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One in four Australian workers were born overseas which means our workplaces are rich in talent, skills and cultures – an asset that we should recognise and utilise more effectively. 
One in four Australian workers were born overseas which means our workplaces are rich in talent, skills and cultures – an asset that we should recognise and utilise more effectively.
Embracing cultural diversity in the workplace can lead to better people management, an enhanced ability to recruit and certainly allows businesses to develop and retain people from diverse backgrounds in order to capitalise on the many the benefits culturally diverse workforce brings.
Establishing an organisational culture and management system that recognises respect and utilises cultural diversity increases the effectiveness of productivity of our work force.
It is important to appreciate that differences do not necessarily mean barriers. They can help us to understand, build bridges and enrich our lives, workplaces can be the perfect environment to promote community harmony and understanding.
I was born in Australia to parents of Turkish heritage who migrated in 1948. As a nine year old I had the unique opportunity to live in Turkey for 4 years where I experienced an entirely different culture and of course language. This experience gave me enormous personal insight to what it meant to be an Australian, respecting those common values of others around me, and a sense of belonging as a proud Australian with a rich cultural heritage. As I was growing up, the one thing that I really found effective in overcoming communication and cultural barriers was swapping my food in the school playground both here and in Turkey.
Celebrating cultural diversity is important to me because it acknowledges the contribution that people from all backgrounds make to our society. It recognises the foundations we have built based on trust, respect and mutual understanding. It also reinforces our commitment to Australia and its people.
Investing in our cultural diversity and making everyone a vital element of the community makes us a stronger and more cohesive society.
The Australian Multicultural Foundation is culturally diverse workplace and we will be celebrating A Taste of Harmony this year by having a most delicious lunch with staff from Malaysia, Turkey, India, Fiji, Sri Lanka, England, Italy and Greece bringing in traditional food to enjoy and chat, as well as inviting people from our neighbouring organisations to contribute to the lunchtime celebration.