AUSTRALIA CELEBRATES STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH MUSLIM FILIPINOS
Ambassador Rod Smith (3rd from left) together
with (L-R) Ms Aminah Dimaporo, Representative
Imelda Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte (1st District);
Ms Samah Hadid, member of the United Nations
(UN) Experts Group on Youth and 2010 Australian
Youth Representative to the UN; Ambassador
Malai Halimah Yussof of Brunei Darussalam; and
Secretary Bai Omera Lucman of the National
Commission on Muslim Filipinos during the Iftar
reception held at the Australian Ambassador’s
residence.
The Australian Embassy recently hosted its annual Iftar Dinner with about 70 guests including former Senator Santanina Rasul of Magbassa Kita Foundation, Representative Imelda Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte (1st District) and Secretary Bai Omera Lucman of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. This was the fourth Iftar dinner hosted by the Embassy.
In welcoming guests, Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said the Iftar dinner celebrated and further strengthened the longstanding partnership the Embassy shared with the Philippine Muslim community. “Australia is working progressively with our partners in areas of interfaith dialogue, Muslim education, leadership exchanges, and economic development in Mindanao,” he said.
Special guest at the dinner was Ms Samah Hadid, 2010 Australian Youth Representative to UN. Ms Hadid is also a member of the United Nations (UN) Experts Group on Youth, Representative on the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, Co-Chair of the Multicultural Youth Network– Amnesty International.
Ambassador Smith said “Samah is among the thousands of Australian Muslims that continue to make important contributions to modern-day Australia and strengthen Australia's links with Muslim communities around the globe.”
Ms Hadid addressed guests at the dinner on her experience working with the UN. “I’ve always aspired to work for the United Nations in human rights. Through this program I met minority leaders from all around the world including the Philippines.”
During her visit to Manila, Ms Hadid also participated in roundtable discussions with Filipino Muslim youth leaders and gave a lecture in Miriam College where she reiterated the significant role youth play in spreading messages of peace and tolerance as well as respect for human rights.
The Australian Government remains committed to assisting the development of Filipino Muslims. Mindanao, the area with the most significant Muslim population in the country, remains as a major focus of Australia’s aid program. Australia is working closely with Philippine Government agencies to promote peace and development, as well as improve the delivery of basic and social services, particularly in the areas of education and training, local governance, and health.
A recent example of this partnership is Australia’s support to the Philippines’ Response to Indigenous Peoples and Muslim Education (PRIME) Program of the Department of Education as inaugural sponsor with Php880 million (A$20 million) from 2011 to 2014. The assistance through AusAID for the development of learning materials, training of teachers and curriculum adaptation to make them more relevant to Indigenous and Muslim learners.