Harmony week celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Australia has been described as one of the most multicultural countries of the world. Nearly half of all Australians were born overseas, or have at least one parent that was, and over 300 ancestries have been identified in Australia. The purpose of Harmony Day is to start conversations around heritage, culture and society.

Lifeline WA is an inclusive and diverse organisation that wants everyone who calls Western Australia their home to feel welcome and safe. In the spirit of Harmony Day, we are sharing some stories and information that will help celebrate Australia’s diversity and encourage those from different backgrounds and cultures to reach out should you need support.

Marija is one of many second-generation Australians. She arrived from Serbia with her parents when she was only six months old. Harmony Day is an important day for Marija. You can watch her story, ‘A Life of Opportunity’ here.

Lynn’s family arrived from Taiwan with her family when she was 19 years old. Hear how she supports over 100 people in her community with jobs, the Food Bank and The Royal Flying Doctor Service here. Lifeline WA knows that emotional distress, mental illness, and suicide can affect anyone regardless of language, place of birth, religion, or culture.  Click here to read more about mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

If you want to learn about how to promote diversity and support Harmony week go here.

If you, or someone you care for is experiencing distress or feels isolated because of their culture, background or diversity, please call Lifeline WA to speak to one of our trained Telephone Crisis Supporters on 13 11 14 (24 hours / 7 days). If English is not your first language you can call 13 14 50 for a translation service. Read more about that here.

Written by Rochelle Allison-Moore