Community News | Sydney
Collective Community Connection Bringing out the Best in the IndiaAustralia Relationship
O
Joseph Kolapudi
ut of challenging times, the strongest of connections are forged. The India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA) celebrations for 2021 will be recognising this connection by highlighting emerging leaders from both countries in a new and special way. For the first time, participants from India have been chosen from hundreds of submissions across the country to combine with their fellow Australian compatriots in a celebratory occasion for the ages. As always, the awards evening will be the culmination of Indian excellence and emerging Australian leaders who have contributed to both their Indian identity and their Australian audacity. Additionally, this year’s occasion will take on a deeper meaning with the recognition of leaders who have made an impact between 2020-2021, especially in light of the recent COVID-19 crisis. For the finalists, the IABCA Awards will also usher in a new approach to the awards platform that includes recognition from both countries, highlighting the shared heritage of India and Australia in a combined celebration. Unlike previous years, the awards evening will also feature new award categories, a special emphasis on cultural pioneers and history, as well as a spotlight on the bilateral relationship between India and Australia. This will also be a combined effort between emerging Download Our App
leaders from both countries who will be able to forge deeper connections during this ‘meeting of the minds’ at the upcombing IABCA Awards gala in May. In addition to the festivities, the IABCA celebrations will also feature the very first IABCA Global Leaders Forum prior to the awards evening which will be taking place on the same evening. This forum will provide a highlighted opportunity to hear from leading speakers from both Indian and Australian descent on a wide range of topics affecting the bilateral relationship, from trade to economic engagement, business and culture, leadership and change. As a complimentary addition to attendees, this event will be open to the public. With the Indian diaspora facing many challenges as of late due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, international student stoppages, travel restrictions and visa upheavals, the recognition of the cultural ties between the two countries could not be more needed at a time such as this. Despite the constrained relationship diplomatically with other nations, Australia has maintained its cultural and economical connection to India over the past several years, with this year being no exception. For attendees at the IABCA gala celMARCH I 2021
ebration this year, the finalists will also share the stage with those from both the motherland, and the homeland. It is set to be an inaugural event of its kind that will continue to be a staple within the Indian-Australian community celebrations to come. The seventh anniversary of the IABCA awards will be a special occasion to mark not only the continuation of an annual tradition, but the inclusion of a new one, with both attendees and finalists from each country highlighted and efforts recognised, from the youth to the professional. Rising ambassadors and special guests are set to be both informed and entertained by the special occasion to be. As the community continues to grow and the diaspora enlarges both at home and abroad, the special connection between the nations of India and Australia will not only have an incredible importance to our shared heritage, but also, for our future legacy. This occasion will continue to raise the standard for excellence and integrity at its core for both the established and emerging generation. For descendants of the diaspora, the Indian nation remains our past, present and our future. www.DesiAustralia.com
49
