The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) has reaffirmed its commitment to multiculturalism and social cohesion following comments made by Senator Pauline Hanson during her National Press Club address this week.
In a statement titled “Multiculturally Proud,” the organisation rejected racism, discrimination and intolerance, arguing that Australia’s success has been built on cultural diversity and the contributions of generations of migrants.
Full statement in English:
The Greek Community of Melbourne stands firmly in support of an inclusive, multicultural Australia. We reject racism, discrimination, and intolerance in all their forms. We believe that every community has something valuable to contribute and that our diversity enriches us all. We remain committed to building bridges between communities, fostering understanding, and strengthening the social cohesion that underpins our nation’s success.
There are those, however, who seek to sow confusion in order to apply stop-gap solutions to a variety of social issues that they cannot otherwise explain. The greatest gift to world history that Australia has offered is the formal recognition of the benefits in the process of cross-cultural exchange. To claim that Australia is multi-racial but must be a monocultural country is divisive and ignorant.
Australia’s success has never been built on uniformity. It has been built on the extraordinary strength that comes from people of different cultures, languages, faiths and experiences. From the First Nations peoples who have cared for this land for tens of thousands of years, to successive generations of migrants who have helped shape our economy, institutions, communities and identity, diversity has been one of Australia’s greatest strengths and one of its most important competitive advantages. A multicultural Australia is not a weakness to be tolerated. It is a strength to be celebrated.
The Greek Community of Melbourne understands this deeply. For more than a century, Greek migrants and their descendants have contributed to the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of Australia. Like many migrant communities, we arrived seeking opportunity, freedom and a better future for our families. Our story demonstrates that cultural identity and national unity are not competing ideals, but complementary strengths.
A confident nation does not fear diversity. It embraces it. Australia’s future prosperity and social harmony depend upon remaining outward-looking. We must choose inclusion over division, understanding over prejudice, and hope over fear. In doing so, we honour the values that have made Australia one of the world’s most successful multicultural democracies.
Let us reject the politics of division and embrace the promise of unity. Let us build an Australia that is confident enough to welcome difference, wise enough to learn from every culture, and strong enough to ensure that every person has a place at the table. Our future will not be secured by looking inward. It will be secured by standing together.
