families and children travelled with their leaders to collect the Emergency Food Relief. RCAA would like to tha...nk VMC Chairperson Viv Nguyen, Deputy Chair Bwe Thay, new Mayor of Moreland City Council (Cr Annalivia Carli Hannan) and Hume City Council (Cr Joseph Haweil), RCAA Co-Patron Huss Mustafa OAM and other community leaders for handing out relief distribution. Special shout out to Elijah Buol OAM, RCAA Executive Director in Brisbane and Chairperson Juma Piri Piri in Tasmania and our National Executive team for your continued support and guidance to make this project succeed. Food distribution included essential groceries, fresh meat and eggs, shopping vouchers and reusable masks donated by Vietnamese community members. RCAA would like to thank Inspector Chris Allen, #VictoriaPolice for logistic support and making masks available through Moreland City Council. Thank you, all volunteers, for your commitment and dedication you have demonstrated to serve our communities in need. RCAA would like to mention special thank you to our project officer Van Bawi Thawng and volunteer Bir Chhetri and Bhima Luitel for your hard work to prepare food packaging and sorting out items for whole week. Thank you RCAA Vic State Co-Coordinator Giang Nguyen and Co-Patron Huss Mustafa OAM for organising culturally appropriate food with the local small businesses. RCAA would like to thank Hon #RosSpenceMP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs for your continued support to the voice of refugees in empowering the grassroots communities. #ForRefugee #WithRefugee #ByRefugees #RCAAforRefugeeCommunities

20.01.2022 Important translated information regarding Stage 4 Restriction! Thank you Hon Ros Spence MP for supporting multicultural communities with dedication.

19.01.2022 Please find today’s number. #inthistogether #staysafe #stayhome

18.01.2022 Request to get tested for Coronavirus. Please kindly share and promote. Thank you Victorian Department of Health Victorian Multicultural Commission Ros Spence MP Josh Bull MP for Sunbury Hume City Council Moreland City Council Viv Nguyen - Victorian Multicultural Commissioner https://www.facebook.com/parsuram.sharmaluital/videos/10225490085584569/

18.01.2022 During the stage 4 restriction in Victoria, #RCAA in partnership with #HHYF organised mass distribution of over 3700 reusable face masks. These masks are generously donated by Vietnamese community members and RCAA would like to thank #GiangNguyen, State Co-Coordinator, RCAA Victorian Chapter and Dr #NhanPham for their assistance and coordination. RCAA would like to thank you our champion, passionate and brave volunteers #PiDarThein, #NanBeePoe #Z-bMu #PoeVanBawiThawng in Wynd...ham Council suburbs, #DiwasChamlagai, #BibeakRai & #JohnHadad in Hume Council suburbs, #BijanPanta & #ParsuramSharmaLuitalJP in Moreland suburbs to Nepalese parents and Bhutanese community Moreland, and our VMC Commissioner #BweThay, #JamesTuang #MoeinMaghsoodi # Ringwood Whitehorse, Manningham, Maroondah, Springvale and Dandenong areas. Our distribution has reached to Assyrian/Chaldean, diverse communities from Myanmar/Burma, Iranian, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Moroccans, Indian and other communities. Our help may not reach to all but RCAA is trying to make a small contribution at this time of pandemic. Over the last week we have seen number of daily new cases of COVID Positive dropped significantly but sadly we are losing precious lives in large numbers. RCAA urges all Australian to come together to combat this pandemic by sharing responsibility in any way so that we can reduce the numbers. RCAA would like to thank all our frontline and essential workers for your sacrifice and contribution you are making to keep us safe. Let’s all come together to support government initiative and rules in place to overcome this cruel Virus. The sooner it goes, better the world will be! #WeAreInThisTogether #KeepingVictoriaTogetherDuringCoronavirus #ForRefugee #WithRefugee #ByRefugees

