Maria Dimopoulos AM has been honoured with the Premier’s Award for Community Harmony for her relentless, passionate and effective advocacy of Victoria’s multicultural communities for over 30 years.
Ms Dimopoulos received her award at the Victorian Multicultural Commission‘s (VMC) ‘Multicultural Awards for Excellence’ ceremony at Victoria’s Government House on Tuesday night.
Hosted by the Honourable Linda Dessau AC Governor of Victoria, the awards ceremony was attended by a number of official guests including VMC Chairperson Viv Nguyen AM; Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Ros Spence; Victorian Minister for Education, Natalie Hutchins MP; Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton APM; and Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner, Andrew Crisp APM.
Ms Dimopoulos was among 61 individuals, businesses and organisations honoured on the night for their contributions to multicultural Victoria and for their support of people with migrant, refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
For over 30 years, Ms Dimopoulos has dedicated her life to representing Victoria’s multicultural communities and works to promote women’s rights, eliminate family violence and increase cross-cultural awareness.
The Greek Australian co-founder of social justice consultancy firm, Myriad Kofkin Global, is also recognised as an international expert in the intersection of diversity, gender equality and the law.
The VMC’s Chairperson congratulated Ms Dimopoulos and the other award winners on the night and said she was proud to “showcase their achievements.”
“Too often, those who strengthen multicultural Victoria are not recognised for their efforts and contributions. The Multicultural Awards for Excellence ensures we celebrate these role models for all Victorians,” Ms Nguyen said.
For a full list of winners and those who received a high commendation, please visit www.multiculturalcommission.vic.gov.au/multicultural-awards-for-excellence.
