MAC, GOPIO, and Legal Aid ACT hosted a crucial workshop on Elder Abuse and Law for the Senior Community on March 19th, 2023, aimed to educate the senior community on their rights and the legal actions they can take in cases of elder abuse.

The event was a collaborative effort between these organisations to address the issue of elder abuse and provide legal guidance to the senior community. With experts in the field of law and elder abuse, the workshop provided invaluable information on how seniors can protect themselves and receive legal assistance when needed. This event was a significant step towards creating awareness and ensuring the safety and well-being of our senior citizens.

The Multicultural Association of Canberra (MAC) recently hosted a mental health workshop in Batemans Bay, aimed at promoting awareness and understanding of mental health issues within the local community.

The workshop was well attended by people from different cultural backgrounds, who were interested in learning more about the practice of yoga and its potential benefits for mental well-being.

The event was a great success, and attendees left feeling inspired to incorporate yoga into their daily lives. The Multicultural Association of Canberra plans to organise more events like this in the future, promoting the importance of mental health and well-being across all cultures and communities. By bringing people together to share knowledge and experiences, we can create a more supportive and connected community.

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.

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, and sharing talent exercises and stories of how 2022 went for all of us.
For the past 3 years, MAC has been working with a diverse community to build mental health awareness and help seniors stay active. As part of our initiative, MAC organises 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.