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Multicultural events

UOW Community Leaders Iftar Dinner

Since 2013, UOW has hosted an annual Iftar dinner, collaborating initially with Affinity Intercultural Foundation (AIF) and then uniting with Amity College from 2017.

Iftar is the meal eaten after sunset during Sawm, the fasting that occurs during the holy month of Ramadan. Iftar meals are also a symbol of friendship, understanding and social harmony. The event brings together education, faith and community leaders from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Through the simple act of sharing a meal, attendees learn from one another and strengthen connections and friendships.

View photos from the 2019 event.

Sharing stories, celebrating diversity

Providing a platform to bring together community leaders from all backgrounds, cultures and religions, along with a number of teachers, principals and lecturers. The evening offers an opportunity to celebrate diversity and promote social harmony in our community.

00:00
[Music]
00:23
so we've got people from different walks
00:25
of life from different religions coming
00:27
together and sharing a Ramadan iftar
00:30
dinner and that from my perspective is
00:32
what the social perspective of Ramadan
00:34
is so these types of events are
00:36
extremely important and in promoting
00:39
understanding mutual respect social
00:42
harmony and you'd appreciate that in
00:45
these trouble times around the world
00:47
these types of things are exactly what
00:49
we need we need more peace we need more
00:50
harmony we need more understanding we
00:52
need more compassion and we need to be
00:54
together
00:59
to share and make a place where we can
01:02
leave as one food helps us break down
01:06
many barriers when language becomes an
01:08
issue food becomes a good supplement so
01:13
I ask you as you sit around your tables
01:15
tonight look to the table next to you
01:18
shake her hands introduce yourself
01:21
talk to someone you don't know here make
01:25
a difference in someone else's life get
01:28
to understand walk in someone else's
01:30
shoes but most of all when you leave
01:34
here today take the opportunity to look
01:39
out to create a new path where we can
01:41
all work walk and learn together in
01:44
harmony on behalf of my elders I welcome
01:47
you here tonight and say you're long
01:49
gone a younger uncle and wouldn't go
01:52
welcome I call you all friends
01:57
[Music]
02:11
we need a serious shift in perspectives
02:14
in order to overcome the challenges of
02:17
inclusivity we need to start with
02:19
witnessing the witnessing of the
02:22
greatness that is Australia and all we
02:25
have been endowed with we cannot let
02:27
campaigns of fee led by enemies of peace
02:31
and some of our politicians overshadow
02:34
our lives and make us lose sight of the
02:36
blessings that we have this is not an
02:38
easy task but an essential one
02:43
you know if we all go home and tell our
02:47
family our friends about what IFTA is
02:51
what it means what what a celebration of
02:55
bringing all of these different people
02:57
together who have so much in common
02:59
because we're all human beings wanting
03:02
the same thing for our family and
03:04
friends
03:05
[Music]
03:10
the challenge I sent myself after nights
03:12
like tonight and I admit that I probably
03:14
rarely but sadly don't always I'll say
03:16
don't always meet my own challenge is to
03:18
make sure when I go back to work
03:20
tomorrow but also when I'm at home
03:21
tomorrow night with my family sharing
03:23
some of the things that I've learned
03:24
tonight so that we take it beyond this
03:26
group of people to the others that we
03:27
work with so I'll set myself that
03:29
challenge but I'll also set that to you
03:30
[Music]
04:06
you
04:08
[Music]
 

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