Foundations for Belonging Launch 2023

**Please note that the date of the launch has changed from Thursday 21 September to the new date of Monday 25 September 2023**

You are invited to the in-person launch of the Foundations for Belonging 2023 research on Thursday 21 September 2023 exploring refugees’ understanding of, and engagement with, First Nations’ issues and histories in Australia.

Stories of belonging in Australia are incomplete without the stories of First Nations people who have had custodianship of this land for millennia.

Each year, refugees are welcomed to Australia, home to the oldest continuous cultures in the world. To what extent are refugees aware of this rich and ancient heritage? And what are the best mechanisms to inspire refugees to engage with First Nations histories and cultures?

The fourth report in the Foundation for Belonging research series, aims to unpack these questions. Its launch is pertinent—on the eve of the referendum to recognise the First Peoples of Australia and establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

This research blended First Nations’ knowledge and western research methodology in a First Nations–led yarning conversation with refugee participants via workshops on Country and focus group discussions.

The event will include a keynote address from Steve Widders, a Kamillaroi and Anaiwan man from Northern NSW, and a moderated panel discussion exploring insights and recommendations aimed to enhance settlement policy and service delivery to embed reconciliation in more meaningful ways for refugees.

Moderator: Danuta Kozaki - Multiplatform News Producer and Reporter, ABC

Panellists: 

• Steve Widders, Kamillaroi and Anaiwan Elder
• Madison Shakespeare, a Gadigal Traditional Owner and lead researcher, Western Sydney University
• Sandra Elhelw, CEO, Settlement Council of Australia
• Dor Akech Achiek, Head of Settlement Services, SSI

Date: Monday 25 September, 2023
Time: 9.30am - 11.30am
Location: Community Refugee Welcome Centre
Building 504, Wharf Rd, Lilyfield NSW 2040
RSVP: By Monday 14 September

The Foundations for Belonging research is conducted by SSI in partnership with the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University.
This launch is being held in partnership with the Settlement Council of Australia.