Making society more inclusive
Over 112 students and teachers from Aboriginal, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, state and private, city and country schools recently attended Together For Humanity’s first annual Inclusive Communities Youth Summit at NSW Parliament house presenting proposals for initiatives aimed at making our society more inclusive for minority groups and others.
Mt Sinai students
School delegates presented their proposals to make our society more inclusive. The Sydney Jewish schools, Mt Sinai and Masada proposed focusing on Inequality for Women in Australian Sport and Inclusivity for Students with Down Syndrome. Their proposals were considered against 10 other proposals but in the end the students from the 12 schools voted to focus on English classes for
Christiner Forster, Jonatha O’Dea, Jihad Dib and Rabbi Jacqui Ninio
migrants, (Dis)ability discrimination and Inclusivity of Diverse Identities.
The schools with the elected proposals will presented them at Parliament House to Members of Parliament including the Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Craig Laundy, and the New South Wales Minister for Multiculturalism, tJohn Ajaka and the NSW shadow ministers for Education and Multiculturalism Jihad Dib and Sophie Costis; Jane Jeffes from the ABC and to religious leaders from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths. The leaders and young people engaged in a dialogue about inclusion.
The inaugural Youth Summit is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social
Masada students
Services grant under the Families and Communities Program. It is a collaboration of the Together For Humanity Foundation, the NSW Ecumenical Council and the Muslims Womens’ Association.
“Young people from different backgrounds had the opportunity to interact meaningfully with each other and to take an active role in creating an inclusive Australia”, Rabbi Zalman Kastel, National Director of Together For Humanity, “it was a very high energy day that will contribute to greater acceptance of difference.
