Since its inception in 2017, BMF has worked with various community organisations in Australia to promote multiculturalism and be an active member of the Australian society. While the history of Afghans in Australia dates back to 19th Century, the Afghan community today is considered relatively new and an emerging community in Australia.
Our areas of community development projects include but are not limited to:
In our work with follow the principles of Humanity, Sustainability, Transparency and Empowerment. In addition, BMF stresses the principle of neutrality and impartiality in conflict situations.
In fact, it was 1838 when the very first Afghans were brought to South Australia followed by their Camels in early 1840. Many more Afghans and their Camels were brought to Australia in the subsequent years to open up the inhospitable Australian outback. These Afghans who were known as ‘Cameleers’ or simply as ‘the Ghan’ played a significant role in building the railway line connecting central Australia to South Australia as well as the overland telegraph line. Today’s ‘The Ghan’ train service connecting Adelaide, Alice Spring and Darwin is named in honour of those Afghans.
However, the present Afghan community in Australia and South Australia start arriving in late 1990s and early 2000s in very small numbers. Since 2006, the number of Afghans has increased substantially and continues to do so to this day. In this regard, Afghans in Australia is considered new and an emerging community in comparison to more established multicultural groups that came as a result of the abolition of white policy beginning in the early 1970s. According to the 2016 ABS statistics 46, 799 people stated Afghanistan as their place of birth. South Australia has the third largest concentration of Afghans in Australia after Victoria and New South Wales with over six thousand Afghans.
Since the Afghan community is relatively new and is an emerging community, it is our duty and responsibility to connect our community to the wider multicultural societies and link them to the government and non-governmental services. With the help of government grants and with a strong community based support we aim to conduct projects to help foster community cohesion and strengthen multiculturalism and diversity in Australia particularly in South Australia. We believe that we can learn a lot not only from other migrant communities but more importantly from the mainstream society as well as from our Indigenous Australians. Like our ancestors that come to Australia in the 19th Century, we believe that we can play a constructive role in the development of South Australia and Australia as whole.
Would you like to know more about what we do? You can either send us an email or use our contact us page.
