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change with every gesture. Making
peaceful communities is not the re-
sponsibility of any one person or or-
ganisation but rather of the collec-
tive. Right now, VASS has a waiting
list of volunteers from a multicultural
background who are waiting to work
for them. The organisation has a wide
range of issues that they can help
with, varied creative responses, a rich
cultural and social background, and a
unique status in many communities.
VASS has attracted respect so peo-
ple wish to be a part of that and have
even gone to do placements there in
order to gain experience in an active
organisation.
Though Leila and VASS have a very
cooperate relationship with the gov-
ernment, the funding allocated to
them is very limited compared to the
amount of work they do. In the fu-
ture, Leila wants to increase the part-
nership with the government as well
as the mainstream services. As she
explained to us, there are very criti-
cal issues that require a whole-com-
munity approach as they affect a di-
verse range of people. Furthermore,
she wants VASS to offer more educa-
tional services in isolated areas as
such an approach will directly lead to
better employability within the Arabic
community which is a major concern
today. Moreover, she wants to sup-
port refugees and humanitarian ser-
vices in a culturally appropriate way.
In addition to all that, she would like
to offer increased support for isolat-
ed elderly citizens.
As a registered training organisa-
tion, VASS has several strategies in
place to address the increase of hu-
man resource capacity in order to
achieve more within each commu-
nity through both volunteering and
paid labour. There’s a clear vision
and plan for the next 10 years and
Leila will be at the forefront of such
changes that will continue to influ-
ence the community and help es-
tablish the peace.