“Peace involves staying in the room with people where you’d much rather walk out. Peace involves saying things to people that you usually say about them when they’re not there. Peace involves taking the risk of opening your imagination to think of a shared future where you and your political other share in a democratic process together. It feels like compromise, and it’s painful, and often you’re hurt by your own, not just ‘the other’. Peace and reconciliation are exhausting and brilliant and changing, but they require a lot of work.”

Pádraig talks about the possibility of relationship while recognising that it can take as long for a conflict to de-escalate as it takes to escalate. He observes that after more than 200 years of dispossession for First Peoples, ‘sorry’ (justice and truth) might require another 200 years, not just a day, week or year. It’s a sobering thought, especially given the year 2024 has been and we continue to witness.

It has also given me pause to consider the role of Welcoming Australia in an increasingly polarised world. Our work has never been more important, but cohesion and belonging should not be reduced to ‘being polite’ or maintaining the status quo. They require an ongoing commitment to a shared future and a lot of work.

Amid the grief of diaspora communities, the pursuit of certainty for people living in limbo, and advocacy for more inclusive government policy, there have been many vital conversations, the development of life-saving resources, beautiful moments, and inspiring stories. This is the work. A daily resolve to include rather than exclude, to take people on a journey and support people of all backgrounds to have a seat at the table.

We’ve shared a small snapshot of some of these activities below. I hope you enjoy them because you share in their success.

Thank you for your support in 2024 and for all you do to make your street, workplace, and community more welcoming, kind, and generous.

On behalf of the Welcoming Australia team, I wish you a safe, refreshing, and peaceful festive season. We will return in 2025 to continue the work of advancing communities where everyone can belong.

Aleem Ali

CEO, Welcoming Australia

The inaugural Welcoming Universities Summit, held on October 22, 2024, at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), brought together 50 key stakeholders to discuss inclusive practices in higher education. The theme for this inaugural summit was From Small Beginnings – building welcoming in Australian universities, and the program featured insightful talks, panel discussions, and roundtable sessions designed to foster meaningful conversations and explore initiatives to support diversity and inclusion in Australian universities.

Read more here

A Welcoming Week to remember!

In September, community members all over Australia embraced the Welcoming Week theme of #WhatBringsUsTogether, celebrating the work of advancing a welcoming Australia.

With over 70 events hosted across Australia, we joined eight countries taking part, with an amazing 2,006 events hosted globally! Welcoming Week is about more than the events and connections during this week alone. It’s a time to showcase the movement of communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including migrants, refugees, people seeking asylum, international students, and the entire community, as well as the work that happens in your communities every single day.

Read the full 2024 wrap-up here.

The City of Darebin was awarded the first Excelling Accreditation in the Welcoming Cities network.   This successful accreditation acknowledges the significant work of Council and the Darebin community to make the City more welcoming and inclusive.

“Darebin has a long-term approach to this work. They understand that welcoming and inclusion are about continuous engagement and learning, and we congratulate them on their success. Becoming the first council in Australia to be accredited at the Excelling level underlines their role as a leader in welcoming work in Australia.” 

Read more here

2024 was a terrific year for Welcoming Cities

We were joined in the network by 10 new members, continued to connect with our international partners, including setting up peer to peer connections, released two publications, celebrated the City of Darebin achieving Accreditation at the Excelling level and there is strong interest in accreditation in 2025.

Read the full re-cap here

Inclusion Guidelines for Public Aquatic Facilities

These guidelines were developed by Welcoming Australia and The Aqua English Project Ltd, with input from local governments, contractors, aquatic participants and those yet to access a swimming program.

While developed for aquatic facilities, it’s also a blueprint for broader inclusion in our communities – we encourage you to download the guide, share it, examine how you can implement the ideas, strategies and examples shared within.
Genuine change requires work, investment and the right intent. Facilities won’t become more inclusive and welcoming overnight, but it will happen through small increments and culture shifts. Read more and download the guidelines here

A fantastic way to celebrate Welcoming Week 2024, we hosted an incredible event with the award-winning Bloodlines to Country podcast, produced by Jenae Tien and Karina Hogan, featuring Yuggera Elder, Aunty Kerry Charlton. 

In this in-conversation event Aunty Kerry, Karina and Jenae shared the background to making this podcast, more details about the incredible stories it contains, and the impact this podcast has had on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.  

