No futurist, prophet or fortune teller could have predicted the seismic impact of COVID-19 on humankind. The pandemic has shown how deeply connected we really are and how what happens to one person can affect many others. Inequalities within our society have been magnified. Systemic cracks and underlying fragilities have been exposed. Fake news and unrealistic narratives flourished. Communities, including Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people, have been left confused, isolated and frustrated.

But humans are resilient and have an amazing capacity to adapt. There is no better time for us to make fundamental changes in how we convey important information. Many questions are being asked about what we could have done better during COVID. How can communication with people of multicultural backgrounds be built into recovery plans? Will the pandemic encourage a serious assessment of how we engage? Will it help diverse communities make more informed choices, feel included and improve outcomes?

Polaron’s vision for our 6th annual diversity forum, Unmasking the pandemic: CALD, COVID and Communication, is an opportunity to share ideas on how to work effectively with diverse communities in a post-pandemic world. The forum will grapple with the complex communication issues of today and tomorrow and will include tips on how to craft multilingual messages that are fit for purpose.

VicForum 2021 is a joint effort by people and organisations who care about how we communicate with our multicultural audiences, including the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health, Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), Cancer Council Victoria, Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI) and The Centre for Optimism.

The forum is free to attend thanks to Polaron’s commitment to diversity and generous support of our key sponsor, the National Authority for Accreditation of Interpreters and Translators (NAATI).