City to celebrate Harmony Week

WORLD Interfaith Harmony Week is welcoming its tenth anniversary globally and the Ballarat Interfaith Network is celebrating accordingly.

Since 2011, the first week of February has been observed as World Interfaith Harmony Week, an initiative that aims to provide peace and understanding to religious communities around the world.

The city will be home to two events throughout the week, those being the annual flag raising and a Walk & Talk in the Wendouree Wetlands.

Chairperson of the Ballarat Interfaith Network, Margaret Lenan Ellis said the philosophy of the group is building bridges of understanding and communication.

“Ballarat is becoming increasingly multicultural, there are different beliefs and different faiths that come with that, and that does require some respect,” she said.

The first celebration of the week is a flag raising, which will be held at 11am on Tuesday, 4 February at Queen Victoria Square opposite Town Hall.

This event will feature the Ballarat Interfaith Network’s unique flag raised, as well as an acknowledgement of country and didgeridoo performance, a keynote address from a Thai Buddhist monk, a speech from mayor Cr Ben Taylor and a musical presentation from the Sebastopol Primary School choir.

The second function to mark in the calendar is the Walk & Talk in the Wetlands, held at 10am on Saturday, 8 February, at the Indigenous Sculpture Park on Wendouree Parade.

With talks from Indigenous art sculptor Deanne Gilson and community representative Hedley Thomson, attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic and rug to share a meal with friends.