Engaging communities to build a more inclusive future

By Caroline Fuentes – Senior Public Health Consultant

Arriving in Australia from New Caledonia with my husband and three children a little over a decade ago, I was expecting a friendly reception. Happily, that’s exactly what we got – Australians are such friendly people!

One of our first experiences was of going for a walk down our new street in our new suburb. One of our neighbours was out walking his dog, and as he passed us he said, ‘how are you, mate?’

We heard ‘owaryamate’. We looked at each other in total confusion – we had no idea what he had said! We later realised he was just saying hello and we quickly understood that despite learning English at school, we had a few cultural barriers to overcome.

There were many organisations – workplaces, our children’s school, our church and sporting clubs - which truly went out of their way to make us feel included, valuing multiculturalism and even celebrating it.

I recall one Harmony Day we were invited to share our culture at school. We played music and I even danced a traditional dance (my children were too young in those days to be embarrassed!). It was a really beautiful experience of being valued and of belonging. The school’s genuine approach to inclusion made such a difference to us and helped our family navigate the challenging steps of settling in a new country.

Which is not to say we didn’t experience a few bumps in the road. Everyone has a unique experience of inclusion, and despite the overall feeling of welcome when we arrived, adjusting to a new land and culture was challenging.

English is not our first language, and some of our beliefs and values are different to those that are common in Australia. Our sense of humour is different, and even things like understanding the nuances of the education system took considerable effort.

As new arrivals, we had to research the support and services available and understand how they each connected to the other. Pathways weren’t always clear.

Today, in my role with Healthy Environs, I have the privilege of working with diverse community groups on behalf of our clients.

As a facilitator of community engagement on matters of access and inclusion, I draw on my own experience of belonging, on the challenges and the opportunities I found when I arrived in Australia.

I understand how it feels to not quite fit, and to navigate systems that were not designed with me or my family in mind. This allows me to bring a unique empathy to a consultation, to create a safe space for community stakeholders to speak, an environment of honesty and trust. It allows me to respect the expertise of community members, to take a strengths-based approach and know that there are no unsuitable ideas.

I recently drew on my lived experience of inclusion to design a community engagement program and facilitate workshops for the City for Norwood, Payneham and St Peters, as part of their new Access and Inclusion Strategy.

I was also reminded of something my uncle taught me. He was just a young man when a car accident put him into a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He was also an architect with the opportunity to work with his local council. He invited all of the elected members to sit in a wheelchair and take a ride around their city. Suddenly, each member had a new appreciation of the challenges faced by people living with disability and they were able to make decisions that resulted in big improvements to the accessibility of the city. My uncle taught me that lived experience can be invaluable for driving change.

As a migrant to Australia, I know that the journey is challenging. There are many obstacles on the road; social, financial, cultural. But the journey is worth it. Our experience has opened our eyes and made us grow in so many aspects. We have acquired skills that we would never have had if we’d stayed in our comfort zone in our own country; we are so grateful.

Chat to Caroline about our best practice for community consultation on matters of inclusion and diversity, [email protected] or via LinkedIn here.