Celebrating culture in Ballina

MIGRANTS and refugees from various countries gathered for a multicultural celebration at Kentwell Community Centre in Ballina last weekend.

Meherunnessa Rahman and Ravinder Singh from Multicultural NSW were among around 100 people who attended the event to hear about the issues affecting people who have arrived from overseas living in regional communities.

Aunty Nancy Walke extended a Welcome to Country, while performers from Japanese group Byron Taiko entertained the crowd, with an African drumming workshop to finish the day.

Guests enjoyed food from India, Thailand, Italy, Middle East, Egypt, Japan, as well as lamingtons.

They included people from Afghanistan, Iran, Venezuela, Korea, Japan, Sudan, Congo, Zimbabwe, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Germany, Romania, Ukraine, India, Sri Lanka, China, Syria, Egypt and Argentina.

Organisers said the event offered a sense of connection and support for people who had earlier identified as feeling isolated.

The event was part of a project the Northern Rivers Multicultural Forum – a network of government and non-government organisations – is running to help support migrant and refugee communities in the region.

Funding for the gathering came from a grant from the Northern Rivers Community Foundation which was auspiced by not-for-profit organisation Northern Rivers for Refugees, with the aim of trying to find ways to improve access to information for multicultural communities and encourage networking.

Organisers hope to host another event in the Byron, Tweed or Lismore region with the remaining funds to help offer better settlement experiences for migrants and refugees.