It was a beautiful event, and the generosity of Aunty Kerry her family’s stories and history, was deeply profound.  

Early in 2024 our Welcoming Cities team in Queensland began working with the newly formed Darling Downs African Communities Council (DDACC), providing support and solidarity as they built their profile and their vision for what the council would focus on. 

Together, DDACC, Ethnic Communities Council Queensland (ECCQ) and Welcoming Australia are now co-hosting a conversation series about racism in schools. The first of these sessions was held in mid-November and began with a presentation by John Bosco of ECCQ on his recent research on this topic, and then a panel discussion with key people working in this space. It was an excellent introductory session, and the first in a conversation series that will continue through 2025, engaging more widely to collaboratively develop effective responses to this issue. 

The Mayoral Alliance for the Pacific was a huge milestone in bringing together 20 Local Government Areas concerned about reforms in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. Of note too are the other valuable relationships established with the NSW Office of the Antislavery Commissioner; alongside consultations the Alliance has had with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. Our Advocacy efforts are envisaged to grow into 2025, particularly working across respective Departments administering PALM, with the objective of deriving wins for the workers, host communities and businesses.  

Pictured: Welcoming Workplaces Manager Ken Dachi and Campaigns and Communications Manager Kate Leaney with Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Hon Pat Conroy MP

Find out more about the Mayoral Alliance for the Pacific here

We’re delighted to work with the newly formed Welcoming Universities Student Advisory Committee, recognising that a key critical element of advancing welcoming univerisities is a supported, and championed student voice.  

To acknowledge the depth of lived and living experience and expertise, elected students for the committee receive a small yearly stipend to compensate them for time spent on their committee duties, and are also invited to engage a mentor from across the Welcoming Australia network to provide mentoring and advice in their career and life pursuits.  

The committee is still very new, but the experience so far has been hugely positive, with students sharing incredible insights and knowledge with Welcoming Universities to ensure that the initiative is reflective of student voice, and students benefitting from being included in wide-ranging conversations and programs. 

This year marked another adventurous, challenging, and rewarding chapter for the Welcoming Clubs team. Initially, we anticipated the conclusion of both the Welcome to the Game and Active Inclusion Club Mentor Projects in Melbourne, but due to its success and community value, the team has been successful in securing crucial funding to continue this important program with more programs and education workshops in 2025.

Alongside an exciting reactivation of Welcoming Clubs work and impact in Queensland this year, we’re also looking forward to launching two place-based, community-led programs as part of the Play Our Way program to promote equitable opportunities for women and girls to benefit from sport at all levels and locations.

Read the full Welcoming Clubs 2024 wrap-up here

1. Membership Growth: 

• The network grew by 10 new councils in 2024, with increases across various states:  
  • Victoria: 1 
• • Queensland: 2 
• • New South Wales: 5 
  • South Australia: 1  
• We end the year with 94 members, covering over 53% of the Australian population, with around 40% of councils in regional areas.

2. Network support: 

• Welcoming Cities spearheaded the launch of two new publications
  • Stories of Welcome – Vol. 5, and 
  • Guidelines for Inclusive Public Aquatic Facilities.
• Ongoing initiatives like the Mayoral Alliance for the Pacific and work on Guidelines for Regional Growth have further reinforced Welcoming Cities’ role in promoting integration and support.
• Welcoming Week- in our third year of welcoming week we are seeing consistent growth of the initiative with over 70 events across Australia. 
• Increasing our research and analysis capacity, having created more than 10 community insights reports for local councils. 
• The Welcoming Cities Awards for Change have gained momentum, with more entries and increasing recognition for councils and individuals contributing to social cohesion.

3. Accreditation: 

City of Darebin (VIC) became the first council to achieve Excelling Accreditation. Although there was only one application submitted in 2024, there is strong interest in accreditation in 2025.

4. International Engagement:  

• Welcoming Cities launched an international networking program for members, two Australian councils connected with counterparts in the USA.  
• NSW Coordinator Turkan Aksoy represented Welcoming Cities at the Welcoming Communities (NZ) Hui.
• We continued our regular engagement with Welcoming international. 

From 2020 to June 2024, including the challenging COVID-19 years, these programs:   

– Directly supported over 657 children and young people with disabilities.   
– Engaged 416 family members, providing them with meaningful benefits.   
– Enabled 48 staff and volunteers with disabilities to contribute to program delivery.   
– Indirectly benefited over 990 family members through their children’s participation.   

