Social Impact Projects

During the course of the program, participants undertake projects in an area they are passionate about. The Social Impact Projects provide an opportunity for participants to make an impact on the wider community.

2021

Human rights

The Human Rights SIP team recognised the inherent issues of prevalence and barriers to disclosure of domestic violence and sexual assault in Australia. Specifically, our SIP attempted to shed light on the amplified barriers faced by individuals from multicultural communities, who may be more vulnerable to and less likely to report violence due to differences in cultural values, isolation, and language barriers. Through the facilitation of several interviews with members of the community, social workers, and specialist family violence workers, our SIP team sought to create a docu-video that would educate individuals on domestic violence, highlight how intersectional factors impact it, and guide anyone who believes they have experienced violence to professional help in Australia.

Sustainability

The Sustainability and Climate Change SIP team established the ‘Small Change Big Impact’ challenge. The goal of the challenge was to inform and encourage individuals - through a series of infographics and short videos - to make small lifestyle changes that could benefit the environment. The challenge was a success with numerous individuals taking part in it and the team hope these individuals and others continue to implement small changes in their lifestyle to benefit the environment.

Preserving Cultural Heritage

For the Preserving Cultural Heritage SIP, the team created an Instagram Page called Preservation Generation. Through this page, they shared personal stories with the hope of inspiring others to embrace their cultural heritage, become curious and discover parts of their culture they did not know about, and connect with their roots.

ACCESSIBILITY

In a world where not everything is built equal, it is important to consider those positions of lesser privilege in order to allow them the same opportunity to do things as the rest of the population.

The Accessibility SIP focused on raising awareness for the struggles of the elderly, international students, and those with a disability. Through a series of bilingual infographics and interviews with individuals from each group, the team sought to convey first hand experiences to inform which issues were most pressing and in need of the most attention.

GENDER EMPOWERMENT

The DILP Gender Empowerment team hosted a Zoom panel discussion titled: “Beyond the Boundaries” - a candid, thought-provoking evening with a panel of inspirational guest speakers from all walks of life who will share what gender empowerment means to them in today’s society. The event was also sponsored by three sponsors that shared the ethos of empowering all genders and supporting social change. 

This was aimed to address the social stigma surrounding gender inequality entrenched within Asian cultures, and how we as individuals can break down gender stereotypes and empower all genders in different environments.

Mental Health

Our mental health SIP was three-prong; the creation of online bilingual FB community; Tim Hieu Tam Ly, bilingual guides and resources on common mental health topics and two Vietnamese language interviews, one with a mental health professional (Thuy Dinh) and another with a man, explaining the importance of mental health in lay terms, from the perspective of someone with the same background as our parents.

The key aim around this approach was to diminish the language barrier, reduce stigma and provide education surrounding mental health for Vietnamese community, in a space familiar to them (Facebook) in their terms (in Vietnamese) and from sources they could trust (from mental health professionals and advisors fluent in the Vietnamese language). 153 members joined the group by project’s end, with a large proportion of that number being first gens. The site acts as an online hub for resources providing education and awareness of mental health in our parents’ terms and tailored specifically to the Vietnamese-Australian community.

2019

Human rights

The Human Rights Social Impact project was a 30 minute documentary highlighting the human rights violations in Vietnam, seeking commentary from public figures and outlining solutions. The group were able to interview Members of Parliament, Community Leaders and Human rights activists.

The Human Rights group’s vision was to see a Vietnam where individuals are free to exercise their human rights without fear of persecution. They hope  for this video to be viral and for the world to see the other side of the coin.

LGBTQIA+

Mental Health

The Mental Health Social Impact project created an infographic that captured the second generation voice, highlighting the discrepancy between second and first generation views regarding mental health. They aimed to bridge that gap through was a Vietnamese SBS radio interview with a psychologist to remove the veil of shame and empower the community to improve their own lives. 

The Mental Health team realised mental illness and the idea of therapy was a foreign concept to most of the first generation Vietnamese Community. Their goal was to destigmatise help seeking behaviour by reframing it from a sign of weakness to an opportunity for personal growth and wellbeing.

multiculturalism

Gender Empowerment

The Gender Empowerment team developed a podcast discussing the teams’ reflections on their own experiences of gender roles in Asian families and culture. They explored the dual identities of being both Asian and Australian and the difficulties managing conflicting ideologies of both western and eastern values. 

The podcast aims to explore topics not often discussed in Asian households and the power dynamics in relationships. Ultimately, the podcast hopes to spread awareness of certain gender inequality existing in our society.