Diversity Festival
The Community Diversity Festival, held on the grounds (and in the halls) of St Margaret’s on
Saturday, August 29, had been a long time coming. It had its roots seven years ago in a
congregational program projecting a series of ‘Provocative Proposals’. Of the proposals, two
in particular stand as pillars of St Margaret’s image of its relationship to the surrounding
community of North Canberra. ‘We Value and Affirm Difference of Theology, Culture and
Spiritual Tradition’; and commitment to ‘Engaging Social Justice Issues from a Gospel
Perspective’. St Margaret’s – and its sister church, Holy Cross Anglican, situated on the same
site – seek to engage with, and provide for, those of divergent faiths, cultures and races.
Back in May of this year, St Margaret’s and UnitingCare Disability were discussing ways of
raising awareness of community services supported by the Uniting Church. One idea
broached was that of a day of celebration for (and of) the local community at which all
community groups in the area (not just those with the Uniting Church brand) could participate.
This was quickly couched in terms of a Festival. Multicultural food, information stalls, and
speakers from a variety of community organisations were the key features around which the
festival was conceived.
At early afternoon, in the midst of the lunch crowd, Indigenous elder Jeanette ‘Nin’ Phillips
gave the official ‘Welcome to Country’ of her people, the Ngunnawal. Her welcome was both
dignified and whimsical. Referring to her immediate ancestors, Nin wondered aloud what her
grandfather, looking down upon her, must think - ‘of what I’m up to now’ - allowing for the
notion that inter-generational differences exist outside of western, anglicised culture.
Officially opening the festival at 1.30pm was Andrew Leigh, Federal member for Fraser. He
began by telling a story of a young Islamic bride in Sydney, who had lain her bridal veil upon
a plaque in Martin Place in the days immediately following last year’s hostage crisis. Leigh
then went on to compare the day’s displays of openness and friendship - as an extension of
our generally multicultural Australian society – to society in Australia fifty years ago. A society
in which not even Protestants and Catholics were encouraged to intermingle (or, heaven
forbid, to intermarry!). Insightfully, Leigh captured something of the atmosphere of our times.
Joel Swadling
Photos by
Brian Rope
St Margaret's News
12
September 2015