GreenTown

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Speaking another language shouldn’t be a barrier to doing something for the environment. Unfortunately, many of our culturally diverse communities miss out on the help and support they need to make a difference.

That’s where we come in.

Our GreenTown program is working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) to help them make changes in their homes, businesses, schools and everyday lives, to safeguard our environment.

We train a small group of people from each community we work with in sustainability. They then carry out free sustainability audits in the homes and businesses of others in their community. The project includes community and school workshops, and making sure the message gets into community language newspapers.

We’re working with people from all over the world – from the Arabic and Assyrian Chaldean community in Moreland, to the Turkish community in Hume, and the East African community in Flemington. We’re also working with the Indigenous community in Darebin. In 2011, we'll also be working with the Burmese community in Ringwood and the multicultural community in the Collingwood housing estate.

No matter what their cultural background, however, all these Victorians have something in common – they are all keen to do their bit for the environment.

So far, the response has been enthusiastic. The first group to get under way – the Arabic and Assyrian Chaldean community – found that they had more requests for audits than they could keep up with.

The key to our success

The key to our success is the time and energy we put into to building trust and good relationships with the communities we work with. We get to know and understand their culture, day-to-day lives and how they can best adopt sustainable behaviours. We connect with members from within the communities and they branch out further and become the ‘face’ of our program.

Ultimately, we find we have as much to learn from them as they do from us. The process leaves us all richer and our environment healthier.

GreenTown is run in partnership with many organisations, and is funded by the Sustainability Fund.

Our Flemington Green program is officially up and running. Read all about it

The A-to-Z of sustainability: from Arabic to Zomi, we’ve got info in (almost) every language

Check out our Sustainability for Diverse Communities Resource Hub

Hear about a visit by Arabic-speaking participants to Melbourne’s own sustainable village

Find out what all the buzz is about, below.

Shoukry Sidrak: It’s easy being green

Monday, 4 April 2011

Northern Weekly

Shoukry Sidrak’s garden is a bounty for any food lover. An assortment of fruit, vegetables and herbs are thriving in the carefully manicured Mill Park yard.

...

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

The Alevi Community Council of Australia in North Coburg will have two 5,000 litre rainwater tanks installed next week, as part of a project to lead the Turkish speaking and Alevi communities of...

From the Minister for Environment & Climate Change

Thursday, 21 October 2010

Culturally and linguistically diverse communities from the Flemington public housing estate will be helped to reduce...

2010 Winner
Advancement of Climate Change Knowledge
Sustainable Living

Wednesday, 18 August 2010

...

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Turkish‐speaking businesses in the City of Hume have jumped at the opportunity to sign up for free green business assessments.

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Twitter

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posted by Sarah on Friday, January 20, 2012 - 11:03

And eat it too

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posted by Sarah on Thursday, October 6, 2011 - 14:52

and join the commuter revolution

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Flickr

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Changing the world, one person at a time - the teaser The one minute teaser to our digital story telling project, which features six participants from Environment Victoria's Sustainable Living Program talking about how environmental issues have changed them, and how they are changing the world.

Changing the world, one person at a time Six participants from Environment Victoria's Sustainable Living Program talk about how environmental issues have changed them, and how they are changing the world.