Blog

Australia Day celebrations by MAC and GOPIO 22/1/23

MAC (Multicultural Association of Canberra) and GOPIO (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin) celebrated Australia Day by organising an event at Jewel of India.  The event was a way to bring together people from different cultural backgrounds to celebrate the diversity and multiculturalism of Australia.
The event featured traditional Australian and Indian food, music, and dance performances.  The event had speeches by High dignitaries, highlighting the importance of celebrating diversity and promoting cultural understanding.
MAC and GOPIO, would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to all the high dignitaries and sponsors who came forward to support our Australia Day celebration. Your presence and support helped make this event a huge success. We would like to specifically thank our sponsors MP David Smith and Akhilesh and Amandeep Singh , for their invaluable contributions. Their support helped us create an inclusive and diverse atmosphere that truly showcased the multicultural spirit of Australia.
The event was a great success and brought together people from different backgrounds to celebrate Australia Day in a unique and inclusive way. 
Once again, thank you for making this event a memorable one.

 

 

A Great start of the Year 2023 by MAC- Networking and meet & greet hosted on – 2/01/2023

In a vibrant and fun atmosphere, MAC held a networking and meet-and-greet for the community on 2/1/23. The outing was organised as a way to promote mental well-being through socialising, discussing, sharing talent exercises and stories of how 2022 went for all of us.
For the past 3 years MAC has been working with diverse community to build mental health awareness and help seniors stay active. As part of our initiative, MAC organise several events like picnics, dances, yoga sessions and workshops to promote socialising and mental health.
The outing was a great opportunity for our community to socialise, share food and jokes, sing, and get connected with each other.

University of Canberra Acknowledge – MAC’s continuous Support and Generous Donation….. 14/12/22

Ms Nishi Puri, the President of Multicultural Association Canberra was invited by Director Eoghen O’ Byrne (University of Canberra) on 14/12/2022 , and acknowledged MAC’s ongoing support and generous donation towards Migrant students.

Launch of OPALS diary(older people ACT legal Services) initiated by the Legal Aid ACT on 14th December 2022

MAC President Ms. Nishi Puri represented at the launch of OPALS diary(older people ACT legal Services) initiated by the Legal Aid ACT on 14th December 2022 at the ACT Legislative Assembly. MAC & GOPIO bring together people and organisations, providing services and opportunities to learn with one another, and taking action against discrimination and prejudice. MAC and GOPIO have organised this event in collaboration with Legal Aid to inform community members about family violence and tenancy laws. This event was helpful for the community as it helped them know what services are available from Legal Aid. MAC is dedicated to building a stronger and more inclusive multicultural community, and working with Legal Aid very closely to highlight issues facing by our Seniors, especially Elders Abuse. This was a great platform to share with the community in an open forum and we hope to have more similar events in the future. We appreciate solicitor Mr. Karan Sindhu for providing excellent workshops and information. We would like to thank everyone for their participation in this event.

MAC serves the homeless community – 29/11/22

MAC serving the homeless community–blue door homeless men’s shelter in Ainslie village 29/11/22. – A rewarding afternoon today where MAC served a delicious BBQ and distributed non-perishable food to Blue door homeless men shelter in Ainslie. MAC provided food for more than 150 ppl and cooked it at the premises and served it to those doing tough during these times of inflation post-Covid. We have been doing this service since the onset of Covid in 2020 to Blue door a part of St Vincent De Paul
Totally humbled to receive a certificate of appreciation from St vinnies recognising help rendered by us during Covid times which is ongoing by MAC Paul Potter coordinator of Blue door also mentioned president Nishi Puri’s personal service to the organisation over the past 15 years in the form of food and groceries.
It was an honour to receive the certificate of appreciation from Zoe Gilrain manager of homelessness services and her boss Stuart Davis Meehan of St Vincent De Paul
Thanks to team members Kranti Amar treasurer, Shashi, and Harsh volunteers for all their support in cooking and serving. We hope to continue making a difference in our community

Diwali celebrations by MAC and GOPIO – 13/11/22

Diwali celebrations organised by MAC and GOPIO on 13/11/22 showcased Indian culture focusing on the victory of good over evil and honoured community members who made significant contributions to the community through their voluntary work. President Nishi Puri highlighted this year’s events organised by MAC and GOPIO focusing on cultures from around the world and focused on the charities and support given by the organisations to the vulnerable in the community. With this, Ms. Puri highlighted the mental health support given to members via workshops, social events, a trip to the snowy mountains, and weekly meetings. She also spoke about networking opportunities via the diversity committee.
We would like to thank Nicole Lawder, Counsellor Narendra Rana from HCI, and all the leaders, members, and families who attended this event. A great evening with the team and community leaders. We acknowledge that our community has grown through the hard work of these leaders who have taken the lead in bringing people together through social and cultural events.
Certificates of appreciation were presented to Mainul Haque Dr. Fuxin li, Subhash Dang, Vijay Koul Ashok Jain, and Ravi Nayyar.
We appreciate community members, the sponsors, and all those who are a part of our team, MAC & GOPIO, thanks all those who contributed in this event and made it successful.

