download PDF (2.4MB) - Centre for Multicultural Youth

Centre for
Multicultural Youth
Annual Report 2009–2010

Her Excellency
Ms Quentin Bryce, AC
Our Patron-In-Chief
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
BA. LLB (Qld). Hon LLD (Macquarie). Hon DLitt (Charles Sturt). Hon DUniv (Griffith). Hon DU (QUT).
Hon LLD (Qld). Hon DUniv (JCU), Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) (Syd).
Quentin Bryce was born in Brisbane in 1942 and spent her early years in Ilfracombe, a small town in Central
Western Queensland. In 1965, she graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws
from The University of Queensland and, in the same year, was admitted to the Queensland Bar. She has since
enjoyed a rich and distinguished career as an academic, lawyer, community and human rights advocate, senior
public officer, university college principal, and vice-regal representative in Queensland, and now Australia.

Chair’s statement
Dr. Hass Dellal OAM
This has been an extraordinary
year for the Centre for
Multicultural Youth (CMY),
full of new developments
and opportunities for the
organisation and the young
people we work with.
One of the highlights of our year was to welcome
the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of
Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC
as Patron-in-Chief of the Centre for Multicultural
Youth. We are truly fortunate that a person of such
standing, commitment, knowledge and experience
has chosen to become so closely associated with
the issues and opportunities that young people
from diverse cultural backgrounds face in Australia.
The Governor-General has expressed a keen interest
in hearing directly from our young volunteers.
We are currently working on an event for 2011 to
celebrate their achievements with Her Excellency.
We have concentrated much of our efforts over the
past year to further consolidate our governance
structures so that we can set ambitious targets
within our next strategic plan. We have invested in
our human resource, office management, marketing
and communications functions so that our staff
on the ground are better supported to deliver their
essential services and our stakeholders are better
informed of our progress. We are also working hard
to engage new partners from both the philanthropic
and corporate sectors, as we raise their consciousness
of what needs to be done. This has only been
possible through the tremendous commitment and
energy of our board, the CEO, Carmel Guerra, the
management team and staff who have been so willing
to openly share their insights and expertise with
each other. I want to particularly acknowledge the
hard work of Jeanette Ward as Chair of the Finance
Committee and Kirsten Pilatti as Chair of the Marketing
and Communications Committee.
On behalf of the board of management I would
like to take this opportunity to re-iterate CMY’s
commitment to ensuring bi-partisan support for a
multicultural Australia. In a world that is showing
worrying signs of retreating from the strengths and
opportunities presented by diversity, Victoria is a
shining example of how young people from many
cultures can receive the support they need and
take advantage of the opportunities to belong and
contribute to strong, vibrant communities.
One of our key organisational strengths is our ability
to forge lasting partnerships with a vast array
of stakeholders from many sectors. I would like to
express my sincere thanks to all of our community
and corporate partners, sponsors and supporters,
particularly the Victorian and Federal Governments
for their commitment to our important work. Finally,
I once again wish to thank our patron, board
of management and CEO, staff and the many volunteers
for striving to achieve better outcomes for
refugee and migrant young people.
Dr. Hass Dellal OAM
CMY Chair

CEO’s report
CMY remains at the forefront of
supporting and advocating for the needs
of young people from refugee and
migrant backgrounds.
When I hear one of our young participants say
“CMY will actually listen to your opinions”, I know
we are on the right track. We ask young people to
imagine what kind of Australia they want to live in
and then challenge them to build that future. It is
only through our relationships with them and their
communities that we can offer informed advice
to service providers and local, state and national
decision makers.
| CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
Carmel Guerra
We now have over 50 staff and 800 volunteers delivering
programs to over 2500 young people and
their families in the three most culturally diverse
and fastest growing metropolitan regions of Melbourne.
Our youth participation programs continue
to demonstrate best practice to the multicultural
and youth sectors. We also provide essential support
to some of the most disadvantaged migrant
and refugee young people in our community. By
focusing on their strengths and capacities, we can
connect them with the broader community and the
opportunities Australia has to offer.
Our leadership is increasingly required at a national
level. This year we secured funding from the Department
of Immigration and Citizenship to facilitate
the establishment of the National Multicultural Youth
Advisory Network (NMYAN) and to assist with capacity
building activities in each of the states and territories.
We are also starting to establish links internationally.
We hosted an interreligious dialogue youth
forum for UNESCO as part of the Parliament of the
World’s Religions held in Melbourne in 2009. We
also contributed to a review of the Australian Cultural
Orientation Program (AUSCO) for its relevance
to young people.
It almost seems immaterial to state how important
sport and recreation can be in building community
connectedness and social inclusion. However, this
has not always been the case. Over the last decade,
CMY has focused an enormous amount of energy
and hard work to build the capacity of the sports
sector to work more effectively with our multicultural
communities. Whilst it is important to recognise
this significant progress, we know that we still
have much work to do to ensure that all sports offer
welcoming environments for all our young people.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
previous Federal Minister for Immigration, Senator
Chris Evans and Parliamentary Secretary Laurie Ferguson
for their support of CMY and the national network,
NMYAN. We welcome the new Minister Chris Bowen
and the Parliamentary Secretary Kate Lundy to this
portfolio and look forward to working with them over
the coming year. We also acknowledge the ongoing
support of the state government, and especially the
Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, and
the Minister assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs,
the Hon James Merlino.
I would like to thank the Board of Directors for their
support and guidance, the passionate and professional
staff at CMY, and the hundreds of volunteers
who give their time so generously. Finally, I want
to recognise how privileged we are to work with so
many amazing young people who are playing their
role in shaping a truly multicultural Australia.
Carmel Guerra
CMY Chief Executive Officer

About CMY
The Centre for Multicultural Youth is a community based
organisation that provides services to and advocates for
the needs of young people from migrant and refugee
backgrounds.
Our mission
To influence both the social policy agenda and
the social services network in Australia to ensure
that young people from diverse cultural back-
grounds have every opportunity to succeed in
Australian society.
Our clients
We work with young people from diverse cultural
backgrounds. We focus on migrant and refugee
young people 12–25 years old with a particular pri-
ority on those that are newly arrived to Australia
(up to seven years in the country).
Our principles
Human Rights
We believe that upholding the rights of young
people from refugee and migrant backgrounds is
fundamental to a fair and cohesive Australia.
Diversity
We believe that difference is a strength, not a
weakness. We are committed to encouraging and
promoting belonging and respect for difference
in all its forms. We believe that multiculturalism
underpins, strengthens and promotes diversity.
Participation
We believe that meaningful change is best cre-
ated through the participation and engagement
of migrant and refugee young people in decision-
making and leadership.

