Joseph Assaf

Joseph Assaf AO
جوزيف عساف
Born	(1944-05-19) 19 May 1944 (age 77) Lebanon
Nationality	Australian
Education	University of Sydney (BA) UNSW (Diploma)
Known for	Multiculturalism Ethnic Business Awards
Spouse(s)	Angela Assaf ​ (m. 1988)​ [citation needed]
Awards	Officer of the Order of Australia
Website	josephassaf.com.au

Joseph Assaf AO (Arabic: جوزيف عساف; born 1944) is an Australian businessman and communications expert of Lebanese origin. In 2010, Joseph became a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his work in the field of multicultural communications.^[1] In 2014, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Migration and Settlement Council and in 2018, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to multiculturalism, and to business, as a supporter of community education projects for people from linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to cultural harmony and inclusion.^[2] Assaf is the founder of the Ethnic Business Awards.

Life[]

Early life[]

Assaf was born in Hardine, Lebanon. He uttered his first words in Arabic and undertook his schooling in French. In 1967, at the age of 22, with no english, no money and no family, Joseph migrated to Australia from Lebanon - in someone else’s shoes, which later became the title of his memoir.

Career[]

In 1988, Joseph founded the Ethnic Business Awards.

In June 2013, Prime Minister Gillard announced the appointment of Joseph to the Civil Society 20 group – the C20 – as part of the wider engagement process for the G20 meeting in Australia in 2014.

Joseph has made a towering contribution to multiculturalism and to the business community. His deep commitment to the values of innovation, tolerance and social equity has become legendary.

— Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia ^[3]

In Someone Else's Shoes by Joseph Assaf

"In Someone Else's Shoes"[]

In 2008, Joseph Assaf published “In Someone Else’s Shoes”, a memoir detailing his experiences as a migrant in Australia. It also explores his understanding of Australian society in the context of multiculturalism. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was quoted as saying "this 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.”.^[4]

This book was electronically re-released on Amazon.com, becoming an online bestseller in 2013.

Notable Works and Awards[]

Membership of Boards, Councils and Committees[]

• Member of the National Multicultural Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
• Member of External Reference Group investigation of illegal Migrants
• Member of External Reference Group review of Independent and Skilled Migrants
• Member for the Australian Foundation for Culture and the Humanities
• Director of the Australian Constitutional Centenary Foundation
• Founding member of the Council for Australia-Arab Relations (CAAR) which sits within the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
• Appointed member of the Civil Society 20 Group (C20) - a steering committee for the G20 Summit (2014)
• Member of the Advisory Board for the Australian Centre on China in the World

Awards[]

• 1992 – Commendation in recognition of sponsorship and commitment to the Multicultural Marketing Awards from the Ethnic Affairs Commission of NSW
• 1995 - Award for recognition of contribution to the Australia Remembers Program for the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II
• 1995 – Director’s Award from the Australian Lebanese Chamber of Commerce
• 1996 - Award from CTS Community Television Sydney UHF-31 for contribution and support
• 1996 – Award for Marketing Excellence from the Australian Marketing Institute (NSW)
• 1999 – National Australia Day Council Achievement Award
• 2000 – Letter of appreciation for contribution to the 2000 Red Nose Day, National SIDS Council of Australia Ltd
• 2001 – Award from the 7th Executive Committee, World Buddhist Sangha Council
• 2002 – Certificate of Appreciation from the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, Education & Social Sciences, for commitment to the preparation of future professionals in the Graduate Diploma (Interpreting & Translation) Professional Practicum Program
• 2005 – Award from the Children’s Hospital at Westmead for his outstanding support, after raising substantial funds at the Secret Garden Gala Dinner which Joseph and his wife Angela organised and hosted
• Several awards between 1999 and 2019 from the Salvation Army in recognition of service in promoting the Red Shield Appeal to ethnic communities
• 2009 – The World Lebanese Cultural Union Award
• 2010 – Received the appointment to the Order of Australia (AM) - For service to multiculturalism, to business in the fields of marketing and communications, and to the community as a supporter of a range of charitable organisations.
• 2014 – Received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Migration Council Australia for helping to connect new migrants through the establishment of ethnic media publications and for the many decades he has spent raising awareness of the contribution of migrants through the ethnic business awards
• 2018 – In the Queen’s Birthday Honours list received the appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to multiculturalism, and to business as a supporter of community education projects for people from linguistically diverse backgrounds and to cultural harmony and inclusion.

