| Announcing the Establishment of the Australian Business Network |
Hon. Shaoqutt Moselmane addressing the audience ** United and driven to serve you will create opportunities, create new
businesses, attract new investments and grow your wealth for a strong,
prosperous Syrian Australian community.
|
Announcing the Establishment of the Australian Business Network
01/07/2025
(See translation in Arabic section)
Sydney-Middle East Times Int'l: On the occasion of the announcement of the establishment of the Australian Business Network, former Senator Shawkat Moslemani delivered a speech. Here are some highlights:
Acknowledge the Traditional owners of the land and pay my respects to their elders past and present.
I acknowledge each and every one of you here tonight attending this inaugural dinner celebrating Your newly elected Board of Directors.
I acknowledge the many distinguished guests and in particular our newly elected board and executive members, the ever-preset radio announcer Ilham Hafez, Special welcome to Councillor Rachelle Harika, former Deputy Mayor Canterbury Bankstown City council.
Tonight is an opportunity for all of us to empower the newly elected board to do their best to serve you and to serve the Australian Syrian business Community with dedication.
The newly elected Board has a two-year tenure consisting of 6 permanent Directors with new leadership.
They will be your guide, a guiding base for you, your children and your future generations as you settle into a new society with a foreign language and a foreign culture.
Rachelle Harika delivers her speech You have a lot a head of you, but, you are in a sense very lucky to come into Australia with an established Arab Australian community in place and your team of dedicated board and members are here to help you.
I know how tough it was to settle in a foreign country coming out of war, conflict and poverty. When my family and I came to Australia in 1977 as a result of the Lebanese Civil war, we settled in Rockdale and by the way after 47 years we have remained in Rockdale, a beautiful part of southern Sydney.
At that time there were hardly any Lebanese people in the area. No Lebanese food, no Lebanese bakery, no Lebanese Butcher shops, no local Lebanese or halal restaurants, with very little social support in place.
It was a real struggle to settle in with no language skills or understanding of the new society - It was tough.
However, you are lucky much is present for you, including the work your business organization will create and facilitate for you.
They will create the necessary dialogue and explore opportunities for collaboration between Syrian Australians and the wider Australian business community.
Cutting the cake They will be your voice in all three spheres of government, local, state and federal and they will create the line of communication with Australian institutions, public and private and of course the most important understanding and working with the media.
They will be your voice in standing up for your community in promoting your wellbeing but also in responding to potential discrimination, racism and breaches of peace in your communities here in Australia and overseas. They will add to your social resilience and adaptability.
They will empower the entrepreneurs amongst you and will assist you unlock the many challenges and opportunities ahead.
They will help you celebrate your cultural heritage by sharing your diverse experiences, your language and cultural skills, enriching your Australian Syrian community and Australia's multicultural society.
They will not only create business partnerships with government departments like Austrade and the NSW Department for Trade, the Dept of Enterprise Investment and Trade
And for all of you to work together with your Business Network and local political representatives to open trade with Syria as US sanctions are lifted.
Mr. President, Perhaps this could be one of your first major task to arrange to see the Prime Minister or the Federal Minister for trade Senator Don Farrell, or the Foreign Minister, The Hon Peny Wong to work with the Australian government to establish links and to open channels of cooperation including the call for the re-opening of the Syrian Embassy and reestablish other diplomatic representations.
With the passage of time and with a board full of energy and vision, I believe you are well placed for success.
United and driven to serve you will create opportunities, create new businesses, attract new investments and grow your wealth for a strong, prosperous Syrian Australian community.
I Wish you every success. |
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