Our Approach
Young people are at the centre of what we do.
What we learn from them helps us develop
stronger communities, support other service
providers and lead positive change at local,
state and national levels.
Our impact 2009-2010
l We provided opportunities for over 800 volunteers
to work with refugee and migrant young people.
l Our Carlton, Broadmeadows, Dandenong and
Sunshine offices served some of the fastest growing
and most diverse communities in Victoria.
l Our case workers provided intensive one-to-one
support to over 200 newly arrived young people
(and their families) that are most at risk of homelessness
in Victoria.
l The YRIPP program helped nearly 2000 young
people in custody at 108 of the busiest police stations
across Victoria.
l The Learning Beyond the Bell program supported
over 200 homework clubs with training and resource
development.
| CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
What we learn on the
ground helps us provide
expert advice
WORKING
WITH
DECISION MAKERS
Informing and
influencing key policy
outcomes
WORKING
WITH
RESEARCHERS
Partnering with key research
centres to document the
issues facing our young
people
l We delivered culturally appropriate projects that
encouraged participation and leadership to approximately
2000 young people from over 30 countries.
l We provided training, development, resources,
advice and research to over 300 organisations
across Australia.
l We coordinated a national approach to issues
faced by diverse young people through the National
Multicultural Youth Advisory Network (NMYAN).
Young
people from
diverse cultural
backgrounds
Our partnerships deliver better
outcomes for young people
and their communities
WORKING
WITH YOUNG
PEOPLE
Providing direct support
for those most in need and
opportunities for those
wanting to make a
difference
WORKING
WITH OTHER
SERVICES
Sharing our knowledge
and partnering with other
organisations for greater
impact
Our extensive networks
allow us to have a broad
influence
What we learn from
young people informs
all aspects of our work

Working with young people
Providing direct support for those most in need and
opportunities for those wanting to make a difference
Help and support for the vulnerable
Some of the young people we work with face a number of difficult challenges as they try
to settle in Australia. Conflict with family, risk of homelessness and problems at school are
often combined with sadness, loss and loneliness. We start where the young person is at,
we focus on their strengths and capacities and we build trust and understanding.
By supporting young people to connect with family, community and broader society, we
help them build positive lives in Australia.
Reconnect-NAYS
As a Newly Arrived and Refugee Youth Specialist
(NAYS) Reconnect provider, we support young people
aged 12 to 21 year and their families. We focus
on people who are on humanitarian and family visas
and are homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Reconnect
breaks the cycle of homelessness by intervening
early with counselling, group work, mediation
and practical support to the whole family.
Over the past year our team of committed and
passionate case workers provided support to 166
young people in the north west and south east
of Melbourne. We also provided intensive case
work support to four young people as part of the
Department of Immigration and Citizenship funded
Complex Case Support Program.
| CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
NAYSS and Reconnect-NAYS
lead provider
We have been the lead provider for the National
Newly Arrived Youth Support Services (NAYSS) Program
since its inception. In this role we supported
and resourced 14 services nationwide that work
(often in isolation) with newly arrived young people
who are at risk of homelessness. We used a range
of communication strategies including case conferences,
website resources, a bi-monthly newsletter
and regular phone contact to discuss practice
challenges and facilitate the sharing of information
and knowledge. This work has resulted in a stronger,
more connected and knowledgeable network across
Australia. In July 2009 the NAYS services transitioned
to Reconnect–Newly Arrived Youth Specialists, and
in June 2010 the lead provider role ceased.
“It’s very important to hear about what
others in the field are doing and be able to
workshop strategies.”
Reconnect provider
“When I had walked into the CMY office I
was a lost person and had no hope. CMY
was my only option for hope and thanks
God that I found hope and support from the
worker. Not only that—I’m now moving on
with my life taking my first step forward—
like a child who is learning to walk for the
first time or standing for the first time.
And I’m doing this with the support of CMY
coz’ I know when I fall down or take the
wrong foot forward CMY will be there to
hold my hand supporting me emotionally
and the most important TRUSTING myself
and finding hope again.”
Abouk, Reconnect client

