[MMHA-E-Bulletin] MMHA Synergy E-Bulletin Edition 3 2005

[Multicultural Mental Health Australia]

Welcome to the Multicultural Mental Health Australia December 2005 Synergy
E-Bulletin.

This free e-bulletin aims to keep you up-to-date with the latest news and
information related to the mental health and wellbeing of Australia’s
culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. For
contributions: info at mmha.org.au

SPECIAL EDITION - SYNERGY No.3 2005: Diversity in Health Conference Edition


Melbourne provided the backdrop for this year’s Diversity in Health
Conference and with 140 nations living side by side in one city it seemed
an appropriate location to focus on diversity in health.

A big thank you must go out to the team at the Australian Multicultural
Foundation who worked tirelessly to organise the event, which included, as
a sample, a keynote speech from Hon. Jeff Kennett who highlighted the
importance of wellness and the promotion of good mental health. Dr Fiona
Wood, Head of Burns Unit, RoyalPerth Hospital and Australian of the Year 2005 gave an inspiring speech
about the work she and her team have done to advance the treatment of burn
victims. The conference ran smoothly and many people walked away from the
conference having learnt something new, made new friends and extended
their networks.

The aim of this edition is to provide a taste of the Diversity in Health
Conference and the topics covered. Whilst we cannot provide all, hopefully
we can deliver some of the highlights. This edition begins with Professor
Leslie Swartz from Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Professor
Swartz delivered an inspiring keynote speech on intergenerational issues
and he has been kind enough to allow MMHA to publish it in this edition of
Synergy (page 4). Joey Windrich, a consumer from Western Australia who
attended the Diversity in Health Conference, provides us with his opinion
of the conference and why such a conference is important to him (page 7).
Meg Griffths, National Program Manager for MMHA, provides a summary of her
talk on the Framework for the Implementation of the National Mental Health
Plan 2003 – 2008 in Multicultural Australia “not just another document”
(page 8). We talk to a clinician, a carer and a consumer from culturally
diverse backgrounds and ask them about the Diversity in Health Conference
and what it means to them and how important such a conference is to the
work they do for mental health (page 10). Read about the Hope Awards short
film competition, believed to be the first competition of its kind (page
16). There are the usual book reviews, latest resources and events
calendaralso.

We hope you find the Diversity in Health Conference Edition informative.


Please click below to link you to the MMHA website: http://www.mmha.org.au
Or http://www.mmha.org.au/MMHAPublications/Synergy/copy_of_2005No3/view to
go straight to the latest edition.

If you receive Synergy in hardcopy, look out for your edition soon!


I would like to thank those who completed the Synergy survey. The
information you have provided will assist in delivering future editions of
Synergy relevant to your needs. The survey can still be completed online
via the MMHA home page, www.mmha.org.au


Editorial Team
Synergy: MMHA’s magazine