Celebrating our diversity and promoting social cohesion will be at the forefront of City of Canterbury Bankstown’s Multicultural Coffee ‘N” Talk tomorrow.
Locals of all ages and backgrounds are invited to enjoy a free ‘cuppa’ and interfaith talk at the Bryan Brown Theatre on Tuesday 16 May from 10am-1pm.
Attendees will hear from representatives of different religious and cultural organisations during a panel discussion and connect with others over samples of coffee from around the world.
There will also be a colourful display of different cultural and religious attire, along with a variety of activities for the kids including face painting and art workshops.
Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor El-Hayek said this event is just one of the many initiatives Council is undertaking to promote cultural diversity and social harmony in the City.
“It’s an opportunity for people from different religious and cultural backgrounds to come together, learn from each other and celebrate our differences and commonalities,” Mayor El-Hayek said.
“I invite you to join us and experience the diversity of our community first hand.”
Multicultural NSW Chief Executive Joseph La Posta said grassroots events such as this help promote social cohesion in one of the world’s most successful multicultural states.
“I know how important it is to provide opportunities for communities to come together and share their cultures and their experiences,” Mr La Posta said.
“Canterbury- Bankstown Council, Muslim Women Australia and the Canterbury-Bankstown Multifaith Network have been at the forefront of bringing communities together and Multicultural NSW are proud to support them through funding from our Stronger Together grant.”
The panel discussion will provide insights into the challenges and opportunities of living in a multicultural society. Panellists include local Elder Aunty Lyn Martin, Pastor Rearn Gray (Embassy Church), Muslim Chaplain Mohamed Elshafei (Islamic Council of NSW), Father Maurice Thompson (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sefton), Father Dimitrios Papaikonomou (All Saints Parish, Belmore) and Venerable Wu Chin Shi (Pure Land Learning College Association).
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own reusable coffee cup to the event and come dressed in their cultural or religious attire.

This event is proudly supported by City of Canterbury Bankstown, Muslim Women Australia, and Canterbury-Bankstown Multifaith Network. Funding for this project has been provided by the NSW Government.
To learn more, and register for the event, visit cb.city/MulticulturalCoffeeNTalk