International Unity in Diversity Conference
In today's global community, diversity issues touch everyone at every level. However the current Australian political shifts have undermined diversity issues at the level of policy and resource allocation. These transformative times, marked by international economic and population issues, have the potential to generate positive energy, new and innovative thinking or can prove to be counterproductive, creating negativity and discrimination. The capacity of a society to harness the positive effects of diversity is dependent on our attitude, knowledge and policy direction at the level of leadership.
Now in its fourth year, the International Unity in Diversity Conference has adopted the theme of Media Marginality and Diversity to bring to light and scrutinize the way traditional and new media and policy engaged with diversity issues. In this year's conference we seek to expand these themes to encompass the challenges of diversity and marginality within the age care, disability, mental health, youth and indigenous sectors.
With the help of a Steering Committee made up of leaders and practitioners from the education, community and business fields, this program has been designed to highlight speakers, panels and networking opportunities to enhance diversity, culture and social cohesion and the crucial role of media within the overall diversity sector.
This conference seeks to bring diverse interest groups together to discuss emerging challenges and approaches in:
- Communication across cultural and ideological barriers and how it affects service delivery and policy
- The challenge of funding and availability of resources for the migrant settlement services
- How levels of governments can be culturally inclusive and how diversity fits into the Federal government's Social Inclusion Agenda
- The role of media in influencing public opinion and policy issues
- Health and well-being in culturally diverse and Indigenous communities
- Cultural and Environmental Sustainability in the Pacific
- Absence of multiculturalism and diversity issues from the policy agenda
- Youth issues and mental health challenges - leading the future
- The aged care sector and marginality
- Diversity and disabilities services and common grounds with the diversity sector with respect to marginality and resource allocation
Who should attend?
This conference is suitable for all managers, directors, professionals, business leaders and multicultural stakeholders, with a particular interest for people involved in marginal sectors and whose operation is effected by the media including:
- Government
- Educational institutions
- Community, cultural and religious organisations
- Community and residential aged care services
- Mental health services
- Migrant settlement professionals
