MDA named top community organisation at Multicultural Awards
November 27, 2008
MDA’s tireless dedication to refugee settlement and multiculturalism advocacy has been recognised with a prestigious award for its work in the sector.
MDA was named the best Community Based Organisation at the 2008 Queensland Multicultural Awards, a Queensland Government program to recognise excellence in contributing to the state’s diversity.
“We are extremely proud of MDA’s achievements and strong track record on service delivery for people of cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds”, said MDA’s Chair Fraser Power.
“Critical to our success is both the skill and cultural diversity of our team. Many studies have shown the enhanced problem solving abilities of culturally diverse teams and MDA is a living example of the high performance of diverse work places.”
MDA settles around 1000 newly arrived refugees annually and provides a range of other services, including training and community capacity building, to another 2,500 people annually from about 20 countries.
“Of course a great deal of this work would not be possible without the ongoing support we receive from all levels of government.” said CEO Kerrin Benson.
“Our state-funded advocacy program in particular has had some important achievements in the sector, especially in the area of improved interpreter services, which saw its genesis from our notable Lost in Translation report.
“MDA is committed to further strengthening our focus on systemic advocacy for the ongoing development of culturally sensitive and appropriate policies as well as improved services for refugees and migrants,” she said.
MDA also congratulates Lorella Piazzetta on her win in the Individual Category of the Community Development section of the Queensland Multicultural Awards.
In her role managing MDA’s Advocacy Program, she has worked tirelessly towards systemic and structural change to redress inequities in mainstream services for people from diverse cultural backgrounds. More recently Lorella has led MDA in developing and implementing its Reconciliation Strategy.
“We are extremely proud of Lorella and this award is a fitting acknowledgement of the important contribution she has made to MDA’s work in the area of multicultural health over the last 10 years, as well as to the wider multicultural sector,” said Ms Benson.