Mental Health Month Session ACT – 16/10/22

The Multicultural Association of Canberra(MAC) and GOPIO had a great mental health session at Jewel Of India on 16/10/22. The event drew over 85 attendees, and the restaurant was completely booked. Nishi Puri president of the Multicultural Association of California (MAC), opened the session by stating that this was the fifth mental health workshop in one year, as a consequence of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings. The community’s participation and ability to voice their opinion have been very helpful to keep the community engaged and express their views. Senator David Smith, a Labor Party member from Bean, MLA Nicole Lawder, MLA Peter Cain, community representatives from different Multicultural Associations, and members of the community also attended the ceremony.
The event’s facilitators, Fahmida and Dinushi from MIEACT, shared their heartbreaking experiences of dealing with mental health problems.
Dr. Deepa Singhal, an imminent psychiatrist, then gave a speech on anxiety and self-care. The Audience posed questions and some of them discussed therapeutic techniques that helped them cope with stress.
We appreciate Mental Health Month ACT’s kindness in allowing us to conduct this event and also thank all the members of the Association and the community members for their presence.
We thank “Jewel of India” for serving the delicious THREE-course meals.

An interactive workshop – Respect for All 4/09/22

The Multicultural Association of Canberra (MAC) and GOPIO (4th Sep 2022) are proud to partner with cultural perspectives to deliver an interactive workshop on respectful conversations with children, and develop a deeper understanding of respect in relationships at home, school and in the community. This workshop provided participants with a safe and supportive environment in which to have conversations about what RESPECT means to them, especially as it relates to children. The event was attended by Hon Senator David Smith ,MLA Nicole Lawder , ACT multicultural honorary Ambassador Mainul Haque, President Int community language school Dr Fuxin Li , IWIN chair Madhumita Iyengar, Safact President Hari Iyengar, Pravati founder Pink Umbrella International, Amardeep Singh, Divya Vice President Finact , Shahira Tess and representatives  of subcontinent community and dear friends The workshop was facilitated by Rea from cultural perspectives and Eman.
We will be screening the video of attendees’ thoughts in future events which we hope will lead to more open conversations.
Thank you to everyone who attended this event. Everyone had a chance to leave their mark on the experience by talking about what Respect means to them, in light of domestic violence and early childhood learning. This is a great example of how cultural perspectives can facilitate open dialogue about difficult topics such as domestic violence and its impacts on young children.

Nishi Puri (President MAC & GOPIO) – Advocating for Multicultural Aged Care – 27/07/2022

The ACT Government Presents 2022 Multicultural Honorary Ambassadors Award to Nishi Puri & Mainul Haque…..19/07/2022

The ACT government has presented Nishi Puri president (MAC & GOPIO) and Mainul Haque ( MAC Patron) with an Honorary Ambassador Award for their work in Australian multicultural communities.
Award was presented by international engagement commissioner Brendon Smyth and Minister Chris Steele. Both Nishi Puri and Haque have made significant contributions to the lives of many people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds in Australia. (19-07-2022 ) ACT Multicultural Ambassadors

Nishi Puri, President of the Multicultural Association of Canberra (MAC & GOPIO ) Date: (21st June 2022) Multicultural aged care needed for Canberra, ethnic communities say – Ms. Puri runs three multicultural senior age groups, and her own mother, now 86, has lived with her for 25 years … read more ….. June 21, 2022 –!

MAC & GOPIO – Supporting Community Health and Well Being-16/06/2022

MAC & GOPIO – Supporting Community Health and Well Being–16/06/2022

Connecting with local community to foster their Mental health and Well Being. MAC & GOPIO together organised YOGA for Health , Date: 16th June 2022

Nishi Puri (President MAC) – Raising Concerns about Aging Communities

“Nishi Puri” (President MAC) The Multicultural Association of Canberra says there is a dire lack of culturally appropriate aged care facilities in the ACT, with many culturally and linguistically diverse Canberrans dreading the prospect of entering a facility.
For many, English is not their first language, religion is important and they are used to eating traditional meals.
Association president, Nishi Puri, says the capital needs multicultural aged care homes. “They can’t have meals of their choice, for example, it’s all western cooking that they come across,” Ms Puri said. “The carers may not speak the language that they are speaking and because of the age of some of the multicultural community they may not know English”.

MAC & Gopio in collaboration with Feros care and Wellways Australia – Supporting Communities – Well-Being & Mental Health… Date: 15/05/ 2022

MAC and Gopio in collaboration with Feros care and Wellways Australia organised a very informative session on suicide prevention and aftercare. It was followed by a book launch of HOPE which contains very important and useful information on who to contact when seeking mental health support.
Many thanks to Shravan from Wellways and Richa from Feros care for their support and presentation of the excellent workshop. It was sad to hear some real stories but MAC is glad that it was able to provide a platform for such a forum and that a lot of support is available.
Post-Covid, the community requires more support relating to mental health and we will be organizing more such events for community mental health and well-being.
Thanks to MLA Peter Cain, Dr. Fuxin Li President of Multicultural Language school, FINACT President Shanthi Reddy Ji, community leaders, and members who attended this event which was fully booked out Jewel of India’s catering was superb as usual

Holi & Harmony Celebrations By Mac & Gopio 20/03/22

Mac & Gopio Celebrated Holi and Harmony Day on Sunday the 20th March 2022, at Jewel of India.. The objective of the event is to spread the message of Harmony and celebrate through the vibrant colours of the Holi festival. It was a great experience to mash up Eastern Tradition with Western Culture together and get a different but Delicious Flavour out of it. The Indian cuisine with the Holi Colours of love and Harmony among a diversity of cultures Heated Up the level of the event to its top.

