Encounters in Multi-cultural
by Joel
Congregation member Joel Swadling is a Canberra-based freelance writer, interviewer and literary editor. He writes
regularly for the blog ‘http://canberraplaces.blogspot.com.au/’ Joel is currently writing a book-length biography of
Canberra theatre actor/director/producer, the late David Branson. Joel has an abiding fondness for the graphic novel
medium, and hopes one day to write one of his own. He was commissioned to write about this year’s Multicultural
Festival. Here, with permission from the ACT Government, are extracts from the complete piece.
On the very day before the
opening of Canberra’s 2015
Multicultural Festival, I became
involved in a bus-stop
conversation with a young
Chinese exchange student to the
ANU. Explaining the different
Action Bus routes to and from our
mutual suburb of Kaleen, I turned
the subject to Action’s handling of
the evacuation of Civic for the
Festival.
The young man was surprised,
but curious, to learn of the
emphasis of multicultural focus in
our city. Was it, he asked me,
being staged to drum up tourism?
No, I explained, discovering the
reasons as I spoke them: it had
more to do with throwing a party
to celebrate Canberra’s diversity.
It was also being held to gauge
our roles within both the broader
multiculturalism of Australia as a
nation, and our place as an
emerging world capital. The
young Chinese student seemed
convinced and keen to attend.
Furthermore, his questions had
piqued my own curiosity.
I have long cherished Canberra’s
Multicultural Festival for its vibrant
combinations of sound and
colour, its varied offerings of food
and music. However, my
perspective on Canberra’s role as
an emerging world capital has
been enhanced in recent times.
As I’m sure is the case for many
other citizens of Canberra, my
experience of the 2013
Centennial celebrations aided in
this. In my particular case, my
role as writer for the
‘Canberraplaces’ blog since mid2014 has driven this new
perspective home.
St Margaret’s News
So two days later, on Saturday
February 14, as I ventured into
town for the Festival, I did so with
these questions in mind: what
kind of World Party was Canberra
capable of throwing? And what
would such a celebration illustrate
concerning our role on the world
stage of multiculturalism?
Christian brothers and sisters. A
fellow Christian myself - though
one emphatic of the equality of all
religions - this experience
provided a vision of a multi-faith
spiritual culture which I seek
every day.
So, writing a week later, this
observation of mutual respect
My reservations concerning the between persons of differing
fractious arrangement of the
faiths remains among my
festival’s grid began to ease as favourite personal experiences of
soon as I settled in to experience the 2015 Multicultural Festival.
the Pacific Island Showcase.
During my time at this event, I
It was also particularly inspiring to
witnessed the performances of
witness the regal presence of
two groups. First, the ‘Helping
members of the High
Hands Onstage Dancers’, a
Commission/Embassy of the
Samoan dance troupe. Following Kingdom of Tonga ACT. I was
them, the ‘New Generation
also impressed by the
Dancers’ from the Cook Islands. enthusiastic participation of
Tongan citizens, gathered under
The crowd-energizing
the mantle of the Tongan
performances of these groups,
Association of the ACT &
and particularly their spoken
Queanbeyan.
introductions to the individual
dances, led to a simple but
For a brief time, I was able to
specific insight. Speaking of
witness these groups from behind
God’s blessings to them,
their tents. In addition to their
emphasis upon the key
elegant yet humble presence,
importance of Biblical teaching
watching them greet and embrace
within these cultures gave their
each other spoke volumes
performances a sense of intimacy concerning their sense of shared
and spiritual sharing. Despite the community, their spirit of
secular setting of the festival, the camaraderie and fraternity.
assembled crowd responded with
warm reception to these
These observations and
statements.
experiences of the Pacific Island
Showcase helped to reorient my
As well, during their spiritual
appreciation of the Festival. It
devotions, the attendees at the
caused me to look further than
Canberra Islamic Centre stand
the stages and the stalls for a
(winners of the 2013 ACT
sense of multiculturalism.