The ACT Greens believe:
1. the diversity of cultures in the ACT community greatly enriches our society and should be celebrated
2. all ACT residents, whatever their background, have the right to live free of discrimination, and to engage in and share their culture within universally recognised human rights
3. the ACT Government has a duty to eliminate discrimination, promote social and political inclusion and ensure that services provided or funded by government are culturally sensitive
4. the ACT should be a safe and welcoming place for asylum seekers and refugees.

The ACT Greens want:
1. an ACT community that accepts and celebrates cultural diversity
2. the elimination of discrimination, and equality of opportunity for people from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds
3. people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to actively engage in democratic processes and Government decision-making
4. an appropriate response to the unique needs of asylum seekers and refugees who settle in the ACT.

The ACT Greens support:
1. reviewing ACT Government processes for including the contribution of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in policy formation and implementation
2. strengthening organisations representing and working with culturally diverse groups, including sub-groups with specific needs such as asylum seekers, refugees, women and unaccompanied children and young people
3. multicultural education within schools and across the broader community, including cultural exchange programs both within Australia and between Australia and other countries
4. monitoring and enhancing access to ACT Government services by people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds through strategies such as:
4.1. research and consultation to identify changing patterns of need and priority
4.2. employing culturally and linguistically diverse staff in service delivery agencies
4.3. the greater use of interpreters
4.4. inclusive ACT Government information campaigns with material translated into appropriate languages
5. investing in cross-cultural training for staff delivering ACT Government and ACT Government funded services in health, education and community service sectors
6. timely and equitable access to language training for those who wish to study English.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 12:05 am and is filed under Policy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.