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Volume 4, October 2010

Multicultural Community Services of Central Australia

Akzente - accenten - accenti - उच्चारण - アクセント- akcentami - τονισμού - 악센트 - 口音 - naglasno - akcenty - acentos - accente - акценты - اللكنات

Multicultural Community Services of Central

Australia Inc.

2/20 Parsons Street PO Box 1160 Alice Springs NT

Tel: (08) 89528776 Fax: (08) 89525176

Email: info@mcsca.org.au ABN: 90 639 917 989

Accents Quarterly Newsletter

Editor:

Marguerite Baptiste-Rooke multic@mcsca.org.au

Management Committee 2009-2010

Office bearers

Acting Chair : MicheleCastagna Secretary: vacant

Treasurer: David Campbell

Committee Members Kamile Georgious

Jennifer Standish-White Michael Kanaan Teodora Yaneve

In this issue...

From the Acting Chair

MCSCA AGM Notice

Alice Springs Desert Festival

MCSCA Programs

Susu Mama Playgroup

Feature: Nigerian Independence Day Celebrations

Multi-cultural lunches at the Hub

Recipe: Nigerian Jollof Rice

MCSCA Christmas Celebration for 2010

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At Anzac Oval after the parade. Victor (on

left) danced his way down the Mall, much

to everyone’s delight.

Flourence’s

baby’s first

parade!

Glamorous Geane and friend.

Can you contribute to our newsletter? In this issue of Accents, we have a feature article on Nigeria, and the recent

celebrations to commemorate fifty years of independence. Would you like to

feature your country or a special event in our next issue of Accents newsletter?

Please contact us with your ideas and contributions. Come into the office, or ring

us on 89528776.

The Mabuhay crew looked and sounded

very impressive.

Ted keeps the rhythm at the

Alice Desert Festival Parade .

Sammy, painted up and ready.

Cathy (in red) and Ibu (in

blue) in Indonesian costume. Christina and Angelina.

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from the Chair...

Hello everyone,

A wonderful year of positive change

is in the air for MCSCA. The MCSCA Community

Hub space is now open and available for all

culture groups to use for:

Meetings

Information sessions

Family and social gatherings

Our multicultural lunches

Michele Castagna, Acting MCSCA President and Chairperson.

The beautifully decorated Hub space is already in great demand.

Do contact the MCSCA office on 8952-8776 if you want to use the

Hub—it’s your space.

The next twelve months funding from Office of Multicultural Affairs is

now safe in the bank, though some minor budget adjustments needed

to be made. There are some exciting, innovative and informative

activities and events planned for the CALD community for 2010/11.

Marguerite Baptiste-Rooke is now the overall Coordinator and

Director for all MCSCA programs, and for Settlement and Multicul-

tural Services. I will be retiring (with regret) from the MCSCA Man-

agement Committee this year, but believe it’s time to make a move to

explore other opportunities in my life. In the meantime, God Bless,

and keep yourself and your families safe.

Ciao! And don’t forget the MCSCA AGM. Make your vote count

towards selecting a new Management Committee to help MCSCA

develop and grow.

MCSCA Annual General Meeting

Thursday 25th November, 2010 MCSCA Community Hub Space

5.00 p.m.

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MCSCA Programs

Settlement Grant Program (SGP) Funded by Department of Immigration and Citizenship

The aim of the SGP is to deliver services which assist eligible clients to become self-reliant and participate as equals in Australian society as soon as possible after arrival. The program is focused on providing services to permanent residents who have arrived in Aus-tralia in the last five years as: humanitarian entrants (refugees) family stream migrants with low English language skills dependants (often family members) of skilled migrants in rural and regional areas with low

English skills Other people who are eligible for assistance from SGP are: Some temporary residents (fiancées, partners and spouses, and provisional interdepen-

dency visa holders) in regional areas. To be eligible, these groups must have arrived in Australia in the last five years, and have low English language skills.

Migrant communities which are getting significant numbers of new arrivals, and who need help to develop, plan and organise appropriate services and advocacy.

