Bringing Harmony to Ringwood
Victoria media release
Friday, 11 March 2010
Kaled Mahamoud has only been in the role of Centrelink Multicultural Service Officer since December 2009, but he is already making a name for himself in the Ringwood community.
Having organised special story readings for children of the Chin and Karen communities at the Ringwood Library, Kaled is now focusing his efforts on a free event for the community to celebrate Harmony Day.
"This is actually the first public event to be in held in Ringwood, so I am very excited to be involved," said Kaled. With the support of local Government and community organisations, the event will be held at Ringwood Library on Thursday, 18 March.
Harmony Day aims to showcase Australia's successful record of community harmony through activities that focus on equality, fairness and friendship for people from all backgrounds and cultures.
The continuing message of Harmony Day is 'Everyone Belongs'.
"It's about community participation, inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone," said Kaled.
"These messages are very important to me, and they are also at the core of Centrelink's business and my role as a Multicultural Service Officer. It seems natural to me that Centrelink would be involved in celebrations to mark this national day.
"I saw Harmony Day as a perfect opportunity to recognise the diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds in the Ringwood area.
"The theme for 2010 is 'Express Yourself', which gives us the opportunity to share with others the importance of diversity in an area such as Ringwood."
Kaled also sees the event as an opportunity to highlight his role as a Multicultural Service Officer.
"Multicultural Service Officers work closely with local community organisations to ensure people are aware of the services that Centrelink offers to multicultural Australia. We're the link between these people, community organisations and Centrelink," said Kaled.
He is quick to admit the role has its challenges.
"We're talking about people who may have previously had a bad experience with Government in other countries and I want to change that perception," Kaled said.
"I want our multicultural customers to feel comfortable visiting a Centrelink office. By becoming involved in community activities such as Harmony Day I can demonstrate that Centrelink is about more than just income support - there's a face that people can recognise, and there's someone they can talk to and trust."
The event will be opened by Mayor Alex Makin at 11 am, and will include cultural story time for parents with prams, live music throughout the afternoon, an information expo and a Rotary Club sponsored sausage sizzle.
"It will be a great day, with lots to see and do, and I encourage everyone in the community to join us in celebrating cultural diversity."
For more information, telephone the relevant Centrelink media contact.