Department of Home Affairs – Community Engagement Newsletter: 6 March 2026
Community Engagement Newsletter – 6 MARCH 2026
Dear community representatives,
Thank you for your ongoing support and contributions to the community. The Community Liaison Officer (CLO) Network has collated the following newsletter of important information from across the Department of Home Affairs that may of interest to yourself and members of your community. Please feel free to forward this newsletter, or any of its sections, to members of your community.
In this month’s edition, you can find information on the following:
Welcome to Harmony Week 2026
Harmony Week is a national event that brings Australians together to promote respect, inclusion and a shared sense of belonging for everyone. Harmony Week highlights Australia’s rich cultural diversity and is about Australians embracing cultural diversity, and building cultural understanding. Each year people are encouraged to come together, share their stories, and participate in activities that strengthen our connections as a community.
Harmony Week will run from Monday 16 to Sunday 22 March with events and initiatives led by schools, sporting clubs, community groups, local councils, workplaces, faith communities, businesses and government organisations. It is a special opportunity for community across Australia to recognise and embrace the strength that cultural diversity brings to our nation.
The Harmony Week website now features a refreshed collection of resources to assist with your planning. These include comprehensive event planning kits as well as an online promotion kit. These tools offer customisable resources, communication templates, artwork and suggestions to help ensure your celebrations are impactful and inclusive. We encourage you to explore these materials and adapt them to your needs.
Harmony Week also incorporates the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD), observed on Saturday 21 March 2026. While Harmony Week shines a light on Australia’s cultural diversity, it is equally important to acknowledge the ongoing need to challenge and eliminate racism in all its forms – whenever and wherever it appears. While Harmony Week is a time to celebrate, it is also a reminder of our shared responsibility to challenge prejudice, stand up to discrimination and foster environments where everyone feels safe and respected.
Harmony Week continues to grow each year thanks to the dedication of individuals and organisations across the country. Your involvement plays a vital role in strengthening relationships, deepening cultural understanding, and building more connected communities.
Smartraveller – Middle East conflict
| Smartraveller is the official Australian Government travel advisory service managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It provides 24/7, up-to-date travel advice, safety information, and risk assessments for 179 destinations to help Australians travel safely and make informed decisions, including information on visas, laws, and health. To visit this resource please follow the link Homepage | Smartraveller.
Smartraveller continues to provide updates on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including instructions for individuals who are presently in impacted countries. A dedicated webpage for this situation has been established and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available. To access this page, please follow the link Middle East conflict | Smartraveller. |
Libraries as Community Cohesion Hubs
The Australian Library and Information Association, in partnership with the Office for Social Cohesion within the Department of Home Affairs and supported by the Australian Public Library Alliance, is working with 115 public and 10 university libraries across the country on an exciting new community engagement initiative.
Participating libraries will host a range of programs that build, grow and protect community cohesion, helping to connect and support individuals and communities in diverse ways.
This initiative will run until the end of April 2026, and aims to:
- Build the shared understanding of the human, social, economic and environmental value of social cohesion and the roles and responsibilities we each have in maintaining it.
- Grow connections and conversations by supporting people to connect to family, friends and those with different backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, cultures and faiths, as well helping people to better connect to local and community organisations, institutions and government.
- Protect cohesion, togetherness and democratic values during times of shocks and stresses.
For more information and to find participating libraries in your area, please visit the page Community Cohesion Programs – ALIA.
EOI for Funding Now Open! Security Uplift for Muslim Communities
Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now open for Muslim faith-based organisations to apply for funding to enhance their security resources.
Organisations must submit an expression of interest to the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) to be considered for funding. A grant application will be held in mid-2026.
For general information, see Security Uplift for Muslim Communities. For detailed information or to submit an EOI, see Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) website at Security Uplift for Muslim Communities in Australia Program » ANIC.
EOIs close 24 April 2026.
Parent Pathways – General Information
Parent Pathways hits a major milestone supporting over 30,000 parents on their journey to achieve their personal, study or work goals.
Parent Pathways is a voluntary service co-designed with parents and carers, community organisations and service providers to make sure it truly responds to their needs.