The event was attended by dignitaries and multicultural community members and friends from different cultural backgrounds. Among the dignitaries who attended the event includes, Hon  Senator David Smith Opposition leader Ms. Elizabeth lee, Nicole Lawder MLA, Deepak Raj Gupta OAM, Shanti Reddy, President FinAct, and all Indian community leaders,  Ravi Krish, Amardeep Singh, Cheema Manpreet, Niranjan Aggarwal and all our friends who made this a memorable event.                                                                                                      The event was inaugurated with an amazing Harmonic Tune of flute by Mr. Gana (Srilanka). followed by the Holi and Hearth touching songs by Moin Qureshi (Pakistan). The Cusine was arranged with great variety and all the people highly enjoyed it. Our special thanks to the management of ,“Jewel of India”. The food is a chance where you physically taste the warmth of the other culture and feel their love and care through your own Tastebuds. MAC & GOPIO, thanks to those who turned up in this event and made it successful. We appreciate people, the sponsors, and all those who are a part of our team, We believe in diversity and “Together we can do miracles”.  

MAC and GOPIO screened the film “Kashmir Files” March 2022

We had a very successful Movie day on 15_^th March 2022 at the Hoyts cinema Woden. MAC and GOPIO screened the film “Kashmir Files” exclusively for its community members.  Over 80 people participated in this eye-opener movie which is based on the plight of Kashmiri pandits in 1990. We express our gratitude to the event sponsor Rakesh Bhutani Ji for his generous help and support. Thank you Hon MLA Ms. Nicole Lawder, we appreciated your attendance, and we also thank you, everyone, for their presence to watch the movie “Kashmir Files” at the Hoyts Cinema. Thanks to Hoyts Cinema for accommodating our needs.

University of Canberra – Presented A plaque of Honour to MAC – President Nishi Puri

The University of Canberra has formally thanked the Multicultural Association of Canberra (MAC) and the Global Organisation for People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) for helping to support the University’s international students.  Click to Continue Reading …… (22/02/2022).

On 22/2/22 the University of Canberra presented a plaque to President Nishi Puri who is president of both organizations. This plaque was presented for the ongoing support of MAC & Gopio for their contributions to UCX which is a food pantry for international students in UC.

Australia Day 26^th January 2022-Celebrated by MAC

Multicultural Association of Canberra in support of GOPIO had a fabulous event on 26th January 2022. Although numbers were capped due to Covid, we still had nearly 100 attendees at Weston Creek Community center.
The event was graced by the Indian High Commissioner Mr. Manpreet Vohra and his wife Naseem Vohra, Hon Minister for Multicultural affairs Ms. Tara Cheyne, MLA Guilia Jones, Minister Rebecca Vassaroti, MLA Andrew Braddock, community leaders from various cultural groups like Africa, Bangladesh, China, Korea, and India.
The event started with acknowledgment to the country, opening speech by Multicultural Association president Nishi Puri with messages on Respect, Reflect and relate by distinguished guests and community leaders’ showcasing of culture by First Nation People and Indian, Bangladesh, Chinese, Sri Lankan, African Colombian, Middle Eastern and Latin communities. It was diversity at its best and we are privileged to be a part of Australia’s rich migrant heritage. A day to reflect on the history of Australia, celebrate our Covid heroes, and share the Australian community spirit. After all, we are all a part of the Australian story which makes Australia day unique and special for all Australians.
It was also a day to congratulate the Indian diaspora who were celebrating 75th Indian Republic day which incidentally falls on the same day. Dinner was served at the end along with refreshments and drinks at the start. Once again, we thank NADC for giving us this opportunity to celebrate Australia Day with our Multicultural communities

CHRISTMAS Party Hosted by MCCI for Seniors – 23/12/21

Today the Seniors group met at Palmerston to attend a Christmas party hosted by MCCI. It was a lot of fun to meet Santa and get presents Christmas lunch was yummy followed by group games. Multicultural Association of Canberra thanked MCCI for doing a wonderful job throughout the year in spite of Covid challenges It was a pleasure to be invited to the Christmas party MAC is proud to have initiated this group with MCCI. Seniors are having a wonderful time each week. Due to the Christmas holidays, this group will reopen on 13 Jan 2022. The other group initiated by MAC with Carers ACT will reopen end of January next year Have a happy festive season everyone and don’t forget to wear your mask indoors. In the spirit of giving MAC committee members and the community donated Christmas goodies and clothing generously to blue door shelter.