MY INITIATIVES
CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
Cultural Intelligence is a specialist consulting firm with cultural diversity experts from a range of professions. We combine academic understanding with real world experience to deliver solutions for businesses and individuals.
POLIVERSITY
Poliversity is a partisan independent organisation that promotes culturally diverse leadership, representation and recognition in the Australian Labor Party.
ONE CHAI PLEASE
One Chai Please brings you projects featuring traditional and cultural art and costumes from throughout Asia.
Enlightened Heart
My Chinese name WaiSum literally translates to enlightened heart. This is my spritual project combining crystal singing bowls and my voice to create angelic melodies for performance and balancing.
Power Cards
This beautiful deck of Power Cards was created as a tool to help you embrace your authentic power and improve your relationship to power. You can choose a card for everyday guidance or use the cards in workshops or for coaching purposes.
About me
Since University I have been a leader in some capacity, first as an advocate for international students, then a senior manager at community organisations, board members at various organisations and Foundations, and ministerial appointments at Ministerial Councils. I have first-hand experiences of what power dynamics look like and how it works, from personal level, organisational level and societal level. As a short, young-ish looking Asian-Australian woman with a soft voice who do not fit the stereotype of a person in power, my strength is to find ways to influence despite the power imbalance.
Click here for my bio.
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Speaker
I am a speaker on topics such as influence with authenticity; cultural diversity; leadership; personal power; and innovation. Contact me for more information.
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Facilitator
I facilitate many conversations on panels, roundtables and training - especially on topics such as cultural diversity; multiculturalism and gender diversity. Contact me for more information.
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Performance
I create crystal sound performances at retreats, conferences and workshops. Contact me for more information.
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Commentary
I provide commentary to media on topics such as diversity; influence and power; Asian-Australians. Contact me for more information.
BLOG
Four aspects to consider when selecting your cross-cultural consultant
When I first started as a cultural diversity consultant back in 2012, there were only a few of them around. Fast forward eight years later, there are now many others in the market with many more coming through. I believe this is a positive outcome because it means there is a need and that more businesses[…]
Tiny efforts that created a movement
Sometimes tiny efforts are enough to create a ripple effect. When a few of us saw how people were avoiding Chinese restaurants because of coronavirus, we wanted to do something to help people understand the minimal risk of eating out. At a meeting with Jenny Mikakos, Minister for Health and Ambulance Services and Dr Brett[…]
The ALP is in desperate need of a cultural shift
When I joined the Australian Labor Party in 2004, I was quickly labelled as a “stack” by people within the ALP because of my Chinese ethnicity. Fast-forward to 2018: I am disappointed to see nothing has changed. While branch stacking remains a major problem, it is concerning when some in the party persist in assuming[…]
What we’ve learned from ‘Super Saturday’s’ federal by-elections
By Wesa Chau; Erin Watson-Lynn. University of Melbourne alumna and 2013 ALP Candidate for Higgins; Liberal Party Member, WA and Victoria Key points: Australian Labor Party candidates won four of the five federal by-elections held yesterday, with an Independent taking the fifth. The Coalition government retains its one-seat majority in the House of Representatives. In[…]
One Chai Please – AFL Multicultural Festival
Creative statement We do not necessarily need to look to high-end fashion to see inspiration from Asia. There are many opportunities to do that right here in Melbourne. Showcasing traditional Asian costumes at mainstream Australian events is a great opportunity to start conversations around identity, traditions and cultural values. It encourages people to ask about[…]
More women need to be pre-selected in safe seats
The 2016 federal election is seen by many as an election where the highest number of women candidates stood for the two major parties: 59 for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and 44 for the Coalition. While this is excellent progress, we need to ask ourselves how many women are elected in safe seats. A[…]
Wesa’s guide to Federal elections and the Australian political system
As the 2016 Federal election is approaching, it is timely we talk about the Australian political system and how it works, and what it all means. It was not until I ran as an Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate in the 2013 election that I realised many of my friends of culturally diverse backgrounds (especially[…]
Vale Hon Joan Kirner
Vale Joan Kirner, our 42nd premier who recently sadly died from cancer at the age of 76. She was also Victoria’s first and only female premier. Joan Kirner became an activist after becoming concerned with large classroom sizes, which motivated her to be politically active. One of her legacy was overseeing the introduction of the[…]
Beyond the dumplings and Asian festivals
It was a typical hot summer’s day in Melbourne and a middle-aged South Korean man had just packed up a stall, finishing his volunteer work at one of the city’s many popular community events. He was an inconspicuous man who was quiet and whose English was poor, so no one took much notice of him.[…]