THIS week Australia donned orange and celebrated Harmony Day and its 20th anniversary.

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For the first time Harmony Day has been renamed Harmony Week recognising diversity and inclusion activities that take place throughout the entire week.

Harmony Week will include 21 March, which is the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Harmony Week is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community.

Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

Since 1999, more than 77,000 Harmony Week events have been held in childcare centres, schools, community groups, churches, businesses and federal, state and local government agencies across Australia.

With nearly half of all Australians living having been born overseas or having a parent who was means that Australians have a broad diversity, identifying with over 300 ancestries.

There are more than 70 indigenous languages spoken across the country and these languages were celebrated in Port Stephens.

Harmony Day was celebrated throughout Port Stephens and Irrawang High School was as always keen to play their part.

Lue Fagan of Irrawang High School told News Of The Area, “Our special Harmony Day assembly was held on 21 March and was again a showcase and celebration of the diversity of cultures within our school community.

“Jed Edgar-Jones gave a Welcome to Country in Gathang (the language of the Worimi), then the ATSI students performed a number of dances,” she said.

Irrawang Highs’ Thai students also gave a traditional water blessing and staff and students from different countries and the drum corps performed bringing in yet another cultural element to the celebrations.

By Marian SAMPSON