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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Wyndham City Council
Wyndham City Arts And Culture
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Mother Tongue
In remembrance of the Bangladeshi people’s efforts to uphold their own mother language, International Mother Language Day was announced by UNESCO in 1999 and was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002. It is held to generate awareness of cultural diversity and multiculturalism, forming part of the UN’s broader initiative “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world.” Held on 21 February, it is a worldwide observance of the anniversary of the day in 1952 that the people of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) fought to keep their language.
The Mother Tongue art project is a response to the struggle for the recognition of the Bangla language that ties in deeply to the Bangladeshi community in Wyndham. The artwork creates a sense of place and connection, nurturing community pride and identity. It is intended to create a focal point for community celebrations and gatherings, acknowledging the importance of mother languages in the strengthening of individual and community identities.
The project was a successful test of models for inclusive community participation in procurement processes. Wyndham used leading frameworks for cross-cultural and inclusive community engagement and partnership in the execution of this project, from the commissioning process to procurement and design, right through to fabrication and installation. These engagement and consultation processes were extensive and longitudinal, with people from pre-school language-based playgroups through to culturally-specific seniors groups included for authentic input.
The project was a successful exercise in valuing and acting on community-identified priorities, supporting cross-cultural understanding, and undertaking meaningful consultation that meets diverse communities in their day-to-day lives. The intersection of departments involved in this extensive project has since triggered revisions and new frameworks across the council including community centre management, service planning, procurement, service planning, community engagement, and public art.