Major research projects conducted for and on behalf of[]

• Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation
• Farmers & Graziers
• Lifesavers Australasia
• CSR
• Singapore Airlines
• Reem Australia
• Goodman Fielder
• Morris Woollen Mills
• National Australia Bank
• Mauri Bros & Thompson

Public Speaking and Conferences[]

Joseph is considered a pioneer of multicultural marketing. He has been a guest speaker on the topic of multiculturalism and diversity nationally and internationally.

National[]

• 1989 - Contribution of the Arab Migrant to the Australian Economy, Sydney University
• 1992 - National Export Forum, Sydney
• 1992 - Productive Diversity in Business, Melbourne
• November 1992 - First Language Expo (Australia) - Keynote Speaker
• November 1992 - OGIA - Reaching NESB Audiences
• 1993 - Network for Intercultural Communicators, Brisbane
• February 1993 - OGIA - Skills Development Workshop in Public Communication
• 1993 - Economy and Culture, Monash University
• 1993 - Maximising the Benefits of Corporate Sponsorship, Sydney
• 1993 - 14th Annual National Public Relations Convention, Melbourne
• 1993 - Health for Multicultural Australia - Sydney University, Sydney
• 1994 - Bureau of Population and Immigration Research, Adelaide
• February 1994 - Reducing Costs and Increasing Profitability in Shopping Centers, Sydney
• 1994 - National Trade and Investment Outlook Conference, Melbourne
• 1994 - National Strategies Conference, Sydney
• 1994 - Law & Cultural Diversity, Sydney
• 1995 - FECCA - Diversity and the Intelligent Entrepreneur, Melbourne
• April 1995 - Global Cultural Diversity conference, Theme: Diversity in the workplace. Prosperity’s bedrock in a global future, Sydney
• March 1997 - Inaugural lecture at Warrane College, University of NSW, Australia’s Cultural Diversity, The Key to Excellence, Sydney
• 1998 - Government Marketing Conference, Gold Coast
• February 1999 - Public Affairs in the Public Sector, Sydney
• July 1999 - Australian Citizenship Conference, Why I chose to become an Australian Citizen, Melbourne
• November 2000 - CEDA Conference, Productive Diversity, Brisbane
• September 2001 - IAA Conference, Communicating With a Culturally Diverse Audience, Sydney
• March 2004 - Government Communications in a Multicultural World, Melbourne
• 2006–present - National Student Leadership Forum, Canberra, the Business Panel several years
• November 2008 - Faith, Value and Business – NAB Executive Women’s Forum on Influence and Economics, Melbourne
• 2002–present - The Ethnic Business Awards Gala Presentation Dinner every year

International[]

• Asia Pacific Super centers Conference, Singapore, 1995
• National Values Conference, Religion and Diversity, Jakarta Indonesia, January 1997
• International University Congress, Univ, Multiculturalism, Competition and Cooperation, Rome, March 1997
• Asia Pacific Public Affairs Forum, APPAF Global Bridging through Cultural Diversity, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, May 1997
• The IAA 38th World Congress, Beirut, Lebanon, May 2002
• Culture and Investment, Rabat, Morocco, 2007
• Australia and the Arab World – the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, Abu Dhabi, December 2008
• The Power of Word, Washington DC, February 2009

References[]

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 Assaf and published at the Australian Government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.