Multicultural leaders forum
Representatives from various communities participated in a Multicultural Leaders forum held in Parliament last week.
Zionism Victoria (ZV)’s executive director Zeddy Lawrence participated in a Multicultural Leaders forum held in Parliament last week, joining representatives from various communities.
The forum, convened by Opposition leader John Pesutto, aimed to foster dialogue and understanding among different faiths and ethnicities. Among those present were spokespeople for the Somali, Chinese, Indian, Lebanese, Polish, Italian and Muslim communities.
“It was extremely valuable to be able to meet with representatives of other faiths and communities and to be able to both hear about the challenges they face and to learn from their experiences,” Lawrence told The AJN.
During the forum, Lawrence highlighted ZV’s Connecting Cultures program, which focuses on educating students from non-Jewish schools about Jewish traditions, history and Israel.
“As well as educating participants, it helps tackle stereotypes, prejudice and misinformation,” he said.
Lawrence invited all those present to encourage schools and youth movements from their communities to participate in the program. He also suggested collaborating with other communities in establishing their own versions of the Connecting Cultures program.
Member for Caulfield David Southwick, who was at the event, noted the Jewish community was “well represented”.
“The idea that the Jewish community can share our success with other communities is a great way to build bridges and develop important relationships,” Southwick told The AJN.
Other Jewish community organisations were present at the multicultural leaders forum, including Jewish Care and Hatzolah. Both organisations shared perspectives about their work.
Zionism Victoria executive director Zeddy Lawrence at the forum.
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