Harmony Week celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity.

Harmony Week is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into communities. This week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

There are some fascinating statistics about Australia’s diversity that can be good conversation-starters:

• nearly half (49 per cent) of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was
• we identify with over 300 ancestries
• since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia
• 85 per cent of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia
• Apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Tagalog/Filipino, Hindi, Spanish and Punjabi
• more than 70 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia.
• These facts are taken from ABS 2016 Census Data. Check out the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
  

Everyone can get involved this March by:

• Communicating the importance of cultural diversity
• Encouraging the values of respect, equality and freedom
• Promoting harmony in the workplace, at home and in schools

For more information, visit: https://www.harmony.gov.au/