We are still buzzing with excitement and gratitude after our recent exhibition landing during Sydney Climate Action Week.
The night of MLI's Homelands Exhibition landing in Parramatta Town Hall was one filled with inspiration, connection, and a shared commitment to tackling climate change head-on.
The Homelands exhibition was created by our team in collaboration with six CALD community leaders who
The exhibition presents multicultural Australians sharing the duality of their experiences of climate change. It consciously seeks the perspectives of multicultural Australians and their peers in their ancestral homelands (with each leaders' story, featuring a story of climate impacts on the flip side of their panel).
From emergency doctors to community workers to religious leaders to documentary journalists, the stories revealed in the photos share a common thread of hope surpassing fear and optimism overcoming anguish. These are the drivers climate conversations amongst everyday Australians everywhere – with the ultimate question, where to from here?
With the support of the Sydney Climate Action Week team, the Homelands Exhibition launched as Climate Action Week began, popping up in the background of climate events hosted at Greenhouse and Sydney Start Up Hub throughout the week in May.
Below, you can see the exhibition in the Calyx at the Royal Botanic Gardens, as a feature in Groundswell Giving's event!
We were so thrilled to then take this exhibition featuring culturally and linguistically diverse climate leaders, to the heart of multicultural Australia, Parramatta, in Western Sydney.
What made this event truly special was the presence and voices of our esteemed speakers, featured in the exhibitions themselves. Each of them a climate leader in their own right, are a shining example of power in diversity, both in experience and culture.
As we gathered to celebrate their remarkable work, we couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and hope for the future.
Our CEO and co-founder, Rathana, along with our Board Chair and co-founder, Louise Tran, set the tone for the evening with their impassioned speeches, emphasizing the urgency of climate action and the power of community-led solutions.
Guiding us through the event with grace and warmth was our Youth Director, Jahin Tanvir, who created a space where everyone felt welcome and valued.
We were honoured to hear from an extraordinary lineup of speakers, each bringing their unique perspective and expertise to the conversation.
Reverend Mata Havea Hiliau, Moderator of NSW & ACT Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia, told us the moving story of her upbringing in Tonga, facing the impacts of climate change first-hand, and the role her background and faith continue to have on her climate action.
Yolanda Waters, co-founder of Divers for Climate enlightened us with her research on climate communications, showcasing the importance of diverse voices in the environmental movement.
Mereline Murimwa Rarami, reminded us of the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and the need for sustainable practices in every sector by speaking about her experience working with senior citizen in Sydney's west, with SydWest Multicultural Services.
Bhagi Siva, a Sri Lankan doctor and photojournalist, transported us around the world, to the many local stories, at the frontlines of climate impacts that he hopes to convey through his work.
Lai Heng Foong, an emergency physician, brought us on her journey to becoming a reluctant climate activist, as a Chinese-Malaysian migrant who Lai Heng's journey till now has led her to the ER saving lives are matched only by her dedication outside of hours to advocate for climate solutions for all.
Corinne Hodson, one of our co-founders, as well as the Manager of Policy and Partnerships at the Barang Regional Alliance, brought us a glimpse of the history of Indigenous environmental management the urgency of utilising this wisdom into the future of Australia. Corinne's powerful words as a Wiradjuri woman were a powerful reminder that as a look at all our homelands, it is critical that we seek climate solutions here in Australia that consider and honour the custodianship of Indigenous Australians.
Above all, we were grateful to see people from all walks of life connecting with each others' stories from all over the world, and in our very backyard, Australia.
Throughout the evening, we were reminded of the immense potential that lies within our diverse communities to drive meaningful change.
Together, we will continue to amplify these voices, foster collaboration, and push for bold climate action. Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey – the best is yet to come.