16.01.2022 The RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce will resume our distribution of basic food items from next week. RCAA is humbled to partner with #RotaryClubofCanterbury through their project #FORaMEAL Emergency Food Relief and #MATESAustralia to resume distribution of food. To date RCAA distributed 11 tons of food and 4100 reusable masks in partnership with Vietnamese community (coordinated by #GiangNguyen) reaching out over 500 families (1500 people). ... Many refugees, Asylum Seekers, international students and temporary visa holders are going through difficulties due to COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in Melbourne. They are affected financially, lost job, lost income, struggle to pay bills, rent and buy basic food items. Their mental health and wellbeing affected due to continued COVID-19 restrictions. Many are single mothers, widows, young people locked up in homes with no support to meet basic need of survival. Thank you our ever-ready RCAA volunteers #BirChhetri & #BharatGurung. As Australians, it is our responsibility to reach out those who need help to come out of this pandemic. If you would like to receive food relief, please contact us through RCAA Facebook or email: [email protected] We urge you to donate through our website: www.rcaoa.org.au if you would like to help us reach out vulnerable members in our community affected by this pandemic. #Inthistogether #ForRefugee #WithRefugee #ByRefugees

16.01.2022 Well done to Refugee Communities Association of Australia RCAA for organising a food relief drive for vulnerable members of our Multicultural community severely... impacted by COVID 19. I was honoured to be invited by RCAA board member and community leader Parsuram Sharma-Luital JP and to be there with the Mayor of Hume Joseph Haweil - Mayor of Hume City and VMC Chairperson Vivienne Nguyen. Thank you to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence MP and the CALD communities task force for funding this very valuable project. Well done to all the board members of Refugee Communities Association of Australia and all the community supporters that have brought this project to life.

15.01.2022 Victoria have come a long way. Our hard work paid off. Let’s keep abiding the new rules. Home guests 15 people in 24 hours. For Religious gathering & weddings, please read the information. Thank you Hon Ros Spence MP for quick update !

15.01.2022 The Refugee Communities Association of Australia Inc (RCAA) welcomes the Federal Government changes to increase access to the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge MP announced changes including the removal of the 5-year limit in which eligible adult migrants and refugee can access the scheme. Mr Piri Piri, chairperson of RCAA said learning English languages is not an only factor of successful settlement for refugees and migrants but an... important aspect of a successful settlement of refugees and migrants to participate and we applauded these flexible changes. RCAA is looking forward to work with the Federal government on the details of the proposed measures, he said. Hakeem al-Araibi, Australian Footballer and RCAA Patron said, learning English is a pathway to a successful journey of healing and meaningful integration for refugees and migrants’ communities into a diverse and vibrant multicultural Australia. Elijah Buol OAM, RCAA Executive Director said, Citizenship is our identity and pride that bonds us together and advances Australia-fair which we need to reflect in our deeds and actions all the time and the government needs to ensure that these changes shouldn’t become a barrier for people to get citizenship. They are wide-reaching ingredients which makes us great and uniquely Australians he said. RCAA is led by refugee communities and their members in every states and territory as a unified peak national body that advocates for people of refugee background with lived experience in Australia. For more, please follow the link: https://www.rcaoa.org.au//refugee-communities-welcome-unl/ #WithRefugees #ForRefugees #ByRefugees

14.01.2022 Please get tested if you have been to these places or have any symptoms.

13.01.2022 Please join the Conversation

12.01.2022 Walk in Our Shoes and Be Inspired! Refugee Communities Association of Australia (RCAA) presented a special forum as part of the World Refugee Week 2021. Please... listen to this powerful conversation with outstanding Australians, former refugees, migrants and Asylum Seekers as we together heal, learn and shine. Come and walk in Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, Ms Viv Nguyen AM and Ms Nasiba Akram shoes and be inspired as they reflect on their journeys of resilience and courage! Wonderfully hosted by none other than Elijah Buol OAM and Executive Director of RCAA. See more

11.01.2022 RCAA COVID-19 Taskforce understand the challenges facing our members in Victoria. As your peak body, we are all in this together. Please call Regional Centre near you to collect your emergency food relief. #RCAA

