Refugee Week ends with sporting celebration

Project Officer, Hsa Blu Htoo Ko (front) with some of the participants at the Refugee Week sports event in Wyndham Vale. (Damjan Janevski). 342086_01

Cade Lucas

Wyndham marked the end of Refugee Week with a multicultural sports event on Monday.

Iramoo Community Centre in Wyndham Vale hosted the event, which featured competitions and clinics in sports ranging from the universal appeal of soccer, to the unique east-Asian sport of caneball and Australia’s Indigenous code of Aussie Rules.

Multicultural music, dance and food were also on offer.

Wyndham Deputy Mayor, Jennie Barrera said Refugee Week, which this year had the theme ‘Finding Freedom’, was an especially important time for the municipality.

“Refugee week is the perfect time to recognise and celebrate the many refugees in

Wyndham and the wonderful contributions they have made to our community.

Wyndham City welcomes everyone to our municipality, and we value and place

great importance on creating an inclusive Wyndham that fosters harmony and

celebrates and promotes the cultural diversity of our city.”

Cr Barrera said along with celebrating refugees and highlighting their experiences, the week also demonstrated the benefits of multiculturalism.

“We recognise how our differences and similarities bring our community together and

help strengthen social cohesion and make Wyndham a great place to live.

We all have a different past, but the future is ours to share.”