Open to eligible parents and carers of children under 6 years old, the service offers personalised support including access to literacy and language programs, training opportunities, financial assistance, career guidance and more.
In-language resources are available in;
- Arabic
- Assyrian
- Chinese Simplified
- Dari
- English
- Vietnamese
| Easy Read versions of the fact sheet, brochure and poster are also available for download.
For more information, visit: Parent Pathways – Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Government. |
Services Australia have recently published an updated ‘Information and help for multicultural customers’ audio. This resource lets people know about their:
- Multilingual Phone Service
- interpreter and translation services
- Multicultural Service Officers.
This service is available in 20 languages, including:
| Arabic | Karen | Rohingya |
| Assyrian | Khmer | Spanish |
| Burmese | Korean | Swahili |
| Cantonese | Kurdish (Kurmanji) | Thai |
| Chaldean | Mandarin | Turkish |
| Dari | Pashto | Vietnamese |
| Hazaragi | Persian (Farsi) |
These audio translations include written transcripts so people can listen to or read the information in their language.
You can find this audio at servicesaustralia.gov.au/information-and-help-for-multicultural-customers-translation or search QC 83693 on the agency website.
All translated resources are available at servicesaustralia.gov.au/yourlanguage (or search QC 25811). To find the resources for a particular language, please select from the language list in the left margin.
Check out the AMEPOnline Mobile App
The Australian Government’s AMEPOnline helps clients of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), new migrants, and designated migrants to Australia, to learn and practise English in their own time.
The app helps you learn English to improve your life in Australia and is free to use.
The app has many lessons, across five levels of learning, as well as safety and citizenship.
The app is available to download now:
- Apple App Store – AMEPOnline App – App Store
- Google Play – AMEPOnline – Apps on Google Play
| Still want to attend face to face AMEP classes?
Check if you’re eligible here: http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/amep |
Join the eSafety Youth Council
Are you a young person with thoughts about online safety? Do you want to help other young people to have positive experiences online? Do you enjoy working as part of a team?
eSafety is looking for young people who are Australian residents aged between 13 and 24 years from diverse backgrounds, life experiences and locations to apply for the eSafety Youth Council for an 18-month term (June 2026 to December 2027).
For more information about the role, time commitment and key dates, please follow this link to read the Application Guide: eSafety-Youth-Council-Application-Guide-2026.pdf.
To join the eSafety Youth Council, click here to apply: Join the eSafety Youth Council.
Applications close 29 March 2026.
Grant Opportunity: Festivals Australia – Round 22
Festivals Australia funds engaging arts projects that invite community participation and audience engagement in regional and remote Australia. Projects can include but are not limited to a parade, performance, workshop, installation or exhibition.
Festivals Australia will only fund a single project (not a range of unrelated activities) delivered at a festival or significant one-off community celebration in an eligible regional or remote location. It will:
- Provide access to a diverse range of engaging, innovative arts projects that grow audiences at festivals across regional and remote Australia
- Support partnerships and collaboration across the arts sector, and
- Encourage community participation in arts projects at regional and remote festivals.
To check if your project is taking place in an eligible location, visit the Festivals Australia Eligibility Map. Enter the full address where your project will be delivered into the search box or click on the location on the map. The remoteness classification, and whether this location is eligible, will be displayed.
Applications close 17 March 2026.
For more information, visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO8251: GrantConnect or search GO8251 on GrantConnect
The Jobs and Skills Australia 2026 Occupation Shortage List (OSL) Stakeholder Survey
The Jobs and Skills Australia 2026 Occupation Shortage List (OSL) Stakeholder Survey is now open until 5pm (AEDT) Wednesday 18 March 2026 and you’re invited to contribute.
The information that you provide as part of this survey will give Jobs and Skills Australia insights into the recruitment challenges and occupations that might be in shortage across the Australian labour market and will help make sure the 2026 OSL is based on comprehensive evidence.
If you wish to contribute, please follow the attached link to register your participation: Registration for Occupation Shortage List – Stakeholder Survey.
Useful information in your language
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