10.01.2022 Late Post: RCAA Celebrated Australia Day 2021: Reflect, Respect, Celebrate. On this day we thank Australia and Australian people for providing us opportunity to call Australia our New Home. Many of us have been conferred Australian citizenship on Australia Day since our arrival. For this, we commit our love, dedication and loyalty to this country that has welcomed us and changed our lives forever. On this day, we respect our First Nations people, acknowledge, and reflect that... the date we are celebrating today has a painful history for First Nations people but strongly push for appropriate constitutional change as well as ‘closing the gap’ on issues of health, education, employment and the justice system so that Australia become a FAIR GO country for all. It was great to see our refugee communities coming together to celebrate our citizenship and multiculturalism. We were honoured to be joined by our state MPs and friends of Rcaa Rcaa: Meng Heang Tak MP and Tien Kieu MP. Some of the activities included South Sudanese Dinka dance and Afghan Hazara band played Damborah musical instrument. There was also a cultural food known as Akook which is a special dish from South Sudan. Overall there was a great atmosphere throughout the event and everyone enjoyed each other's accompany, some people played Domino's, others enjoyed chatting with new people and the children played soccer, basketball and footy.

10.01.2022 Walk in Our Shoes and Be Inspired! Refugee Communities Association presents World Refugee Week 2021. Please join the conversation with outstanding Australians, former refugees, migrants and Asylum Seekers as we together heal, learn and shine. Come and walk in Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, Ms Viv Nguyen AM and Ms Nasiba Akram shoes and be inspired as they reflect on their journeys of resilience and courage! Join your Host Elijah Buol OAM who will give you opportunity to ask the Panellists any question.

09.01.2022 RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce continues with essential food and masks distribution in partnership with HelpHimalayan YouthFoundation HHYF with the support of other communities. After receiving request for groceries, including from the COVID Positive individuals and families in isolation, in the last few days, we have been able to deliver grocery items (rice, oils, vegetable, eggs and noodles and reusable masks) to affected international students from Iran, Nepal, Bhutan and ...Assyrian Chaldean refugee families (John Haddad) in Sunshine area, Albion, Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Footscray, Brunswick, Glenroy, Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana, Roxburgh Park, Meadow Heights and adjoining areas. Cannot be more thankful to you, Thien Giang, State Co-Coordinator, RCAA Victorian Chapter & brother #Thanh for generous donation and help today. RCAA will be doing new consignment of food in the coming days. For donation as well as for relief, please reach us at: [email protected] or visit us at www.racaoa.org.au Please know that there are real issues with temporary visa holders, refugees and students, and your small support will make a big difference. #Inthistogether #ForRefugee #WithRefugee #ByRefugees

09.01.2022 On this Australian Citizenship Day, RCAA welcomes the new changes on the citizenship test announced by the Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Hon Alan Tudge MP. Citizenship Day is an opportunity for all Australians to reflect on the meaning of citizenship and the importance of the shared values that unite us. Please find full media release in the link. https://bit.ly/35QZ3DA

08.01.2022 On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day 2020, RCAA salutes and honours all humanitarians workers who are doing extraordinary work in extraordinary times to help women, men and children whose lives are affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic crises. The dedication, perseverance and self-sacrifice of these real-life heroes- our health workers, represent the best of humanity as they respond to the COVID-19 crisis. RCAA would salute all our frontline volunteers in Australia ...who have come out during lockdown from the beginning of the pandemic to be apart greater humanitarian cause. Humanity is service above self! THANK YOU #inthistogether #staysafe #stayhome #WithRefugees #ForRefugees #ByRefugees

08.01.2022 The Refugee Communities Association of Australia RCAA would like to thank the Victorian government for providing funding to support international students, Asylum Seekers, refugee communities and families during the COVID-19 pandemics. Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Community Sport and Minister for Youth, Hon Ros Spence MP said the Andrews Labor Government is proud to support refugee’s communities’ work by providing $100,000 through the CALD Communities Taskforce to the Refugee Communities Association of Australia Inc (RCAA). https://bit.ly/31b4wCn

08.01.2022 RCAA has come a long ways since its launch one year ago on 8th February 2020. Since inception, RCAA supports 89035 individuals in our community who needs our support the most including provision of COVID-19 emergency relief. Thank to each and everyone for making RCAA’s one year a worthy and empowering journey for all of us! #ForRefugees #WithRefugees #ByRefugees SBS Australia News Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia - FECCA #australiandepartmentofhomeaffairs

07.01.2022 New statewide restrictions come into effect from 11:59pm tonight, 3 February. - The limit on the number of people gathering in a household will be reduced from ...30 to 15, meaning the household members plus 15 visitors (excluding children under 12 months of age). - Masks will be mandatory in public indoor spaces. If you have visitors in your home, it is strongly recommended that masks are worn during the visit. Masks must be worn in indoor public spaces apart from when eating or drinking. If you are planning to leave your home take a mask. - The 75 per cent ‘return to work’ cap in both public and private sectors scheduled for Monday 8 February will be paused and the current cap of 50% will remain in place.

