How to engage multi-cultural communities

General

Despite intensive work with people from a number of ethnic and diverse cultural backgrounds, participation is often quite low. This may reflect either inadequacy in the consultation process or a lack of interest in the project.

Process

The most important requirement is flexibility:

• Keep an open mind and be willing to learn and adapt; demonstrate consistency and reliability.
• Be alert to the different ways people interact.
• Be aware of differences in gender roles which may require separate women-only groups.
• Ensure that women are adequately represented on advisory groups.
• Seek to understand the protocols of different groups.
• Develop an empathy with those who may have experienced great trauma, in addition to the identified trauma of the immigration process.
• Be willing to give something back to the community and to individuals, such as informational support.
• Seek input from ethnic community groups and organisations.
• Accept that some people will not respond to consultation processes and initiatives.

When designing a process, consider:

• The size of the community.
• English language proficiency.
• Demographic and socio-demographic status.
• Length of residence.
• Urban/rural location.
• Levels of community organisation and infrastructure.

Participatory processes should include both participation by ethnic-specific communities and involvement of ethnic community representatives in generic structures and processes:

• Use existing networks and structures.
• Advertise in the ethnic media.
• Identify ethnic community stakeholders (representatives of ethnic communities).
• Liaise with ethnic service providers and consumer groups or forums.
• Employ bilingual facilitators and/or interpreters.
• Ensure involvement of ethnic advisers, bilingual workers and/or skilled translators in the preparation of agendas and meeting or process format.
• Provide opportunities for language-specific programs.
• Avoid using children as interpreters. Not only may their ability to interpret accurately be variable, but also it can create difficulties in the power balance between the generations, thereby disempowering parents and other older adults. This is particularly important if sensitive issues, such as women's health, are being discussed (Parker, 1997: 188).
• Pay attention to practical arrangements (seating, briefing, and so forth).
• Include a record of ethnic community participation in reporting and feedback from participatory processes.
• Collect adequate background information on local ethnic communities (profiles of ethnic communities, needs, services, etc.).
• Ensure that reports include both a full report of ethnic participation, including their satisfaction with the process, as well as the issues raised.
• Pay particular attention to jargon or slang, which may have discriminatory implications.
• Pay particular attention to body language: gestures that are accepted in one culture might be misunderstood or even considered offensive in another.

Points to remember

No techniques will work in all situations but some specific strategies are summarised below.

• Ensure adequate representation.
• Remember that one person is generally NOT able to effectively represent the view of all ethnic communities within a given area.
• Do not rely exclusively on canvassing the views of peak agencies and/or ethnic service providers.
• Do not rely on the views of a single community leader or association.
• Provide direct representation and access to participatory processes.
• Do not ignore the needs of small or emerging ethnic communities.
• Keep an open mind and be willing to learn and adapt; demonstrate consistency and reliability.

Sources and further information

New South Wales Department of Community Services (1994) Community Consultation: NSW Department of Community Services Consultation Protocol. NSW Department of Community Services, Sydney.
Parker, Francis (1997). Consulting with Minority Groups, in Reaching Common Ground: Open Government, Community Consultation and Public Participation. Proceedings of the 1996 Reaching Common Ground Conference, 23-24 October The Open Government Network, Sydney, pp.179-193.
VicRoads (1997). Community Participation: Strategies and Guidelines. VicRoads, Melbourne.