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On the 23 October 2014, Casey MultiFaith Network held its 7th Annual Gathering at the Nossal High auditorium in Berwick. The gathering, entitled “Harmony in Diversity”, was chiefly organized by Pam Mamouney OAM, Vice President of the network.

Guests at Annual Gathering

Local politicians Ms Judith Graley MP (Narre Warren South), Ms Inga Peulich (Moorrabin), Mr Luke Donellan MP (Narre Warren North) and Mr Brad Battin MP (Gembrook) attended the event along with the then Mayor of the City of Casey, Mr Geoff Abblett, who addressed the audience expressing his strong support for the network’s contributions towards promoting harmony in the community.

Ahmadiyya Muslim children singing the National Anthem of Australia

The event included performances from various faith groups. The National Anthem of Australia was the first item of the evening, presented by a group of children from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The anthem was appreciated by the audience as a highlight of the event and received compliments from the guests.

Buddhist Sakymuni Sambuddha Vihara choirs

The Buddhist Sakymuni Sambuddha Vihara Choir presented the next item. The choir is composed of melodious voices from a varied age range of children. Dressed in pristine white, the children presented a harmonious piece to the admiring audience.

Samoan Choir

A 90-member Samoan choir from the Hampton Park Ward Choir of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints took over the stage next and cast an enchantment over the audience with their euphonious melodies as they presented their songs, followed by a stunning traditional Samoan dance performance. 

Left: Sikh performers Jessie & Jamel     Right: Siya performing cultural Hindu dance

Next was the turn of young Siya Sairam from Bharath Kalanjali Dance Academy to win the hearts of the audience with her traditional Hindu dance performance dressed elegantly in customary costume. Her performance was another spectacular highlight of the evening.

Two members of the Sikh Faith, Ms Jessie Singh and her daughter Jameel, presented an interfaith chant to captivate the guests’ attention. The chant consisted of various faith hymns in different languages, which both ladies performed flawlessly, leaving the audience spell-bound.

Andrew Williams singing "One People" with other performers

Last but not least, Mr Andrew Williams performed the theme song “One People” inviting all presenters to the stage to make this a grand finale for the evening and got everyone moving to his rhythmic tunes.

Each performance group was presented a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the Casey Multifaith Networkby Jim Reiher, President of Casey Multifaith Network, with special word of thanks to the Principal of Nossal High, Mr Roger Page who generously offered the auditorium for the Annual Gathering and provided technical assistance.

Guests at Annual Gathering

Refreshments were served to over 200 people who attended. The event was hailed as a grand success.

By Naureen Choundry
Casey Multifaith Network