Strengthening Communities Unit – Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking Communities

The NSW Government established the Strengthening Communities Unit to work with communities to assist them to be stronger, healthier and more vibrant. It addresses social issues by listening to and working with people and community groups.

Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking Communities

A Partnership between government and community to promote the well-being of young people of Arabic speaking backgrounds in NSW

How it came about

The Premier announced the Partnership in July 2001 to promote the well being of young people from Arabic speaking backgrounds. The program funds educational, family support, sport and recreation, cultural and youth development activities within a framework that emphasises community consultation and the participation of young people.

Although initially developed to address youth crime prevention and negative stereotyping of the Arabic community in the media, the scope of the Partnership has broadened to include a social program that seeks to respond to a range of challenges facing Arabic speaking young people and their families.

What will it achieve

After consultation with participants including community stakeholders, there was agreement that the following outcomes for Arabic speaking young people were central to the program:

• Improving learning experiences for those at risk of opting out of education and training
• Improving connections between school, family and communities
• Supporting parents' capacity to parent
• Increasing participation in sport and recreational activities
• Developing participation in artistic and cultural activities
• Increasing engagement in community leadership roles
• Providing programs that lead to a reduction in risk-taking and anti-social behaviour
• Promoting positive community images in the media
• Encouraging corporate and business contributions to the well being of young people
• Generating effective participation in decision-making in Government and non-government organisations.

What it does

The Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking Communities has developed a comprehensive package of programs aimed at improving education outcomes, parent support and participation in sport and recreation as well as community relations.

These include:

• Youth Liaison Teams
• Education Programs (Gateways, Homework Plus, School Parent Alliance, School to Work and Machismo)
• Parent Support Initiatives (Parenting Magazine, Parenting Education Network, Parentline, Intensive Family Support Service and School-based Transition Project)
• Sport and Recreation Activities (PCYC Programs, Sports Clinics, Sports Leadership and Primary Schools Strategy)

For individual project descriptions, please visit our website at www.youthpartnership.nsw.gov.au

Follow this link to the Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking Communities website for individual project descriptions (opens in a new browser window)

There are also additional priority programs that simultaneously serve to improve systems and build community capacity:

• Leadership and Participation (Implementation Committee, Mentoring Project, Combined Reference Group, Youth Reference Group and Shifa Youth Leadership Program)
• Community Trust (Arabic Youth Australia - An Account of CAF Community Fund)
• Access and Equity Training
• Coordination, Information and Evaluation (Community Forums, Website, Publications and Evaluation strategy)

Who is involved

The Partnership is a joint initiative between Arabic speaking communities and the NSW Government.

A high level Implementation Committee, chaired by the Director-General of the NSW Premier's Department, spearheads the Partnership. Its membership includes prominent members of the Arabic speaking community, young people and representatives of NSW Government agencies.

The Partnership is led by the NSW Premier's Department and includes the following Government agencies:

• Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW
• NSW Department of Education and Training
• NSW Department of Community Services
• NSW Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
• Bankstown Health
• NSW Police
• University of Western Sydney

An Advisory Board has also been established to inform the work of Arabic Youth Australia - An Account of CAF Community Fund. The Board has representatives from the Arabic speaking background business community, the NSW Premier's Department, Community Relations Commission and CAF Australia.

For further information

Contact	:	DoCS Communities Division
Phone	:	02 9716 2255
Email	:	webkeeper@communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au