Council to Host Refugee Welcome Forum
Published on 18 June 2019
Snowy Valleys Council is inviting interested community members to join industry representatives, community groups, NGOs and government departments at a ‘Welcome Refugee Forum’ on the 27 June to learn what a Refugee Welcome Zone is and how local communities can become involved.
Last year Council resolved to become a member of Rural Australians for Refugees and a Welcome Zone for refugees. The Refugee Welcome Zone Declaration will also be signed at the Forum.
Mayor James Hayes said there are many benefits for the Snowy Valleys region in actively welcoming refugees.
“The experiences of other regional NSW towns have demonstrated that a well-managed settlement of refugees can provide economic and cultural benefits to our towns and further enrich our region through increased cultural diversity,” Cr Hayes said.
“The Forum will explore formation of regional partnerships and provide learnings from the experiences of surrounding local government areas.
“We want to gain community ownership and support of this initiative, share information and assess what we have and what we may be lacking and identify what the priority actions should be”.
Key presenters at the Forum include Cr Greg Conkey, Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga who will be sharing experiences on the Wagga Wagga settlement program; Margaret Piper a 30 year veteran in the refugee sector and an advisory board member of Multicultural NSW, will be discussing best practice for regional refugee resettlement; and a representative from Multicultural NSW will discuss the work they do in supporting local communities.
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is the national peak body for refugees and the organisations and individuals who support them., Refugee Welcome Zones are an initiative of the RCOA and were created to identify Local Government Areas who have made a commitment to welcoming refugees into their community.
Councils are encouraged to support refugees through the creation of formal Council policies relating to refugees and asylum seekers, and through community outreach and support programs. There are no financial obligations in becoming a signatory to the Declaration.
“Being a Refugee Welcome Zone means that we officially acknowledge that refugees are welcomed into the Snowy Valleys community. The region pledges to uphold the human rights of refugees, work to understand their experiences and acknowledges that refugees can – and do – balance our cultural and religious diversities,” Cr Hayes said.
All community members are welcome to attend - Thursday 27 June 2019 at the Batlow Literary Institute from 10am to 3pm.
RSVP for the forum via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/63314271691
For more information contact Council’s Coordinator Economic Development, Kylie Bradley at [email protected] or call 1300 ASK SVC.