In the lead up to Harmony Day on 21 March, Local Governments in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have received over $230,000 under the Diverse Australia Program.
The Diverse Australia Program is managed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. It is primarily a community based educational initiative for all Australians and aims to address issues of cultural, racial and religious intolerance by promoting respect, fairness, inclusion and a sense of belonging for everyone.
The 2010 funding will assist councils with projects that will enhance community relations and build bridges between culturally different groups.
In South Australia, the City of Salisbury will run the Coming Together Through Sport project. It will encourage newly arrived migrant families to join in cultural and recreational activities through local sporting clubs. Council will also help clubs to identify and remove barriers that prevent people from participating fully in sport and encourage them to connect with new and emerging communities.
Blacktown Council’s Arts Centre in New South Wales will produce a DVD of a play by a Sudanese youth group, which was written over a two year period. The film will form the basis of an educational resource kit to be distributed to high schools in Western Sydney. It deals with racism, intergenerational conflict, the differences between African and Australian culture and how young people cope with isolation. It also explores the traumatic backgrounds that some young Sudanese Australian refugees have experienced.
During a Brisbane City Council forum in 2007, community leaders identified the need to develop relationships to build a better knowledge of different cultures within the Brisbane community. The forum also highlighted the intergenerational issues in first generation migrant families.
The Diverse Brisbane project will establish a youth leadership program, as well as workshops and multicultural events throughout the year.
Council will be seeking support from community leaders from different cultural backgrounds to enhance tolerance and understanding.
Also in Queensland, Logan City Council will address recent intercultural conflict through activities based around cultural awareness, youth engagement, identity, isolation and intercultural relationships.
Logan’s Youth and Experience project will set up mentoring relationships between at risk youth and community elders and use workshops to discuss identity and culture.
Western Australia’s City of Swan is using a creative approach to address intercultural tension between young people.
The project, We Built This City, will engage young people through visual arts, music and dance workshops.
These will lead to performances and art works which will be presented at a major youth festival.
Council is hoping that these creative activities will bring together young people from different backgrounds, assist them to forge new friendships, improve cross cultural understanding and boost the self confidence of those involved.
The Diverse Australia Program provides funding and support to community organisations specifically to eliminate discrimination based on cultural background or religion. The intention is to ensure all Australians are treated fairly and have a sense of belonging to their community.
For more information on the Diverse Australia Program and Harmony Day on 21 March, visit www.harmony.gov.au
