Next week is Harmony Week (Monday 18 – Sunday 24 March) and it’s time to celebrate Australia’s multiculturalism.

This year’s theme is ‘Everyone belongs’ and is all about celebrating diversity and considering the roles we all play in creating a community where everyone feels included, respected and welcome.

The community who calls the Northern Beaches home is more diverse than what you might think. Our community is made up of:

• 123 different ancestries
• 1 in 3 born overseas
• More than 110 different countries of birth
• Half have a least 1 parent born overseas.

We’re also lucky enough to have so many cultural spaces on the Northern Beaches. From St Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, with its frescos to the Baha’i Temple in Ingleside, which is one of only 13 of its kind in the world.

Meet some of the diverse communities that make up the Northern Beaches:

Get involved this Harmony Week

Read on for some ways you can celebrate diversity on the Northern Beaches:

̵    Wear orange during Harmony Week to promote cultural diversity
̵    Check out our Culture Map Live and support local cultural businesses and community groups
̵    Find out more about what’s on this Harmony Week on their website
̵    Read our draft Multicultural Inclusion Plan.

About our draft Multicultural Inclusion Plan

Our draft Multicultural Inclusion Plan aims to ensure the Northern Beaches is a welcoming and safe place for everyone. Over 130 community members gave feedback to this draft plan, and our team will be working hard to review and revise the plan based on these comments. Keep an eye out of the Your Say webpage to find out next steps.

Happy Harmony Week!