Countries of origin
of Reconnect clients
(CMY 2009–2010)
CAMBODIA, LIBERIA BURUNDI,
VIETNAM, TURKEY, SAMOA, RWANDA,
NEPAL, IRAN, BHUTAN, CHAD, BOSNIA
SUDAN
ETHIOPIA
AFGHANISTAN
IRAQ
SOMALIA
BURMA
ERETRIA
“My name is Dominic and I came from Sudan. I lived in Australia for few years. Before coming
to Australia, I was a refugee in Kenya. I move to Melbourne in 2004 but before that I use to
live in Darwin (NT). I move to Melbourne because I have more family members here than in
Darwin. I start getting involved with CMY programs last year through the young African men
project which I first heard about from Girma Seid.
The program is good for young people who do not go to school or do not have a job. It gives
them information about things they can do such as training and also tell them about different
services where they can get help.
A few months ago we participated in the Youthtube program which teaches us about video
editing, camera and software skills to create web design and video streaming.
CMY supports young people from refugee and migrant background in so many ways. The
work they are doing is important for young people to have their say about things that affect
them. Young people have to be listened to what they have to say and this is what CMY is
doing. CMY made me realise that I could actually make a difference in the community. “
Dominic, CMY participant
50
40
30
20
10
0
*
Refugee support in schools
We have partnered with Hallam Secondary College to
deliver a pilot program to improve refugee young people’s
experience of transition to mainstream schooling
and to enable them to stay at school and do well.
A CMY Refugee Student Support Worker is based at
the College two days a week and provides individual
and group help to students, support in ESL classes,
and has input into school systems regarding the needs
of refugee young people. The outcomes to date have
been extremely positive, with staff and students identifying
an improvement in refugee young people’s
relations with teachers and peers.
Brimbank Young Men’s Project
This innovative pilot project targets young men from
diverse African backgrounds who are experiencing
significant difficulties with settling in Australia. They
are disengaged (or at high risk of being disengaged)
from education, training, employment, family and
community and often have had contact with the police.
The challenges are significant, but by building
trust and understanding and with the help of multiple
partnerships in the north western region, we are
making a difference.
The program has engaged over 40 young men, of
which seven have re-entered training and education,
and another three have returned to their families. For
all the young men there has been an improvement
in relations with community and police and they are
beginning to discover their strengths and abilities
alongside a sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Creating opportunities for young people
We are committed to young people having every opportunity to develop skills and lead
change in their communities. We use a range of engagement strategies including arts,
sports, leadership training and mentoring as a means to building the capacity of young
people to realise their vision for change.
Building Relationships and Initiating
Change (BRIC)
This mentoring program supports young people
from diverse communities to establish youth groups
and youth-led initiatives. Currently based in Melbourne’s
west, the groups include Youth Victoria, Victorian
Young Somalis Network, East Timorese Youth
Association, HOPE (Honesty, Obedience, Peace &
Equality) and K3.
Successful outcomes include a community entertainment
night, a youth forum, a soccer group and
the establishment of a musical band. Some groups
have also spent time developing their governance
and structure. This year, over 30 young people have
developed skills and confidence in establishing
groups and working with their mentors to achieve
their goals.
10 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
“I’m Menasik and I am Sudanese (Shillok and Dinka). I have lived in many countries including
Yemen and Sudan, and I can speak Arabic and I am Muslim. CMY came to my school for the
leadership program and I was one of the multicultural students selected to participate.
In the leadership program I organised three youth-led projects including a multicultural youth
camp, a multicultural fashion show and an anti-racism youth forum. I also did presentations at
forums in the city and in Ballarat with CMY, talking about issues facing young people and what
young people can do to tackle these issues.
CMY has taught me many needed skills like team building skills, working together and
understanding each other. I’ve also learnt communicating skills and public speaking, which
I believe will help me later on in the years as I plan to study psychology or nursing, maybe
perhaps become a doctor.
I believe that CMY focuses on teaching young people many needed skills that would be
helpful in their futures. CMY is a place and people that will actually listen to your opinions;
and that is so important.”
Menasik – CMY project participant

Ucan2
Now in its third year, this program continues to go
from strength to strength. In partnership with Foundation
House and AMES, Ucan2 aims to increase
social, education, training and employment opportunities
for young people from refugee backgrounds
during their first fifteen months of resettlement in
Australia. Last year we engaged volunteers to work
with 200 young people to develop the skills and
knowledge needed to negotiate Australian culture,
work and education systems.
Through connecting with volunteers, the young
people increase their social networks, enhance confidence
in communicating with others, improve their
language skills and have fun. This in turn increases
their general health and wellbeing and their capacity
to settle well in Australia.
Multicultural Leaders in Sustainability
This innovative program provided young migrants
and refugees with the leadership skills they need to
help their communities live more sustainably. Delivered
in partnership with Environment Victoria, participants
completed a four month training program
before running their own sustainability projects.
Seventeen Karen, Karenni, Chad, Sudanese, Vietnamese,
Ethiopian and Burmese young people from
Brimbank took part this year. Our multicultural
leaders had a positive impact on the environment
by organising a tree planting day for local residents
at the Kororoit Creek Escarpment. They also delivered
the ‘Water: it’s our life’ project for people who
wanted to learn about saving water and see where
their water was coming from.
Successful graduates are awarded the Certificate I
in Active Volunteering, which helps them on their
path towards further study or employment.
“It’s so much fun! I love getting to know
the students and learning more about their
experiences, it’s so rewarding and I feel like
I am making a difference.”
Ucan2 volunteer
“I made friends, learned a lot of skills and it’s
given me a really big confidence boost and
also more belief in myself, that I can actually
do something to make a change, even if it’s
just something as little as making people smile.
I was part of something where I could actually
make a difference in the community.”
Cynthia – CMY project participant

Voices of Young Australians:
Uniting for Social Cohesion
Through this initiative we connected diverse young people
from a range of schools, to develop strategies to address
discrimination in their local areas. The program provided
leadership training to young people (refugee, migrant and
Australia-born) who would not otherwise come together.
We supported them to develop projects that promote respect
and understanding between all Australians.
Over 40 young people in the Shire of Melton developed their
confidence, leadership and project management skills whilst
developing relationships and broadening their personal and
professional networks. They delivered an exciting and varied
array of projects aimed at building understanding and
combating discrimination; these included the Multicultural
World Cup, the Culture Shock Festival and the Expose Oppose
and Conquer Youth Forum.
Youth Statewide Forums
Over these twelve months we have delivered three youth
statewide forums on issues facing young people. The topics
have been around racism, young people and violence,
and education and employment pathways. The forums are
always very well attended and an ideal way for young people
to add their voice to the debate.
Short Burst Training
This training series is designed to assist young people (between
12 and 25 years of age) from refugee and migrant
backgrounds who are involved in youth groups and/or
youth-led initiatives. The modules cover topics including
leadership, fundraising, project management, media and
team building. Delivered with young people as peer facilitators,
the training is free for all young people to attend.
12 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
Say hello to Ilz
Project Officer with our Youth
Participation Team
“My name is Ilz and I am a social worker, a music
lover, a shopaholic and sports fanatic (not
necessarily in that order). I also have a real
passion for social justice, working with young
people and the issues affecting them. I came
across a job vacancy at CMY just before I completed
my Social Work degree. I always knew I
wanted to work with young people, specifically
young people from diverse backgrounds and I
was thrilled to be given the chance to work at
CMY. I’ve worked on a range of projects in the
past twelve months, all with a unique way of
connecting with young people.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with young people who learned about looking after the environment
of their new home and I’ve been amazed by the artistic creativity of young Afghani men on an arts
project. I’m currently working on Ucan2 and really enjoy seeing the relationships between the young
people and the volunteer mentors grow week by week.
Yes, it can be challenging and hard work but to have the opportunity to watch young people grow in
confidence, whether it be participating in a new activity or after completing a leadership program is
well worth it.”

