Building Belonging Together

We were proud to attend the City of Gold Coast’s Building Belonging Together event, held as part of Welcoming Week. The forum brought multicultural leaders, service providers and community representatives together to explore how we can move beyond symbolic gestures and create communities where belonging is embedded in everyday experiences, relationships and systems.

We were especially proud to see Candice Sullivan, Service Manager Community and Health, contribute to the panel discussion, sharing insights from MCCGC’s work alongside multicultural communities. Her participation reflected an important message: meaningful belonging grows when people are invited into conversations early, their voices help shape decisions and they can participate as equal partners, not simply as recipients of services.

The discussions reminded us that belonging is built through consistent, everyday actions: listening with genuine curiosity, creating culturally safe spaces, strengthening psychological safety and making room for people to share their ideas, experiences and identities.

It was wonderful to connect with familiar faces and meet new people who share a commitment to a more inclusive Gold Coast. We hope the ideas and reflections shared continue to inspire conversations, strengthen relationships and encourage meaningful action across our community.

Thank you to the City of Gold Coast and everyone who contributed their knowledge, stories and perspectives.