Australia multicultural

The People of

AusTrAliA
Australia’s Multicultural Policy

The People of

AusTrAliA
Australia’s Multicultural Policy

Foreword
Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Julia Gillard MP
Australia is a multicultural country. We sing “Australians all” because we are. Our country’s story is the story of our people in this place. Australia has provided a new home and a chance at a betterlife for millions of people. I am a migrant. My family embraced the sense of opportunity and community that they found in Australia and the possibilities for their children that this multicultural country offered them. I remember the debates in the family home as my parents decided to become citizens of this nation. And having chosen this country, my family have loved it with a fierce determinationand passion ever since. The Australian Government’s new multicultural policy The People of Australia draws on and endorses the valuable work of the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council. I thank the Council for their work. I commend The People of Australia to the Australian community.

The Honourable Julia Gillard MP Prime Minister of Australia

Message
Minister for Immigration andCitizenship, the Hon Chris Bowen MP Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Kate Lundy
We greatly welcome the opportunity to present the Government’s new multicultural policy, The People of Australia. This policy recognises the amazing breadth and diversity of Australian society, and reaffirms the Government’s unwavering support for a culturally diverse and sociallycohesive nation. Australia’s multicultural policy complements our national characteristics of equality and a fair go for all. It flows from our deep and abiding commitment to our democratic values. The policy addresses the importance of the economic and social benefits of diversity, as well as our need to balance the rights and obligations of all who live here. We know that the face of Australiahas been transformed and continues to change in dynamic ways – in how we see ourselves, our neighbours and the world around us. This new policy will ensure we remain responsive to these changes – and the challenges that arise from them in our increasingly globalised world. The Australian Multicultural Advisory Council is to be commended for their significant work on this policy and we thank themfor their time and commitment. We look forward to the implementation of this policy and its initiatives which will benefit all Australians well into the future.

Chris Bowen Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

Kate Lundy Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs

Contents
Australia’s Multicultural Policy
Multicultural Australia

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Australia’sMulticultural Policy Principles Rights and Responsibilities Australia’s Multicultural Future Key Initiatives
Establishment of the Australian Multicultural Council National Anti-Racism Partnership and Strategy Strengthening Access and Equity Multicultural Arts and Festivals Grants Multicultural Youth Sports Partnership Program

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Australia’s Multicultural PolicyMulticultural Australia
The Australian Government is unwavering in its commitment to a multicultural Australia. Australia’s multicultural composition is at the heart of our national identity and is intrinsic to our history and character. Multiculturalism is in Australia’s national interest and speaks to fairness and inclusion. It enhances respect and support for cultural, religious and linguisticdiversity. It is about Australia’s shared experience and the composition of neighbourhoods. It acknowledges the benefits and potential that cultural diversity brings. Australia’s multicultural policy embraces our shared values and cultural traditions. It also allows those who choose to call Australia home the right to practise and share in their cultural traditions and languages within the law and...