MCSCA receives funding from DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) to deliver the following services: Casework: helping individuals and families to get access to services and employment Referrals: to agencies and people that can help Group information sessions Mentoring of new and emerging migrant communities At the moment, the majority of MCSCA are Sudanese people, who have arrived in Australia as humanitarian entrants (refugees). MCSCA are open 3 1/2 days a week to help you with settling in to your new community. Monday: all day Tuesday: half a day Wednesday and Thursday: all day You are welcome to come and see us in the office when we are open, but if you need more than 15 minutes, or have complex issues that you need help with, please ring and make an appoint-

ment with Marguerite. The phone number is 8952-8776.

Marguerite Baptiste-Rooke SGP Coordinator MCSCA

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MCSCA Programs

Multicultural Community Development Program Funded by NT Office of Multicultural Affairs

The aim of the Multicultural Community Development Program (MCDP) is to provide support and help for the ethnic communities of Alice Springs. The Program can also assist individual people from ethnic communities who continue to need help after the initial five year period for SGP (Settlement Grant Program) assistance has finished. The Multicultural Coordinator (at the moment this is Marguerite) actively seeks to help ethnic communities and individuals by: Assisting with settling into Australian lifestyles Providing general information, counselling, support and referrals for people from cultur-

ally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds Helping long term migrants by finding ways to solve ongoing problems and difficulties Providing advice, education and consultancy to mainstream service providers Promoting multicultural values and community harmony Organising and participating in community events Promoting the use of interpreters to agencies and service providers Helping large CALD and ethnic communities to form their own associations and organi-

sations. MCSCA are open 3 1/2 days a week to help you. Monday: all day Tuesday: half a day Wednesday and Thursday: all day You are welcome to come and see us in the office when we are open, but if you need more than 15 minutes, or have complex issues that you need help with, please ring and make an

appointment with Marguerite. The phone number is 8952-8776.

Many thanks to Paul Phyland, Chairperson of MCSCA from

December 2009 to August 2010. Paul worked hard with MCSCA for many years to help new migrants and refugees settle into their new

homes in Alice Springs. MCSCA wish Paul and his family all the best for the future.

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Susu Mama Susu Mama is a weekly group for mothers

and their children. Susu Mama gets together on a Friday morning from 10.30 to 12.30 at

the Uniting Church Hall near Flynn Church in Todd Mall. Susu Mama is a social event

for mothers, and a playgroup for the children. Come and meet other mothers from

different places and their children. Share your stories, make some new friends, and

have some fun. Guest speakers are invited to provide information

sessions about parenting, health, legal

and other issues, and

to help you with

settling into your new

community.

Susu Mama is funded by Department of Families, Housing, Community

Services and Indigenous Affairs.(FAHCSIA)

Any Questions? Ring us

on 8952-8776

The Uniting Church

Hall is behind Adelaide House, the

old building next to the Flynn

Church in Todd Mall. Go through

the gate next to the Op Shop, and

you will find Susu Mama.

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Coming up: LUNCHES at the MCSCA HUB Saturday 20/11/2010 1 to 4pm End of Year Christmas Celebration Saturday 11/12/2010 1 to 4pm

Multi cultural lunch time gatherings

The first MCSCA Multi-Cultural lunch time gathering was held on Friday 3rd September in the MCSCA Community

Hub. There was a varied menu of foods to sample, and it was a great opportunity for people to get together and have a chat. The second multi-cultural lunch took place two weeks later on the 17th September. People brought food they had cooked to share, including a Nigerian dish - Jollof Rice. You can find the recipe for this tasty dish on page 8 of this edition of Accents. MCSCA got feedback that more people would like to come to these events, but that it is tricky for people to get to lunches if they are on a weekday, due to work and family commitments. MCSCA are now going to have their multi-cultural lunches on a Saturday once a month, from 1pm to 4pm. Bring the family and some food to share!

Marguerite with two Sudanese newcomers

Christina and Geane

Helen, Michele, and Precy

Kamile, Michael, Blair and David

Flourence

Marguerite and Rebecca

Rebecca’s amazing hair took 3 days to do!

