Harmony bound by a book

A CHILDREN’S book has helped spread the message of inclusion and cultural diversity to school children as part of Harmony Week.

About 120 year five and six students from Glenorchy and Springfield Gardens primary schools gathered at the Glenorchy Library yesterday for an inclusion-promoting event organised by the Multicultural Council of Tasmania. The library turned into a dance floor as students were taught about the power of unity through dance, before Mem Fox’s Whoever You Are was read to students in English by Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston. The novel was then read again by multi-linguist Lubna Siddiqi in Hindi.

“Seeing the students come together in support of cultural diversity shows real importance and it sends a message we should all get behind,” Ald Johnston said.

“The Mem Fox book taught kids that while we might appear different on the outside, on the inside we’re all the same — we all laugh, smile and love.

Public Education ambassador John Xintavelonis said Harmony Week was an opportunity for all Tasmanians to share what they had in common.

“As a young Greek boy of immigrant parents, I was the only student in my class who spoke a language other than English at home,” he said. “I soon realised that despite our cultural differences, I had much more in common with the other kids than I thought.”