FECCA Highlights From Our CEO, Shane Klintworth

As you may know, the FECCA 2024 conference was held in Brisbane last week and was co-hosted by our friends at ECCQ.

We were fortunate to have been represented by our team members across almost 60 sessions. Topics ranged from racism in schools and domestic and family violence prevention to community development and the settlement journey through our Humanitarian programs.

One of the highlights was the address provided by Her Excellency Imelde Sabushimike, Republic of Burundi, Minister for National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights, and Gender. In her address, Minister Sabushimike shared her inspiring journey, which is an example of community empowerment in practice. Despite the high level of poverty and instability in her family, she was the first Twa woman to complete a bachelor’s degree and the first Twa woman to be appointed as a government minister.

Minister Sabushimike and her colleagues have helped improve the quality of life for the Batwa people in Burundi by distributing land, livestock, hoes, and seeds to boost food production within their community, progressively becoming self-reliant.

Most remarkably, Minister Sabushimike has been promoting the formal education of Batwa children through the distribution of academic materials and school uniforms in collaboration with UNIPROBA. She believes education is the key to development – without it, job prospects are scarce.

Minister Sabushimike has also recently built a school called ECOFO Girimbabazi Tujane for Batwa and other vulnerable children through the Girimbabazi Foundation (Girimbabazi translates as ‘have empathy’), which she initiated herself.

The program was a celebration of a wonderfully diverse Australia. We were treated to presentations from community, organisation, and corporations from across the country.

The government was well represented with no fewer than seven members of parliament from federal, state, and local governments. We were also fortunate to receive an address from Australia's newly appointed Governor-General, Ms Samantha Mostyn.