2022-2023 2023 - 2023 - Economic Pathways The Economic Pathways to Refugee Integration $15 million to Integration program will fund evidence-based initiatives to available over 3 Grants create opportunities for employment, including years to 30 June self-employment, for refugees and humanitarian 2025 entrants. Social enterprises are encouraged to apply. Securing Faith Grants to improve security at religious schools $50 million Based Places grant and pre-schools, places of worship and faithprogram based community centres. Support for Funding to support Australian Jewish, Palestinian, $59 million communities Muslim and other communities affected by the affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict. Israel-Hamas conflict Source: Australian Government | Grant Connect 4.5.3 Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Between 2018 and 2023, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC) under its Culture and Capability Program, awarded National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) grants funding with the purpose of supporting First Nations Australians to ‘maintain their culture, participate equally in the economic and social life of the nation and that Indigenous organisations are capable of delivering quality services to their clients’.18 In 2023, $1.6M was provided to support local communities and organisations celebrate NAIDOC Week.91 4.5.4 National Indigenous Australians Agency While the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) provides extensive policy and programs on equity-based initiatives for First Nations people and communities, it is almost exclusively focused into those communities and does not appear to have any explicit emphasis on, addressing those communities’ experiences of racism nor changing the perceptions of those who perpetrate such behaviours. The one example to highlight is NIAA’s funding of Reconciliation Australia, the national peak body for reconciliation in Australia. In 2020, the agency funded Reconciliation Australia to the amount of $10.8 million over three years.92 However it must be stated that this funding commitment was inherited from PMC when the responsibilities for Indigenous affairs shifted to the standalone NIAA, and again, situates the responsibility of addressing racism with the victimised communities. 4.5.5 Department of Social Services The main contribution made by the Department of Social Services (DSS) to community grants funding supporting anti-racism work is the Strong and Resilient Communities 91 Australian Government | Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (2023) 2023 NAIDOC Week Local Grants, accessed 13 February 2024 Australian Government | National Indigenous Australians Agency (2020) Reconciliation Australia funding confirmed for three years, accessed 13 February 2024 92 53