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Nigeria celebrates its 50th

birthday of Independence as

a Nation.

The African communities of Alice Springs all got together to celebrate Nigeria’s fiftieth birthday.

Dawuta Dede and Marguerite

Lanre Fanoiki, Michael Adeyemo, and Bukola

Ademiji dancing up a storm.

Dancing for all ages

On the 1st October 2010, Nigeria celebrated its fiftieth anniversary as an independent nation. The celebrations by the Nigerian and other African com-munities of Alice Springs were enjoyed

by all who attended. In this issue of Accents, we have a feature story on Nigeria. If you (or someone

you know) would like to write a feature story on your home country, please talk to us! We would love to publish more

of these features.

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Nigeria turns fifty By Reverend Adebisi Olanrewaju

Abraham

If you don’t tell your story, no-one will tell it for you. That

is why I, as a Nigerian, have decided to say a few things

about this country of 150 million people, the most populous

black nation on Earth, on the occasion of the fiftieth

birthday of Nigeria as an independent nation.

There is cause for celebration. 30 years ago, we fought a 30

month civil war but we survived and emerged as one nation.

Expectations of continuing trouble were justified, following

the tide of military coups and counter coups that rocked the

country after independence was declared, but this last

decade has witnessed the restoration of a thriving

democracy, and gradually, the rule of law.

In the beginning. Nigeria literally means “the areas around the River Niger”.

Nigeria was established as a country by Lord Lugard in

1914. Prior to this, Nigeria was a group of local kingdoms,

empires, emirates and city-states. Some of these were the

Oyo Empire, the Benin kingdom, the Kanem/Bornu empire,

the Sokoto Caliphate, the Nupe kingdom, Ibibio Efik, Ifaw,

Itsekiri, and many others. These were first made

protectorates of the British Empire and were later

amalgamated into the country that is now known as Nigeria.

Imposed colonialism did not really work in Nigeria, as there

were already strong democratic traditions, and solid

governance and social structures, so there was constant

agitation in defence of Nigerian people’s rights.

Even among the Ibo in the east, where there were not kings

or rulers per se, there was strong government based on the

clan system. (Read “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe

for further information).

This was why the British had to adopt what came to be

called indirect colonialism, or indirect rule. The local

leaders and institutions were engaged to rule the people,

while the British appointed the Governor General,

Governors, and the District Officers. Hence most Nigerians

never experienced direct colonialsm, but grew up to see the

British as friendly occupiers, who were bound to leave at

some stage so we could take our destiny as a country into

our own hands.

Before the arrival of the British, the local rulers were very

powerful and well respected by the people. For example,

among the Yoruba in the west, the Oba or King was the

head of the government. He had the kingmakers, known as

the iwarafa mefa, who were also his ministers and advisers.

They had considerable powers, including the power to sack

the Oba. There was a standing army called Emeso, and it

was commanded by one of the kingmakers, known as the

Basorum. Social structures such as the marriage,

inheritance and commercial/trading systems were well

established. Cowrie shells were used as money for buying

and selling.

The Nigerian people believed in a supreme God, called

Olodumare or Orisa Nla, the big deity. They worshipped

him through other lesser deities or orisas, and the chief

priest’s title was Oluwo. The same pattern of worship could

be found among all the peoples living around the Niger

River.

Education The first Nigerian indigenous lawyer, the late Christopher

Alexander Sapara Williams wa called to the bar in 1879. He

practiced law in Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria. The first

Nigerian language dictionary – in Yoruba – was written by

an indigenous Nigerian, Samuel Ajayi Crowther, in 1843.

Crowther was a former slave, who became the first

indigenous African Bishop of the Anglican Church, and

received a Doctor of Divinity at Oxford University in

England in 1864. The first Nigerian indigenous engineer,

Herbert Macauley, graduated in Plymouth, England, in

1894. He went on to found the first Nigerian political party

– the Nigeria National Democratic Party, in 1923. The party

won all the seats when they contested the elections in 1923,

1928, and 1933. Nigeria produced her first Queen’s Counsel

(QC), Chief Rotimi Williams, in 1958.

