Celebrate our Cultural Diversity Week
Between 17-23 March each year, Victoria hosts a lively program of festivals and events highlighting our cultural, linguistic and religious diversity. At these events Victorians of all ages, from all walks of life, come together to contribute to community harmony and to promote mutual understanding and respect. The Week also marks the United Nations Day for the Elimination of Racism on 21 March and affirms our belief in the right for all Victorians to live without fear of racial and religious discrimination.
To see how Victorians celebrated in 2008, click here to read a special edition of Multicultural Victoria - Issue 24 (PDF 3237 kb), which showcases some of the hundreds of events that took place across the state. From the Premier's Gala Dinner to multicultural lunches, exhibitions and concerts, there was a host of events that celebrated our rich cultural diversity. Schools and community groups also joined in the fun, so make sure you get involved in 2009. United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racism
Forty-six years ago, on 21 March 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people in the township of Sharpeville, South Africa, who were peacefully demonstrating against apartheid’s ‘pass laws’. The United Nations General Assembly subsequently declared that day –- 21 March -- the International Day for the Elimination of Racism. The Assembly called on the international community not only to commemorate that tragedy, but also to work together to combat racism and racial discrimination wherever they exist. Click here to find out more about the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racism .
Cultural Diversity Quest Awards
First held in 2004, the Cultural Diversity Awards are designed to help raise awareness of Victoria’s cultural, linguistic and religious diversity among young people. Each year, students from Prep to Year 12 in all Victorian primary and secondary schools are invited to participate by creating entries that communicate some of the following concepts:
- Their ideas about and knowledge of, and respect for, role models in their lives
- Their values, beliefs and understandings of their cultural heritage
- Information about themselves and their lives as members of a culturally diverse community
- Their understanding of the diverse society in which they live, and how it can be truly inclusive of people from all cultural backgrounds.
Each year the winners are presented with prizes at a special ceremony hosted by the Minister Assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs at the Immigration Museum.
CLick here for more information about the Cultural Diversity Quest Awards.
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