MRC Tas Welcomes Grant for Electoral Education
Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania (MRC Tas) is now delivering electoral education sessions to
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities across the state as part of a recent partnership with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). This project which started in mid-January aims to enhance the understanding of electoral processes among CALD individuals, empowering them to
actively participate in voting and civic engagement.
MRC Tas facilitators and bicultural workers have already undergone a comprehensive electoral
workshop to enable them to deliver the sessions to multicultural community members. This evening, February 11, Punjabi community members will benefit from this workshop which will take place at the Multicultural Hub (65 Hopkins St, Moonah) from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
MRC Tas CEO, Dr. Gillian Long expressed deep gratitude for the grant, “We are incredibly thankful to the AEC for this opportunity. As an organisation working with people from multicultural communities in
Tasmania, we are uniquely positioned to educate and support our communities in understanding the importance of their electoral rights and responsibilities.”
The three-hour politically neutral sessions focus on key electoral topics including the importance of voting, the three levels of government, enrolling to vote, voting options, and understanding the House of Representatives and Senate voting processes. Participants also engage in practical activities such as reading voting instructions, correctly filling out ballot papers and casting votes, ensuring they are well- prepared to pass on this knowledge to their communities.
The AEC emphasises the importance of political neutrality for trainers, “The AEC is responsible for providing the Australian people with an independent electoral service.
The education sessions you are delivering are to provide information about the Australian electoral system and the process of voting.”
In Hobart, workshops will be delivered in Cantonese, Mandarin, Tigrinya, Punjabi, Oromo, Amharic,
Farsi, Nepali, Karen and Arabic. A total of 25 sessions will be delivered in 12 languages across the state in the months leading to the elections. These sessions will be supported by translated resources to ensure accessibility for all participants. Ethnic community members who are eligible voters or on the citizenship pathway are invited to attend these sessions to prepare them to vote in the upcoming
elections. Registration can be made online at mrctas.org.au/training/ or by contacting MRC Tas at 03 6724 2820.
Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania (MRC Tas) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports and empowers migrants and refugees to settle and live fulfilling lives in Tasmania.
ENDS
For further information or interview requests: Tabitha Zachariah, MRC Tas Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator – tzachariah@mrctas.org.au / 0483 080 084