Unity in Diversity Day

Aim of the Event

The purpose of Unity in Diversity Day is to foster a school culture that appreciates and fosters
the fabulously complex tapestry of backgrounds and perspectives present within our school
community population. Through the completion of a number of interactive, educational, and
celebratory activities, students will have opportunities to refine their understanding of cultural,
social, and individual differences. Its goal is to overcome any borders, to challenge
preconceptions, to encourage respectful talks in order to get the most out of one another and
provide a place where students can meet each other, even outside their immediate networks.
However, Unity in Diversity Day hopes to inspire every student in our school community to
embrace their own individual voice, feel respected, valued, and supported to be a part of our
whole school community in order to build bonds premised on respect, acceptance, and
appreciation.

Unity in Diversity Day Timetable

Date of the Event (Month, Week and Days)
Month
November
Week
Week 3
Days
Monday and Tuesday

Timetable

Time Activity Description

8:10 - Roll Call and Roll call is done by teachers and tone is set by respecting,
8:20 Welcome inclusion and appreciation of different backgrounds.
AM
8:20 - Opening The day starts with the formal opening ceremony, graced by
9:10 Ceremony & Deng Adut whose work about diversity and social cohesion is
AM Keynote Speaker known far and wide. In the keynote address, we explore how
understanding and valuing diversity helps individuals and
communities grow more resilient with time. This motivates
students to bring open hearts and open minds to the day in
order to celebrate the fullness of human experience.

9:10 - Cultural Students learn all about traditional attire, art, music, and
10:00 Exploration storytelling from around the world in a series of immersive
AM Booths cultural booths. The different booths are designed to
encourage curiosity that will result in students asking questions
and further appreciating the many contributions in various
cultures. Interacting with one of these exhibits allows students
to actually see the beauty and importance of global tradition,
and gives them more respect for their cultural diversity.

10:00 - Recess (Optional At recess, students may join a 'Multilingual Phrase Exchange,'
10:30 Activity: where greetings in several languages are displayed on school
AM Multilingual boards. This activity encourages students to practise these
Phrase Exchange) phrases with one another in an informal setting, celebrating
linguistic diversity and bridging cultural gaps, while fostering
new cultural connections.

10:30 - Global Dance Students are led through a vibrant workshop by a professional
11:20 Workshop dance instructor in which they learn dance forms from many
AM cultural traditions. Students learn steps and rhythms through
hands-on experience and the joy of movement. In addition to
promoting physical expression, it gives appreciation for the
varied ways various cultures celebrate and join through dance.

11:20 - Empathy and Through guided exercises, students practise empathy and
12:10 Respect respectful interactions in this structured workshop. Activities
PM Workshop such as role-playing and group discussions encourage
students to consider how various situations might impact others
by sharing their own perspectives and listening to those of their
peers. These activities help students step into each other's
shoes, fostering an understanding of different viewpoints. This
session aims to strengthen the skills needed for genuine,
unified relationships and reinforces the idea that empathy is
foundational to building a supportive and inclusive school
community.
 12:10 - Lunch (Optional During lunch, students have the option to participate in cultural
12:40 Activity: Cultural arts and crafts stations, where they might create friendship
PM Arts & Crafts bracelets or symbolic artwork inspired by various traditions.
Stations) Through these hands-on activities, students are encouraged to
connect personally with cultural symbols and ways of life,
deepening their appreciation for the rich diversity of visual
cultural expression that defines our shared humanity

12:40 - Global Language Students are introduced to basic phrases and greetings in
1:30 Mini-Classes languages such as Mandarin, Arabic, and Spanish through a
PM series of mini-classes. While these lessons focus on language
learning, they also emphasise the importance of connecting
with and honouring people’s diverse cultural identities.
Students are encouraged to view the diversity of world
languages as an essential aspect of cultural richness, gaining
an appreciation for linguistic variation and the broader diversity
of global languages.

1:30 - Multicultural Talent On this day, students showcase their music, dance, poetry, or
2:20 Showcase and any other creative expressions that celebrate their heritage or
PM Unity Circle personal passions in what is known as the Multicultural Talent
Showcase. After the showcase, students gather in a Unity
Circle to reflect on their performances and share insights,
before taking a Unity Pledge, committing to uphold inclusivity
and respect within their school community. This final activity
perfectly encapsulates the day’s themes, leaving students
inspired to carry the values of Unity in Diversity Day with them
throughout their lives.

How does this promote diversity?

Roll Call and Welcome

This opening activity establishes a tone of respect, inclusion and appreciation for different
backgrounds that’s fundamental to creating a cultural tone of the day. It starts from the
beginning and emphasises unity and diversity, so students feel safe to work with each other in a
friendly, respectful and empathetic way. It is also a moment of reflection at the start of the day,
which reminds students that they are a part of (and represent) a bigger, broader community, and
it encourages them to be responsible for upholding these values throughout the day and in
others' ongoing interactions. This welcoming tone also breaks down the barrier, by even making
it easier for students to engage with students from different backgrounds.

Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speaker

Opening ceremony, keynote address lays a powerful foundation for the day which is all about
the power of inclusivity. The insights of the keynote speaker Deng Adut remind students that
diversity is a moral thing to consider, not just a social or ideological one, and it is also a spur to
personal growth and community strength. The address works to open students' hearts and
minds to the myriad of diversity around them as a means to an empathetic, enriched, stronger
humanity. Here, through the keynote framing diversity as both an individual opportunity and a
collective strength, we are encouraged both to approach the day and future interactions with an
open mind, new perspective, and sensitivity for what makes us different, yet uniquely
connected.

Cultural Exploration Booths

The Cultural Exploration Booths are immersive, hands-on experiences that enable students to
learn more about traditional art, clothing, music, and storytelling from all over the globe. Unlike
mere informative units, these exhibits are meant not just to inform but to be interactive,
providing students an opportunity to ask questions, experiment with finding out how other
cultures view the world differently, and how each society has added to the mosaic of traditions
throughout the globe. The experience of such different kinds of expressions of culture in no way
should lead students to ignore the richness and the depth of global heritage and the cultural
diversity of their own community. Through these booths, students learn to embrace the teaching
of an ethos of curiosity and appreciation resulting in stronger understanding of how cultural
diversity contributes to enrich society as a whole.

Multilingual Phrase Exchange

Multilingual Phrase Exchange is a unique way for students to interact with the variety of
languages in their school community. Students learn and practice greetings in different
languages so that the idea of linguistic diversity as a part of cultural identity is also introduced to
them. This informal gives students the opportunity to get to know this first hand joy and
challenges of intercultural communication with the informal atmosphere to communicate through
linguistic boundaries. Not only does this exercise promote cultural respect but it’s an exercise of
a sense of belonging for different students from different language backgrounds, cultivating a
shared understanding and connection. The activity helps standardise linguistic diversity into the
school’s ever more inclusive culture via the integration of language learning into a casual,
everyday setting.

Global Dance Workshop

In the Global Dance Workshop, students journey through all kinds of cultural dance forms, with
the opportunity to spend lots of time learning about and appreciating different ways cultures
express joy, celebrate and share community through movement. Students learn firsthand how
dance is a universal language beyond cultural boundaries that exists as a result of learning
steps and rhythms from all sorts of traditions. The workshop does not only teach physical
movement, but also develops an understanding of the cultural implication of dance. It illustrates
the possibility of difference in human expression, and that the play of movement is as enjoyed
by humans as it is shared. Empathy is encouraged, diversity is appreciated, and students are
taught to celebrate fellow creative traditions.

Empathy and Respect Workshop

This workshop takes students through a series of exercises to engender empathy and
compassion toward others, especially people different from themselves. Using role playing,
group discussion and scenario based activities, students are shown how to not only learn about
them but step into the other person’s shoes and see how their words and actions will affect
those with other points of view. But this workshop reminds us that empathy is the backbone of
building true inclusion and cohesiveness in our community. The act of seeing the world from
multiple perspectives builds up students with deeper interpersonal skills that help them to be
comfortable with social context of different types. Knowing these skills are important in creating
a school environment that all persons feel valued and being respected does not matter what
your background is.

Cultural Arts & Crafts Stations

Cultural Arts and Crafts Stations occur during lunch and students are encouraged to create
friendship bracelets or make artwork inspired by other cultural traditions. They provide students
the opportunity to create and gain contextual understanding of cultural diversity through tactile
experience with cultural symbols and visual expression. While arts and crafts stations give
students an outlet for creativity, they also provide a recordable tangible way for students to
internalise and celebrate the cultural symbols that mean something to other people. One of the
most popular of all the Mind Mapping activities, this activity helps to appreciate the diversity of
visual art forms, and foster artistic expression, as well as understanding of culture through a
personal, individual approach to traditions.

Global Language Mini-Classes

Through the Global Language Mini Classes, students learn basic phrases and greetings in
Mandarin, Arabic and Spanish languages as well as appreciate the value and essence of
language as a critical element of the culture. These mini-classes are actually designed not only
to teach us new words, but to immerse us in those cultural contexts in which these words exist.
Learning languages from around the globe helps students appreciate the diversity of human
communication, the purpose of learning language in promoting cultural connections, and a
deeper sense of the cultural connections themselves. This activity reinforces diversity by
emphasising the linguistic variety as a constituent element of the world culture map, and by
showing the language as a means to supplement cultures rather than one to separate them.
Multicultural Talent Showcase and Unity Circle
At the end of the day, students have the opportunity to show off their music, dance, poetry and
other creative expression that showcases their heritage, talents, or their own personal passions
in the Multicultural Talent Showcase. The student talent celebration celebrates the incredible
diversity of the school community and a variety of ways in which students convey their unique
cultural identities. After the showcase, students join a Unity Circle — a space for reflection and
sharing ideas — where they pledge to be inclusive and to demonstrate respect through a Unity
Pledge. The final activity incorporates the theme of the day and how the values of the day
employ importance on accepting diversity and unity to aid in net working towards creating a
safe, inclusive setting in the school. The students are encouraged by the Unity Circle to take the
lessons of the day and carry them forward, while keeping them cantered on the values of
inclusivity, respect and unity within and outside of the school.

