This week St Edmund’s College acknowledged Harmony Day on Tuesday the 19th March. As an Australian National Day of recognition we are reminded of the importance of embracing diversity, fostering tolerance and working towards ending racism in our community, both at school and in a broader sense.
Australia is lucky to be diverse in the many cultures that reside in this nation of ours. Australia at times has to fight against a reputation of being racist, and some of our policies over time haven’t helped with this. However, at our core as a community, we strive to uphold principles of inclusivity, tolerance and acceptance of all different cultures, religions and beliefs.
The theme of Harmony Day is “Everyone Belongs”. It is a simple statement that encapsulates the essence of what we stand for here in the Eddies ‘Brotherhood’. Our hope and goal at St Edmund’s is to build a place where every individual is valued, respected and accepted for who they are. At times we don’t get this right and actions of impulsivity, ignorance, lack of tolerance and even an inability to ‘read the room’ cause distress and discomfort for some of our students. When this happens, we need to work harder and ensure our community comes together in solidarity and embrace the diversity and richness of the people that make up our community. Regularly we call on our students to actively challenge stereotypes, confront prejudice and stand up against discrimination no matter how it appears. We ask members of our community to foster empathy and understanding where everyone can feel safe, respected and valued.
So yesterday, the 19th March, we reaffirm our commitment to creating a school where everyone feels accepted and belongs – a place where diversity is celebrated, tolerance is embraced and racism is shunned. In order to acknowledge this day, we witnessed a number of our students coming to school in traditional cultural dress or wearing the colour orange – the colour of Harmony Day. We celebrated with a school assembly where our Indigenous students will initiate events. During lunch time, students also had the opportunity to try a selection of culturally diverse foods whilst raising money for Caritas.
I ask all our students, families and staff to strive to build a brighter more inclusive future for all. One where each and every individual feels that they belong – perhaps if this can occur, there will be less conflict in our world in the future.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde
Ms Monica Day
Assistant Principal – Student Wellbeing