IT seems fitting to meet Ayman Ibaida in RMIT’s bustling cafeteria, where he often rubs shoulders with students from the wider academic community. When he’s not at the city campus studying for his PhD in computer science, the Mill Park father of two can be found supporting Melbourne’s young Palestinian community. He does this in an official capacity as the Palestinian Community Association of Victoria’s youth officer, a volunteer job he describes as a “challenging task”.
“It’s important for us to let our young people remember that we are Palestinians,” he says. “This is very important and we need to motivate our young people to remember these things.” Ibaida stresses he’s not instructing youth not to be Australian, but educating them on the history of Palestine and its cultural values.
Ibaida will share a similar message next week as part of Whittlesea council’s Community Profile Sessions. The six sessions will be run by a variety of cultural groups, including Macedonian and Chinese, providing information on their historical background, traditions and experiences. Ibaida kicks off the series.
The 34-year-old arrived in Melbourne in 2009 as a skilled migrant with his wife, Manal, and daughter, Yasmine (they now have another daughter, Ayah). Joining his siblings and parents, who were already settled in Melbourne, Ibaida decided to return to study after he had difficulty finding a job (he was previously working in Dubai as a lecturer at a computer college). He’s now running tutorials at RMIT university.
Ibaida says his community presentation will cover the Palestinian immigration story, Palestinian organisations, traditions such as dancing and cuisine, family dynamics,
and problems faced by Palestinian youth, such as loss
of identity.
“It’s a really good chance for us to educate people about these things, because there is not a way for people to listen to these facts from any other place,” he says. “I will not give people any political opinion, I will give them the history – the real history of Palestine, not as heard from media in Australia. It’s a good chance for people to listen to the story from the other side.”
Ibaida’s Palestinian Community Profile will be on
April 19 from 2pm-4pm at the Fountain View Room, council offices, 25 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang. To RSVP, call 9217 2168.