The Active Inclusion Clubs Mentor Project facilitated the creation of seven local inclusion programs in partnership with community clubs. In late June, as we began wrapping up these programs, we received unexpected but welcome news: a 12-month extension for Welcome to the Game. We are immensely grateful to our community partners, councils, and clubs for their unwavering support and look forward to continuing this work into the first half of 2025.   

Queensland Reactivation   

Welcoming Clubs was founded in Queensland in 2016, though recent years have focused more on Victoria and national initiatives. In 2024, we reignited our local Queensland approach through Clubs QLD, supported by a dedicated Queensland Clubs Coordinator. This effort has involved close collaboration with Queensland State Government, the Welcoming Cities team and local stakeholders in Townsville, Toowoomba, and Ipswich   

This reactivation underscores our commitment to fostering inclusive sports and recreation opportunities across Queensland communities.   

University of Melbourne STARS Anti Racism in Sport 

2024 marked the 4^th year of a continued alliance with the University of Melbourne STARS project. To date this partnership has supported the delivery of Active Inclusion and Upstander Anti-Racism Training to over 200 community sports clubs across Australia.  

In 2025 the partnership will announce the launch of the first ever Train the Trainer Upstander Accreditation Program. This groundbreaking program will endorse the first round of Upstander Trainers for sport and will be delivered through a combination of online modules and in person training. If you are interested in being part of this first training cohort connect with us here

Play Our Way Success   

We are thrilled to announce that our application to the Australian Government’s $200 million Play Our Way program was successful!  The Play Our Way program was established to promote equitable opportunities for women and girls to benefit from sport at all levels and locations, by addressing the barriers they experience when participating in sport and physical activity. 

The project focusses on but is not limited to women aged 30–55 from migrant and minority ethnic backgrounds who have had limited access to sports and physical activity. This includes those who may have lacked exposure to physical literacy or remained inactive due to responsibilities like childcare, injury, or illness.   

In April 2025, two place-based, community-led programs will launch in:   

– Dandenong   
– Hume/Brimbank  

Our consortium partnership, which includes eight key partners, is dedicated to increasing access and participation for this group:   

– African Women and Families Network   
– Preston Mosque and the Islamic Society of Victoria   
– Centre for Healing and Justice Through Sport   
– cohealth   
– Brimbank Council   
– Hume City Council   
– Greater Dandenong City   
– The University of Melbourne – STARS Project   

If your organisation is interested in contributing to this 2 year project, please connect with us through the Expression of Interest form here   

The project will enhance employer and community readiness through data-informed analysis and workforce mapping, promote cultural safety, and improve work visa architecture. By identifying strengths and gaps, the initiative aims to create a network of ’employers of choice’ and publicly celebrate innovative practices in inclusivity. 

“Everyone benefits when employers create workplaces that promote retention, upskilling, inclusive employment practices, and build community partnerships,” said Aleem Ali, CEO of Welcoming Australia. 

“Local businesses are essential stakeholders in a whole-of-community approach to economic participation and social cohesion.”  

If you are a business, job seeker, or job service provider interested in getting involved in this project, please contact Welcoming Australia at wrrp@welcoming.org.au to discuss how the team can support you. 

The Workplace Regional Readiness Pilot is funded by the Workforce Connect Fund, supported by the Queensland Government’s Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032. 

_______________________________________ENDS_______________ _______________________________

For more information, please contact: 
wrrp@welcoming.org.au
(07) 3160 3793
www.welcoming.org.au

For media enquiries, please contact: 
Kate Leaney 
Campaigns & Communications Manager 
kate@welcoming.org.au  
0411 712 930 

This exciting event is an opportunity for diverse audiences to learn about Yuggera language, heritage, identity, and belonging from respected Yuggera Elder, Aunty Kerry Charlton, and esteemed media makers Karina Hogan and Jenae Tien, who developed and produced the award-winning Bloodlines to Country podcast. 

This event brings together people from diverse backgrounds to reflect on the history of this place, the importance of truth telling and cultural understanding, to create connection and shared understanding.  

Taking place at the Queensland Museum – Kurilpa, at South Bank, a place where significant cultural and historic artefacts are held. This conversation will bring the past into the present, exploring the enduring legacy of language, of country, and of bloodlines in shaping identity. This important conversation is about knowing the story and the history of the place we now call home. 

