Victorians gathered to celebrate the state’s multiculturalism at the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation (WBCF) Cultural Diversity Week Event. The panel and networking session was a highlight of Cultural Diversity Week, which ran from 11 – 21 March, with the theme of “Our Past, Our Future, Our Youth.” This theme encouraged Victorians of all ages and origins to ponder multicultural Victoria’s long history and look forward to its future.
inTouch’s Executive Manager of Sector and Community, Maryum Chaudhry, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the sold-out event. Panelists included Ameet Bains (Western Bulldogs CEO), Colin Brooks MP (Minister for Multicultural Affairs), Mohamed Semra (anti-racism activist and 2023 nominee for Young Australian of the Year) and Fadzai Bako (Western Bulldogs Community Foundation youth participant).
During the event, hosted at the Bowery Theatre in St. Albans on 20 March, panellists engaged in discussion about what the 2023 theme means to them, the ways in which multiculturalism makes the community richer and the value of multiculturalism in their personal lives.
Feedback from an attendee noted the event had achieved its goal of bringing people of different backgrounds together, saying, “I thought the broad range of cultures in attendance was excellent.” Another audience member expressed the importance of “hearing and talking about lived experience” and praised the location of the session, saying, “I love that it [the event] was held in St. Albans – the heartland of multiculturalism!”
inTouch built community awareness of our services with a booth at the event and distributed resources for sector professionals and the general public. An inTouch brochure was also included in 180 Western Bulldogs Community Foundation showbags.
This event was presented as part of inTouch’s collaboration with the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation- the Working Together project. Read more about the Working Together project here.
