Joseph Assaf
Joseph Assaf (Arabic: جوزيف عساف) AM is an Australian businessman and expert in the field of communication to multicultural audiences. He became a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s birthday 2010 honour list for his work in this field.[1] He is also known for being the founder of the Ethnic Business Awards.[2]
Biography
In 1977 Joseph established Ethnic Communications, the world’s first agency to specialize in multicultural marketing. He also founded Multicultural Marketing News, a free specialist magazine. Mr Assaf has been an advisor for many public and private institutions on Multicultural Communication, including a three-year term as a member of the National Multicultural Advisory Council from 1994–1997, a member of the Australia Foundation for Culture and the Humanities where he served a 2-year term in 1995, and more recently, a member of a four-person External reference group appointed by the Federal Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to review the points test to assess skilled migrants.[3]
In 1988 Joseph Assaf founded the Ethnic Business Awards, which today stands as the longest running business awards in Australia. Acting as "a continuous reminder and celebration of ... the great and positive contributions of migrants to our country."[4]
In 2008, Joseph Assaf published In Someone Else’s Shoes, detailing his experiences as a migrant in Australia and also explores his understanding of the nature of Australian society in the context of multiculturalism. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said of the book that it "is a great story writ large about the lives of so many who have come to this country from afar and made this country great.".[5]
References
- ↑ Nakhoul, Ghassan 'Generosity of the spirit rewarded', SBS Arabic, 16 June 2010. retrieved at http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/arabic/highlight/page/id/90837/t/Generosity-of-the-spirit-rewarded/in/english
- ↑ Ethnic Business Awards 2005 Winners Announced, Small Business Owners Guide
- ↑ "Day 2- The Present, 50th Anniversary of Australian Citizenship Conference". Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ↑ Nakhoul, as above at n 1.
- ↑ Speech by Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 2008 Ethnic Business Awards, retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcifbqqkn3k&feature=player_embedded#! on 06/08/2010
External links
- http://www.josephassaf.com.au/ - Joseph Assaf's official homepage
- http://www.ethnicbusinessawards.com/ - Ethnic Business Awards
- http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/confer/12/speech55a.htm - "Diversity in the Workplace", a speech given in 1995 by Mr. Assaf and published at the Australian Government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.