“We felt so honoured to work with Aunty Kerry on this podcast, and love sharing it with new audiences and communities” explains Jenae Tien. “At a time when our nation is grappling with questions of identity and belonging, ‘Bloodlines to Country’ offers an opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect on the history of this place, and importance of reckoning with the past, telling the truth, and knowing the story of the place where you live”. 

The event reflects the 2024 Welcoming Week theme of #WhatBringsUsTogether, where guests are invited in a time of escalating global uncertainty and division to intentionally carve out moments to explore “What Brings Us Together”- over delicious food from FigJam & Co, shared conversation and deep listening and learning.  

This event will also include a Q&A session, allowing attendees to engage directly with the speakers. Media representatives are encouraged to attend for exclusive interview opportunities and to capture these compelling moments. 

Key Facts:

Welcoming Australia is thrilled to host the “Bloodlines to Country: In Conversation” event on Wednesday 11 September at the Queensland Museum, South Bank, Brisbane. 

This event will officially launch Welcoming Week in Queensland for 2024.

About us:

Welcoming Australia is a non-partisan movement and organisation committed to cultivating a culture of welcome and advancing an Australia where people of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to  belong, contribute and thrive.

Welcoming Week 2024: 13- 22 September
Through Welcoming Week, organisations and communities bring together neighbours of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of building welcoming and inclusive communities – for our shared future.

The 2024 Welcoming Week theme, #WhatBringsUsTogether, is a moment to consider and celebrate the work of advancing a welcoming Australia that happens in communities across the country every single day.

In a time of escalating global uncertainty and division, we believe it’s crucial to intentionally carve out moments to share “What Brings Us Together”.

Whether through shared meals, the camaraderie of sports, vibrant music celebrations, thought-provoking art exhibitions, intimate storytelling circles, enriching cultural exchanges, or meaningful community service projects, we look forward to seeing the creative ways you and your communities celebrate Welcoming Week.  

Let’s embark on a journey of exploration, focusing on what unites rather than divides us as we strive to build a more inclusive and compassionate world for all.

By bringing us together to celebrate our shared humanity, we can advance a more inclusive and welcoming Australia where everyone can belong, contribute, and thrive.

Learn more about Welcoming Cities at www.welcomingcities.org.au/. 

Learn more about Welcoming Week here: www.welcomingweek.org.au 

Learn more about Bloodlines to Country here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/bloodlines-to-country/id1697438861  

Contact details:

For further comment, to arrange a media pass for the event, or further information contact: 
 
Cate Gilpin 
Coordinator (Qld), Welcoming Cities 
Coordinator, Welcoming Universities 
Welcoming Australia 
0411 562 103 
cate@welcoming.org.au  

 
Kate Leaney 
Campaigns & Communications Manager 
Welcoming Australia 
kate@welcoming.org.au | 0411 712 930 
 
Aleem Ali 
CEO 
Welcoming Australia 
aleem@welcoming.org.au | 0400 917 756 

Intercultural Kommuniti Café Social; Tuesday 10th September, Clarkson Library
Intercultural Kommuniti Café is a place where people come to get to know their neighbours, and their neighbours, neighbours. They share stories, build relationships and support each other. The café is a model for social enterprise that is focused on creating connectedness and having a positive impact on and in the local community. Join the Welcoming Week Intercultural Kommuniti Cafe here

Journeys to Mandurah: Friday 13th September, The Mez Art Gallery (Mandurah Performing Arts Centre)
Mandurah’s diverse community takes centre stage at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. In this engaging exhibition, twelve community members from around the world share their stories of moving to Mandurah in this touching exhibition. This exhibition presents their recorded stories, alongside photographs and a special item, weaving a visual and auditory tapestry of the different journeys people take make their home in Mandurah. Check out the exhibition here

Welcoming at the Local Level; Monday 16th September, Hillview Intercultural Centre
Local Governments are on the frontline of welcoming newcomers to their community. They play an important role in connecting newcomers to information and supports, as well as building connected, inclusive and harmonious communities where everyone belongs. To celebrate Welcoming Week 2024, this forum will shine a spotlight on resources and programs that can support local governments to embrace their role in building welcome locally. Register your spot here

Long Table Lunch; Friday 20 September, Bull Creek Community Centre
The City of Melville and City of Cockburn would like to celebrate Welcoming Week by bringing communities together to share their culture and learn about other cultures. Bring along a plate of food that makes you feel like home! Find out more here

World Music Café; Friday 20th September, Peel Thunder Football Club
World Music Café is an amazing ‘dinner & show’ concert experience featuring quality culturally diverse musicians with a sumptuous banquet of international cuisine.

