A celebration of community spirit

MONDAY was a day of joyous celebration as the Wonthaggi and surrounding community gathered alongside Minister Giles, Lisa Button, Sal Balharrie and the Bass Coast Refugee Sponsorship Group in launching the documentary humanKIND based on the experience of the Ali family.

Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia CEO Lisa Button opened proceedings at APEX Park.

“Today is a really special occasion,” Lisa smiled.

“We’re here to launch a wonderful new film by director Sal Balharrie. The film is a celebration of the power of community and it tells the story of a group of wonderful locals who put up their hands to be involved in a relatively new national program called the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement pilot, which enables groups of everyday Australians from any part of the country and any walk of life to welcome and support the settlement and integration of a refugee family into their local community…”

Under a crisp blue sky in Wonthaggi, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs the Honourable Andrew Giles MP not only welcomed the family and helped launch the film, but spoke of the importance of programs like the pilot.

“There are some people who come here as refugees who need the support that only the government can provide given their circumstances,” Minister Giles explained.

“The scale at which these groups operate there’s an understanding of circumstances… that is quite profound … in which here and other groups have been able to look at the circumstances in particular families and tailor the welcome to them – that’s something that’s very difficult for governments to do.

“I also think that some of the lessons from this pilot will inform how the government sponsorship program operates. I think we need to do both, and we can have both working in a very complementary fashion.”

Bass Coast Refugee Sponsorship Group member Maddy Harford spoke beautifully of their introduction to the Ali family and subsequently watching the family arrive, spread their wings and in particular seeing the children blossom in the community and their new school through the support of the community.

“This community generosity of spirit – are the essence and the crucial ingredients of the model of community-based integration and settlement.

“The Ali’s have been here five months. We’ve shared laughter, tears and celebrations and all of the family – parents and children – are growing in independence and confidence as members of our community.”

Through the assistance of a local Arabic speaker Sabah, Lukman and Khadija thanked everybody involved.

“We are very, very happy here and very grateful. (We) are amazed by the generosity of the people of Wonthaggi and by the welcome (we) have received. (We) are very happy to be here today,” Lukman smiled.

“(We) feel very safe in Wonthaggi. Wonthaggi is a beautiful town; the people are beautiful, and they have treated us with a lot of kindness.

“But we do feel the loneliness of not speaking the language (and being able to communicate). The language is the most difficult.”

“I meet so many people and they are lovely and friendly, and we meet at the supermarket and in places, but we cannot communicate (yet),” Khadija noted.

“We are hoping that our success story encourages more of these programs…”