Imagine how overwhelming it would be to be welcomed as a new citizen with a handshake from the Prime Minister in front hundreds of other Australians on day which is all about being Australian.

Although sixteen-year-old Gaby, originally from Venezuela, was unaffected by sitting near famous singer and new Australian, Leo Sayer, and had no idea who Adam Gilchrist was, she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

The new Australians I was able to speak to have varying reasons for coming to Australia, but they share a common desire to stay, be Aussie, and uphold the same set of rights and responsibilities .... Click here to read more.

Tips on “How you can get into the spirit of Australia Day” from the official Australia Day website.

Tip 2: “Consider how Aboriginal people feel about Australia Day”.

A very worthy point, but considering how many Indigenous Australians feel about the 26th of January, may not get you into the “spirit” the organisers of Australia Day celebrations were hoping for .... Click here to read more.

Australian taxpayers contributed well over $160 million to World Youth Day (a Catholic event).  There are many reasons why this is a worthwhile event to have in Australia, however - Australia is supposed to be a secular state, so should the Government be forking out this financial and “in kind” support for any religious event? .... Click here to read more.

As China tries to embrace the Olympic Movement with the slogan “One World, One Dream”, pro-China protestors yell the slogan “One World, One Dream, One China”, and athletes are banned from protesting including wearing “Free Tibet” t-shirts....

Click here to read more.

The film begins with a caricature of Prophet Mohammad with a ticking time bomb on his head and ends with text saying Islam “seeks to destroy our Western civilisation”. Fitna has certainly sparked a debate about Islam, as its maker says was its intention. It’s also highly likely that it incited hatred and violence, as well as offended many millions of people around the world. One perhaps unintended consequence is that it has reignited the debate about free speech...

Click here to read more.

Have the PC police gone too far? Banning nativity scenes from shop windows and the use of red and green during Christmas time is not the way to recognise our multicultural and multi-religious society...

Click here to read more.

Surely young Australian voters cared more about the election than to be swayed by last minute flyers shoved into their face telling them how much our Liberal member cares, and fortune cookies with Labor policy inside...

Click here to read more.

This young Australian-Malay Hip Hop artist’s words are being heard, and he is quickly becoming a wanted man because of them….

Click here to read more.

I couldn’t help but wonder what people from other countries must think of Australia and Australians. So, I took to the streets of Bangkok, London, Paris and Amsterdam to ask some of the locals and tourists what they thought...

Click here to read more.

Australians stick out like a sore thumb.
No matter where I was, if there was an Australian around, you would know it.

Click here to read more.

We can thank multiculturalism for Paad Thai and the Lazy Susan…but Satay Sausages?

Click here to read more.

That’s because soon you’ll have to take a mandatory Citizenship Test. But would you know the scientific name for the kangaroo, how many beers are in a slab, or the fourth verse of the national anthem?

Click here to read more.

Copyright FECCA 2009
Federation of Ethnic
Communities' Councils of Australia