International Metropolis Conference

SBS played a key role in the 2019 International Metropolis Conference – hosted for the first time in Australia by Settlement Services International, Australian Multicultural Foundation and Multicultural NSW.

The Metropolis Conference is among the largest gatherings of leading experts, researchers, policy makers and community organisations, dedicated to identifying, understanding and responding to developments in migration and diversity. Over 800 international delegates attended the conference in Sydney.

As the primary media partner, SBS amplified discussions to a domestic and international audience across 23 SBS language programs including Arabic, German, Italian, Turkish, Portuguese, Hindi, Finnish, Dari, Vietnamese, Greek, French, Filipino, Mandarin, Cantonese, Urdu, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, Dinka, Dutch, Kurdish and Nepalese. SBS’s social media platforms facilitated strong engagement with these communities.

SBS Media Mentorship Program

For five years, SBS’s Media Mentorship Program has been a successful partnership with Macquarie University and the Ethnic Communities’ Council of New South Wales.

The program provides increased learning opportunities for Macquarie University students from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, CALD, refugee and low socio-economic backgrounds enrolled in Bachelor of Arts (Media) and associated media courses. Students undertake a year-long immersive mentorship across various functions of SBS, with 2018-19 Mentorship participants engaged with SBS’s Commissioned Content and Legal teams.

Since its inception, the program has evolved into a dynamic mentoring program with mentors from SBS News and Current Affairs, Legal, Corporate Affairs, Content, NITV and Sport divisions. The program aims to facilitate pathways to careers within the Australian and international media industries. SBS has employed a former mentee in a full-time editorial position with SBS Sport and another mentee is employed casually in the SBS News Library. Many SBS mentees have used the experience gained through the program to find employment in the industry.

International Women’s Day

SBS partnered with the United Nations (UN) Women National Committee (NC) Australia to raise awareness for gender equality on International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March. As the primary media partner, SBS supported a series of high-profile functions aimed at driving conversations on pressing gender issues in Australia and the Asia region. SBS News and Current Affairs and Sport presenters hosted events in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney attended by over 5,500 guests representing Federal and State Government agencies, corporate, tertiary, business and community organisations.

The UN Women NC Australia was also a partner in delivering SBS Learn’s education resource for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019^TM, which featured four case studies promoting gender equality in football from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan and South Africa.

“Having SBS alongside us to support our events across Australia during one of the largest celebrations of women’s empowerment enabled new and exciting opportunities to reflect on where we have been and highlight actions we can make to advance gender equality, through a wider and more diverse audience.

We know when we work together – across gender and race, ability and ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion and much more – we can topple structures that perpetuate cycles of inequality and break down the barriers that divide us. Moving into the future, we look forward to continuing to work with SBS as our Primary Media Partner, to support diversity and inclusion and to make a difference to the lives of women and girls in all corners of the world.”

– Janelle Weissman, Executive Director, UN Women National Committee Australia.