SLACOV OBJECTIVES

The objectives for which SLACOV was established are to:

• Seek to establish and sustain one homogeneous, unified, and an all-inclusive group of Sierra Leonean community in the state of Victoria, which will serve as parent body and umbrella for all Sierra Leone-Australian communities, groups and associations in Victoria.
• Establish and operate Regional Committees and Zonal Chapters or Regional Offices in the North, West and South Eastern metropolitan regions of Victoria. Articulate and represent the ideas, views, values and aspirations of Sierra Leonean communities and Core Groups in the north, west and south-eastern metropolitan regions and regional Victoria; defend their rights, identify and seek to minimise felt socio-economic disadvantages including lack of access to opportunities.
• Promote the interests of Sierra Leonean communities and associations in the north, west and south-eastern metropolitan regions and regional Victoria, and provide settlement and related support services to Sierra Leonean individuals and families; to validate and strengthen Sierra Leone-Australian groups and associations and their legal activities in Victoria.
• Promote and foster a sense of community participation, capacity-building of community leaders and potential leaders, community empowerment, community self-determination and community self- actualisation within the Sierra Leonean community;
• Foster multiculturalism between SLACOV and other multicultural communities and community organizations in Victoria, and build socio-cultural bridges between Sierra Leonean communities and mainstream Australian society.
• Identify and develop self-help projects and programs for the benefit of Sierra Leonean communities and their partners in Victoria.
• Identify and address service gaps by providing the opportunity for local and statutory authorities, service providing agencies and other third-party stakeholders to involve and engage the views of Sierra Leonean communities as partners and service users.
• Establish, nurture and support women’s wing of SLACOV, the Sierra Leonean Women's Association, alongside with Kankelay Friendship Union or K-fun; to explore and respond to gender and family issues and partner violence. To value Sierra Leone- Australian women, encourage, empower, and enhance their dignity and image through confidence-building measures, education and training; resource and leadership development.
• Establish and sustain a youth wing to be known as Sierra Leonean Youth Association, whose mandate and focus shall:
  • • Include a holistic response to issues and challenges of disadvantaged youth, and to explore opportunities, pathways and options available to the Sierra Leone-Australian youth;
    • Provide positive role modeling, leadership development, mentoring, educational and motivational programs which will encourage Sierra Leonean youth to reach their potential;
    • Establish and support Stepping Stones Entertainment which will scratch where our youth and other community members are itching, by responding to the social and cultural needs and aspirations of the community, and;
    • Establish Youth and Sports department to cater for sporting needs of Sierra Leonean youth and youth from other marginalised communities.
• Provide socially and culturally appropriate support and care for our elderly and senior citizens, the weak, disabled and frail members of SLACOV, whether alone or together with other agencies or bodies.
• Encourage the speaking of Sierra Leonean languages in Sierra Leone-Australian homes; promote the teaching of Sierra Leonean languages and folklore, traditions and culture to Sierra Leone- Australian children and young people in Victoria, which will serve as a platform to develop language and cultural activities, and which may ultimately lead to the establishment of Sierra Leonean cultural centre in Victoria.
• Foster and promote the spirit of volunteerism, loyalty and civic obligation to Australia within the Sierra Leonean community.
• Encourage and assist Australians of Sierra Leonean origin and heritage to actively participate in all spheres of Australian party political, social and economic life.
• Uphold faith in God by promoting Christian-Muslim ethics and values among Sierra Leone-Australians, which is consistent with the nature and aspiration of the community; hold religious dialogues and events between Sierra Leonean communities and other communities of faith.
• Bring together a range of skills, ideas and resources from within and without Sierra Leonean communities for the benefit of Sierra Leonean and non-Sierra Leonean communities and community organisations; and provide a focus for debate and the opportunity to consult with the wider Victorian community.
• Maintain strong ties with Sierra Leone by liaising, collaborating and co-operating with networks of partners, like-minded individuals, groups, civil society and organisations in Australia, in Sierra Leone and in Sierra Leonean diaspora to improve health and education outcomes for disadvantaged, underprivileged, underserved, and/or marginalised communities in Sierra Leone; and promote closer ties with Australia by building socio-economic bridges between the two societies.
• Partner with relevant stakeholders and the Sierra Leonean diaspora community to influence policy issues and develop a national policy agenda in order to achieve positive policy outcomes for Sierra Leone.
• Promote such other not-for-profit purposes as may from time to time be determined.
• Solicit funds inwardly and/or through external, third party sources for specific projects and programs in SLACOV.
• Invest any income not immediately required for fulfilling any of its objects.
• To do all such other acts and things as may appear incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects