2023 winners
Winner: Peter Bongiorni
As President of the Ukrainian Community of Queensland, Peter Bongiorni’s incredible commitment to Queensland’s Ukrainian community is evidenced by the countless hours he volunteers to support not only those Ukrainians born in Australia but also those newly arrived in Queensland, helping them secure homes, learn English, enrol their children in school, access healthcare and settle successfully into Queensland’s way of life.
Peter has been instrumental in fundraising efforts to assist newly arrived refugees, brokering an agreement with St Vincent de Paul Society to enable physical donations received from the local community to be exchanged for gift cards, and securing funding for two community officers to provide settlement support.
He is committed to fostering intercultural understanding and promoting the traditions and cultural heritage of the Queensland Ukrainian community.
Winner: Faysel Ahmed Selat
Since arriving as a Somali refugee, Faysel Ahmed Selat has become a public health advocate and well-respected youth leader in Brisbane who is passionate about inclusive public health access.
During the height of the pandemic, Faysel worked with Queensland Health to set up a vaccination hub in Inala to expedite vaccination of migrants and First Nations peoples in the area and mobilised youths and elders to communicate life-saving health advice.
While volunteering at Refugee Health Queensland, he produced a video for doctors highlighting the importance of interpreters and translators in hospital environments.
As President of the Somali Community Association of Queensland he works closely with the Queensland Police Service to develop a culturally informed engagement and response strategy to reduce and prevent youth violence.
Winner: Dr Maggy Lord
Having earned an impressive list of career achievements in science from a very young age, it’s no surprise Dr Maggy Lord has gone on to become a well-regarded and high achieving academic at the University of Queensland.
Dr. Lord is being recognised as co-founder of the Mshauri (m-sh-a-rhi) STEM mentorship program, the only Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) mentorship program in the country focused on supporting students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
She is an inspiring role model and mentor for young students, drawing on her extensive skills and experience to motivate and support them to pursue careers in STEM.
Read more about her work in STEM here: https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/16992
Winner: Parents and Citizens Association Mabel Park State High School
Recognising the important link between schools and communities, the Mabel Park State High School Parents and Citizens Association provides a range of activities to strengthen cultural and community cohesion.
This small group of committed volunteers worked tirelessly to deliver the first ever OCEANIA: Queensland Schools Multicultural Showcase - a unique multicultural opportunity for students from more than 30 schools across the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Gold Coast regions.
The event brought students together to celebrate cultural diversity and proudly showcased both traditional and contemporary performances from the Aboriginal community, Torres Strait Islander community, Cook Islands, Tahitian, Samoan, Tongan, Māori and African Nations.
The Mabel Park SHS P&C Association continues to leverage multicultural events at schools to teach young people that all cultural identities deserve to be respected and valued.
Winner: Dawn Hay
Dawn has been an active volunteer and community advocate for over 50 years and is highly regarded for her compassion and unwavering commitment to helping others.
Dawn has worked tirelessly for the Central Queensland Multicultural Association which is committed to cultural connectivity and harmony and supports people from diverse backgrounds settle within the Rockhampton region and beyond.
Dawn’s leadership of the CQMA saw the Association secure funding from the Queensland Government and independent donations, to enable it to provide employment opportunities, education, research, advocacy support and community engagement for new and older migrants in the Central Queensland area.
In addition, her volunteer work with the Central Queensland Hospital Health Service committee, helping culturally and linguistically diverse members of the community navigate the health care system is to be commended, as is her long-term support of migrant health workers.
Winner: Townsville Multicultural Support Group Inc.
For more than 30 years, Townsville Multicultural Support Group has been advocating and supporting culturally and linguistically diverse communities across regional Queensland. Through their support services, partnerships and innovative, community-led programs they have assisted over 80,000 new Queenslanders with a focus on economic independence and social inclusion for all.
Committed to uplifting the voices of migrants and refugees, addressing local barriers and creating sustainable opportunities in North Queensland, TMSG is promoting mutual understanding and respect and helping create a more welcoming and inclusive Queensland.