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Australian Afghan Community Representative
The formatting of this submission may have been altered due to the processing required for publication on the Department's website.
SBS as a public broadcaster, plays a very important role in reflecting Australian multicultural and diverse sociery.
SBS radio and Television, with its unique and relevant content educates, informs and entertaines the vast majority of Australian population and it's openess, professionalsim and responsiveness is dearly respected by our multicualtural society.
Speaking on behalf of the Australian Afghan population, we rely on SBS to:
- Inform us of the situations in every corner of our badly desturbed world, specifically the country of our origin Afghanistan.
- Guid our newely arrived refugees, and familiarizes them with their new adopted country and the services available for them by the commonwealth/state and local government.
- Entertain our war traumatized people and to tell us our stories.
By 4pm every Friday, the majority of the Australian Afghan society, tune their radios to listen to the Dari language program which is the center of discussion in every community gathering.
We do expect the following to be added to SBS's future plan in the lead up to the 2009 budget:
- One hour per week broadcasting in Dari language is insufficient for this community.
- The Pashto speaking part of our community is totally ignored. Broadcasting in Pashto at least once a week will be exceptionally benificial.
- English language tuition to support essential skills for our new arrived members of our community is a unique tool to familiarize them with their new public life.
SBS is for all Australians, improvement of SBS TV, Radio and On-line services is improving this nation and this country.
Nasiba Akram
(on behalf of the Australian Afghan Community)