Featuring upbeat Parisian swing classics with Eastern flavour from Sino Swing, original music by respected Bindjareb elder George Walley, and high-energy, contemporary South African band Mahali. With the addition of a brilliant banquet from Swell Fine Food Catering, this will be a night to remember!
Find out more here

Celebrate Welcoming Week with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia: 13-22 September, event locations throughout the Greater Perth region

The Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia team is coming to Perth for a series of community events and celebrations as part of Welcoming Week 2024. Events are happening across the Greater Perth region in partnership with generous local organisations and community champions. These events will serve as a vibrant platform to celebrate and promote the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) program.

During Welcoming Week, we will highlight the remarkable achievements of groups who have warmly welcomed refugees through CRISP. This celebration is not just a reflection of past successes but also a call to action, aiming to mobilise new groups to join this transformative movement. This special week provides an unparalleled opportunity to showcase the spirit of inclusivity and the profound positive impact of community-led support for refugees in Western Australia. By bringing together diverse communities, we will demonstrate the strength of unity and the shared commitment to creating a welcoming Australia for all.
Find a CRSA Welcoming Week event near you here

This week, the City of Darebin was awarded the first Excelling Accreditation in the Welcoming Cities network.   

Welcoming Cities accreditation recognises the commitment local government organisations make to advancing inclusion in their community. The recognition of accreditation at the Excelling level highlights Council’s reputation as a sector leader in welcoming and inclusion practice, programs and initiatives. 

The City of Darebin has made that commitment to inclusion through:  

• becoming a member of Welcoming Cities in 2017  

• Key actions and contributions across all of council 

• benchmarking this process and becoming an accredited Welcoming City at the Excelling level, with an overall score of 4.7 out of a possible 5.   
   

This successful accreditation acknowledges the significant work of Council and the Darebin community to make the City more welcoming and inclusive. Achieving Excelling level both reflects and builds on the City’s commitments to being a welcoming city to all. These commitments include equitable access to services and facilities, safe and inclusive neighbourhoods, economic development opportunities, and respect for human rights for all people who live in and visit the city. It also provides an opportunity to plan for further improvement and change. 

Welcoming Australia’s CEO, Aleem Ali, congratulated Darebin City Council, the first to be awarded accreditation at the Excelling level. He said, 

“Darebin has a long-term approach to this work. They understand that welcoming and inclusion are about continuous engagement and learning, and we congratulate them on their success. Becoming the first council in Australia to be accredited at the Excelling level underlines their role as a leader in welcoming work in Australia.” 

Responding to the accreditation, City of Darebin Mayor, Councillor Susanne Newton, said, 

“I am so proud that Darebin is the first Council in Australia to be awarded ‘Excelling’ status in our Welcoming Cities accreditation. This reflects what I see every day in our community: a place where everyone can find their people, a place to call home and connect with community, whatever their background. This award acknowledges the commitment and significant work of Council and the Darebin community to build a truly inclusive and equitable City.  

We are fortunate in Darebin to be home to people from over 112 countries who speak more than 88 languages, and we are always striving to be a city where everyone feels welcome, respected and empowered to contribute to our wonderful community.” 

Welcoming Cities is a national network of cities, shires, towns and municipalities who are committed to an Australia where everyone can belong and participate in social, cultural, economic and civic life. Currently, 87 Local Councils are members of the Welcoming Cities network across Australia, representing almost 50% of Australia’s population.   

 Ends — 

Learn more about Welcoming Cities at www.welcomingcities.org.au/. 

Learn more about Welcoming Cities Accreditation here:  www.welcomingcities.org.au/accreditation/  

For further comment or information contact: 
 
Shannon Reid 
Corporate Communications Officer 
City of Darebin  
Shannon.Reid@darebin.vic.gov.au l 03 8470 8888  
 
Kate Leaney 
Campaigns & Communications Manager 
Welcoming Australia 
kate@welcoming.org.au | 0411 712 930 
 
Aleem Ali 
CEO 
Welcoming Australia 
aleem@welcoming.org.au | 0400 917 756