Charities/Organisations which can fund or support the

campaign
1. Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN)
2. Welcoming Australia
3. Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
4. Diversity Council Australia (DCA)
5. Australian Red Cross

Analysis on how these organisations promote

diversity
Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN)
Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) is a key organisation who spearhead the work of
promoting the voices of young people from diverse cultural backgrounds in Australia. As a way of
ensuring that multicultural youth are not only represented, but included in decision making processes
that affect their lives, MYAN works extremely hard to make it happen. By creating a space for young
people from refugee, migrant and culturally diverse backgrounds, MYAN enables these people to
become leaders in and for their communities. Under the program's several initiatives and activities,
such as in advocating campaigns, leadership development workshops and policy engagement
MYAN pursues social inclusion and cultural understanding. The organisation is actively working to
tear down cultural stereotypes and to assist young people to develop the skills and opportunities
they need to thrive in a multicultural society. The work of MYAN helps create this environment,
encouraging youth to celebrate their heritage while it at the same time celebrates the uniting of
Australian society through its rich cultural diversity, and promotes unity from diversity.
Welcome Australia
Welcoming Australia is a leading organisation that aims to build more inclusive and welcoming
migrant and refugee communities as well as communities from diverse cultural backgrounds. It
works with, and supports, cultural diversity by integration and supports local communities,
governments and businesses. As Welcoming Australia breaks down barriers to social participation, it
promotes a vision that people across Australia, from all backgrounds, feel a sense of belonging and
opportunity. Welcoming Australia works through community programs, advocacy and partnerships to
address migrant and refugee challenges including discrimination, isolation and a deficit of social
capital. It encourages diversity by enabling intercultural dialogue, fostering cross-cultural
understanding, and making it possible to meet, to exchange and to learn from each other when we
are from different backgrounds. Its initiatives strengthen more resilient communities by highlighting
the importance of diversity to enabling rich, thriving societies.

Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is shaped to implement extensive diversity within
the legal framework of Australia. The AHRC works for the elimination of discrimination on the basis
of cultural, ethnic or linguistic grounds, through its advocacy work on human rights. The Commission
supports the rights of groups which are marginalised, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples, migrants and refugees, to have their rights protected and have access to life opportunities
and fair treatment. Through investigating complaints of discrimination, and giving advice on cultural
rights and advocating for policies which promote equality, the AHRC has a direct impact on how
diverse groups should be included in Australian society. In addition, the Commission’s education and
outreach programs increase awareness that cultural differences matter and should be treated with
care and respect, and should be considered in all the different parts of society. Under the AHRC,
leadership in human rights is an important force for promoting diversity and helping to build a more
fair and just society.

Diversity Council Australia (DCA)

Diversity Council Australia (DCA) is a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating
inclusive workplaces that value cultural diversity. As a leading resource for research, tools, and
strategic advice, DCA helps organisations develop effective diversity and inclusion policies. DCA
connects industry leaders, HR professionals, and diversity advocates, promoting best practices that
transform diversity into a strength that fuels innovation and enhances organisational performance.
By encouraging companies to foster respectful, inclusive environments, DCA supports the notion
that employees should feel valued regardless of their cultural or ethnic background. Additionally,
DCA advocates for increased representation of underrepresented groups in leadership,
underscoring that diversity strengthens society and drives progress in every sector.

Australian Red Cross

The Australian Red Cross contributes to its support of social inclusion and cultural diversity through
its humanitarian programs. Its work is focused on meeting the needs of migrants, refugees and other
vulnerable people by providing them with settlement support; health care; access to education and
employment. The Australian Red Cross advocates for the rights of displaced and marginalised
people in an inclusive society for all, including the ability to enjoy dignified life regardless of where
you are and what background you come from. The Red Cross works with programs like disaster
relief, community services, and refugee support making sure no one is left behind. The organisation
promotes cultural understanding through programs that integrate Aussies from different backgrounds
into their community's support through language courses, community building and even legal aid. As
a firm in support of inclusion, the Australian Red Cross works to bridge people of many cultural
backgrounds to establish more socially and resilient communities, which recognise and rejoice in
diversity.