Cloaks of Many Cultures
We recognise that the arts are a unique vehicle for
building connections and community strengthening
amongst refugee and migrant communities. For this
arts project we partnered with the National Gallery
of Victoria (NGV) to address a recognised lack of access
to the arts for multicultural young people in
the City of Hume. Over a period of three months,
20 young women aged 15-20 who had a passion for
the arts took part in weekly art making workshops
and exhibition viewings.
The young women worked with high profile artists
and arts professionals to share their cultural heritage,
investigate a number of visual arts mediums
and perhaps most importantly develop a sense of
belonging and connection to their community and
beyond. Participants enjoyed access to the city and
its many galleries, greater creative confidence and
new friends and networks. The project culminated in
a successful public exhibition of work produced during
the workshops at the Global Learning Centre.
Home Lands
This three year multimedia project uses technology
to connect young Karen and Sudanese of a refugee
background living in Melbourne with young people
in their home lands and other diaspora communities.
Young people in Australia and overseas created
digital productions with entry-level digital tools
and communicated regularly. Not only did they gain
technical skills, they also explored and developed
their creativity and used it to make sense of the
issues they faced.
On 26 June 2010 Home Lands celebrated its first
public screening during Melbourne Federation
Square’s The Light in Winter. Short digital stories
and video screenings made by the young people
were accompanied by a live Skype to Thailand and
musical performances by Melbourne participants.
Multicultural Arts Project
In partnership with the Australian Centre for
Contemporary Art, CMY supported young people
who had been in Australia for less then five years
to participate in a series of arts workshops (dance,
theatre and visual arts) and arts activities (art exhibitions,
theatre) over four Saturdays. All activities
took place at the ACCA/Malthouse/Chunky Move
arts precinct in South Melbourne. Young participants
gained hands on experience of a broad
range of art forms, greater awareness of the arts
in Australia and access to one of Melbourne’s most
vibrant arts precincts.
Stand Up Rights
This project brought together young people from
the city of Melton to learn how to use comedy to
highlight human rights issues. With support from
professional comedians and advocates from Youth-
Law, participants formed a production team and
learnt about script writing, directing, performing,
promotion and event management. Once they have
completed their training they present their performances
to local secondary colleges and community
events. Alongside training and hands on experience,
our budding comedians gain confidence, knowledge
about their rights and the skills on how to advocate
on behalf of themselves and their communities.
“Projects and programs like Cloaks
are sweet spots and the irreplaceable
gems of brilliance as you see
the transformative effects of the
profoundness of human endeavour.”
Gina Panebianco, Head of Education
and Programs at the NGV

Working with other services
Sharing our knowledge and partnering
with other organisations for greater impact
We provide extensive support to community and government organisations from
a wide range of sectors. Our capacity building and sector development services
include regional network meetings and forums, professional development, secondary
consultations and specialist advice to workers and organisations.
Learning Beyond the Bell (LBB)
This program builds the capacity of Out of School
Hours Learning Support Programs (OSHLSPs) in order
to increase the connectedness of young people from
refugee and migrant backgrounds to school and the
community, and to improve attitudes to learning.
This year LBB provided support to around 211 OSHLSPs
and others supporting homework programs. Approximately
6,220 primary and secondary school
students across north, west and south east metropolitan
Melbourne, as well as in some rural areas,
benefited as a result.
1 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
Key achievements include:
l referred 176 volunteer tutors to 62 OSHLSPs
l trained 326 volunteer tutors in topics such as
working with refugee young people, creating a
positive learning environment and literacy development
l developed and distributed three tutor newsletters
to 668 volunteers and 25 editions of LBB enews
to 543 stakeholders
l delivered five professional development sessions
to 169 OSHLSP coordinators and others associated
with homework programs
l held the first ever state-wide LBB Forum for 120
OSHLSP stakeholders
l facilitated 12 regional meetings to promote networking
and resource sharing amongst OSHLSP coordinators,
schools and other stakeholders in the
north, west and south east metropolitan regions.
“I was informed about the homework club
program held in Epping, with nothing to
lose, I went to a session without any expectations,
as I had lost all hope, and to my
amazement, I was already looking forward
for the next session.
Whittlesea Community Connections had
really brought the light to my fading selfconfidence.
With great tutors, and a compassionate
organiser, I was on my way of
accomplishing my hope and dreams. I was
soon able to confront my fears of failure,
and work towards success.
I without doubt, without exaggeration,
would recommend such homework clubs
to all students; it brought back my motivation,
and my confidence, that itself speaks
many levels.”
Female student speaking at
LBB Forum, April 2010

Youth Referral and Independent
Person Program (YRIPP)
Now in its seventh year, YRIPP trains and supports
volunteer ‘Independent Persons’ to support young
people through interviews with the police where a
parent or guardian is unavailable. Independent Persons
provide support, information about legal rights
and referral options for young people in custody.
The program provides police with access to Independent
Persons 24/7, multilingual resources for
parents, and a free 24-hour legal advice line for
young people in custody.
YRIPP now has over 350 trained volunteers who
provide support to young people in over 100 of the
busiest police stations across Victoria. Each month,
we support over 240 young people through police
interviews with around a quarter coming from diverse
cultural backgrounds and another 10% from
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
This year YRIPP was awarded by Parents Without Partners Australia
for ’distinguished service to children’.
“Working with CMY and the YRIPP team is all
about supporting young people from many
different backgrounds in our communities, to
be and become our adults of tomorrow in a
multicultural society.
Why would you not want to help out in
volunteering for such an important role? It gives
me great pleasure to be one of many in a team
of volunteers that go out all hours of the day and
night. To be a support for our young people and
to let them know they are more than worthwhile.
Giving them tools to aid them towards a positive
outlook in life.
Maybe one day I will see one of them become
the Prime Minister of Australia. Dream big and it
may come true.
Last year a young man came up to me and asked
if I was Sharon Harris. This young man introduced
me to his wife and child and said:
‘I want to thank you for all the help you gave
me in showing me my life was worthwhile. I am
alive and very happy in my marriage in being a
father and husband’.
I went home and cried and thanked God I heard
from one. To me that was like receiving an Order
of Australia or a medal on Australia Day. Seeing
one life that became whole and fulfilled makes
what I do with CMY and YRIPP so rewarding. It is
worthwhile—these are very precious lives”.
Sharon King Harris, YRIPP volunteer

