FECCA Conference 2017: 2M Empowering Multicultural Australia
‘Celebrate. Reflect. Advance: Challenges and Possibilities for Multicultural Australia’ was the theme. We trust the other attendees found last week’s FECCA Conference 2017 just as inspiring as we did. The Conference took place at the Darwin Convention and Exhibition Centre on the Wharf overlooking the Arafura Sea and drew a crowd of over 450 delegates keen to celebrate Australia’s CALD communities, reflect on where we are and want to go with Multicultural Australia, and advance to ensure diversity inclusion, reaching ethnic communities and empower the end user.
A big BRAVO to the FECCA Team for a successful event full of knowledge sharing, valuable insights, latest trends and fantastic networking.
Reaching diverse audiences happens in an ecosystem
Reaching diverse audiences including our new and emerging communities doesn’t happen if people work alone. It happens in an ecosystem. All of us are part of it and contribute to communicating with the mosaic of Multicultural Australia and its precious CALD communities.
From SBS to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, from the Department of Social Services, Digital Health, NAATI, Positive Partnerships to the Fair Work Ombudsman, just to name a few – everyone contributes.
FECCA Conference 2017 distinguished line-up
The Hon. Tony Burke, MP, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Australia made an inspirational start followed by Dr Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission. Kate Carnell AO, Australian Small Business Ombudsman spoke about the contribution of multiculturalism to growth and diversity in the Australian small business sector.
The FECCA Conference 2017 was preceded by a welcome reception hosted by the Northern Territory Government at Darwin Parliament House. The Conference Dinner at Sky City saw us all enjoying a famous tropical sunset over the Indian Ocean from Mindil Beach with SBS CEO Michael Ebeid AO as keynote speaker of the gala evening.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics put on an interesting breakfast workshop the next morning with stories from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing and how we all could have a say in how Australia can conduct a smoother and better Census in 2021. Interesting stats emerged on how we are losing our religion, and which community languages dropped or increased. Ask us for details!
Senator Richard di Natale, Leader of the Australian Greens, was the last keynote in the afternoon, followed by an engaging plenary penal discussion and conference close, after which the Chair of FECCA was handed to Mary Patetsos. Our best wishes and congratulations go to outgoing Chair Joe Caputo and outgoing Hon President Pino Migliorino for their fantastic work.
Empowering the End User
Our CEO Tea Dietterich presented on Monday morning in the language stream facilitated by NAATI CEO Mark Painting and accompanied by presentations from Northern Health Victoria, Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, SBS Radio, Vits, Multicultural NSW and Australian Multicultural Council. Tea’s presentation was all about empowering the end user and effective ways to reach our new & emerging communities. Messages that go out as recordings or video content are easier absorbed and taken in, especially when the languages are oral, or the audience is illiterate. Audio translations are an easy and powerful way for us to make sure that the vulnerable receive the information they require and that CALD communities have access to essential legal and medical facts, as shown in our case studies.
2M CEO Tea Dietterich presenting on reaching multicultural audiences
The 2M team handles over 200 languages and we love to working with the many organisations active in the Multicultural Australia sector to ensure their messages get across to Australia’s diverse audiences.
We can empower the End User together, contact us.
Tea Dietterich and Susanne Creak
