Bendigonians have come together to celebrate an increasingly diverse community as their city marks Harmony Day.
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Tuesday’s gathering was timed to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination as well as the 2017 Bendigo Festival of Cultures.
The event at Bendigo TAFE saw community and religious groups gather to celebrate with multicultural dance, music and workshops.
Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services executive officer Noemi Cummings said Harmony Day was about fostering social cohesion among people of all creeds.
“It’s a very fitting event for Bendigo because we are seeing an increasingly diverse community and we need to know who is out there,” she said.
Ms Cummings said the event tied in with the Festival of Cultures’ theme that diversity was the mainstream, saying despite some cases of intolerance most people were open to other cultures.
It was a sentiment the event’s compare Samuel Tshisekedi shared. Mr Tshisekedi had moved to Bendigo from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“I found Bendigo to be one of the most welcoming places in the country,” he told the crowd.
The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation’s Tori Kerr said Harmony Day was an important chance for people of all backgrounds to share their culture.
“Everyone coming together is really important,” she said.
Tori gave the Welcome to Country at the event, watched on by her sister Racquel Kerr.
“You get to see a really diverse range of cultures coming together (for Harmony Day) and sharing that with other people,” Racquel said.
“A lot of people aren’t really aware of the multiculturalism that we have in Bendigo. It’s a really good chance to showcase that not only from a Traditional Owner point of view, but also for all the other cultures that come to Bendigo.”
The event saw addresses from local religious leaders as well as performances from school and cultural groups, including the Dutch Australian Friends, the Sri Lankan Dance School and the Mugi Rahahu Band.
It also saw singing, music and dancing performances from a number of school groups including a Bollywood number from Bendigo South East Secondary College.