FECCA Conference 2026

Language and dialogue are at the heart of strong social cohesion and a better connected future for Australia, according to a leading refugee advocate.

Chair of the Refugee Communities Association of Australia Parsu Sharma Luital said that language, language services, and dialogue, were key to connecting communities and forging cohesion across the broader society.

Speaking at the recent Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) conference, Mr Sharma Luital said it was important for multicultural community members to have the language skills to connect with their own communities and to engage with broader society.

“We should value all of the languages spoken in Australia. Languages are a connection to culture and identity,” he said.

“In our communities, language comes first, and we must continue to advocate for that. We should not be ashamed of our languages and accents.”

Mr Sharma Luital said multicultural communities also needed to acquire the English language skills to navigate the broader society.

“In moments of stress, for those without English there is more anxiety, and people can struggle to explain something complex,” he said.

“That’s why language services are also important for newly arrived refugees or migrants.”

“During the COVID lockdowns, interpreting services were crucial in helping people understand what was happening and how to stay safe,” Mr Sharma Luital said.

He said efforts to bolster social cohesion should have language as a core principle.

“Language can help us learn how to listen to what is unspoken and see the invisible through perception.

“Language and dialogue can help us see the value refugees bring and contributions they make, and this should be a focus of us as multicultural communities.

“And systems and institutions should promote the simple value approach to this,” Mr Sharma Luital said.

He said that language is a “main connector” and was important in the current polarised political rhetoric.

“If we have political or other differences with people or groups, we should sit down with them and have a dialogue.

“If I disagree with someone, rather than just decry them, I would like to sir down and talk to them in a civil conversation. I would try to understand their positions and where they are coming from.

“But I would also put my position and try to convince them that Australia is a better place when we are inclusive, tolerant and look after each other,” Mr Sharma Luital said.