Sport and Recreation
We have long recognised that sport and recreation helps newly arrived young people
settle and connect with the broader community. Alongside health benefits, sport helps
develop new friendships, networks, leadership skills and team work.
Through funding from VicHealth and Sport and Recreation Victoria, we continue to lead
the way in assisting the sport and recreation sector with training, advice and support. In the
last year our sports team have worked with community partners to establish a number of
programs aimed at getting young people involved in sport.
1 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010

”It’s gratifying to hear how much sports
clubs, associations, councils and other
service providers value the work that CMY
has done to develop awareness of the
needs of newly arrived young people and
the barriers to their engagement.
The breadth of our resources, training and
project work really illustrates that we have
a lot to offer the ever-growing number of
organisations that are developing services
for multicultural young people.”
Sophie Dutertre, Sector Development
and Policy Coordinator
Casey Indoor Soccer Program
This 20 week program was run by CMY for the
Department of Human Services’ Refugee Minor
Program. The aim was to facilitate the participation
of young refugees in a mainstream sporting competition
in Cranbourne. The experience enabled the
young players to connect with one another, make
friends with players from the other teams and gain
an understanding of the way sport works in Australia.
The success and popularity of the program
has led to it being extended.
Ringwood Action Indoor Sports
Working in partnership with the Migrant Information
Centre and Ringwood Action Indoor Sports,
we developed a multicultural soccer tournament to
encourage newly arrived young people in the area
to compete in an after-school competition. Ten
boys’ teams and four girls’ teams (each consisting
of six players) competed and are now ready to join
a mainstream competition.
GR
This eight-week multi-sport program was offered
by clubs to local newly arrived migrants and refugees.
It aimed to familiarise participants with local
sports clubs and give them a taste of a number of
different sports they may not have tried (including
basketball, volleyball, netball, AFL and cricket). The
program was delivered by qualified coaches at venues
in Dandenong and Casey.
Multicultural Basketball Program
This Braybrook program recruited 28 young people
aged between 10–19 (15 boys and 13 girls). It is facilitated
by two young people from the community
who pass on the skills and knowledge they gained
through their own journey towards becoming elite
and professional basketball players. The program
prepared young people to join local existing competitions,
through the introduction of structured
and organised sessions, whilst also providing a social
and recreational time for all involved.
Young people involved come from a wide range of
backgrounds including: Sudanese, Liberian, Sierra
Leone and Vietnamese. The program was initially an
eight week pilot but has been so successful that it
will become an in-house multicultural community
program at the Rec West YMCA facility.
Good Practice Sports Forum
In June 2010, CMY held a special Refugee Week
sport forum called ‘Winning Tactics: Successful
projects involving young refugees and migrants in
sport’. The forum showcased programs that had
been successful in building relationships with local
newly arrived and refugee communities. Presentations
covered several sports: AFL, soccer, basketball,
and swimming, and ranged from basic life skills with
Lifesaving Victoria in Werribee to elite sport with
young men of Sudanese background playing college
basketball in the US.
One of the most successful aspects of the forum
was the opportunity for the sport and the community/settlement
sector to meet and talk about how
to better link newly arrived young people to sport
and recreation activities in their area.
“I enjoy playing with friends and
connecting with other people who
work and play at the centre.”
Latif from Team Afghan Pride

Sector Development
We provide extensive support to community and government organisations from a broad
range of sectors, assisting them to develop the knowledge and skills to more effectively
support migrant and refugee young people.
Training and professional development
In 2009–2010, we provided training on culturally
inclusive good practice to:
l Xavier College
l Boorondara Youth Services Provider Network
l Moreland Settlement Services Network
l RMIT first year students in Youth Affairs
l Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance (VYMA)
l Carers Victoria
l Red Cross volunteers
l DIAC Good Practice Forum
l School teachers in Dingley
l Graduate team of the Department of Human
Services (South East)
Working in local government areas
Our work in the last year has focused on the City of
Wyndham and the City of Maroondah. We brought
together agencies; helped develop local solutions
and shared learnings or practices that have been
successful elsewhere.
1 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
In Maroondah, this has led to more awareness of
the issues affecting newly arrived young people and
improved partnerships and coordination between
services to offer better services.
In Wyndham, we helped to establish a multicultural
youth group to give young people a voice,
and to support their advocacy to services about
their needs. It attracted up to 50 young people to
its monthly get-together, and provided a platform
for services to meet and hear young people. The
youth-led nature of this group has galvanised local
service providers to work with them to provide informed
solutions to the issues.
Statewide Multicultural Youth Issues
Network (SMYIN)
Linkages and partnerships between services are
the key to good outcomes for newly arrived young
people. To this end, we run three forums a year
for workers to share information, to increase their
knowledge of particular issues affecting newly arrived
young people, and to encourage joint solutions
and partnerships. In 2009–2010, these forums
were attended by more than 180 people.
The themes for the SMYIN were:
l Supporting young people from refugee backgrounds
in the context of family relationships:
Working out the implications for youth work practice.
l Transitions and Pathways in Education: which
way forward?
l A New Way Home: Experiences of homelessness
for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
These forums help to shape our policy work. For
example, a policy discussion paper on newly arrived
young people and homelessness was released and
we have formed a working group to inform our
advocacy work on this issue.

