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Congo Week
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14 December 2017
Members statements
SUZANNA SHEED (IND)
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Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (09:56:41) — Recently I
attended a Congo Week event in my electorate hosted by the Goulburn Valley
Congolese Association. The purpose of Congo Week is to raise global
consciousness about the Democratic Republic of Congo's past two decades of war
and political instability. Breaking the Silence Congo Week started in New York
in 2008 and has since galvanised the participation of people in more than 70 countries
and 500 university campuses and communities. As many in this place would
know, Shepparton district is immensely proud of its multicultural population. I
promised those at the event that I would talk about the Congo's plight in
Parliament and today I am fulfilling that promise. Since the first 10 Congolese
families arrived in Shepparton more than 10 years ago, the local Congolese
population has grown to more than 150 people and they have worked hard to
make a new home for themselves in my electorate. Unsurprisingly many still have
large networks of family and friends living in the Congo. While they are now
physically removed from the conflict and at a distance, they nevertheless
suffer a sense of sadness and loss. But among the many people attending this
event there
was also joy in spending an evening celebrating Congolese culture through
music, cultural displays and of course food.