The Welcoming Diversity Forum was attended by our Interfaith Ambassadors and selected SRCs. It was held at the Whittlesea Council Offices on 21 March 2016 with a great line-up of speakers and performances.
Photos of the Diversity Forum can be
The forum includes the following speakers and performers:
Mr Abdi Aden: Author of the "Shining: The Story of a lucky man", motivational speaker and a youth worker who survived war in Somalia.
Mr Abdul Hammoud: A spoken word poet. Abdul performed poems on the theme of harmony and a young person’s sense of belonging.
Maximus Po: Dancer, Model, Creative Director, Entertainment Presenter and Writer/Blogger. Maximus is a member of "Shout Out", an innovative public speaking group auspice by CMY that trains and nurtures young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds to share their experiences and views with a wider audience.
Mr Phillip ‘Yung Philly’ Pandogan: Workshop facilitator, MC, and artist. Yung Philly (as MC) helped facilitate the workshops and creatively brought together the themes of the day through a fantastic closing performance.
Students had the opportunity to choose between the following interactive workshops:
Engaging multicultural young people: How can Baseline for Young People help you get more involved in your community?
Identity, perception, and the media: How important is culture to you? How is your community perceived by others?
Harmony, ‘fair go’, and safety: What’s important to you, and how do we make it happen?
The Council had a number of signed copies of the "Shining: the Story of a lucky Man" by Abdi Aden to give away to lucky students on the day.
This was a great opportunity for our young leaders to express their views and provide feedback on a range of issues affecting their lives.
Well done to our Al Siraat student leaders and Interfaith Ambassadors for amazing input in this forum and celebrating Harmony Day with a meaning.