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Young People’s Work on Human Rights Canvassed

Published Date: 03 December 2009, 12:00 AM

The City of Melville, in conjunction with Fremantle arts organisation Kulcha and North Lake Senior Campus, has completed a series of community workshops resulting in the creation of a Human Rights Canvas.

The completed artwork will be showcased and celebrated on International Human Rights Day (Thursday, 10 December 2009) at the City of Melville's youth space the Vault.

The project involved all parties, including Kulcha-facilitated artists, working together to help participating students create a shared mosaic artwork that celebrates the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The celebration will focus on the partnerships between the City of Melville, Kulcha and North Lake Senior Campus (where the workshops were held) while also recognising human rights and cultural diversity within the City.

Youth Engagement Officer Craig Stephenson said there were multiple benefits involved in this initiative for both the participants and the wider multicultural community. “This empowerment through art will be a positive way to promote cultural diversity and engage participation. While it is important for people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds to develop their communication skills, it is also important they have something they can identify with to make their transition to a new society more comfortable," he said.

Mayor Russell Aubrey said this project had been a successful collaboration between the City and the community, with support coming from the City of Melville's Community Partnership Funding, which aims to encourage and develop local community projects. “Along with its dedication to providing opportunities for young people’s development, the City has a commitment to multiculturalism and recognising and respecting people’s differences, while focusing on what unites us all. We have developed a range of programs and activities that promote and foster multiculturalism in the municipality,” he said. “These include the City’s Harmony Week Celebrations, its Social English Club, ‘Dances of the World’ and Ethnic Active Melville Seniors program.”

After the official showcase, the canvas will be displayed at libraries and community centres around the City.