Noswaith Dda/Good evening.
AND thank you to both NWAMI- “North Wales Association for Multicultural Integration” – and Cwmbran based KIRAN – “Knowledge based Intercommunity Relationship and Awareness Network”. For inviting me to host this evening’s joint event “Let is Integrate Through Music and Art”, which is supported by Kings Monkton School, Cardiff.
As the Honory President of NWAMI, may I also thank our Honory Vice President Clive Wolfendale, for bringing these two organisations together.
As the Chair of KIRAN, Mrs Tamasree Mukhopadhyay, states that KIRAN was born out of the necessity to have an engaged community where members have knowledge of different socio-cultural backgrounds.
They are reaching out to people in Wales and England:
- creating a network of supporters.
- fostering discussion about Integration and the relevance of integration in today's multicultural society.
- and working to tackle ignorance and welcome all communities together on the basis of relevant knowledge.
They aim to advance education and raise awareness about different racial groups, about different social and cultural settings, promote knowledge and mutual understanding between different racial groups and generate activities to foster understanding between people from diverse backgrounds – with the objective to encourage acceptance of social diversities and facilitating meaningful engagement between members from different communities.
As the Chair of NWAMI, Dr Sibani Roy, states that NWAMI is dedicated to building up a cohesive community and integrated society in Wales in the 21st century, and to achieving this by promoting an understanding and respect of this country’s diverse cultures through cultural engagement and interaction, education and training – organizing cultural performances in music, dance and other art forms, as well as activities including speaker sessions and workshops”.
Trevor Phillips, former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, stated in 2015 that “multiculturalism in the UK has become a ‘racket’ which discourages proper integration”.
But years before that it was Sibani’s vision to bring the two – multiculturalism and integration – together, which led to her establishment of the North Wales Association for Multicultural Integration – NWAMI- seven years ago.
As I have said many times, this is about celebrating our glorious diversity together.
Whilst NWAMI is the Charity’s registered name, its operational name is the Centre for Cultural Engagement. On the 16th June 2015 the Centre for Cultural Engagement was formally launched in the Senedd at an event which was well attended by AMs and a wide range of organisations, focused on building community cohesion and a tolerant society through cultural engagement.
On the 3rd June 2016 I was then honoured to speak at the official opening of NWAMI/Centre for Cultural Engagement’s Multicultural Community Partnership Premises in Colwyn Bay, providing space for people and organisations to engage in a wide range of Multicultural activities.
They are now seeking to establish a permanent base for the organisation so that it may develop their activities further.
Whilst NWAMI and KIRAN are each autonomous organisations with their own approaches, they are also sister organisations sharing common goals, planting seeds intended to germinate in communities across our land.
The reason why NWAMI and KIRAN are holding this event is to create awareness and highlight the importance of acceptance in this socio cultural society by tackling the barriers that keep people apart and promoting the mutual understanding which brings us all together.
So let us look forward to a wonderful evening of words and cultural presentations, music, poetry and song.