Published Nov 12 2021

‘What Happens Next?’: A More Welcoming Country?

Susan
Carland
Academic, author and social commentator
Marie segrave
Professor of Criminology
Rebecca wickes
Professor, Criminology; Director, Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre
Bel schenk
Coordinator (Victoria), Welcoming Cities
Helen sawczak
Senior Advisor - Moelis Australia

It’s one thing to open borders and invite immigrants into a country. It’s another thing altogether to help them feel welcome in their new homes.

Building a more welcoming Australia takes work. Some of it is done behind the scenes, ensuring that new policies and action plans include all members of a community. Other gaps in inclusion are more overt, but they’re not always recognised by the groups who aren’t immediately impacted. 

Listen: Do Migrants Matter?

In this episode of Monash University’s What Happens Next? podcast, Dr Susan Carland speaks with experts at the coalface of making immigration and diversity work in Australia. How are they taking action to help increase diversity and inclusion in our society, and why does it benefit us all?

Today’s guests are Bel Schenk, coordinator at Welcoming Cities Victoria; Helen Sawczak, former CEO of the Australia-China Business Council; and Rebecca Wickes and Marie Segrave of the Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre.

Listen now to learn how each of us can make our neighbourhoods just a little more welcoming.

“I think one of the small things you can do is encourage the celebration of all the various celebrations of different communities and different cultures within our community. Traditions, generally, are wonderful ways to learn about difference, and to realise that there's so much value in that.”

Marie Segrave

If you’re enjoying the show, don’t forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and rate or review What Happens Next? to help listeners like yourself discover it.

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About the Authors

  • Susan carland

    Director, Bachelor of Global Studies, and Lecturer, School of Language, Literature, Cultures and Linguistics

    Susan's research and teaching specialties focus on gender, sociology, contemporary Australia, terrorism, and Islam in the modern world. Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National, and was named one of the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices in 2012 by The Age.

  • Marie segrave

    Professor of Criminology, School of Social Sciences

    Marie is a criminologist whose work into human trafficking, migrant labour exploitation, women prisoners and policing challenges the assumptions that drive legislation and policy in Australia and internationally. Marie’s research focuses on the intersection of regulation, exploitation and vulnerability. Her goal is to raise awareness and to help create more effective policies that have better outcomes for individuals and for society in general.

  • Rebecca wickes

    Professor, Criminology; Director, Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre

    Rebecca is an Associate Professor in Criminology and the Director for the Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre at the School of Social Sciences, Monash University. She is the lead investigator of the Australian Community Capacity Study, a multi-million, multisite, longitudinal study of place. Dr Wickes’ research focuses on physical and demographic changes in urban communities and their influence on social relationships, inclusion and the concentration of social problems, in particular crime, social exclusion and public disorder.

  • Bel schenk

    Bel Schenk is a writer, editor and community development practitioner based in Melbourne. She is currently leading the Welcoming Cities initiative in Victoria - supporting local governments and communities to be more effectively networked and resourced.

    Bel Schenk is a writer, editor and community development practitioner based in Melbourne. She is currently leading the Welcoming Cities initiative in Victoria – supporting local governments and communities to be more effectively networked and resourced. Bel is also the author of three poetry collections and has worked as the Artistic Director of Express Media, the Arts and Cultural Development Officer at the City of Darebin and at Kids’ Own Publishing, harnessing the power of books and the publishing process to connect children, families and their communities Bel recently presented Welcoming Cities first accreditation to Mayor of the City of Bendigo.

  • Helen sawczak

    Senior Advisor - Moelis Australia

    Ms Sawczak started her career as a corporate lawyer at international law firms in Australia and overseas. In Australia, she worked in the China practice of MinterEllison. She then moved to Moscow and Kazakhstan to work for British law firm Clifford Chance, acting for European and American clients participating in the privatisation of former Soviet state industries. Helen has held key positions at Alcoa, Telstra, Australia Post and ANZ She studied Mandarin throughout her secondary and tertiary education, which included three long-term study trips to Nanjing University and Fudan University in Shanghai.

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