Charlie Shahin nominated Officer of the Order of Australia
The General Delegation of Palestine would like to congratulate Charlie (Khalil) Shahin on being nominated as the first Palestinian-Australian Officer of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to business and commerce, and his philanthropy as an advocate for corporate social responsibility, and to the multicultural community.
Mr Shahin made the following comments regarding receiving the award:
"As an Australian migrant it is a great honour to be nominated for Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). It is an honour for myself, my family, and the legacy of my late father, Fathi (Fred) Shahin, founder of Peregrine Corporation.
My father Fred, came to this country with little more than his values and a vision of a future in Australia where he believed he could provide a better quality of life for his family. He raised us to be kind to others, to appreciate the diverse cultures and beliefs in Australia, to be humble, and to serve our communities and those less fortunate. Our business, Peregrine Corporation, is founded upon those very same values.
I am proud to be part of an organisation which is recognised for the diversity of its employees. Just like Australians chose to give my family a fair go, we believe in giving everyone a fair go, irrespective of age, cultural background, gender or religious belief."