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One of the most important ways to protect human rights is to build community understanding and challenge attitudes which are based on myths and stereotypes. The key to this is education.

We work to find practical and long-term solutions to the human rights issues facing people in Australia, as well as to build greater understanding and respect for human rights in our community.

A central function of HREOC is to undertake education programs that increase public awareness and generate discussion of human rights and anti-discrimination issues within Australia. HREOC’s legislative responsibilities are:

Over the past year increasing trends of prejudice and harassment of particular groups in our community has continued to be an area of significant concern for me. As noted in the 2002-03 annual report, I launched the Isma project in March 2003 in response to increasing concerns expressed by Arab and Muslim organisations about the rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice in Australia.

The Commission is an national independent statutory body established under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986. It has a President and five Commissioners. The five positions are currently held by three persons. Please refer to the organisational chart on page 16 for further information.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

The meeting was facilitated by Omeima Sukkarieh and Susanna Iuliano from HREOC and was attended by 12 participants from the Arabic Workers Network. The network is convened by the Australian Arabic Communities Council to encourage workers whose clients are members of Sydney's Arabic community to exchange information and develop skills through regular bi-monthly meetings, information sessions and training workshops. The network is comprised of approximately 190 members.

3.1 Introduction 3.2 Disability Discrimination Act 1992 3.2.1 Introduction 3.2.2 DDA Definitions 3.2.3 DDA Complaints 3.2.4 Intervention in Court Proceedings 3.2.5 DDA Disability Standards 3.2.6 Granting by HREOC of Temporary Exemptions 3.2.7 Action Plans 3.2.8 Conduct of Inquiries by HREOC 3.2.9 Advisory Notes and Guidelines 3.3 Telecommunications Act 1997 3.4 Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 3.5 Industry Regulation 3.5.1 Australian Communications Authority 3.5.2 Australian Communications Industry Forum 3.5.3 Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Scheme

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is seeking the views of the sex and gender diverse community about the most pressing human rights issues faced by people who are transgender, transsexual or intersex. HREOC also seeks input into how it might assist in promoting and protecting the human rights of people who are sex and gender diverse.

The meeting was attended by eight invited participants: officers from each of the host organisations, from the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, from the Australian Federal Police (ACT Policing) and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and by representatives of two community organisations. It was facilitated by Omeima Sukkarieh and Susanna Iuliano from HREOC.

The project was officially supported by the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia, the Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria, the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, the Islamic Council of Victoria, the Islamic Girls’ and Women's Group, the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues, the Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition and Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE. The support of all of these organisations was vital to the overall success of the forum.

Australians who have a criminal record often face significant barriers to full participation in the Australian community. Trying to find a job is one of the areas of greatest difficulty for former offenders.