The NSW Government has pledged to support the Children’s Festival Organisation over the next four years to the tune of one hundred thousand dollars.
The Minister for Multiculturalism, Ray Williams, made the commitment at the annual festival at First Fleet Park at Circular Quay yesterday.
“We are incredibly proud as the NSW government to support the children’s festival because we think there is no better way to celebrate our people, our optimistic multicultural society and the richness of our multicultural society than to celebrate it through the eyes of or children.”
Mr Williams said his Government understood that despite great voluntary efforts by the community, events like the Children’s Festival cost money to stage.
“I just want to say proudly that the NSW Government is providing one hundred thousand dollars over the next four years”, he told a huge crowd of participants, families and members of the public gathered at Circular Quay.
Earlier, the Minister for Immigration, David Coleman, told the crowd: “This is a fantastic event which keeps getting bigger and better every year. There isn’t anything quite like it that brings so many kids together from so many different cultural backgrounds to say that we are multiculturalAustralia and we are the future of multicultural Australia.
The founder and President of the Children’s Festival, now in its 21st year, Thuat Van Nguyen OAM, today thanked the NSW Government for their promise.
“We we are very grateful to the Government for complementing the massive efforts of our volunteers and our generous sponsors byguaranteeing the future of this important event with such a big financial commitment.”
Mr Thuat reminded the audience that yesterday’s event was the 33rd Children’s Festival held over the last 21 years across Sydney.
“We believe that children are a starting pointin building social cohesion and therefore this festival is one of the best ways to create harmony in our community, to enrich the Australian culture and to make everyone feel proud to be Australian.
“Our experience over the last 21 years shows us that this event is contributing to a more cohesive society and is promoting peace in our community”, he said.
Children from more than 30 groups from dozens of cultural backgrounds, including Indigenous Australians, performed on stage and participated in the opening parade.
Dozens of volunteers from many backgrounds helped organise and present the activities for the hundreds of children present.
The next Children’s Festival will be held in Campbelltown in August, followed by the annual festival in Bankstown in September.