Speech by Indonesia' Charge D'affaires A.I. On The Occasion Of Harmony Day

SPEECH BY INDONESIA' CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A.I.
ON THE OCCASION OF HARMONY DAY
SYDNEY, 21ST MARCH

In the name of God the most compassionate and merciful,
May peace be upon all of us,

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished guests,

        At the outset, I also wish to warmly welcome you to this festival to celebrate Australia's Harmony Day that also coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

        I am indeed honoured to be given an opportunity to speak before this gathering and, on behalf of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, wish to express my wholehearted support of this event despite the on-going turbulence in Iraq where - I believe - many innocent people would lose the opportunity to celebrate life.

        Today we are here to embrace and acknowledge the many different cultures that exist throughout the provinces of Indonesia. We are privileged to experience the sights and sounds of traditional Indonesian dances and art forms and to sample some of the vast range of delicious regional cuisine, originating from Sumatra to Celebes.

        Diversity of cultures is an integral characteristic of the Indonesian archipelago of over 17,000 islands, despite it recently being confronted with formidable internal challenges. This diversity of language, customs and traditions and beliefs and their astounding ability to co-exist peacefully is something for which Indonesians can still feel very proud.

        Today is a chance to expose Indonesia's cultural diversity to Australians. Australia too, is home to a population stemming from a vast array of cultural backgrounds. It is with united passion that we should work together to eliminate discrimination on the basis of race, religion or nationality and to embrace our diversity.

        Indeed, diversity that makes our nations vibrant, dynamic and colourful. It allows us to learn from each other, in acknowledging both out similarities as well as our differences. It teaches us to practice tolerance, understanding and cooperation.

        I look forward to enjoying the performances and festivities here today and look forward to many more successful events such as this in the future through which we hopefully could foster harmony in diversity.

        Finally, I would like to wish everyone a happy and memorable Harmony Day

Thank you.

Imron Cotan
Charge d'Affaires a.i./ Minister

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra - Australia