Our Project
Australia is a multicultural country where different races and cultures co-exist. Ethno Connect ‘s mission is to promote the multicultural Australian society by empowering ethnic minority groups and connecting them with one another and with wider communities.
You may wonder why you should be interested in this, when many powerful leaders in the world do not seem to appreciate the idea of multiculturalism any more. That is exactly the reason why we need your support.
Acceptance and celebration of differences are fundamental principle of our democratic values. We not only accept the differences, but we fully embrace these and recognise that these are in fact our strength, our advantage and a source of creativity.
Why It Matters
Ethnic minority groups play very important roles in our communities. Group members assist new migrants and refugees in settling into a new country and also look after other members, guarding them from any institutional racial discrimination, so that our children in ethnic communities do not see that any differences are negative, or internalise feelings of exclusion.
Sydney is a city where cultures meet. You can tell by their diversity in their suburbs and its people. However, very few people know about this mixed and diverse society as the media always portrays the same representation of certain sectors, socially and economically speaking, as well as ethnically.
Our Story
Ethno Connect is a social enterprise, operating since 2008, established to promote the multicultural Australian society by strengthening network among ethnic communities and by facilitating business link between communities.
Ethno Connect aims to provide educational and vocational trainings and the trainees will work as agents for cultural and business exchange.
The initiatives have been supported by Arts NSW, Department of Immigration and Citizenship and Canterbury City Council through the funds acquired by Metro Migrant Resource Centre and Asian Youth and Culture Council.
Our Team
SE GUN SONG Director
Se Gun is one of the founding members of Ethno Connect since 2008. He has a community service background and he is also a research student on social enterprise for migrant and refugee communities.
Sheila Fernández, Video Director, Editor, Digital Producer
Sheila is involved in creative processes from early stages to the cutting room. Sheila’s main focus is editing, but she also does directing, camera, and leads projects. She graduated in Media and Communications in Spain and has a background in broadcast TV and media for social change purposes.
MONA MAKRAM Script Writer and Trainer
When I came to Sydney, I missed my home Cairo. I had no one here. There is nothing like feeling as a stranger. With no chances to work as I had no local experience! And how would I be able to acquire the local experience if no one hired me, not even as a volunteer! And finally, I became part of Ethno Connect: at last, I had a job, friends and a life. You should experience it yourself!
SARAH STEVENSON Community Engagement Consultant Production Assistant
Sarah has had a strong background in Illustration and Design. Developing akeen interest in film production, she graduated from University of Technology Sydney with a Bachelors degree in Media Arts and Production. With a passion for story telling through film, Sarah has experience with editing, cinematography, set design and various other roles in the industry.
SOPHIA LEE Assistance Production Manager
Sophia has masters degree in film theory and worked at the peak film industry body in South Korea. She participated in the numerous short film projects.
ERIN PARK Finances and Admin Manager
Erin has Bachelor of Media Arts and Production in University of Technology Sydney and Master of International Studies. She used work at advertising company as a production manager. She produced various TV commercials. Most recently, Erin worked for United Nations and International Organization as a Project Officer related sustainable development.
How You Can Help
You are an essential partner in the community practice. Here are ways you can help us support and build audience for our community stories.
- Back us at any level. Every contribution gets us closer to our goal and builds momentum for the project.
- Share this page with your social network. We're on Facebook and Twitter and we will be writing stories, anecdotes, and even some footage from the project's journey.
- Help us broaden our network. Forward our email to a handful of friends and let them know why you are backing the project. Introduce us to a friend who is a patron of the social change, has a family foundation, writes for a relevant blog or publication, or works at a related organization.
- Host a house party. Invite a few friends over for a nice dinner to screen our documentaries and watch our StartSomeGood trailer. We'll join you, if we can, or Skype in for a Q & A if we can't. Email [email protected] for details.
