Who we are.
Albury-Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council (AWECC) is an advocacy organisation and charity, representing local residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. As an incorporated, community-owned association, we undertake evidence-informed advocacy, promoting community partnerships and participatory programs which enhance community inclusion, cohesion, and wellbeing. We make multiculturalism work!
What we do. |
Why we do it. |
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Our core business is advocacy. Working alongside our members to enhance inclusion, access and social cohesion, AWECC is committed to promoting the successes of multiculturalism, and ensuring equitable, human rights-based outcomes for all, regardless of their background.
In order to identify and address specific community needs, AWECC and its partners, deliver various advocacy and community capacity-building programs, events and forums aimed at addressing identified needs. These needs may include, barriers in accessing information and services, poor health literacy, discrimination and racism, employment and workplace rights, a lack of skills recognition, mental illness and trauma, family violence and relationships. Our Statement of Purposes can be found here. |
Our Mission
By providing high quality service and advocacy we aspire to make multiculturalism work in the Albury-Wodonga region. Our Vision Our vision is of an inclusive and cohesive community, where everyone belongs. How We Do It
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Our story... so far
Starting out
Albury-Wodonga is a culturally rich community, where Aboriginal and European cultures live together. Often referred to as the 'birthplace' of Australian multiculturalism, our region has a long, proud history of welcoming refugees and migrants. Following the Second World War, more than 300,000 non-English speaking European refugees passed through the doors of the local Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre between 1945-1971.
Today, our community is home to residents from over 75 countries, speaking 55 languages.
Although officially established in 2014, AWECC's roots go back to 2011, when consultations between local government, service organisations, and local ethnic communities identified a renewed interest in establishing an association, whereby, the collective voices of migrant and refugee communities could be expressed and their needs addressed. The 'ethnic community council project' (as it had then been known), was robustly supported and guided by the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria and involved cross-border cooperation between the Wodonga Council and Albury City Council.
Leading the way
In 2012, Wodonga Council delivered governance and community leadership training programs for new and emerging community leaders through funding from the Australian Government. In 2013, Wodonga Council acquired a Victorian Government grant to support the establishment and organisation of an ethnic communities council. In late 2014, Albury-Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council (AWECC) was incorporated and its inaugural Board was appointed, led by its first Chair Teju Chouhan, a former Bhutanese refugee and subsequent winner of Wodonga's Citizen of the Year 2017 award.
Albury-Wodonga is a culturally rich community, where Aboriginal and European cultures live together. Often referred to as the 'birthplace' of Australian multiculturalism, our region has a long, proud history of welcoming refugees and migrants. Following the Second World War, more than 300,000 non-English speaking European refugees passed through the doors of the local Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre between 1945-1971.
Today, our community is home to residents from over 75 countries, speaking 55 languages.
Although officially established in 2014, AWECC's roots go back to 2011, when consultations between local government, service organisations, and local ethnic communities identified a renewed interest in establishing an association, whereby, the collective voices of migrant and refugee communities could be expressed and their needs addressed. The 'ethnic community council project' (as it had then been known), was robustly supported and guided by the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria and involved cross-border cooperation between the Wodonga Council and Albury City Council.
Leading the way
In 2012, Wodonga Council delivered governance and community leadership training programs for new and emerging community leaders through funding from the Australian Government. In 2013, Wodonga Council acquired a Victorian Government grant to support the establishment and organisation of an ethnic communities council. In late 2014, Albury-Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council (AWECC) was incorporated and its inaugural Board was appointed, led by its first Chair Teju Chouhan, a former Bhutanese refugee and subsequent winner of Wodonga's Citizen of the Year 2017 award.
