By, Chloe D.
Saturday, the premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan, “Here, everyone matters, everyone belongs, everyone is equal. Everyone deserves to be safe in our state and free of hate.”
The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) hosted the Premier’s Multicultural Gala Dinner on Saturday night, which celebrated the strength in unity through thought provoking speeches delivered by our leading members and diverse energetic performances highlighting the unique cultures in our great country.
FAEA “ Friendship Australian Egyptian Association. Inc.Est. 2012” and many Multicultural Community Organisations, joined the Annual Victorian Multicultural Celebration, this year’s theme for the Gala dinner was ‘Harmony in Diversity’ to bring together the multifaith communities and celebrate Victoria’s richness in multiculturalism. Guests from all walks of life were welcomed by a stunning Lebanese performance to open the event, as people mingled with friends, associates, colleagues and established new connections. Approximately over 1,200 people filled the space with joy, laughter, thoughtful conversations and those who were brave enough hit the dance floor in style!
Image Credit © to Jill Morgan AM
Powerful speeches were delivered by the guest speakers, with notable highlights being the premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan, the Victorian opposition leader Brad Battin, the Federal Labor MP Julian Hill and the VMC chairperson Vivienne Nguyen. Each speaker shared the importance of unity in diversity against the hatred of inclusion that threatens to divide the fabric of our great country.
Due to the inevitable planned protests that occurred on Sunday, the premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan addressed the room stating, “Here, everyone matters, everyone belongs, everyone is equal. Everyone deserves to be safe in our state and free of hate.” There was also a solemn atmosphere when she mentioned the two police officers who were tragically killed on duty in Porepunkah, as she asked the room to stand up to pay their respects in a minute of silence. This moment was a show of strength within the community, as everyone respectfully mourned the senseless loss in an act of unnecessary violence.
Julian Hill also delivered a scathing remark against those who wish to reject the reality of Australia being home to various cultures, stating “They are not marches for Australia, they are marches against Australia. I will always stand up for multicultural Australia.” Hill referred to multiculturalism as “Australia’s defining strength” and encouraged Australians to maintain a sense of pride and optimism regarding the nation’s future. He noted that a significant portion of the population values diversity and has already turned away from the politics of fear, division, discrimination, and negativity, as evidenced by the outcome of the last federal election.
The VMC chairperson Vivienne Nguyen gave a heartfelt speech from the powerful message of stopping the spread of hatred in this world, to unexpectedly bursting into a song and then later getting choked up when sharing her background as a refugee.
The long night was not short on entertainment with performances from different backgrounds, which included Lebanese, Aboriginal, African, Indonesian, Turkish, Jewish, American, Greek, Filipino, the pacific islands, and Columbian. A memorable highlight was the Greek live band Kinisi performed by singer Maria Maroulis, as she belted insane notes with renditions of classic songs such as Abba’s ‘Gimmie Gimmie’, ‘Let’s Get Loud’ by Jenifer Lopez, ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor and guests were electric when she joined the dance floor.
To close the extravagant night, was a performance by the Colombian indie band La Descarga joined by a guest singer Ana Maria Rueda and guests were rocking the dance floor to the animated beats, creating a vibrant atmosphere that resulted in guests forming a conga line. When the night was wrapping up, some guests were not ready to leave, shouting for one more song and the band asked for two volunteers and handed them a fabric sash to spontaneously start a fun game of limbo.
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