Meet our Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council board member Mr. Amey Deshmukh…

It is a pleasure to see young Indian diaspora representation on the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council Board. Mr. Amey Deshpmukh was recently appointed as Director of the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council board. The Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council (the Council) advises the Minister for Children, Youth Justice, and Multicultural Affairs on opportunities and barriers facing people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and how to promote the Multicultural Queensland Charter to support a unified, harmonious, and inclusive community.

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs chairs the 11-member Council, which advices on: ·the needs, aspirations, and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds

·promoting the principles of the multicultural charter within the Queensland community ·developing and implementing government policies about multiculturalism

·how government-funded services and programs can be responsive to the needs of people from diverse backgrounds.

For more information and to know the other board members visit the website https://www. cyjma.qld.gov.au/multicultural-affairs/policy-governance/ multicultural-queenslandadvisory-council

India News Community News editor Ms. Amrita Deshpande had the privilege to exclusively interview Mr. Amey Deshmukh to know him and introduce him to the community. Here is the summary of the interview. Tell us briefly about your background, where are you from and what brings you to Australia.

Amey Deshmukh: I was born and raised in the historic city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra and completed my primary school education there. Throughout the years, with the developments of the internet, I was exposed to events occurring around the world and felt strongly about them. However, I did not know what I could do about it! Fast forward to my arrival in Australia in July 2018, I began pursuing a Master of Communication majoring in Social Change where I learnt the various tools of communication; how communication could be effectively used to leverage social change. I also realized that advocacy can act as a catalyst for one’s voice being heard on a greater magnitude. The opportunity to be a part of the Queensland Multicultural Advisory Council reflects the same. Sharing a common platform with members who deeply care about resolving issues in the community and those that can help people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Queensland brings me a step closer to what I hope to achieve along with an opportunity to learn over the term of this council.

Where are you living and working currently?

Amey Deshmukh: I have been living in the western corridor of Queensland in a remote town of approximately 80 people - Bedourie since April 2021. I work with the Diamantina Shire Council as a Training Liaison and Safety Officer. The initial challenge of living in the rural region followed by isolation was intimidating. But within a few days, I began to realize how strong the sense of community in this region is. These communities might not consist of a lot of people but most communities of outback Australia are very warm, welcoming, and tightly knit. It was definitely worth taking a break from the cities and experiencing a very different context of outback Australia!

How are you finding life in a rural area?

Amey Deshmukh: I have been living in a rural region for the last eighteen months and I have never been more excited to learn more about a context and its culture. While I was moving from Brisbane to Bedourie, an old mate at a motel in Longreach told me ‘when people get tired of the hustle-bustle of cities, they move out west. You seem to have taken it literally. To that, I laughed a lot because it really was the farthest out west anybody could go in Queensland. However, I arrived in Bedourie during the golden hour of sunset on an autumn afternoon and it has been a mesmerizing experience ever since then. Why did you want to be on the Multicultural Queensland Council?

Amey Deshmukh: Since I arrived in Australia in 2018, I have consistently tried to volunteer and put myself in extracurricular activities to make the most of my time, gaining

experiences in Australia. In 2019, I was appointed as one of the Brisbane International Student Ambassadors to represent the lifestyle and diversity in Brisbane (Communication for Social Change student is going beyond the classroom to make an impact - School of Communication and Arts - University of Queensland (uq.edu.au)). While I was a student at the University of Queensland, I also got an opportunity to work with my mentor and Professor Aparna Hebbani. We published a research paper on 'Exploring a mobile-based language learning intervention to improve English language acquisition and acculturation among migrants in Australia' (https:// www.jbeplatform.com/content/ journals/10.1075/aral.21017.heb).

In 2020, I was appointed to Study Queensland’s Queensland Student Advisory Panel which consisted of fifteen students across various educational institutes of Queensland. This was amidst COVID-19 and was a particularly challenging time to advocate for and help out students across Queensland. However, the panel assisted Study Queensland to raise $10 million through Study Queensland-Luhrmann appeal to help out families and students across Queensland during the challenging times of COVID-19 pandemic (Luhrmanns lend a hand for Queensland studentsMinisterial Media Statements). This was the point of inception where I began to realise the power of advocacy and how an agent can be a catalyst in creating a difference.

With my appointment at the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council, my aim is to help the council achieve the Multicultural Action Plan 2022-24 (Multicultural Action Plan: 2019 - 2019 (cyjma.qld.gov.au)) as it emphasizes working together on issues that I care about and would like to work on; and be the voice of as many people along the way. What more do you want to do to improve and make the living better for people in the rural areas of Queensland?

Amey Deshmukh: Along with the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council, I have also been appointed to the Western Queensland Regional Community Forum earlier this year (Western Queensland | Advancing Queensland’s Regions (premiers.qld.gov.au)) which is led by Minister Nikki Boyd. This platform allows me to work closely with the communities of Western Queensland and to help in progressing them. I believe that the lives of people in rural areas of Queensland are equally important to that of any other parts of Queensland as we work towards a brighter vision and inclusivity for all the residents living and working tirelessly to benefit these regions of Queensland.

How do you think the Indian community should be involved in the work of the council? What plans do you have to engage the Indian community in your work as the council Advisor?

Amey Deshmukh: I believe that the Indian community and the overarching umbrella of people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds have been pioneers in whatever field they chose to work in. However, my message to everyone working across different sectors in Queensland would be - whether they have been involved in the industry for several years or are recent graduates, it would be worth it to try out working and living in regional areas of Queensland. While the saturation of the workforce is comparatively lesser, the opportunities to grow are tremendous; and at the same time, the standard of living is equally good. Here is Sarmad’s story who has been working with Barcaldine Regional Council for the last few years (FarOut! (gofarout.com.au)). A skilled workforce can contribute so much more to the communities while carving a way to grow together. The life out here may or may not be for you but it definitely is worth a try and who knows, it might just click and you may find yourself a new place to call home!