Resources
Please note: These links take you to external websites. The National Centre for Contemporary Islamic Studies is not responsible for their content.
Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia
The Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia (JCMA) is a not for profit organisation promoting the prevention of emotional and physical abuse arising from religious intolerance and cultural discrimination.
Of particular interest to teachers and school leaders will be:
- The JCMA Secondary Schools Project
- This interfaith project seeks to increase understanding of similarities and respect for difference amongst school students, staff and parents.
- Together for Humanity – Primary Schools Project
- This award-winning and innovative project has been delivered to 25,000 students in NSW and the Northern Territories, and is now available to Victorian schools. Students engage with Christian, Islamic and Jewish role models of living in harmony. Children are invited to join a team with people of all cultures and faiths working together for a better world – by doing 40 steps toward one million actions together.
- School Excursions
- Arrange a school visit to a synagogue, church or mosque where you know you will be welcomed in a spirit of respect for difference and diversity, and where the presentation will be clear and appropriate for the age and curriculum requirements.
Making Multicultural Australia
Making Multicultural Australia is one of Australia’s leading sources of quality educational resources on multiculturalism. The website contains information on teaching resources and strategies to understand and promote cultural diversity and tolerance. It contains more than 3500 pages of articles, research, teacher guides, lesson plans, audio interviews, video clips and Australian multicultural artworks.
This site is developed by the NSW Department of Education and Training, University of Technology Sydney, and Office of the Board of Studies NSW, in partnership with the Queensland Government, Australian Multicultural Foundation, Migration Heritage Centre NSW and Australia Council for the Arts.
Multicultural Education
Multicultural Education is an useful website by the Victorian State Government’s Department of Education and Training, providing information, resources and strategies on dealing with diversity in education for school leaders, teachers and parents. It also contains details of upcoming events and programmes, as well as professional development and skills training programmes. The Multicultural Education website will be especially useful for teachers, and of particular interest may be Combating Racism and Prejudice in Schools: Keynotes (2.1Mb pdf).
Education Services Australia
Education Services Australia is a major provider of curriculum materials and services in Australia, and specialists in educational project management at national and international levels.
Diversity: An Educational Advantage – Online Teacher Support
(This website has been developed for use by teachers and is currently restricted to password access only. To request a password, please email your name, email, professional interest in this website and your institutional affiliation to citglob@deakin.edu.au)
This website aims to provide secondary school teachers with insights into the educational experiences of Arabic-background students, and how teachers are responding to some of their needs. Through critical reflection on the themes described in this website, teachers are encouraged to:
- Explore various themes arising from school case studies in which students and teachers recount their experiences dealing with issues of teaching and learning in culturally diverse settings
- Make connections between key issues of cultural diversity and identity, curriculum frameworks, and their own unique teaching environments
- Obtain useful resources for professional development
- Resource strategies developed by other teachers for use in their own classroom
- Relate their own experiences to the experiences of teachers and students described in this website
- Develop their own strategies for addressing the educational challenges of cultural diversity in their school
Islamic World Discovery Project
The Islamic World Discovery Project (IWDP) commissions and sponsors the creation of resources about the Arab and Islamic world for use in Australian schools. IWDP resources address the desired learning outcomes in the broad Humanities, English, the Arts, and Civics and Citizenship domains. IWDP curriculum developers utilise the pedagogical principles that underpin the domains of thinking, interpersonal skills and communication. IWDP formats include:
- Studies of Society and Environment
- A magazine format resource popular with Year 8 to Year 11 students and teachers in the mandatory Study of Society & Environment (SOSE), and also relevant to Geography, History, Media Studies, International Relations, Tourism Studies, and Business & Economics. Two copies of each edition are distributed free of charge to every Australian secondary school.
- Big Books
- Large format, illustrated, Arab and Islamic country specific books popular at Australian primary school level.
- Treasures of the Islamic World
- A set of 14 high gloss cards that feature an image of an Islamic artefact on one side and related educational text on the other.
- Youth Challenge
- Practical project-based challenges that stimulate students’ investigation of their local community and of Australia’s global engagement, centred on Australia’s history of relations with the Arab and Islamic world.
- Explore Saudi Arabia
- A Modern Nation is a 12-page study unit that appears in the popular STUDIES magazine and was distributed to every Australian Secondary school in March 2007.
Asia Education Foundation
The Asia Education Foundation (AEF) is a joint activity of Asialink at The University of Melbourne and Curriculum Corporation. The AEF provides Australian schools and teachers with a range of services to promote studies of Asia in which cultural diversity as well as intercultural understanding and sensitivity is emphasised. This website provides information about AEF’s:
- curriculum resources
- advice for schools
- professional learning Programmes
- study tours and conferences in Asia
- discussion group for teachers
- AEF news
Other useful websites
Parliament of the World’s Religions
Parliament of the World’s Religions brings together the world’s religious and spiritual communities, their leaders and their followers to a gathering where peace, diversity and sustainability are discussed and explored in the context of interreligious understanding and cooperation. As the world’s largest interreligious gathering, the Parliament will convene religious and civil leaders and people of faith, spirit and goodwill from at least or more than 80 countries to foster interreligious, civil and cross-cultural dialogue on important local, national, and global issues.
Victorian Multicultural Commission
Established in 1983, the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) has provided independent advice to the Victorian Government to inform the development of legislative and policy frameworks, as well as the delivery of services to our culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse society. Of particular interest to teachers will be the Multicultural Youth Network (MYN). Through the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) and the Office for Youth (OFY), the MYN provides advice to the Victorian Government on a range of multifaith, multicultural youth issues and initiatives.
High Resolves initiative
High Resolves seeks to motivate young people to be purposeful global citizens by running highly engaging experiences in high schools. Their Programmes create opportunities that are specifically designed to provoke teenagers to reflect on questions such as ‘What is my role as a global citizen?’ and ‘How can I make a difference?’
Harmony Day
Harmony Day is an Australian Government initiative administered by the Department of Home Affairs. Harmony Day is a day to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, based on the successful integration of migrants into our community. The day is designed to encourage all Australians to contribute to, and build upon Australia’s social cohesion.