Over the past few decades, Toowoomba has transformed to become a kaleidoscope of socially cohesive cultures. Its people have been noteworthy in their resilience to recent challenges. Part of that success is how it has departed from models set elsewhere. This chapter describes the work of the Toowoomba International Multicultural Society (TIMS), from the viewpoint of Gitie House, the primary author of this chapter who is the President of TIMS. TIMS is a non-profit, non-political society, promoting friendship and understanding amongst people of all faiths, races, and ethnicities. It is the main organiser of Toowoomba’s International Street Fiesta, which is the largest annual community-based event in the region with participation from over 45 mainstream, indigenous and migrant cultures. Both the festival and TIMS have won community and culture awards. TIMS is an all-volunteer-based society, with members contributing according to their interests, including all aspects of culture such as arts, music, dance, sports, language, and cuisine. It welcomes all, whether from indigenous, mainstream, or people who have recently arrived in Australia. TIMS also assists new arrivals to find employment and build careers. We have found that these seemingly functional matters often intertwine with cultural assumptions and differences between Australian common knowledge and that of the migrant’s country. TIMS’s accepting, less-structured approach has proven to be helpful in these situations.

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Coming Together for Success—We All Win When We All Matter

  • Gitie House,
  • Ron House

摘要

Over the past few decades, Toowoomba has transformed to become a kaleidoscope of socially cohesive cultures. Its people have been noteworthy in their resilience to recent challenges. Part of that success is how it has departed from models set elsewhere. This chapter describes the work of the Toowoomba International Multicultural Society (TIMS), from the viewpoint of Gitie House, the primary author of this chapter who is the President of TIMS. TIMS is a non-profit, non-political society, promoting friendship and understanding amongst people of all faiths, races, and ethnicities. It is the main organiser of Toowoomba’s International Street Fiesta, which is the largest annual community-based event in the region with participation from over 45 mainstream, indigenous and migrant cultures. Both the festival and TIMS have won community and culture awards. TIMS is an all-volunteer-based society, with members contributing according to their interests, including all aspects of culture such as arts, music, dance, sports, language, and cuisine. It welcomes all, whether from indigenous, mainstream, or people who have recently arrived in Australia. TIMS also assists new arrivals to find employment and build careers. We have found that these seemingly functional matters often intertwine with cultural assumptions and differences between Australian common knowledge and that of the migrant’s country. TIMS’s accepting, less-structured approach has proven to be helpful in these situations.