SIERRA LEONE YOUTH GROUP

Murray was forced to leave Sierra Leone during the Civil War in 1990 and now, a world away in Bankstown, he runs the steadily growing Sierra Leone Youth Group.

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ISLAMIC LADIES FASHION

When Aida decided to begin wearing the hijab, she noticed there wasn’t much of a range available for women in Australia.

So, she opened her own store in Punchbowl.

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BLACKTOWN'S AFGHAN COMMUNITY

From the 'ghantowns' and 'tin mosques,' this mosque in Blacktown is the first place built by Afghans from the ground up.

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BANKSTOWN POETRY SLAM

It began as a local grassroots initiative and now attracts up to 200 people a month. Here, is the largest poetry slam in the Southern Hemisphere.

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THREE WAVES OF VILLAWOOD

Personal stories from people who lived in Villawood Detention Centre during three different periods of Australian immigration policy.

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THE GLAMOUR SISTERS

When Anne left Sierra Leone during the civil war and came to the Bankstown region, there was nowhere for African women to get their hair done. She decided to do something about it.

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UTS: GLOBAL CHANGE

‘Global Change in Western Sydney’ is a collaboration between Mapping Frictions and Global Studies at the University of Technology Sydney. Top online casinos

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PIZZA MAKING SHEIKH

Khaled Saj pioneered the first manoush shop in the area. When controversy hit his community he realised the only way to change things was to become a sheikh.

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BENNY HIP HOP

Benny first discovered dance in Australia after his family fled from the Vietnam War. Now he uses dance to give kids a place to express themselves.

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TIME IN PALESTINE

A short story from a contributor.

"Hasan is in a yellow taxi travelling east along the main highway of Amman, Jordan, hurtling towards his homeland of Palestine for the first time."

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DILEMMA

A collection of poems from South-West Sydney

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NATIONAL MOSQUE DAY

A visitor is challenged by her prejudices about the Australian public just as much as her ingrained ideas about Islam.

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NEIGHBOURHOOD FRICTIONS

Western Sydney University's Professor James Arvanitakis discusses the way we understand communities and their frictions.

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OVERSIZED CHESSBOARD

A short story from South-Western Sydney resident.

"The fight started outside Liverpool Plaza, where Serbian men gather to play chess on the oversized board."

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SYDNEY'S 'MUSLIM LAND' SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

You think your suburb's controversial? Sydney journalist falsely describes Lakemba as'Muslim Land'and we decided to retrace his steps.

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LUNAR NEW YEAR

A short story from Western Sydney resident.

"It was the same look she had when I brought Lana's father home all those years ago. Back then she had accused me of betraying our heritage."

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TRANSITION ZONES: AN ESSAY

A look at the haunted spaces in Bankstown.

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POEM FOR A FILM

A suburban meditation from Lachlan Brown's 'Limited Cities' book of poetry.

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BANKSTOWN PUBLIC

Young boys in the community rise up against domestic violence

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HIP HOP IN THE 'BURBS

The West's growing hip hop scene

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STRUGGLE STREET REVIEW

Was the TV show poverty porn for middle class Australians or something more?

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PEOPLE THAT YOU MEET IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

That's when good neighbours become good friends

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KOORI YOUTH FORUM

"Aboriginal kids get an opportunity to learn traditional culture and hang out with other black fellas"

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GUNS FIRE IN THE WEST

"A look at gun culture in Australia"

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IF YOU COME TO AUSTRALIA

"A young Afghani woman separates fact from fiction as she plays the role of a refugee for Sydney’s Fringe Festival"

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