Multicultural Gala to showcase our cultural connections
Multicultural Gala to showcase our cultural connections
2 November 2022
Indigenous culture is always celebrated at The Salvation Army’s Multicultural Gala, with this year’s event taking place on Friday 4 November at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
“The Salvos are a church for all nations,” said Nuria Gonsalves, CALD Community Engagement National Lead within the Army’s Intercultural and All Abilities Team. “Eventually, we want every household in Australia to know what the Salvos are all about and know that, if they need help, we are there.”
Last year’s Multicultural Gala featured all the colour of Asian cultural dance.
As part of building that awareness, the Salvos are holding the annual Salvos Multicultural Gala this Friday (4 November) at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
Salvation Army Territorial Leaders Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson, NSW/ACT Divisional Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Miriam Gluyas and local, state and federal representatives will come together alongside performers, community leaders and business leaders wishing to support cultural connections to celebrate cultural diversity and honour leaders from the Greater Western Sydney communities.
The event will include an awards ceremony. The awards will recognise key leaders who actively build and promote a more diverse, inclusive and multicultural Australian society. The four Salvo awards include recognition of community engagement projects, diversity and inclusion initiatives, the promotion of diverse cultures and the delivery of social advocacy work.
“This year is even bigger than last year’s awards, with three times the financial contribution from corporate sponsorships and nearly double the number of people attending,” Nuria said. “Interest is building, with many more people already wanting to be a part of next year’s activities.”
Bollywood-style performers, as well as those from Indigenous, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tahitian, and Polynesian communities will showcase their cultures, while Salvation Army Multicultural Ambassadors will explain their community involvement.
An African cultural welcome greeted guests at last year’s event.
The 2022 Salvos Multicultural Gala is part of The Salvation Army Multicultural Engagement Campaign, with the aim that all Australians receive equal access to social support, community engagement and connection to local Salvo social and spiritual services. It has a particular focus on new arrivals to Australia and people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Greater Western Sydney was chosen as the initial focus of the Salvos’ multicultural campaign because of its ethnic diversity, with 35 per cent of the population born overseas. The region also has the largest single Indigenous community in the country.
In addition to the awards, the Intercultural and All Abilities team intend to partner with different organisations to address needs within diverse cultures, bring people together, support each other, and celebrate together, according to Nuria.
“We are working to build real communities because God is already present there,” Nuria said. “We want to do something good, make a difference, and join hands so that everyone can feel a part of their community.”
For more information on the Multicultural Gala go to https://www.multiculturalgala.com.au/welcome or for more information on the Salvos’ Diversity and Inclusion team, go to https://my.salvos.org.au/diversity-and-inclusion-team/
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