A celebration of diversity
A VIBRANT community of cultures has come together to celebrate everything great about the melting pot Townsville is becoming.
The group congregated at the Pimlico TAFE earlier this week for Refugee week, an event in joint partnership with the Townsville Multicultural Support Group (TMSG), Queensland TAFE and Community Hubs Australia.
TMSG general manger Stephanie Naunton said Refugee Week was about recognising and celebrating our great diversity and the vibrancy that it created.
“Townsville is a refugee resettlement city and TMSG is the only organisation that delivers the humanitarian refugee support here in North Queensland and through that program we support, on average 350 people per year as refugees settle in Townsville,” Ms Naunton said.
Some refugees flee from war or upheaval in their home countries and Ms Naunton said it was important to make them feel welcome in Townsville.
“The first thing we always do as part of our work is to make sure people know that they are safe and our next big step is to do all the work to support that person and having a successful settlement.
“Housing, employment, connection to English language programs, connections to different churches and religious faiths is all a big part of our work and that is where we see such a growing vibrant community here in Townsville.” She said that apart from their amazing culture refugees bought an economic boost to the city.
“For example here (at the celebration) are two people who are business owners, so they started off with having skills and wanting to share their culture and their food and now they have a business on Ross River Rd.
TMSG president Cathy O’toole said it was important Refugee Week was celebrated and we welcome people who come to our country to seek safety and to belong to a community.
“We are moving from a multicultural space to an intercultural community where we all get on together and learn from each other and share with each other the richness of out cultures.”