“It has definitely provided a nice platform to engage with services
who know about engaging refugee young people. Traditionally we
may have waited for the community to come to us so this has been a
really good learning curve and opportunity for us.
The network has definitely increased our connections to many
services... It has improved the idea of shared responsibility and
partnership in the region.”
Local agency worker

20 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
CASEY 72
WYNDHAM 86
BRIMBANK 115
HUME 131
CMY ACTIVITY
Reconnect Youth Services
Youth Programs
Sector Development
Sports Programs
Learning Beyond the Bell
YRIPP
HOBSONS BAY 21
MARIBYRNONG 37
MAROONDAH 56
GREATER DANDENONG 227
Top eight Melbourne LGAs where humanitarian youth
arrivals* settled in 2009–2010
* AGED 12–24

IRAN 62
ETHIOPIA 49
SRI LANKA 43
SOMALIA 42
LIBERIA 30
SUDAN 26
SIERRA LEONE 25
BHUTAN 22
INDONESIA 17
AFGHANISTAN 248
BURMA 211
IRAQ 107
THAILAND 65
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 15
PAKISTAN 14
GUINEA 14
UGANDA 12
NEPAL 12
BURUNDI 10
ERITREA 10
Top twenty countries of birth for humanitarian
youth arrivals* to Victoria 2009–2010
TOTAL
REGISTERED
YOUTH
ARRIVALS
110
* AGED 12–24

Working with research partners
Partnering with key research centres to
document the issues facing our young people
We partner with various universities to build our knowledge around young
people and the changing world in which they live. This evidence helps us
design programs that address contemporary challenges, create appropriate
opportunities and develop stronger communities.
Social networks, belonging and active
citizenship (2009–2012)
Commencing last year, this research project investigates
the role of formal (government and non-government
agencies) and informal (family and friends)
networks in creating a sense of belonging and active
participation. Together with our research partners,
we are collecting data across Victoria, NSW and
Queensland with a focus on young people from Pacific
Islander, African and Arabic speaking communities.
The project partners are Deakin University,
the University of Queensland and the Australian
Red Cross.
22 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
Diasporas and transnational linkages
(2009–2012)
We are, more than ever, connected across the
world through various means and through various
patterns of migration. This project is looking at the
role of Australian communities in facilitating links
and cultural and kinship ties with their countries
of origin. The partners are Victoria University, the
Victorian Multicultural Commission, the Australian
Vietnamese Women’s Welfare Association, the
Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia, CO.AS.IT
(Victoria and Western Australia), Italian/Australian
Welfare and Cultural Centre (Perth) and the Council
for International Trade and Commerce (SA).

Working with decision makers
Informing and influencing key policy outcomes
We use all the work we do with young people, service providers and
researchers to form coherent, robust and practical advice to decision
makers. Developing and influencing policy at local, state and national
government levels allows us to shape better outcomes for migrant and
refugee young people across Australia.
Our policy work in 2009-2010 has included participation in a range of local, state
and national advisory bodies and committees:
l Adult Migrant Education Program (AMEP)
and Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS)
Steering Committee
l Australian Government Refugee Resettlement
Advisory Council
l Centre for Women’s Health Gender & Society
Advisory Committee
l Centrelink National Multicultural
Reference Group
l Centrelink Victoria Multicultural
Advisory Committee
l Community Support Fund Community
Advisory Council (Vic)
l Office of Child Safety Commission -
Young People and Public Transport Sub-Committee
l Police and Community Multicultural
Advisory Committee
2 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
l Regional Youth Affairs Network (RYAN)
l Statewide Refugee and Minor
Program Reference Group
l Victorian Centrelink Multicultural
Advisory Committee
l Victorian Drug and Alcohol Prevention
Council (VDAPC)
l Victorian Legal Assistance Forum -
CALD Working Group
l Victorian Multicultural Commission
Advisory Council
l Victorian Settlement Consultative Committee
l Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Policy
Advisory Group
l Youth Justice Ministerial Roundtable
We have also submitted formal policy responses
to the following government inquiries:
l The Federal Inquiry into the impact of
violence on young Australians
l The Victorian Inquiry into Strategies to
Reduce Crimes against the Person
l The State Inquiry into Assaults in
Public Places
l The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy

National Connections
We have developed a reputation as a leader in facilitating
and driving change for migrant and refugee
young people across Australia. Our national networks
and engagement with states and territories
enable us to continue to lead the way on important
issues.
National Multicultural Youth Advocacy
Network (NMYAN)
The NMYAN was established in 2005 to advance the
rights and interests of migrant and newly arrived
young people. Auspiced by CMY, it is comprised of
representatives from each of Australia’s states and
territories who in turn represent state/territory
multicultural youth sector networks.
The NMYAN received two years of funding from
DIAC in July 2009 to:
i) consolidate its policy and advocacy work and
increase its profile as the national voice on multi-
cultural youth issues and
ii) deliver capacity building activities with multi-
cultural youth sector networks in each state and
territory.
The network has established a reference group
made up of representatives from the government
and non-government sectors to provide strategic
direction and advice. It was also elected onto the
Policy Advisory Council of the Australian Youth Affairs
Coalition.
International connections
Our national leadership position has led to fruitful
partnerships with international organisations seeking
to improve the lives of newly arrived young people of
refugee backgrounds.
UNESCO partnership
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO) is working to develop mutual
knowledge about religious traditions as part of its
interreligious dialogue program. We partnered with
UNESCO to deliver a workshop as part of the Parliament
of the World’s Religions held in Melbourne in
December 2009. Around 30 young delegates participated
in the “Reinforcing Youth Contribution to
Interreligious Dialogue” workshop. It gave them the
opportunity to present recommendations to UNESCO
about actively engaging and involving young people
in interreligious dialogue and action.
Working with AUSCO
In February 2010, we were asked by the International
Organisation for Migration to contribute to a review of
the Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) Program
for young people aged 12-18. The objective was to update
pre-departure orientation for young refugees so
that it reflected the issues affecting young migrants in
Australia. Our staff are well placed to understand these
challenges; some are from refugee backgrounds and
were able to reflect on their own experience of predeparture
orientation. The outcomes from the consultation
contributed to the re-shaping of the AUSCO
program for young people.

