{{Short description|Australian businessman (born 1944)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2011}} {{Infobox person |name = Joseph Assaf |native_name = {{lang|ar|جوزيف عساف}} |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100%|AO|country=AUS}} |image = JOSEPH 2019.jpg |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|11|20|df=y}} |birth_place = Hardine, Lebanon |death_date = |death_place = |education = University of Sydney (BA)<br>UNSW (Diploma) |known_for = {{ubl | Multiculturalism |Ethnic Business Awards}} |spouse = {{marriage|Angela Assaf|1978}}{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} |children = 3 |awards = {{ubl | Member of the Order of Australia 2010 |Officer of the Order of Australia 2018}} |website = {{URL|josephassaf.com.au}} |}}

'''Joseph Assaf''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} (Arabic: جوزيف عساف; born 1944) is a Lebanese-born Australian businessman and founder of the Ethnic Business Awards.

==Biography== Assaf was born in Hardine, a village in the Batroun District, 80&nbsp;km from Beirut, Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Migrant Stories - Josef Assaf |url=https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/immigration-and-citizenship/migrant-stories/joseph-assaf |website=National Archives of Australia}}</ref> His first language was Arabic, and he undertook his schooling in French. In 1967, at the age of 22, he migrated to Australia from Lebanon.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/small-business-secrets/article/2017/09/20/joseph-assaf-talks-ethnic-business-awards |title=Joseph Assaf talks Ethnic Business Awards, interview with Ricardo Gonçalves |website=SBS News|date=24 September 2017}}</ref>

In 1988, Assaf founded the Ethnic Business Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2013 Ethnic Business Awards Gala Presentation Dinner (25th Anniversary Celebration) |url=https://secure-web.cisco.com/1hF91Awa43VVlW18Wn08a1J8aAFFsbrl7Z9Y-LztNtPqCby02dtvIg_2AWx0V0PrissjhsQXtpOE5U_LaXyHHOoW8-LOFVFPM_KizmNjYn5CkIoXxL9Rfklimhq1T0j6tfWQ_J1eMlFSQhIbo8H9hlGatExs0Ojdwg-WQ4hm9HeLrVQp_TOlw3o64_Bw-Djj6gPRf9PdOj4vnJxrKu7hQdZBMBl4rfvYzBA3KwpcoOkPSzpy2aiPxumRNHAUruBUfUkepW-dxGXAbB-fIC9d08GZJvSf1ZUFT6dfLj5RdzJgl0BclbTYQ0Se7nwffSU1XnyFwRwgVO9FUu3RWaBr4zRxJ4G1pk1Rh3jTdxO6_Bs1HOmge6sPuqt_eYsmaGpDM9L3K881hm23GGENaC1bCMaRV0N5m3dk6r4BMNgbhEx0/https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FMjJYIXut17w%3Ffeature%3Dshared |website=YouTube}}</ref>

In 2008, Jascom International Pty Ltd published Assaf's book ''In Someone Else's Shoes'', a memoir detailing his experiences as a migrant in Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Assaf |first=Joseph |title=In someone else's shoes: a vivid journey through multiculturalism |date=2007 |publisher=Jascom International Pty Ltd |isbn=978-0-646-48020-6 |location=Leichhardt, N.S.W. |language=en |oclc=225517789}}</ref> It also explores his understanding of Australian society in the context of multiculturalism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Assaf |first=Joseph |title=In someone else's shoes: a vivid journey through multiculturalism |publisher=Jascom International Pty Ltd |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-646-48020-6 |location=Leichhardt NSW |pages=Foreword, Allan Gyngell}}</ref>

In June 2013, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the appointment of Assaf to the Civil Society 20 group – the C20 – as part of the wider engagement process for the G20 meeting in Australia in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=C20 Australia's Civil Society |url=https://www.acoss.org.au/c20-australias-civil-society/ |publisher=Australian Council of Social Service}}</ref>

In 2014, Assaf was interviewed for the National Archives of Australia's touring exhibition [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXwvbpOgQIg ''A Ticket to Paradise''?] for the National Collecting Institution's Touring and Outreach Program.

==Honours and awards== On 14 June 2010, Assaf was named a Member of the Order of Australia "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."<ref>{{Cite It's an Honour | ausawardid=1142627 | date=14 June 2010 | recipient=Mr Joseph ASSAF | award=Member of the Order of Australia | postnominal=AM | citation=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. | postscript= | access-date=2021-10-21 }}</ref>

On 11 June 2018, Assaf was named an Officer of the Order of Australia "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."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Honours 2018: The businessman who arrived in someone else's shoes|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/honours-2018-the-businessman-who-arrived-in-someone-else-s-shoes/03d24105-4e11-4a99-a0c9-48c509481ded|date=11 June 2018|first1= Rashida |last1=Yosufzai|access-date=2021-10-21|website=SBS News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite It's an Honour | ausawardid=2001285 | date=11 June 2018 | recipient=Mr Joseph ASSAF AM | award=Officer of the Order of Australia | postnominal=AO | citation=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. | postscript= | access-date=2021-10-21 }}</ref>

In 2019 the City of Canada Bay in New South Wales named Assaf citizen of the year.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fnewslocal%2Finner-west%2Fjoseph-assaf-a-pioneer-of-communicating-with-diversity%2Fnews-story%2F489e192c256dcaa282bbdaf61bd6daf9&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE&nk=595a612a692625debdbad765f7e0df12-1737473179|title=City of Canada Bay citizen of the year Joseph Assaf|newspaper=Daily Telegraph|date=26 January 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211021111107/https://amp.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/joseph-assaf-a-pioneer-of-communicating-with-diversity/news-story/489e192c256dcaa282bbdaf61bd6daf9|archive-date=21 October 2021|quote=Joseph Assaf a pioneer of communicating with diversity|access-date=21 October 2021|url-status=live}}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{official website|https://www.josephassaf.com.au/}} * [https://www.ethnicbusinessawards.com/ Ethnic Business Awards] * [http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/confer/12/speech55a.htm "Diversity in the Workplace"], speech given in 1995 by Assaf and published at the Australian Government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship website{{dead link|date=October 2021}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Assaf, Joseph}} Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:Australian businesspeople Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:Lebanese emigrants to Australia