About SEVA

Social Cohesion in Diversity

SEVA International is a non-religious, non-political non-profit organisation focused on the rapidly expanding Australian South Asian community in Sydney which includes people of Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Maldivian ancestry. SEVA seeks to identify and support individuals and communities of these people to work together in partnership to address identified social issues and needs of common concern.

As a community oriented social enterprise SEVA holds a firm belief in the principles of social justice, social inclusion, social enterprise and in the social cohesion of the South Asian communities with the wider Australian community.

SEVA has an abiding faith in the concept of social unity in diversity and believes in being an instrument of social change.

Since its incorporation in 2003, SEVA has filled a gap within the South Asian communities as a community organisation solely dedicated to the task of identifying and addressing the common settlement needs and issues faced by the fast growing numbers of South Asians living in the Sydney Metro region. In its earlier phases it had focused on access and equity to information and services from service providers since the lack of appropriate and quality information often results in social exclusion. Through information sessions, workshops, seminars conducted in partnerships with relevant service agencies SEVA has helped address community needs particularly in its focus areas of Health, Education and Employment.

SEVA’s Objectives

• To carry out evidence based social research in the social sector by working closely with service providers and educational institutions, evaluation of existing government programs, with a view to providing policy inputs to all levels of government and service providers;
• Build overtime a reliable and sound body of knowledge and understanding about the South Asian communities; a data base for the social and cultural understanding of the South Asian communities within Australia and outside;
• To formulate strategies and recommend solutions to issues and problems facing the South Asian communities through social enterprise and social entities:
• To develop social policies based on evidence based research and undertake advocacy on common identified issues and needs of its communities with appropriate authorities.

About SEVA logo

• The Logo represents on the outside a stylized version of two hands reaching out in friendship, harmony, love and understanding to help those in need;
• The seven petals of the flower in deeper colours represent the seven South Asian countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka
• The seven pronged star on the inside represents the five Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the two territories together of Northern Territory and ACT.

About the SEVA Website

The web design on the Home Page incorporates the SEVA Logo and the two outstretched hands of friendship, understanding and harmony between the Australian South Asian community and the wider Australian community.

An acknowledgement

SEVA wishes to place on record its appreciation of the work done by the students of UTS, Sydney (School of Design and Architecture) towards designing and creating the Logo as a part of their community work experience.

Similarly SEVA acknowledges the splendid support and assistance it has received from the UTS Shop front both for the initial website and logo design project and an earlier project undertaken in 2006 with the students of the UTS school of Business studies in the preparation of a Strategic Plan for SEVA. In particular, mention should be made of Ms. Pauline Loughlin and Ms. Lisa Anderson of the UTS Shop front without whose active involvement with these two projects it would not have been possible.

The initial website has been updated and the current website is designed and developed by Good Web Design Co.

Our project partners for the first ever South Asian Conference held at the Holroyd Council hall* and the subsequent activities such as Information sessions, the launch of SEVA’s website and other projects were:

• *Baulkham Hills Holroyd Parramatta Migrant Resource Centre, the Holroyd Council, the Baulkham Hills Shire Council and the Parramatta Council
• North Side Community Forum Inc
• Ashfield Council;
• George Migrant Resource Centre;
• Blacktown Migrant Resource Centre;
• Hornsby Shire Council
• Parramatta Council
• Northern Beaches Council

We would like acknowledge our event partners/sponsors for the last few years:

Boronia Multicultural Service (BMS)

SriLankan Australian Women’s Network (SLAWN)

Community Migrant Resource Centre (CMRC)

Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW (PCYC)

New South Police Force

Chinese Australian Services Society (CASS)

NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS)

Australian Asian Cultural Association

Multicultural Integration Community Support Incorporated (MICS)

Hornsby Shire Council