Calendar of Opportunities

All year round there are opportunities to draw attention to issues and give impetus for action. Contact us with other special days.

January 2007

• 26th Australia Day.  Contact your local refugee agencies for opportunities to welcome refugees or write an article about what it means to give every one a "fair go" to participate in Australia - particularly refugees.

February 2007

March 2007

• 21st International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination ("Harmony Day") Write an article about cultural competence (individuals) or culturally responsive services (systems). If people with different languages and cultures consistently have worse access and outcomes - that's discrimination.  

April 2007

• 7th World Health Day. A great time to educate people about the link between occupation and health. Write an article about an example of how refugee health / wellbeing improved with opportunities to be healthily occupied.

May 2007

• 15th International Day of Families. Raise awareness of challenges often experienced by refugee families (eg intergenerational conflict, domestic violence, lack of extended family, rapidly acculturating children, language, missing members).

June 2007

• 4th International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. Raise awareness of the unaccompanied refugee children with some "did you know" facts. Highlight opportunities to get involved with refugee kid homework clubs, sports teams, etc.

• 20th UN World Refugee Day. More information and ideas from the UNHCR website. Use this global day to raise awareness and challenge the OT profession. Here's an newsletter article you can use as a starting point
  
• 26th International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Educate OTs about torture, trauma and the occupational impact. Showcase some positive initiatives of the local torture and trauma service and where to get further information.

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

• 17th Australian Citizenship Day. Contact your local refugee agencies and participate in welcoming refugees or raising awareness of the right for all citizens to participate in our community. For more information on citizenship.

• 21st UN Peace Day. For info about how to participate in a 24hr peace vigil 
  

October 2007

• 17th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Community participation goes beyond a few dances at a multicultural festival. Refugees seek real jobs and the dignity of real economic participation. What an underdeveloped area for OT projects! Interview an OOFRAS OT who has been involved in economic initiatives.

• 27th International Day of Occupational Therapy. Ideas to help you celebrate:

  - Wear an OOFRAS Tshirt as a conversation starter

  - Email international associations (listed on the World Federation of Occupaitonal Therapy site) with a newsletter article about the three challenges and three strengths you see as an Australian OT. Invite them to respond with a similar newsletter article from their country.

  - Invest in countries developing OT, become an individual member of the World Federation of Occupaitonal Therapy

Novemeber 2007

• 25th International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Most refugees are women and children. Throughout the refugee journey they are the most vulnerable and demonstrate incredible resilience. Why not interview a refugee woman. Write an article together to celebrate courage and call for an end to violence and apathy.  

December 2007

• 5th International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development. This is your opportunity to share about your volunteer role or opportunities to partner with OOFRAS. You may know local multicultural or refugee agencies that would love OT volunteers. Interview three OTs who have given time to OOFRAS.

• 10th Human Rights Day. Refugee rights are human rights. Now is a great time to educate people about the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights  and the Refugee Charter . Use your OT lens to reflect on the occupational implications and safe guards in these edicts. 
   
• International Migrants Day. Do an interview with a migrant and a refugee. Write an article highlighting the similarities and differences between economic migrants and refugees. Both strengthen community diversity. However, migrants choose to leave for greener grass. They plan, pack, say goodbye, have visas, etc. Refugees have no choice but to jump because the grass under them is on fire! They leave suddenly without saying goodbye, without preparations, papers, possessionsl or knowing where they will find safety.
   
• 25th Christmas Day. King Herod slaughtered all baby boys in a fit of fear and jealousy after word that the Christ child heralded a new "kingdom". So Christ was exiled in Egypt; a refugee during early childhood. Later Christ's chief mission was exposing the spiritual exile of the human heart, and offering himself as the way for spiritual refugees of every tribe and tounge to come home.