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Welcoming Week 2022

Welcoming Week 2022 – Celebrating the places #WhereWeBelong

Through Welcoming Week, organisations and communities brought together neighbours of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of building welcoming and inclusive communities – for our shared future.

For the first time, Australia joined the global Welcoming Week movement – and what a way to join the party! 

In cities across Australia; from Port Phillip to Mt Isa to Unley to the Blue Mountains, Welcoming Week brought together local councils, refugee support organisations, community groups and more in a bold display of welcome, deepening their commitment to creating places where everyone can belong, contribute and thrive.

Hundreds of people across over a dozen events hosted around Australia joined a chorus of thousands internationally in a bold display of welcome, solidarity and belonging.

Whether it was a community picnic, sharing a Welcoming Week declaration and demographic figures from the recent census statistics on social media or chalk drawing in schools and on footpaths, our partners and member councils loudly and proudly celebrated the places #WhereWeBelong. 

Did you host or attend a Welcoming Week event this year? Let us know about it here.

Students in Murray Bridge and community in the City of Unley put their artistic skills to work in separate events chalking their expressions of welcome on the pavement, with teacher Patriz Kerkenaar sharing why her year 5 visual arts students joined in: “While we might eat different foods, dress differently, look different or do things differently…. we can work well together, in harmony, to produce good work. These are our mandelas which we drew on the pavement together. We welcome everyone because this is where we all belong.” 

Murray Bridge Mayor Brenton Lewis echoed this view, explaining that “Welcoming Week is a chance for us and our community to show how we care for, respect, and show generosity. By attending or organising local events and spreading welcoming messages, we can encourage mutual understanding, stronger connections and deeper belonging among all residents- new and old…We respectfully acknowledge the Ngarrindjeri people as the Traditional Owners of the land and respect their culture and identity, and we seek to engage them as leaders in welcoming activities and recognise the importance of cultural diversity and inclusion,”

City of Canterbury Bankstown is a proud member of Welcoming Australia, with Mayor Khal Asfour sharing that, “Many former refugees call City of Canterbury Bankstown home and we are committed to welcoming all migrants and refugees to our City,”

Take a look back at some of the wonderful events through links and pictures below:

You can find more Welcoming Week declarations and events by following #WhereWeBelong and #WelcomingWeek2022 on your favourite social media platform.

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