August was Multicultural Queensland Month, a time to learn, take action, and celebrate the cultural diversity that makes our state so vibrant.
Neighbourhood Centres across Queensland welcome people from all backgrounds to connect, contribute, and participate. Whether it’s cultural celebrations or festivals, support services, social events or language classes, Centres offer a range of resources and activities for culturally and linguistically diverse community members.
Over the past month, Centres have hosted a range of events to celebrate the strength of diversity in their communities and to emphasise Queensland as a place where everyone belongs.
Bundaberg & District Neighbourhood Centre and partners celebrated at a Multicultural Fair which also celebrated the Indian 77th Independence Day and Indonesian 79th Independence Day and featured incredible cultural stallholders and performers. The Centre is also hosting a working visa information session this Friday.
Maryborough Neighbourhood Centre held a Multicultural Meet and Greet Event featuring dancing, costumes music and food. They also run ‘Tastes of Home,’ where community members share cuisine from their country of origin through cooking demonstrations – so far, they have featured Brazilian, Maltese, Filipino, and Nepalese cuisines.
Hambledon House Community Centre held a Seniors Morning Tea inviting people to celebrate their culture by dressing up and sharing food and stories. There was such a diverse representation, including from Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, England, Scotland, Denmark, Ireland, Austria, Canada, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore and Papua New Guinea.
The Neighbourhood Hub celebrated with a lineup of awesome activities from crafting coconut frond balls, getting creative with some weaving to practicing the art of Chinese calligraphy.
Lockyer Community Centre held an event celebrating their multicultural community through food and conversation.
Community Plus+ Yeronga Community Centre hosted a multicultural lunch as a celebration of diverse cultures through a variety of dishes.
Beenleigh Neighbourhood Centre ran the Beenleigh Family Multicultural Day, including traditional dances performed by talented local students, free face painting, a variety of food vans and more.
Nambour Community Centre hosted a Multicultural Picnic in the Park.
There are a number of ways you can take action towards a more inclusive multicultural Queensland, including taking the time to learn about the different cultures and religions in your community using the QLD Search Diversity tool: https://sdq.geografia.com.au/#/
Click here to learn about more ways to take action.
Click here to learn more about Multicultural Queensland Month.