I respectfully acknowledge and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters where we live, learn and work. I also want to acknowledge the important role of Elders past and present, for they hold the memories of the traditions, cultures and aspirations of Australia’s First Nations peoples, and have taken on the responsibility to protect and promote their culture and leave a legacy for future Elders and leaders.
I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year, especially our friends and members who will be celebrating Lunar New Year.
Advocacy and policy change for a more equitable Queensland for our Multicultural Communities is my priority for 2022. The pandemic has highlighted the inequalities in all systems from health and disability, to education and domestic violence. Now is the time for your voices to be raised and heard and change to be made.
We have started the year strong by investing in a Senior Policy Officer who will be supporting you with this work. At the 2021 AGM I heard that advocacy for youth and women are the areas you would like to see prioritised.
We will be reaching out to members throughout the year for personal meetings to hear directly from you about you and your communities’ challenges and concerns.
I encourage you to reach out to us also when there is an injustice or issue that is close to your heart and you want to see change.
ECCQ’s Members Meetings are a place where we can celebrate culture and diversity, and for us to understand the inequity and discrimination that you experience. I want to hear from you on what you would like to see at the 2022 Members Meetings. You can reach us at advocacy@eccq.com.au at any time to share your communities challenges and concerns, and to provide your insights into these meetings.
As COVID case numbers escalate and Queensland truly feels the impact of the pandemic, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the lives that have been lost. I send my sympathies to the families and communities of those affected.
The social and economic repercussions of COVID-19 locally and globally will be felt for years, and our migrant and refugee communities have shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of multiple hardships in the first two years on the pandemic. I implore you to draw on these strengths as we continue into the third year.
I welcome all the new Australians who received their citizenship at the Australia Day Ceremonies last week. We are honoured to welcome you as citizens and join us in upholding Australia’s values of freedom, democracy, equality and respect.
As Australian citizens, you have the right to vote, to stand for public office, and to travel on an Australian passport as ambassadors for Australia. Your right to participate in the political process enables you to make a greater contribution to the social and economic life of this country. You are encouraged to seize the opportunity to fully participate in the direction Australia takes through participating in the democratic process. We are expecting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call the federal election in the coming months. Please see more information in our newsletter on how to enrol to vote and make sure your vote counts.
We have recently launched a new website for our residential aged care facility, Berlasco Court. Further updates will be made in the coming months. Click here to view the website.
