Resilience, Unity, and the Power of Community: Reflecting on Recent Challenges
The past couple of weeks have been challenging for all of us.
We've seen terrible events unfold in Israel and Gaza and we also witnessed the failure of the referendum to establish an indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The referendum outcome was not the one hoped for by all of us supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart; and who supported a change to the constitution to recognise First Nations peoples.
It was also a missed opportunity to take a positive step towards reconciliation by allowing First Nations peoples to have a say in policies that affect them.
But once again, Aboriginal and Torres Islander communities have responded with grace and resilience in the face of a heartbreaking result.
Many of these communities have spent a lifetime campaigning for change and they continue to do so.
Both of these events, and the ongoing conflicts around the globe, remind us of the need to continue to bolster and nourish the remarkable high levels of inclusiveness and social cohesion we enjoy in Australia.
These qualities were on display at the recent 'AMES Australia Multicultural Cup', a community soccer tournament held in Mildura.
I was privileged to be there to witness what it means to be a truly multicultural community.
The tournament saw about ten teams representing around 120 players and 150 spectators come together over two days in a celebration of sport and multiculturalism.
There were teams representing local communities, including from: Vietnam, Malaysia, Burundi, Greece, the Congo, Vanuatu, Nepal as well as pan-African and pan-Asian teams.
Now in its second year, the tournament has introduced many newcomers to the local mainstream soccer competition and it has helped to forge links between diverse communities living in Mildura.
One of the teams was formed by a group of doctors from the local hospital. Team members were from India, Egypt, Palestine and Malaysia. They came together because, as newcomers to the town, they feel a responsibility to make connections in the community.
Community-based events such as the Mildura tournament are an effective way of breaking down barriers, connecting communities and sharing culture and stories.
The tournament, the Voice result and global conflicts remind us how we need to focus on our common humanity and the things that unite us rather than the things that divide us.
In these difficult times, I'm sure all of our thoughts are with people who continue to face discrimination, displacement, conflict or persecution.
Best regards,
Cath Scarth, AMES Australia CEO
18 October, 2023