OVERVIEW
In 2002, Socom has become the first Australian communications consultancy to
win a United Nations Award for excellence in communications on behalf of the campaign for permanent residency for East Timorese living in Australia.
The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) recommended the
consultancy to the United Nations for this high accolade.
The campaign ‘Common Sense for East Timorese’ has now won Socom five
awards:
Winner International Public Relations Association Golden World Award,
Special Category 2003
Winner Public Relations Institute of Australia (National) Golden Target Award,
Government Communications 2003
Winner Public Relations Institute of Australia (Victoria) State Awards
for Excellence, Government Communications 2003
Winner United Nations Excellence in Communications 2003
Winner PR Week Awards (Asia Pacific) Public Affairs 2003
COMMUNICATIONS CHALLENGE
During Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor, 1,650 East Timorese fled to
Australia. For more than a decade successive Australian Governments failed to
resolve their residency status.
On 10 January 2003, the Australian Government notified these people their
applications for permanent residency had been rejected and ordered them to leave
Australia within 28 days. Their last hope was for the Federal Minister for
Immigration, the Hon Philip Ruddock, to intervene on their behalf on humanitarian
grounds.
Most of these people lived in Melbourne’s City of Yarra. Former Mayor, Cr Sue
Corby, approached Socom to assist in gaining support for their plight.
COMMUNICATIONS GOAL
To persuade the Australian Federal Government to grant permanent residency to
these East Timorese Australians.
STRATEGY
The strategy was to ensure the 1,650 East Timorese were positioned as worthy of
special consideration.
The media was used to lobby the Australian Government to alter its stance. To
achieve this, we chose to focus on the East Timorese children, born in Australia,
who attend Australian schools and play Aussie sport. The overall public
impression must be that these are Australian children who have lived here since
birth or infancy.
Communication of our key messages was a vital component of the strategy. It was
made clear that everyone who wished to support the East Timorese must ‘sing
from the same book’.
As one inner Melbourne Council could not win this alone, our strategy enlisted
support from the Mayors of all eight municipalities that are home to the East
Timorese.
The target audiences included Federal and State members of Parliament and their
advisers that have the capacity to make immigration policy decisions, leaders of
major opposition parties, Victorian Premier, community groups and churches,
general public and media – television, radio, print, internet.
RESULTS
At the height of the campaign every major newspaper editorialised in support. The
community responded and Letters-to-the-Editor were published. Every major TV
network and radio station covered the issue.
The Federal Minister for Immigration was challenged on most television current
affairs shows and progressively expanded on the criteria he would apply to help
these people stay.
The Federal Opposition publicly apologised to these people for the delays created
by the Keating Government and called on the Prime Minister to change his mind.
The Victorian Premier made public statements of support, provided access to
housing and schools and $50,000 to assist in legal aid.
After five months of sustained media and community pressure, the Federal
Immigration Minister announced he would use his discretion to allow 90-95% of
the East Timorese to stay.
List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
The following information is currently on the internet. After February 2004 when the
IPRA and UN Awards are presented this list will expand.
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of this nominated team:
