Harmony Day is held on March 21, and is a celebration of our cultural diversity – a day of cultural respect for everyone, reinforcing the importance of inclusiveness to all Australians.
Local Ability Linker Wendy Beetson is helping to spread the message around Nygnan to help raise the wider community’s awareness of Harmony Day and what it is about.
“It's a great time to think about the diversity of our communities, and what the different cultures bring to our communities,” Mrs Beetson said.
“We've got people dressing different ways, they might eat different foods, they might have different languages and customs and its a really good time to reflect on that and think about maybe learning something about different cultures, and appreciating what they bring to Australia,” she said.
Mrs Beetson’s role as an Ability Linker is to help build the capacity of the community to be more inclusive, and seeks to break down barriers that people may face.
“As our communities are becoming more diverse it is important for us to take some time to think about different cultures and to learn about other customs and beliefs.
“We can all help to make our local community more welcoming and inclusive by being respectful of differences and treating everyone equally and fairly,” she said.
The message of Harmony Day is “everyone belongs”.
Harmony Day began in Australia in 1999 coinciding with the United Nations “International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination”. Orange is the colour chosen to represent the day as its the colour signifying meaningful conversations.
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Nyngan Observer
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