Print this page
Submit
Submit

The Walk for Harmony

By Bashir Sumar, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Australia.

Historically, the Ismaili Community has always been proactive in promoting cultural diversity and improving the quality of lives of the people in the midst of which they live. The many institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network (www.akdn.org) do exactly that in several countries in the under developed world, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, India and Pakistan.

The community in Australia, through ICERV (Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering) helps the needy through regular blood drives, food drives for the Vinnies, Christmas hampers for the needy during the festive season, walk against want for Oxfam and volunteering at local events.

The annual Harmony Day event PDF, 359.33 KB started small  with the intention to celebrate diversity and promote inter cultural exchange and pluralism through education.

This year, the Ismaili Community is partnering with Western Sydney University  (thanks to WSU Chancellor Peter Shergold) and CMRC (community migrant resource centre). The main objective of this event is to engage, understand, accept and celebrate the diversity of cultures, art, foods etc. that make us all so proud and rich as Australians. We have also received the support of  federal and state politicians, together with  many community group leaders.

We wish to recognise and promote the notion that Australia’s success as one of the best countries in the world is not despite diversity but because of it. When every Australian feels proud to say who they are....that is PLURALISM.

More information about this particular event please contact Bashir Sumar.

March 2018