At Independence, Nigeria had one University at Ibadan, but

today Nigeria has 40 universities and 69 polytechnics,

Colleges of technology and education. Nigeria’s education

system has produced many intellectuals across a wide field

of endeavour, many of whom are working in countries

around the world, including Australia.

Nigerian community members in Alice Springs.

Rev. Abraham in green robes second from right.

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(continued from page 9)

Leadership

Nigeria has been a leader in African politics and the

world, working to resolve conflicts, support political sta-

bility, and move other African nations towards independ-

ence. In the words of former South African President

Thabo Mbeke, at a colloquium to commemorate Nigeria’s

50 years of independence, “We remember the key role

played by Nigeria in our fight against apartheid in my

country, and the economic, diplomatic and political sup-

port given to us accelerated the downfall of the racist re-

gime”. Nigeria chaired the Anti-Apartheid movement

from its inception until President Obasanjo negotiated the

release from prison of Nelson Mandela. For many years,

Nigerians paid a portion of heir taxes to support the ANC.

Over 250,000 black South Africans went to secondary

school or University free in Nigeria, or went to school

through scholarships provided by Nigeria, including for-

mer President Thabo Mbeke.

At the same colloquium, the current President of Zambia,

Rupiah Banda said “In spite of Nigeria’s size and re-

sources, she has never oppressed other African coun-

tries”. Nigeria has supported the liberation struggles of

many African countries, including Angola, Zimbabwe,

Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Nigeria has contin-

ued her role in mediating conflicts in Liberia, Sierra

leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, and Ghana. Nigeria

chose to cede the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon instead

of going to war. This is a supreme example of Nigeria’s

quest for peace among African states, this is true leader-

ship.

In 1960 Nigeria began to contribute and participate in

peacekeeping efforts around the world, beginning with

the Congo. She has since been involved in peacekeeping

operations in Bosnia, Iraq, Kuwait, Western Sahara,

Rwanda, Somalia, Cambodia, Lebanon, Beirut, India and

Pakistan. Over 100,000 Nigerian troops have served in

UN peacekeeping missions around the world.

Economy

Nigeria is classified as an emerging market, and has al-

ready reached middle income status according to the

Worldbank, with its abundant supply of natural resources,

well-developed financial, legal, communications, trans-

port sectors, and stock exchange. The Nigerian Stock

Exchange is the second largest in Africa. In 2007, Nige-

ria was ranked 37th in the world in terms of GDP, with

GDP jumping from $692 per head of population in 2006

to$1,754 in 2007.

The restoration of democracy and subsequent economic

reforms have successfully put Nigeria back on track to-

wards achieving its full economic potential. Nigeria is the

12th largest producer of petroleum in the world, and the

8th largest exporter. Nigeria also has one of the fastest

growing telecommunications markets in the world. The

government has recently begun expanding this infrastruc-

ture to space based communications. Nigeria has a space

satellite which is monitored at the Nigerian National

Space Research and Development Agency headquarters

in Abuja.

The country has a highly developed financial services

sector, with a mix of local and international banks, asset

management companies, brokerage houses, insurance

companies and brokers, private equity funds and invest-

ment banks. Nigeria also has a wide range of underex-

ploited mineral resources which include natural gas, coal,

bauxite, tantalite, gold, tin, iron ore, limestone, niobium,

lead and zinc.

The potential for investment in Nigeria is high – however,

investors need to be aware of how the system works, as

corruption is a risk. Apart from mining, Nigeria also has

a thriving video industry. The Nigerian video industry,

known as Nollywood, has become the second largest pro-

ducer of movies in the world.

Health

The Nigerian health care system is continuously faced

with a shortage of doctors, a problem known as “brain

drain” due to the fact that many highly skilled Nigerian

trained doctors emigrate to North Africa, Europe, Austra-

lia, and New Zealand for the better pay. As far back as

1995, it was already estimated that 21,000 Nigerian

trained doctors were practicing in the United States alone!

