Multicultural Q&A
The NSW Government’s Ministerial Consultative Committees’ Winter Symposium, which allowed leaders of multicultural communities access to leading government, broadcasting and sports figures, was hosted last night by the Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello.
As well as hearing from Mr Dominello, committee members took part in a Question and Answer session with three guest speakers:
• Graham Annesley, NSW Minister for Sport & Recreation
• John Harnden, chief executive of the Organising Committee for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015; and
• Michael Ebeid, CEO and managing director of SBS.
Victor Dominello
“The symposium is an opportunity for members of our diverse multicultural community to listen to, and ask questions of, people who can have an impact on their community’s future,” Mr Dominello said.
Mr Annesley spoke about sport’s ability to traverse cultural, language and geographical boundaries by bringing people together and promoting diversity.
“In my view sport is a universal language capable of addressing many of the social issues confronting modern society,” Mr Annesley said.
“As Minister for Sport and Recreation my job is to do whatever I can to increase participation and active lifestyles to help promote health, harmony, and happiness in communities throughout the State.”
Mr Ebeid, explained changes to radio programming at SBS while Mr Harnden told the symposium that the ICC Cricket World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, in February and March 2015, can be a unifying force in society.
Mr Dominello thanked members of the committees for their work during the first half of 2013 in assisting multicultural communities raise issues of importance and concern with the NSW Government.
“Through the hard work of the committees and their respective Chairs, they have been able to achieve a number of positive outcomes such as the introduction of the study of Russian languages in the Higher School Certificate,” Mr Dominello said.
“These committees are a way for communities to identify ways that the delivery of government services to multicultural communities can improve,” Mr Dominello said.
The Jewish MCC was represented by NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president Yair Miller, chief executive officer Vic Alhadeff and honorary treasurer Sam Zweig.
Vic Alhadeff told J-Wire: “It was encouraging to hear about the practical outcomes which the MCC system has already achieved and gratifying to see the seriousness with which the issue of multiculturalism is taken at the highest levels.”
How is it that we all see it but our leaders don’t???
I look forward to seeing the destructive ideology of multiculturalism eliminated and the concept of a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-faith melting pot promoted as the aim for a united and harmonious Australian society.
We should learn from other’s mistakes, like those of the countries of Europe, and avoid making our own by repeating them.
Multiculturalism is not about spaghetti, kebabs and gefilte fish.
I could not argue with Ary, but add some observations.
The notion of multiculturism in a society which can – and as a rule DOES – contain clear elements of cultural conflict, will, inevitably lead, under certain circumstances, to unballances, disagreements, conflict. Ary’s implied desire is to see subterrain discord – and obviously the open type – eliminated through a commonality of decency, harmony is an existential necessity. In fact all parties, as diverse as they are, claim to aim to the same ideal. How, then , do we attend the obvious indicators of the opposite still bluntly seen in our midst, how do we resolve it !!
For startres rhetoric of the non-sensical nature must go. The Minister for sports goes a long way to explain the vacuous notion of a physical activity par excellence, sport as such, addressing the segmented conflictual mind given by this “magnifficient” multiculturalism.
The worst thing about sport bringing people “together” is inherent in the character of any sporting activity. Yes Minister, sport encourages conflict, just in case you haven’t seen soccer games ending in blood on the pitch , be it Serbian, Craotian or anthing else. I remeber that out Hakoah champion soccer team had to go because at ALL matches I went there were armies of anti Semites making our decent sporting outing a disgsusting experience. At one final with the Italians, a Hungarian standing next to me started yelling anti Semitic abuse. Luckily I knew a few explicits in his mother tongue, unlucky for him I happened to be there, right next to him….
Yet, how do we approach decently “cultures” that block ,as MO, Sydney CBD at least twice a year only to vent their hatred of, let’s say, everything of Jewish cultural value ! Let’s face it, some “cultural” entities are formed with the specific purpose of creating DISharmony, of promoting individual, sectarian ethnic positions which have as a purpose attempting at the necessary CULTURE of social decency, sporting activities included.
In our case I am delighted that guys such as Sam Zweig went there because I know that he is perhaps the most vigurous, most outspoken – maybe sometimes too outspoken – defender of our causes.
I would say that Sam taught me most of the stuff I know and he has been an inspiration to me in the way I understand – and practice – public speaking. I also seem to remember Vic, but only vaguely……….
“Mr Annesley spoke about sport’s ability to traverse cultural, language and geographical boundaries by bringing people together and promoting diversity.”
Bringing people together is great, but promoting diversity might drive people apart if it means that some groups are allowed to adhere to different laws.
There must be a common understanding that all follow Australian law.
All who oppose racism welcome different ethnicities. Multiculturalism is a different matter entirely, enabling groups to entrench racism, anti-Semitism and misogyny with impunity.
Pam you too put this stuff so succintly and correctly. Yes, you are spot on, either diversity or a homogenous approach to matters social, cultural in one word ethical. For, maybe not quite political correct, how many non Jews aspire at least occasionally to look at life the way we UNDERSTAND it !!!
Sam, you are perfectly right. Diversity means each traversing life in a DIVERSE direction. Even if one would imagine in a wonderful romantic way, that we may meet at the end of our “diverse” roads onto a point convergence, to put it so plasticly, the diverse roads , while taken , “coincide” with LACK of commonality !!
By the time we had converged, the routes have been exhausted and we had NOTHING to do with each other………………
Can someone tell me that I am wrong, I dareya !!!!
Multiculture has been declared to be a disaster in Countries such as Germany, Great Britain The Netherlands and France. It has split countries in different enclaves and is the cause of different laws being applied to citizens of the same country. Multiethnic is acceptable,However with the same law to all and one culture for all