By Aaron Cordy
DIVERSITY is written everywhere in the faces of the Greater Shepparton region. Working side by side, standing in line next to one another at the supermarket, hurrying to drop off and pick up our children in the madness of the school rush. But how much do we know of our brothers and sisters that make up this vibrant community?
In an effort to continue bridging the gap in understanding all the cultures that make up this region, the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District hosted a Cultural Bus Tour on Tuesday, May 21. The tour visited Rumbalara, the Turkish Mosque, the Afghan Mosque, the Iraqi Mosque and the Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh temple). At each site, the group got to learn a little about the significance of the culture to the people of the region.
“I was very much looking forward to touring today, I was very open-minded about it… I was raised Methodist and was very religious, as in our way or the highway. But living here in Shepparton, I deal with a lot of multicultural women and they are the nicest women. They are very welcoming, very giving, very loving. Despite what the world thinks of religion, it comes down to the individual,” said Ana Fotu, a Tongan woman about what she appreciated most about the tour.
The emphasis of the tour was to dispel misconceptions and share an insight into the unique communities that live within the greater community.
“Learning about the different religions what they follow, what’s obligated to follow versus what’s recommended. And just how welcoming they are as a community; I think they do it better than we do [Aussies]. It’s been great,” said Kayla Goodwin-Wicks.
Destination Goulburn Valley (DGV) CEO Vicki Scott, and chairman Eugenie Stragalinos, attended the tour to gain insight to help present all aspects of the Goulburn Valley to a broader audience.
“I think it’s really important that the community awareness and education piece extends through to all our multicultural community. So, from a Destination Goulburn Valley point of view, we’re an independent advocacy group that represents all community members. So being able to be present and actually tour the Sikh temple and all the cultural differences and beliefs is fantastic because we’re here to advocate for everyone,” said DGV chairman Eugenie Stragalinos.
“Knowing these cultures, well thinking I know most of these cultures, learning the little intricacies that make them unique and really bring that to life. It is the misconceptions of mainstream media that often come into play relative to what we hear, see and feel when doing one of these tours is completely chalk and cheese. It’s been great.”
