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Joseph Assaf
Joseph migrated to Australia from Lebanon in 1967. He worked
in a factory at night and studied at University during the
day.
By 1972 Joseph had completed his Bachelor of Arts at the
University of Sydney, majoring in Social Theory.
In 1977 he established Ethnic Communications (ETCOM), the first
agency to specialise in multicultural marketing. ETCOM is an
integrated communications agency specialising in advertising,
public relations, market research and sales promotion.
In 1985 he launched his first theory on the economic dimension
of multiculturalism and the benefits of Productive Cultural
Diversity.
In 1988 he founded the Ethnic Business Awards which are now the
longest running business awards in Australia.
Joseph was appointed by the Minister for Employment,
Education and Training as a Member of the National Advisory
Committee on Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies in
1993-1994.
He also served a 3-year term as a member of the National
Multicultural Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
In 1995 Joseph was appointed as a member of the Australia
Foundation for Culture and the Humanities and served a 2 year
term. In 1995 he was also appointed a Councillor on the
Constitutional Centenary Foundation and participated in the
Constitutional Convention Debates, which were held in Canberra,
Sydney and Adelaide.
In 1999 he was appointed as a member of the External
Reference Group set up to examine the problem of illegal
workers and also a member of the External Reference Group to
the Review of the Independent and Skilled-Australian Linked
Categories.
He was a Director of the Board of the Australian
Constitution Centenary Foundation.
Joseph has been an advisor for many public and private
institutions on Multicultural Communication. On the Middle East
he acted over the years as advisor for many organisations
including the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation; Life
Savers Australasia, Rheem Australia, Goodman & Fielders and
Morris Woollen Mills.
He is an inaugural council member of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and a Director of the Campion Foundation Board, which resides over Campion College, Australia’s first liberal arts college in Australia.
Joseph has addressed many conferences both in Australia and
overseas, and has recently published his first book, In
Someone Else’s Shoes.
Joseph Assaf is married to an Australian born Italian, Angela Assaf. They have 3 children.
