The celebration took place at the hall of Our Lady of Guardian of Plants Catholic Church with over 115 people in attendance, and the event aimed to highlight the various aspects of a refugees’ experiences.
Various different speakers took to the stages to share their stories of seeking refuge and what it meant to find freedom. Many people may take for granted the basic human rights we all are entitled to here in Australia, but for refugees fleeing war-stricken countries, they know first-hand how much of a privilege it is to live in a country where a person is afforded those basic entitlements. The event focused on the importance of maintaining one’s identity after migrating to a new country.
The participants enjoyed a middle eastern dinner and the live cultural entertainment such as folkloric dances and folkloric costumes.
After the event, one participant had this to say:
“We are appreciating more and more the meaning of the freedom that Australia has been providing us with after the ordeal and the unfortunate journey we went through before arriving to our new home.”
“We also would like to thank Arabic Welfare for providing us with this beautiful opportunity to express our thoughts freely.”