The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) is facilitating the establishment of the ‘Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative’, a national voice to provide leadership and advice on policy, research, and practice to improve access and equity and achieve better health outcomes for Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. FECCA is now inviting feedback from healthcare providers, consumers, and researchers to inform the further development of the proposed Collaborative. Click here to learn more and get involved

Save the Children released its Born into The Climate Crisis report, which warns that climate change is inextricably linked to wider issues of inequality and failures to uphold children’s basic rights. Click here to read the full report

A petition to the Treasurer has launched ahead of Anti-Poverty Week 2021, calling on the Treasurer to immediately increase the base rate of working age income support payments to at least $65 a day, increase rent assistance by 50% and make an urgent investment in social housing. Click here for more information and to sign

New research by the Australian Red Cross has found two in five Australians say their mental health has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. A similar number say they feel less hopeful about the future, and 37% feel less secure and safe. Click here to learn more

National Carers Week 2021 is just around the corner (10 – 16 October), providing a time to recognise and celebrate Australia’s unpaid carers and all they do. This year’s theme is ‘Millions of Reasons to Care’ which aims to bring attention to the 2.65 million carers around the country who provide outstanding care and support to their loved ones. Click here to see how you can get involved

SNAICC and Life Without Barriers announced a new partnership that will support an historic commitment from Life Without Barriers to transfer its out-of-home care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-control within 10 years.

"The future of decision-making about the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is community-controlled. Our communities are the experts. We know that culturally-appropriate services designed, led and delivered by our services, get better outcomes,” SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle said.

"As we observe the distressing rates of Aboriginal children entering care, our organisation and Board are clear that we must make this commitment to children and their families if we are ever to realise giant steps towards Reconciliation. We are grateful to our partnership with SNAICC and First Nations peoples to understand the most effective way we strengthen families to stay together with their children,” Claire Robbs Life Without Barriers Chief Executive said.

With more than 20,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care, significant steps are required to reach the Closing the Gap target of reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care to 45% by 2031.

Disability advocates say the Federal Government needs to heed the Disability Royal Commission’s latest call for improved vaccination measures to protect the lives of people with disability before states start to open up from COVID lockdowns.

People With Disability Australia (PWDA)– the nation’s peak disability advocacy organisation – has been part of a coalition of disability organisations lobbying for months for a better vaccine response for people with disability but with little engagement from the government.

PWDA launched a new campaign – #SpeedUpVaxForPWD – to get people with disability to put a human face on the COVID response by sharing their stories about:

• Lack of access to COVID vaccines
  
• The impact that reopening is having on them and their loved ones
  
• The need for people with low immune systems to get extra jabs to protect them from COVID

While some are awaiting the nation reopening after lockdowns with hope and optimism, others are approaching it with dread. This is because a blanket lifting of restrictions when the vaccination rate reaches 70% will have devastating effects on Indigenous and other vulnerable populations. At present, vaccination rates in Indigenous populations are very low. Once restrictions are lifted everyone unvaccinated will be exposed to the virus.

Aboriginal organisations including NACCHO, the Aboriginal Medical Services of the Northern Territory (AMSANT) and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) have called on state and federal governments to delay any substantial easing of restrictions until vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations aged 12 years and older reach 90-95%.

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is calling on the government to provide an additional 20,000 humanitarian visas to refugees from Afghanistan in a new brief.  

Along with the Afghan Australian Advocacy Network and other organisations, RCOA sees the urgent need to go beyond the current 2021-22 Humanitarian Program ceiling of 13,750 places to accommodate for people at increased risk after the Taliban seized control of the country last month.

In considering the case for additional humanitarian intake, RCOA asks that the government look at the rapidly increasing displacement within Afghanistan, Australia's generous responses to past crises, the recent cuts to our refugee program, and the depth of our aid and military engagement with the country.

The brief also draws attention to the compelling need for Australia to remain engaged in resettlement of refugees from other regions, drawing on findings from UNHCR’s assessment of global resettlement needs.

• The Australian Climate Roundtable invites you to the sixth in the major series of workshops on what successful transitions to net zero emissions in Australia might look like. This final workshop will look at best practice for agriculture to make the transition - 30 September 2021 - Click here for more information and to register

• In 2010 the Productivity Commission released a landmark report on the state of the not-for-profit sector. This impact2021 webinar will examine where we are, ten years on from the report, and discuss what the sector can do now - irrespective of government - to secure its future - 5 October 2021 - Click here for more information and to register

• Why does a church support students taking to the street for action on climate? Join this webinar to hear from Uniting Church members about why and how they support the School Strike for Climate Movement - 6 October 2021 - Click here to register
  

• The Women in Not-for-Profit & Community Services Leadership Summit 2021 will provide an opportunity for women in the community sector to connect with like-minded peers. Featuring keynotes, fireside chats, and group networking, attendees will walk away equipped with valuable tools to continue their leadership journey with confidence - 26 & 27 October 2021 - Click here for more information and to register

• A range of accessible, culturally appropriate resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability are available through the peak body First Peoples Disability Network. A short video, images, and the COVID Warrior Resource can be accessed by clicking here

• The Australian Government Department of Health has created a range of great videos of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from all over Australia who have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. The video collection includes: Eastern Arrernte family from Alice Springs; AFL legend, Adam Goodes; Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt; Thursday Island community leaders; Olympian athlete, Stacey Porter; Dubbo community leader, Tatum Moore;
  Aunty Val and Lelani from Brisbane;
  Uncle Dale and Dale-Andrew from Brisbane; Aunty Eslyn from Cairns; Additional resources. Click here to access the collection

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service welcomed the steps towards legislating a ban on spit hoods and paid tribute to the family’s “tireless advocacy”.

“His family has been staunch and dedicated advocates in pursuit of accountability for his death and against systemic racism," NATSILS’s executive officer Jamie McConnachie said. 

“Spit hoods are dangerous, they’re humiliating, it’s an archaic practice, and they are notoriously involved in black deaths in custody.”

Australia is facing a child rights crisis of the highest order, with the next generation set to experience a surge in droughts, bushfires and floods over their lifetime unless strong climate action is taken, new research shows.

Save the Children says Australian kids are already witnessing the devastating impacts of climate change, and warns that things will only get worse.

While the commission criticised the government for a lack of consultation with disability groups, PWDA CEO Sebastian Zagarella told Pro Bono News the bigger problem was the lack of a clear plan for ramping up the rollout. 

“We’ve certainly been speaking [with government] for a long time,” Zagarella said. 

“The main concern for us is that there still doesn’t seem to be a very clear plan from government on how they aim to catch up on vaccinations for people with disability who seem to have been left behind.”

ABC Kids listen is updating its Acknowledgement of Country & needs your help!

In collaboration with Reconciliation Australia's Narragunnawali program, the script has been revised & ABC Kids listen needs young voices to help record it. #Reconciliationhttps://t.co/8NjpMFvwex

— Reconciliation Australia (@RecAustralia) September 26, 2021