Community harmony projects
As part of Youth Week 2006, the NSW Minister for Youth hosted a forum on racism and community harmony for 80 young people.
At the forum, the Minister encouraged young leaders to address racism and promote community harmony in their local community. The Minister also provided a grant of $2,000 to each Council to support young people in implementing local projects.
Young people carried out a wide range of community projects. We have presented some of the highlights below:
Baulkham Hills sends a message of hope
Young people in Baulkham Hills developed an innovative way to use postcards to promote the message of harmony among the community. A series of designs were sought, printed and distributed to students in local schools. Students were then able to send the postcards to friends and family members, further promoting the harmony message.
Young people also held two workshops to develop a script for a drama show and choreography for a dance performance.
Blacktown celebrates W R One
Young citizen Lavinia Vaifo’ou organised a concert W R One to showcase young performers from different cultural backgrounds. Young people from African, Scottish, Italian, Pacific Islander, Indian backgrounds and many other cultures participated in a performance for 200 community members.
Bland embraces many colours
A youth art competition on the theme of harmony was organised for young people in West Wyalong by local young citizen, Annette Clarke. 103 entries were received for the competition and displayed across the region.
Broken Hill strikes a chord with harmony
A Battle of the Bands competition was held in Broken Hill. Each band was required to perform original songs, including one song focusing on tolerance, diversity and difference. The song writing element prompted young musicians to consider these themes, and as a result the 180 young people in attendance received many positive messages about diversity during the event.
Campbelltown records a stand against racism
A Hip Hop and R’N’B anti-racism event was held for young people in Campbelltown. Part of the project involved young people interviewing and filming performers before the event to record their experiences and views of racism. The interviews were then included as part of a final performance for 110 young people. Interviews will be compiled into a DVD that can be used for future community education projects.
Cowra captures community life
Young people in Cowra had the opportunity to participate in a 2 day photography workshop. The workshop encouraged young people to express themselves and record their lifestyles through the medium of photography. Photos were then displayed in a community exhibition 24 hours in the life of our community at the Cowra Art Gallery.
Eurobodalla sounds a message of unity
Young person Calum Robertson developed a radio ad to encourage listeners to “open your heart – you’ll be surprised what we can learn from each other”. The ads were played over two radio stations in the area over January and the Australia Day period. A series of posters, with the slogan commUNITY, were also developed and displayed in nearly all towns between Bateman’s Bay and Tilba.
Gilgandra gathers for young leaders workshop
28 young people in Gilgandra participated in a leadership and community harmony workshop facilitated by Black on Track (a nominee for a 2005 Community Service Deadly Award). The workshop included a focus on Aboriginal history, culture and identity as well as leadership topics such as self esteem, confidence and goal setting.
Gloucester welcomes IEC students
Young people from Gloucester High School hosted a three day exchange program with 12 students from Miller Intensive English Centre in Sydney. Gloucester High students had the opportunity to “see the human face of current affairs”, learn about different cultures and develop new friendships.
Students from Miller performed a drama piece at the high school’s music and drama night and students from Gloucester hosted a multicultural mufti day during the visit.
Greater Taree documents cultural awareness
Young people in Taree documented their experiences and thoughts about different cultures in Taree. 30 young people participated in the development of a booklet which examined questions such as
• What does culture mean to you?
• How do you express your culture?
• What does cultural harmony mean to you?
• What do you dream it would be like if we all lived in cultural harmony in Taree?
The booklet was printed and distributed throughout the local community.
Gundagai displays its support for many cultures
Young people in Gundagai, with the assistance of a high school art teacher and a local Aboriginal elder, created a mural emphasising the importance of harmony and the variety of cultures in the community. The mural will be installed for the public to view at the Tourist Information Centre.
Inverell Pool Party creates a harmony splash
Inverell Shire Council held a Hawaiian themed pool party for 170 young people with a significant number of young people travelling from outlying townships. The event brought together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young people to share a common interest: music and fun.
Nambucca flies the harmony flag
Nambucca young citizen, Peta Schofield developed ‘Banners of Brilliance’ to promote community harmony in her local area. Community members were invited to develop bright and colourful designs on this theme and 84 entries were received. Four winning designs were made into banners measuring 1.9m by 0.9m and were unveiled at a community launch in the local park. The launch event attracted 100 community members and featured a performance by the Aboriginal elders choir. The banners will be displayed on the Pacific Highway at town entry points.
Newcastle experiences a different culture
SRC students, Melissa Woodward and Anna Langdon, held an African Awareness Day for their fellow students at Merewether High School. Students felt there was a lack of information and understanding about Sudanese and other African refugees in the area and the event aimed to promote knowledge, understanding and acceptance of African people and culture. The day featured talks by a Sudanese and a Burundi guest speaker, music performances, body percussion and rhythm workshops, hair brading and African food.
Oberon enjoys a taste of diversity
Year 10, 11 and 12 students from Oberon High School created a smorgasbord of delicacies from a variety of countries for Year 5 and 6 students. The project allowed older students to learn more about cooking in other cultures and gain an appreciation of the diversity of these culinary styles. The students also purchased books for the primary school library with a multicultural focus.
Peace train drums up a celebration of difference and diversity
Young people from Bankstown, Hurstville, Rockdale and Sutherland united to organise the “Peace train” as a way of improving cultural interaction between diverse communities and reduce community fears about safety of travel to Cronulla. The Peace Train was a dedicated train service which picked up performers, percussionists and up to 300 passengers at identified train stations along the route to Cronulla. Performers from Africa, Latin America, Vietnam, Pacific Islands, Middle East as well as local Aboriginal performers performed on the train. On arriving in Cronulla they held further performances and workshops at Dunningham Park. The project gained state wide media attention and a dedicated myspace website page was established.
Richmond expresses its message
Young people in Richmond participated in a hip hop debate on the question “Racism will never end”. The workshop brought together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young people to talk about issues in a non-confrontational and engaging way.
Singleton harmony hits the big screen
Young people in Singleton created their own film on the harmony theme. 100 young people were involved in putting together a series of films. The films were shown on the big screen at the local cinema with 200 people in attendance on a Sunday afternoon. Young people found the project to be a challenging but rewarding process and are now planning more film projects on other community issues.
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