l am writing to encourage yourto nominate young people to attend the Importance of Belonging –
Voices of Tomorrow and Today forum on 16 October 2019 from 5:00 pm to 7:15 pm at Canberra
College.
Voices of Tomorrow and Today is the fourth free event in the ACT Government’s series of
Importance of Belonging public forums.
The Voices of Tomorrow and Today forum invites young people aged 13 to 16, particularly those of
multicultural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, to discuss the importance of
cultural identity in creating a feeling of belonging, and how this sense of identity and belonging
might look different in the various settings in which we go about our lives.
Voices of Tomorrow and Today is a great platform for culturally diverse young people to have their
voices heard. It will involve activities to get young people thinking about and expressing what
belonging to a community means to them. To guide the exploration of this complex theme, the
discussion will be centred on the following questions: ~
- Is your cultural identity important to you?
- How much does your cultural identity play a part in how you feel like you belong or
don’t belong in the Canberra community? - How does your sense of belonging change in different places? (For example, at school,home, work or sports clubs).
Participants will have the opportunity to present the results of their deliberations with their peers
and parents/carers at the conclusion ofthe forum (around 7 pm — 7.15 pm).
I am inviting you to nominate two or three young people with connections to your organisation to
participate and share their thoughts. The insights generated from Voices of Tomorrow and Today will
contribute to making Canberra a more inclusive and multicultural city.
Young people can register their interest in attending this event by heading to
https://csd.eventsair.com/voices-of-tomorrow-and-today/forum
Please note numbers are limited so register is required. Refreshments will be provided.
If you would like to discuss anything further, please feel free to contact Ms Olivia Afiabo,
Office for Multicultural Affairs via Olivia.afiabo@act.gov.au or 6205 2249.
We hope to see the young people you nominate at the Importance of Belonging — Voices of
Tomorrow and Today forum.