06.01.2022 We are all in this together! Refugee communities are extending a helping hand to those who need our support the most at this critical time of Pandemic. Third weekend in a row, #RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce in partnership with YouthFoundation HHYF supported by its volunteers distributed 2.5 tons of rice (1.4 tons to Nepalese International students- some through #DBSV & Yeti Fc) small quantity of oil, noodles and additional 400 reusable masks. Our distribution went to refuge...es, Asylum Seekers, International students who have lost jobs and have no source of income and any support, doing really tough and some COVID Positive Nepalese health care workers in isolation in City Councils suburbs of Wyndham, Moreland City Council, Brimbank, Hume City Council and Maribyrnong. Our relief were distributed by volunteers from Karen, Chin, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Assyrian Chaldean communities. Thank you Thien Giang, State Co-Coordinator, RCAA Victorian Chapter for generous donation of food and masks. To date RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce have distributed 11 tons of food and 4100 reusable masks. Our project will continue with more food distribution in coming weeks. Please contact us at www.rcaoa.org.au Thank you HHYF EC member #Bijan, RCAA Volunteer #John and #LawBaw and Van Bawi Thawng from Karen & Chin Community. RCAA is humble and thankful to Victorian Multicultural Commission and Victoria Police for supporting in the logistics of this program. RCAA salutes our health workers along with all frontline emergency and essential workers for your sacrifice and contribution you are making to keep us safe from this wicked virus. #Inthistogether #ForRefugee #WithRefugee #ByRefugees

05.01.2022 Getting the Community Back on Track post COVID-19 pandemic

04.01.2022 RCAA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce is in full swing for big Emergency Food Relief distribution this weekend, supported by the Victorian Government’s CALD Communities Taskforce, through Multicultural Affairs, Department of Premier and Cabinet for refugee communities and international students impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our volunteers (Bir Chhetri #BhimaLuitel Van Bawi Thawng) are tirelessly working behind the scene to reach out our vulnerable communities. Our leadership te...am: Huseyin Huss Mustafa Oam, Bwe Thay, Thien Giang Andrew Gai reached out to local business to source out culturally appropriate food for our communities and best deals. Thank you, Hon Ros Spence MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Viv Nguyen - Victorian Multicultural Commissioner and Victorian Multicultural Commission for your unconditional support to RCAA to reach our grassroots communities. Please contact your region form the details provided in the flyer. #ForRefugee #WithRefugee #ByRefugees #RCAAforRefugeeCommunities See more

04.01.2022 Food Relief for international students, refugees & COVID Positive in isolation #RCAA in partnership with HelpHimalayan YouthFoundation HHYF, #DidibahiniSamajvictoria Yeti Fc on the road. This week we are doing 2.5tons with additional 400 reusable masks. Thank you Thien Giang & Vietnamese Community for generous donation. More to come this weekend. #inthistogether #staysafe #stayhome #WithRefugees #ForRefugees #ByRefugees

03.01.2022 Update from the Premier Dan Andrews on COVID after 9 days of ZERO cases! https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/statement-premier-81

03.01.2022 Update on current COVID-19 from Australian Government Department of Health.

02.01.2022 We urge communities & our RCAA members to follow SA Health advise! Please get tested!

01.01.2022 RCAA had a great meeting with hardworking leaders from Refugees Communities who go above and beyond and discussed COVID-19 recovery! #RCAA

01.01.2022 Please share this message and ask your community to come and do testing. Victorian Department of Health Victorian Multicultural Commission Ros Spence MP Cr Joseph Haweil Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia - FECCA