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African Leadership, Learning and Advocacy Group, Inc. |
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African Leadership, Learning and Advocacy Group, Inc. |
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ALLAG activities During the past year, ALLAG has been actively promoting the cause of the African diospara in Australia. Some of those activities have been:ALLAG engages with students: Our Executive Director, Dr André Renzaho was interviewed for the University of Queensland’s campus radio station JACradio. Dr Renzaho discusses the challenges facing African migrants to Australia and what the catalyst was to founding ALLAG.Television stations challenged over bias: ALLAG’s complaint against Channels 7, 9 and 10 was made following the inaccurate, biased and racially stereotyped reporting of purported “gang related” incidents on the news. The complaint to the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) was upheld and ACMA found that each of the channels breached clause 4.3.1. (to present factual material accurately) and that channel 9 and 10 also breached clause 4.4.1 (to present news fairly and impartially) of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2004. Executive Director’s report: Dr Renzaho reported to the ALLAG 1st Annual General Meeting on the progress and achievements during ALLAG’s start up period. African Cultural Integration and Harmony Initiative: Over the last two decades there have been a proliferation of African associations in Victoria, (more than 25 as of March 2009). Unfortunately, there is often intolerance within and across various African migrant associations, usually based on tribal affiliation and geographic demarcation in countries of origin. The aim for the African cultural integration and harmony initiative was to bring together African migrants from across Victoria, representatives from various African migrant associations, and service providers working with African migrants, to celebrate the richness of African culture. More than 50 people came together to enjoy a night of discussion, presentations and music. Interview with The Age: Four days after the “Angels' Voices Band” performance at the African Cultural Integration and Harmony Initiative, the Shepparton based performers were profiled in “The Age” newspaper and invited to repeat their performance. ALLAG’s event raised the awareness of how successful a disenfranchised and disempowered African community can become if given adequate support.Interview on 3RRR: Dr Renzaho was interviewed on radio 3 RRR following the interest generated by the Cultural Integration and Harmony Initiative. Spotlight on Stereotypes public forum: Dr Renzaho was a panellist discussing the topic “Multicultural Communities and the Media”. This Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria sponsored event brought together the media organisations (ABC and SBS) with prominent representatives of our multicultural Australia. The event was also discussed on ABC radio 774 with Red Symons, who interviewed panellist Indira Naidoo, as well as on SBS and the Arabic program on 3 ZZZ. The ECCV produced a DVD summarising these successes and including all the speeches and radio interviews. The CD was played on World Refugee Day (June 20th) by radio stations 3 ZZZ and 3 RRR. Interview on SBS: Following the ECCV workshop, the media response was huge. Dr Renzaho was interviewed by SBS to discuss the issues raised by the forum. ************************
African cultural integration and harmony initiative
ALLAG held the African Cultural Integration and Harmony consultation workshop, at Richmond Town Hall on Saturday 27 th March 2010.
Background Over the last two decades there has been a proliferation of African associations in Victoria, numbering more than 30 as of January 2010. Unfortunately, African migrants often do not get along, and there is intolerance within and across various African migrant associations, usually based on geographic demarcation in countries of origin. Objective The African cultural integration and harmony initiative seeks to bring together from across the state African migrants, representatives from various African migrant associations, and service providers working with African migrants, to celebrate the richness of African culture. The event also promoted cultural tolerance and harmony, and facilitated connections between African associations, as well as enabling participants to network. Celebration was through story telling, African music performance & dance, and informal interactive cultural exchange .The cultural exchange explored the push and pull factors that facilitate or inhibit cultural integration and social exclusion, and explored better avenues to enhance cultural identity as well as cultural enmeshment among the various African associations.
This project is proudly supported by the Australian Government’s Diverse Australia Program Small Grants.For more information, visit www.harmony.gov.auDr Andre Renzaho ( andre.renzaho@deakin.edu.au) or Dr John Oldroyd (joldroyd@cabrini.com.au)
NEWS Support and justice for the victims of rape and sexual violence in Congo The African Leadership, Learning and Advocacy Group Inc (ALLAG) is working with committed local people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo) to help women who have been victims of rape seek justice while allowing them to regain their dignity, respect, and identity. The tragedy that is unfolding in Congo as a result of the war is unparalleled. Congo has 26 provinces with a total population of 66 million people. During the war that has been waged since 1998, more than 5.4 million have died, most of these fatalities have occurred in the five insecure eastern provinces. In Eastern Congo, a region made of only three provinces, more than 41,000 women have been raped between 1998 and 2005, and in 2007 alone, the World Health Organization reports that 27,000 women were kidnapped, raped or mutilated. It is estimated that, in Eastern Congo alone, on average 40 women are systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured every day by soldiers of various militias who act with impunity. Their agenda is to use secular terrorism as a form of ethnic cleansing. In this region, rape and sexual violence has become a signature for power. Mothers and young girls are raped in front of their children and family members. As the ongoing war has lead to a breakdown in law and order the perpetrators of this violence towards women act with impunity. Support for the victims in this humanitarian disaster is pitifully inadequate. The cycle of violence and hopelessness continue.
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© 2009 ALLAG.
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