2008 Queensland Multicultural Award winners

Alan Huynh, St Lucia
Alan, 24, is a committed multiculturalism campaigner and youth leader. Currently studying medicine at the University of Queensland, Alan is coordinating a new project to develop and implement a leadership skills camp for young refugee students to learn more about Australian culture.

Highly Commended: Lolita Lee

Individual Category - Refugee Services

Daniel Zingifuaboro, Logan
A refugee from Sudan, Daniel, has worked as a volunteer and with community-based organisation, ACCES Services Inc, to help many people in the wider community and to research improvements in settlement services for newly arrived people.

Highly Commended: Esme Horan

Individual Category - Community Services

Shirley Claire Antonio, Redcliffe
Shirley has voluntarily promoted multicultural awareness, race and multi-faith relations for the past 34 years. She is a co-founder of the Redcliffe Multicultural Community Association and has been involved in many local multicultural and multi-faith festivals and events.

Don Dias-Jayasinha, Brisbane
Don has been supporting people from a wide range of culturally diverse backgrounds for more than 30 years. He has worked with the Anglican Refugee Ministry assisting refugees with their settlement in Brisbane and was a founding member of the Sri Lanka Society of Queensland and AMPARO Advocacy group, which provides advocacy for people with a disability from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Georgina Valdeter, Townsville
Georgina voluntarily visits non-English speaking residents in their home to teach English and has been a president, secretary, treasurer and member of the Alliance Francaise for the past 25 years and for over 20 years a member of the Migrant Resource Centre in Townsville.

Highly Commended: Roger Chun How Ng

Individual Category - Community Development

Lorella Piazzetta, Carina
Lorella has been a community worker and advocate for multiculturalism for 20 years. As an employee of the Multicultural Development Association Inc for the past 10 years, Lorella has worked to redress inequities in mainstream services for people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Gail Ker, Gold Coast
Gail has worked in Logan for the last 20 years in various community roles including a substantial amount of unpaid volunteer work. Gail is the Director of ACCES Services Inc which specialises in providing settlement services for newly arrived migrants and refugees in Logan area.

Highly Commended: Reverend Peter Rama Rau

School Category - Primary School

Durack State School, Inala
With more than 60% of students from a non English speaking background, Durack State School has employed staff whose cultures complement the student population and who are committed to developing cultural awareness and delivering inclusive education.

Highly Commended: Woodridge Primary School

School Category - Secondary School

Cloncurry State School
Cloncurry State School has a strong staff commitment to developing programs for students that aim to address and break down cultural barriers and appreciate cultural diversity and tolerance. These programs extend from the school into the wider local community to develop cultural awareness and encourage cultural exchange.

Highly Commended: Canterbury College

Government Category

Cultural Advisory Unit, Queensland Police Service
The Cultural Advisory Unit was established in 1991 to develop and maintain effective relationships between the Queensland Police Service and Indigenous and ethnic communities and to promote understanding of cultural diversity through input into recruitment, training, policy and procedures.

Highly Commended: Queensland Health Multicultural Program, Yeronga English as a Second Language (ESL) Unit, Ipswich City Council

Community Based Organisation Category

Multicultural Development Association Inc, South Brisbane
The Multicultural Development Association Inc provides a range of services to newly arrived refugees and migrants, working in partnership to achieve their aspirations by delivering quality services through advocacy, client service delivery, community development and multicultural sector development.

Highly Commended: VORTCS (Volunteer Refugee Tutoring and Community Support) and TRAMS (Toowoomba Refugee and Migrants Support Centre)

Business Category - Small Business

Gorilla Sports Pty Ltd, Geebung
Gorilla Sports has been involved in the sports industry since 1985, distributing sports equipment to a diverse range of clientele and partnerships. The company actively works with clubs, schools and community groups and despite limited resources, has developed a large network of sponsored and charitable partnerships throughout Queensland.

Highly Commended: Oxygen Café

Business Category - Large Business

University of Southern Queensland
In 1998, the University of Southern Queensland became the first university in Australia to adopt a formal policy on multiculturalism and is considered the leader in multiculturalism within the higher education sector. Through multicultural initiatives specifically tailored to the needs and community composition of the region, the University contributes to enhancing cultural diversity, reducing prejudice and encouraging community participation.