Retaining a highly trained workforce has been identified

as one of the challenges for the current government.

Tourism

One in four Africans live in Nigeria, so it is a must for

any tourist to visit. The indomitable and resilient spirit of

the people is seen in the happiness in the air in spite of

challenges. The happiness is contagious as you travel the

length and breadth of Nigeria, interacting with this very

hospitable people. You will be fascinated by their fash-

ion sense as most people go about proudly wearing the

different Nigerian traditional designs of Babinrigidi, Ag-

bada, Buba, Iro, etc. There are different parks across the

country to visit, beautiful beaches such as Eleko beach in

Reverend Abraham (centre) with former Nigerian

President Olesugun Obasanjo and Governor Segun

Agagu

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(continued from page 10)

Lagos, and interesting urban architectural designs in cities such

as Abiya, Lagos, Kano, and Obitsha. This is not the Africa you

see on TV.

Conclusion Nigerians have twice been voted as perhaps the happiest people

on earth. They love Freedom, and are a people of great enter-

prise and an indomitable spirit. They have been at the forefront

of peacekeeping efforts throughout the region and beyond.

Wherever they find themselves, they are quick to make a home

away from home, and to contribute positively to their new

society.

Rev. Adebisi Abraham lives and works in Alice Springs,

Australia.

Email: adebisiabraham@gmail.com

Jollof Rice Serves 4 people

600 gms/1 lb rice 1 kg/ 2 lb meat or chicken 2 whole chilies (liquidised) 1 onion (liquidised) 1 ltr/ 2 pints of stock 1 onion (sliced) 3 fresh tomatoes (sliced) 4 tbsp tomato paste 200 ml groundnut or peanut oil Seasoning 1 bay leaf 1 tsp thyme 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon curry 1 teaspoon nutmeg Salt to taste Wash the meat or chicken, and season with garlic and salt. Lightly cook until

tender. Wash the rice and leave to drain. Heat the oil and fry the

cooked meat until brown, remove meat from pan and fry ground onion and chillies for 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and seasonings and fry

for another 5 minutes. Add the washed rice, and gradually add the

stock, stirring continuously.

Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes until rice is

nearly soft. Add the sliced tomatoes, onions and fried meats. Stir, cover, and allow to steam until all the liquid

is well absorbed.

Serve hot, garnished with meat pieces and boiled eggs.

Our feature recipe this issue

is for Jollof Rice.

Thanks to Julian Adeyemo from

Nigeria for sharing her recipe with us.

Bon appétit!

MCSCA Annual General Meeting Thursday 25th November, 2010

5.00 p.m

MCSCA Community Hub Space 20 Parsons St

End of Year Christmas Celebration

Saturday 11 December 2010 1 to 4pm

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Important Information about Citizenship Changes to Resident Requirements for Australian Citizenship From June 2010 most applicants for Australian citizenship must meet the general residence require-ment. From June 30 there has been only one general residence requirement for everyone aged 16 and over. Requirements for Australian citizenship are: Four years of lawful residence in Australia before making an application, including at least 12

months as a permanent resident immediately before applying. Person applying must not have been in Australia as an unlawful non-citizen (illegally) during

any part of the four year residential period. Person applying cannot have been out of Australia for more than 12 months in total during the

four year period, including no more than 90 days absence in the 12 months before applying for citizenship.

For example, a person who applies for Australian citizenship in January 2011 will meet the new

residence requirements if they:

* have been living lawfully in Aus-tralia since June 2006 on either a temporary or permanent visa. * were a permanent resident on 1st June 2009. * have been outside of Australia for less than 90 days in the year before applying for citizenship, and not out of Australia for more than a year for the previous four years. The four year residency require-ment was introduced because it was felt that it was important for people to spend enough time in Australia to understand what life in Australia was like, and what it means to be an Australian citizen. It is also important the people fully understand the commitment they are making when they make the Australian citizenship pledge, and accept the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship. For more information on Australian citizenship, visit the website www.citizenship.gov.au or phone the Citizenship Information Line on 131 880 Monday to Friday during business hours.