The continuing message of Harmony Day is ‘Everybody Belongs’ and its annual observance aims to encourage inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural background. - Photo:pexels.com
Harmony Day is celebrated annually on March 21 in Australia. Harmony Day began in 1999, coinciding with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which was established in 1966 with the aim of eradicating racism and racially-fuelled hate crime.
Harmony Day is about celebrating and lifting up Australia’s rich, cultural diversity, giving thanks for each person’s ancestral story and how this story is a part of the Australian story.
Australia is a vibrant, multicultural country. We are home to Australia’s First Nations People, the world's oldest continuous cultures, as well as Australians who identify with more than 300 ancestries. This rich, cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths.
The continuing message of Harmony Day is ‘Everybody Belongs’ and its annual observance aims to encourage inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural background.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census Data informs us that nearly half (49 percent) of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was; since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia; apart from English the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Tagalog, Hindi, Spanish and Punjabi; and more than 70 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia.
In his 2020 Encyclical Letter, Fratelli Tutti, on fraternity and social friendship, Pope Francis says, “Each of us can learn something from others” (n.215). “Other cultures are not enemies from which we need to protect ourselves, but differing reflections of the richness of human life” (n.147). The Pope encourages us “to expand our circle of friends, to reach those who, even though they are close to me, I do not naturally consider a part of my circle of interests” (n.97).
The Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations (CCCMR) was established in Sydney in 1997. Its founders were women who naturally engaged with women of other faiths. Some of those women initiated the Women’s Interfaith Network (WIN). It has been meeting monthly for the past 20 years, expanding their circle of friendship while promoting mutual understanding among themselves. More recently CCCMR started the Western Sydney Women’s IntHERfaith Initiative to bring women in that part of Sydney together for support and friendship.
As we mark International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination we can turn to the words of Pope Francis on the virtue of kindness for encouragement and inspiration. In Fratelli Tutti the Pope says that kindness, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, is in urgent need of recovery. “Kindness frees us from the cruelty that infects human relationships, the anxiety that prevents us from welcoming others, the frantic flurry of activity that forgets another’s need. Once kindness becomes a culture within society, it transforms lifestyles and the way we communicate with one another” (n.223-224).
Racism is an obstacle to true dialogue and blocks the light and compassion born of kindness. The words of Pope Francis call us to action in eliminating all forms of racial discrimination. Racism, says Pope Francis, “is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting” (n.97).
The Pope inspires us with his words of hope when he says, “The world exists for everyone because all of us were born with the same dignity. Differences of color, religion, talent, place of birth or residence cannot justify the privileges of some over the rights of others” (n.118).
On this year’s Harmony Day let us celebrate the rich spirit of diversity that mirrors the life of God in whom we live, move and have our being.
Columban Fr Kevin O’Neill is a member of the Peace, Ecology and Justice team, Columban Mission Centre, Essendon.