Concise
Financial Report
Directors’ Declaration
The directors of the Centre for Multicultural Youth
declare that the concise financial report of the
Centre for Multicultural Youth for the financial year
ended 30 June 2010, as set out below:
a) complies with Accounting Standard AASB 1039:
Concise Financial Reports; and
b) is an extract from the full financial report for
the year ended 30 June 2010 and has been derived
from and is consistent with the full financial
report of the Centre for Multicultural Youth.
This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution
of the Board of Directors.
Dr Bulent Hass Dellal OAM
Director
Dated this 28th day of September 2010
2 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
Basis of Preparation of the Concise
Financial Report
The Concise Financial Report is an extract for the
full financial report for the year ended 30 June 2010.
The Concise Financial Report has been prepared in
accordance with Accounting Standard AASB 1039:
Concise Financial Reports, and the Corporations
Act 2001.
The financial statements and other information included
in the Concise Financial Report are derived
from, and are consistent with, the full financial
report of the Centre for Multicultural Youth. The
Concise Financial Report cannot be expected to
provide as detailed an understanding of the financial
performance, financial position and financing
and investing activities of the Centre for Multicultural
Youth as the full financial report. A copy of the
full financial report and auditor’s report is available,
free of charge, from our website: www.cmy.net.au
The financial report of the Centre for Multicultural
Youth complies with all Australian equivalents to
International Financial Reporting Standards (AIFRS)
in their entirety. The presentation currency used in
this Concise Financial Report is Australian dollars.
Independent Audit Report
To the members of the Centre for Multicultural Youth
Report on the Concise Financial Report
The accompanying concise financial report of the
Centre for Multicultural Youth comprises the Statement
of Financial Position as at 30 June 2010, the
Statement of Comprehensive Income, Statement of
Cash Flows and the Statement of Changes in Equity
for the year ended on the date derived from the audited
financial report of the Centre for Multicultural
Youth for the year ended 30 June 2010. The concise
financial report does not contain all the disclosures
required by the Australian Accounting Standards.
The Directors Responsibility for the
Concise Financial Report
The Directors are responsible for the preparation
and presentation of the concise financial report in
accordance with Accounting Standard AASB 1039
Concise Financial Report and the Corporations Act
2001. This responsibility includes establishing and
maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation
of the concise financial report; selecting
and applying appropriate accounting policies; and
making accounting estimates that are reasonable in
the circumstances.

Auditor’s Responsibility
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained
is sufficient and appropriate to provide a
basis for our audit opinion.
Our procedures in respect to the concise financial
report included testing that the information in the
concise financial report is derived from, and is consistent
with, the financial report for the year, and
examination on a test basis, of evidence supporting
the amounts and other disclosures which were
not directly derived from the financial report for the
year. These procedures have been undertaken to
form an opinion whether, in all material respects, the
Concise Financial Report complies with Accounting
Standard AASB 1039 Concise Financial Reports.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Concise financial report based on our audit procedures.
We have conducted an independent audit, in
accordance with the Australia Auditing Standards, of
the financial report of the Centre for Multicultural
Youth for the year ended 30 June 2010. Our audit report
on the financial report for the year was signed on
28 September 2010 and was not subject to any
modification. The Australian Auditing Standards require
that we comply with relevant ethical requirements
relating to audit engagements and plan and
perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance
whether the financial report for the year is free
from material misstatement.
Independence
In conducting our audit, we have complied with
the independence requirements of the Corporations
Act 2001. We confirm that the independence
declaration required by the Corporations Act 2001,
provided to the directors of the Centre for Multicultural
Youth on 27 September 2010, would be in the
same terms if provided to the directors as at the
date of this auditor’s report.
Auditor’s Opinion
In our opinion, the concise financial report of the Centre
for Multicultural Youth for the year ended 30 June
2010 complies with Accounting Standard AASB 1039
Concise Financial Reports.
Haines Muir Hill Alan J Muir
Chartered Accountants Partner
Dated this 22nd day of November 2010
Statement of Comprehensive Income
For the year ended 30 June 2010
2010 2009
$ $
Revenue from
Ordinary Activities 4,447,003 3,837,561
Expenses from
Ordinary Activities
Employee Entitlements 2,711,005 2,459,789
Depreciation 21,731 21,727
Other Expenses
Total Expenses from
1,651,925 1,410,464
Ordinary Activities 4,384,661 3,891,980
Surplus/ (Deficit) from
Ordinary Activities 62,342 (54,419)
Statement of Changes in Equity
For the year ended 30 June 2010
RETAINED EARNINGS TOTAL
$ $
Balance at 1 July 2008 18,569 18,569
Earnings attributable
to the entity (54,419) (54,419)
Transfer of retained earnings
from Centre for Multicultural
Youth Issues 405,409 405,409
Total other comprehensive
income for the year — —
Balance at 30 June 2009 369,559 369,559
Earnings attributable
to the entity 62,342 62,342
Total other comprehensive
income for the year — —
Balance at 30 June 2010 431,901 431,901

CMY Funding
Sources
2009–2010
CMY Income
200 –2010
Thousands
of dollars
5000
500
000
3500
3000
2500
2000
Federal
State
Other
1500
1000
500
200
2005
2 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
200
2007 200 2009
2010
Statement of Financial Position
For the year ended 30 June 2010
2010 2009
$ $
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents 1,333,038 1,320,491
Trade and other receivables 276,940 210,675
Other current assets 27,418 52,000
Total Current Assets 1,637,396 1,583,166
Non-Current Assets
Property, plant and equipment 101,320 104,580
Intangibles 3,500 3,500
Total Non-Current Assets 104,820 108,080
Total Assets 1,742,217 1,691,246
Current Liabilities
Trade and other payables 264,521 268,169
Short-term provisions 215,146 154,432
Other current liabilities 788,405 844,500
Total Current Liabilities 1,268,072 1,267,101
Non-current Liabilities
Long-term provisions 42,244 54,586
Total Non-current Liabilities 42,244 54,586
Total Liabilities 1,310,316 1,321,687
Net Assets 431,901 369,559
Equity
Retained earnings 431,901 369,559
Total Equity 431,901 369,559
Statement of Cash Flows
For the year ended 30 June 2010
2010 2009
$ $
Cash Flows from
Operating Activities
Grants, donations and
other income received 4,234,151 4,441,481
Interest received
Payments to suppliers
64,041 36,405
and employees
Net cash provided by
(4,267,173) (3,446,786)
operating activities 31,019 1,031,100
Cash Flows from
Investing Activities
Purchase of property,
plant and equipment (18,472) (126,307)
Net cash provided by
investing activities (18,472) (126,307)
Cash Flows from
Financing Activities
Proceeds from transfer
of retained earnings — 405,408
Net cash provided by
financing activities — 405,408
Net increase in cash held 12,547 1,310,201
Cash at beginning of year 1,320,491 10,290
Cash at end of year 1,333,038 1,320,491

