It used to be called Harmony Day. Now the NSW state government’s annual celebration of cultural diversity extends to an entire month, and is called Multicultural March.
Perhaps it is appropriate, given that 25% of the state’s residents are born overseas, 40% have at least one parent born overseas, and some 200 languages are spoken here.
Launching the second edition of the event on 4 Feb, Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello called upon people “to experience new cultures and celebrate our unique diversity”.
“By celebrating our differences, we grow our understanding of each other and strengthen our Australian identity,” he said.
Besides Harmony Day on March 21, local councils will hold events throughout the month such as community festivals, street markets, concerts, inter-faith forums and celebrations linked to Harmony Day. This year, the month-long program includes a Bollywood Movie Night, a Carnivale festival, a film festival, food events, Brazilian drumming, Latin American dancing, story time in languages, and a variety of other multicultural events.
The formal events include the Premier’s Multicultural Media Awards Night on 13 Feb and the Premier’s Harmony Dinner (which is a ticketed event).
Check out the website www.multiculturalnsw.com.au for details
