The Australian Government has announced the 17 members who will serve on the Australian Multicultural Council (AMC) for its next three-year term.
According to Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke, the new AMC membership offered both continuity and renewal, with six former serving members and 11 new members, including two youth members, appointed for the Council’s next term.
“The AMC brings together leaders from a diverse range of business and civil society backgrounds who will provide independent advice to Government on multicultural affairs and social cohesion policy and programs,” Minister Hawke said.
“Australia is one of the world’s most successful liberal democratic and multicultural nations. In upholding and actively striving to further build the strong cohesion of our diverse society, the Australian Government aims to harness the benefits of this diversity and foster our shared Australian values, inclusive national identity, and citizenship as a common bond.
“I look forward to working with the new and returning members of the Council to build on Australia’s strong social cohesion, by strengthening the Government’s engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and encouraging harmonious relations across the whole of Australian society.”
Minister Hawke thanked the members of the last AMC term, including the former Chair, Dr Sev Ozdowski AM, for their advice and contributions to the Council.
The members of the Australian Multicultural Council for the 2022-2025 term are:
Former AMC members Dr Bulent Hass Dellal AO (Chairperson), Mr Craig Foster AM, Ms Anthea Hancocks, Ms Helena Kyriazopoulos, Mr Vasan Srinivasan and Mr Jason Yeap OAM; the 11 new AMC members are Ms Carmen Garcia, Dr Nora Armath, Ms Susan Gin Mr Ahmed Hassan, Ms Luul Ibrahim, Dr Kudzai Kanhutu, Ms Rosemary Kariuki, Ms Nathalie Samia, Mr John Searle, Ms Martika Shakoor, Mr Anthony Sukari OAM.
Filipino-Australian representation
Filipino-Australian Ms Carmen Garcia is the CEO and founder of the national award-winning diversity and inclusion social enterprise, Community Corporate. She specialises in linking corporate social responsibility programs to the recruitment of diverse job-seekers, focusing on sustainable refugee employment initiatives.
Ms Garcia has extensive government and community board experience. Appointed member of the federal government’s Settlement Services Advisory Council (March 2018 to March 2021), she currently holds several Board positions, including SA Multicultural Commission; NSW- based Bread and Butter Project; the SA Social Enterprise Council, and the SA 40 Under 40 Alumni. She is the immediate past National President of the Filipino Communities Council of Australia, as the youngest and first Australian-born Filipina elected, representing over 300,000 Filipinos, the sixth-largest ethnic community in Australia.
Ms Garcia has received several awards both nationally and internationally for her business acumen, leadership and innovative projects. Her awards include Women in Innovation SA – Social Impact Award (2021), an Australia Day Commendation Award for inspiring SA Women (2020), National Social Enterprise of the Year at the Australian Small Business Champions Awards (2020), Governor’s Multicultural Award for Individual Outstanding Achievement (2020) and was recognised in 2018 by InDaily as one of the inaugural 40 Under 40 Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs winning one of only four individual awards for State Contribution.
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