Thank you
Our success is built on an ability to forge excellent partnerships. Our supporters and partners are
as diverse as the young people we work with and we would not achieve what we do without
their commitment and openness. We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone that
contributes to the success of CMY including the amazing young people we work with.
Our major funders
City of Melbourne
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development (Victoria)
Department of Families, Housing, Community
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Services and Indigenous Affairs
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Department of Justice (Victoria)
Department of Planning and Community
Development – Office for Youth
Department of Planning and Community
Development – Sport and Recreation Victoria
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation
Newsboys Foundation
Scanlon Foundation
School Focused Youth Service
UNESCO
VicHealth
Victorian Multicultural Commission
Victoria Police
Our partners and friends
Adult Multicultural Education Services
African Holistic Social Services of Victoria
Australian Multicultural Foundation
Australian Red Cross Victoria
Banksia Gardens Community Centre
Casey Cardinia Community Legal Service
Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health
Centrelink
City of Brimbank Youth Services
City of Casey Youth Services
City of Greater Dandenong Youth Services
City of Hume Youth Services
City of Melbourne Youth Services
City of Mooney Valley Youth Services
City of Whittlesea Youth Services
City of Wyndham Youth Services
Crossroads Youth and Family Services
Darebin Community Legal Centre
Das West
Deakin University
Debney Park Secondary College
Dianella/Broadmeadows Health Service
Eastern Community Legal Centre
Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria
Environment Victoria
Federation of Community Legal Centres
Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils
of Australia
Foundation House
Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service
Hume Whittlesea Local Learning and
Employment Network
Hallam Secondary College
Hope Street Youth Refuge
Immigration Museum
Indigenous Sport and Recreation Program
(SRV/DPCD)
Iramoo Youth Refuge
Islamic Council of Victoria

Islamic Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria
Kildonan Child and Family Services
La Trobe University
Melbourne City Mission
Migrant Resource Centre Northwest
Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tasmania) Inc
Multicultural Youth Action Group, Dandenong
Multicultural Youth Affairs Network (ACT)
Multicultural Youth Northern Territory
Multicultural Youth South Australia Inc
National Gallery of Victoria
New Australian Media
NMIT/AMEP Consortium – Broadmeadows
Noble Park English Language School
Refugee Council of Australia
Refugee Minor Program (DHS)
Refugee Youth Services Network (WA)
Roxburgh Park Secondary College
Shire of Melton Youth Services
South East Centre Against Sexual Assault
South East Local Learning and Employment Network
South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre
South Sudanese Community Association
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Sport Education Victoria
Springers Leisure Centre
Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau
Swinburne University
30 | CMY Annual Report 2009–2010
UnitingCare Ballarat
UnitingCare Cutting Edge
University of Melbourne, Youth Research Centre
University of Queensland
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
Victorian Arabic Social Services
Victorian Co-op on Children’s Services for
Ethnic Communities
Victoria Legal Aid
Victoria Police
Victoria University
Visy Cares
WAYSS Ltd
Western Region Health Services
Western English Language School
Western Young Person’s Independent Network
Women’s Health in the South East
Youth Action & Policy Association (NSW) Inc
Youth Coalition of the ACT
Youth Affairs Council of Queensland
Youth Affairs Council of Victoria
Youth Affairs Network Queensland
Youthlaw
Our Patron, Board and Staff
Thank you to our patron, board and staff for all their
energy, passion and commitment throughout the year.
Patron-in-Chief
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Board of Directors
Dr Hass Dellal OAM: Chair
Executive Director,
Australian Multicultural Foundation
Jeanette Ward: Treasurer and Chair of
Finance Committee
Director,
Te Anau Consulting Pty Ltd
Paris Aristotle AM
Director,
Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc
(Foundation House)
Maree Davidson
Director,
Davidson Consulting Pty Ltd
Don Smarrelli OAM
Partner,
LawCorp Lawyers
Kirsten Pilatti: Chair of Marketing
and Communications Committee
National Communications and Marketing Manager,
Breast Cancer Network Australia
Sally James
Senior Manager,
Youth Transitions – Brotherhood of St Laurence

Get involved
There are numerous ways young people, investors, partners
and volunteers can help us support young people from diverse
cultural backgrounds.
Influence
We want to involve young people in improving our programs and influencing
how we work. We are inviting young people from a refugee or migrant
background between the ages of 16-25 to join a new and dynamic advisory
group of like minded people to work with us to make a real difference.
Volunteer
We currently have several opportunities for people who would like to work
directly with young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
Invest
We are currently seeking partners who want to invest in the future of CMY.
To find out more about the opportunities that exist please contact:
Stephen Torsi | E: storsi@cmy.net.au| T: 03 9340 3700
Stay informed
CMY publishes a bi-monthly e-newsletter that features up-to-date news
and information about events, resources, professional development
opportunities and forums relevant to the multicultural youth sector.
To find out more about these opportunities, visit
www.cmy.net.au/getinvolved

Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY)
CMY is a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status
ABN 82 127 444 713
304 Drummond St Carlton Vic 3053
Tel: (03) 9340 3700 / Fax: (03) 9349 3766
www.cmy.net.au
Published December 2010
© Centre for Multicultural Youth