By Engelbert Schmidl
A BALKAN accordion and the distinctive holler of traditional Sudanese singing come from the back of a modest shopfront in a sleepy Altona street.
There’s a riotous scene in the meeting room out the back of the West Gate Migrant Resource Centre – a burly police officer, statuesque Sudanese women, a council representative and a gaggle of Macedonian women improvise a dance somewhere between Zorba and Dinka.
If Altona North has a traditional folk dance, this may be it.
The West Gate Migrant Resource Centre celebrated Refugee Week last Thursday with a few speeches and plenty of song and dance.
The message from West Gate MRC CEO Marko Perkovic to his audience was simple – embrace your new life in Australia and never forget your roots.
“Celebrate your second chance in life: Australia gives a new dawn, new opportunity and a new life. We celebrate because we survive,” he said.
A young Sudanese man spoke about his forced conscription to fight in Sudan’s bloody civil war and his escape to a new life in Australia.
Musical performers from the Chin and Karen communities, both ethnic groups persecuted by Myanmar’s military dictatorship, took centre stage to perform traditional tunes in folk outfits.
The director of community services for Hobsons Bay City Council, Peter Hunt, said the area had a long history of diverse communities stretching back to European refugees from World War 2. Improving library and education facilities in Altona North was a council priority.
The principal of Bayside College’s Altona North campus, Milan Matejin, grew up in the area as a child of migrant parents who came to Australia for a new life. He emphasised education as the key to opportunity for migrant and refugee kids.
“It’s very hard for kids trying to fit into something that is new and it is often hard for kids to adjust,” he said.
Senior Sergeant Craig Matters of Altona North Police said Hobsons Bay had a rich multicultural history. This experience provided valuable lessons for helping new settlers find their place in the broader community.
A priority for police dealing with new communities was letting people know the police are there to help, he said.
Refugees often came from countries where uniformed officers were viewed with fear and distrust. Victorian police community programs aimed to bridge a gap of trust and communication, a gap sometimes made wider by language difficulties, Snr Sgt Matters said.
The president of West GMRC, Dimitrios Avgoulis, involved for almost 20 years with the organisation, was among the first to lead the circle dance on the makeshift dancefloor.
He said Refugee Week was about everyone getting together and celebrating a new start to life.
