On 15 June 2025, the City of Greater Dandenong and SisterWorks jointly hosted Refugee Week 2025 at Springvale Town Hall. The event’s theme was “Finding Freedom: Community Diversity,” celebrating multicultural integration and supporting local refugee communities.
The event featured performances, cultural experiences, family activities, and various community booths, presenting the rich and diverse backgrounds and life journeys of refugee communities.
Several officials spoke at the gathering. Vivienne Nguyen, Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, condemned the forced organ harvesting from Falun Dafa practitioners in China as “extremely inhumane,” emphasising that Australians must understand these atrocities to exercise democratic rights responsibly. Sophaneth Tan, Deputy Mayor of Greater Dandenong, affirmed that the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance align with universal values and advocated for giving persecuted individuals a voice. Melinda Yim, Keysborough Ward Councillor, described organ harvesting as “really terrifying” and pledged to help spread awareness. Ifrin Fittock, CEO of SisterWorks, stated that “any action depriving freedom constitutes human rights violations” and encouraged practitioners to continue speaking out.
Falun Dafa practitioners maintained an exhibition booth featuring exercise demonstrations, waist drum performances, and informational materials. Many attendees signed petitions supporting religious freedom and belief rights.
Summarised from Epoch Times (Chinese edition), June 2025.
Read original article