As a Refugee Welcome Zone for more than two decades, Greater Dandenong City Council invites the whole community to celebrate Refugee Week (18-24 June).
Refugee Week is an opportunity to promote greater awareness of refugees, the issues they face, and the positive contributions refugees make to our society.
The theme for Refugee Week is Finding Freedom and Council encourages everyone to explore what it means to be free. To live without the fear of war, to have human rights upheld, to live in equality and to live without the fear of persecution.
Greater Dandenong is recognised as the most culturally diverse community in Australia. Our residents come from 157 different countries and 64 per cent of them were born overseas. We welcome and celebrate all, including the many people who arrived in Greater Dandenong as refugees.
Council is hosting several events to celebrate Refugee Week including a family-friendly community celebration at Springvale City Hall and Springvale Community Hub on Friday 23 June, from 12pm-4pm.
The event aims to foster harmony and inclusion and promote a better understanding of refugees and people seeking asylum in Greater Dandenong.
The celebration will be supported by various local organisations, service agencies and community groups and will include live performances, free cultural experiences, children and youth activities, as well as food and market stalls.
Greater Dandenong Libraries has also organised multi-lingual story times and a rice paper roll workshop to celebrate Refugee Week.
