This month, we’ve seen how important it is to stay connected, informed, and empowered. While challenges continue to affect our multicultural communities, what stands out most is our collective resilience and determination to advocate for an equitable Queensland.
At this month’s ECCQ Members Meeting, we focused on empowering our members to tell their own stories. Award-winning journalist Kirsty Nancarrow shared practical techniques for using mobile cameras as tools for advocacy ensuring your voices are heard and your experiences are seen. Now more than ever, these skills are essential as we continue to shape narratives that reflect the strength and diversity of our communities.
As we step into Queensland Seniors Month, I encourage us all to celebrate the invaluable contributions of older Queenslanders, especially our elders within multicultural communities. They carry rich cultural knowledge, lived experience, and wisdom that continue to shape and strengthen our society. In many cultures, elders are the keepers of tradition, language, and values, and their ongoing contributions deserve our deepest respect and recognition.
Only 32% of people over 65 are accessing aged care services. We’ve begun breaking down the stigma surrounding aged care in multicultural communities. Aged care isn’t about abandoning loved ones, it’s about providing respectful, culturally appropriate support that helps older people live with dignity and independence. Whether it’s in-home help, social outings, or safety modifications, aged care can complement family support and empower older people to stay connected and in control of their lives. We encourage families to start conversations early and explore the support available. Aged care is not about losing family, it’s about gaining the right support to live well, together.
Lastly, mental health remains one of ECCQ’s top advocacy priorities, an area our members identified as critical back in 2022. As we mark Queensland Mental Health Month this October, I encourage us all to continue advocating with purpose, compassion, and confidence. In our multicultural communities, every story told, and every voice raised helps break down stigma, strengthens understanding, and builds a stronger, more inclusive society where mental wellbeing is supported across all cultures and generations.
We welcome feedback via our policy paper here: Policy Paper: Mental Health Within Multicultural Communities Requires a Targeted and Holistic Approach / ECCQ Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland.
Sincerely,
Lisa Ward
Chief Executive Officer
