2026 Global Vibes: Reflect Respect Celebrate

TODAY, you can also join us STREAMING LIVE! >> ON ASSIPJ FACEBOOK PAGE, click the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/assipj
> Program below Starts @ 11am

Event: Our Free Program
MC: Danny Togo (ASSIPJ Vice Chair)
11:00 AM – Welcome & Opening
• Guest arrival, gum leaves & lemon myrtle distributed
• MC welcome & Opening Speech
• Acknowledgement of Country – Mike Butler & Uncle Mark Merriman
11:40 AM – Speaker
• Maryam Azady (Rumilicious Restaurant)
11:45 AM – Housekeeping & Hospitality
• Live streaming notice
• Toilets/emergency info
• Sausage sizzle + Persian tapas + drinks
• Dancers prepare
11:50 AM – Dance Performances
• Josh, Tameeka & Tessarna (2 dances)
• Josh Trio explanation
12:05 PM – Key Address
• Emelda Davis (ASSIPJ Chair)
• Acknowledgements & community context
12:15 PM – Performance
• HeShyy (Josh Yow Yeh) – Hip Hop
12:30 PM – Cultural Performance
• Amira – Belly Dance (introduced by Maryam)
1:00 PM
• Sausage sizzle announced
1:30 PM – Symposium
• MC: Lachlan Barker Kennedy
• Panel + Q&A
2:00 PM – Speaker
• Harley Rhua
2:45 PM
• Boom Box Music
3:30 PM – Close
• Restaurant open for dinner
• Fireworks 9:00 PM

OR join us at Rumalicious by registering here:
https://events.humanitix.com/2026-global-vibes-reflect-respect-celebrate

MEDIA RELEASE:

Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) are proudly announcing 2026 Global Vibes: Reflect. Respect. Celebrate, a one-day intercultural community activation to be held on 26 January 2026 at Rumulicious Mediterranean Restaurant, Pirrama Park (Sugar Wharf). Supported by the National Australia Day Council for the fifth consecutive year, the event aligns with Australia’s commitments to human rights, reconciliation, social inclusion and multicultural cohesion, placing First Nations leadership and community-led collaboration at its core.

A culturally safe, co-designed mini-fest that invites the broader community to reflect on shared histories, respect the world’s oldest continuing cultures, and celebrate the richness of Australia’s diverse communities. By bringing people together through culture, dialogue and creativity, the event strengthens mutual understanding and social inclusion.

The program venue is provided through the generosity of local Pyrmont businesswoman Maryam Azady, owner of Rumulicious, who will share her journey as a migrant woman and local small business owner, highlighting the vital role of migration, entrepreneurship and cultural contribution in Australia’s social and economic fabric.

The day will open with an Acknowledgement of Country by Mike Butler, a proud Aboriginal man from Iningai Country in central Queensland. Mike has lived in Sydney Harbour on Gadigal Country since the early 1970s. His work spans land and compensation claims, dispute resolution, community development and advocacy for Aboriginal parents navigating the NSW child welfare system, reflecting a lifelong commitment to justice, self-determination and community wellbeing. Mike will share cultural knowledge and the historical significance of Pirrama Park as a site of labour, survival, resistance and ongoing connection. This opening affirms the importance of truth-telling and respect for Country as foundational to Australia’s social cohesion.

Throughout the day, audiences will experience a vibrant intercultural program including:

• First Nations and Australian South Sea Islander cultural dance by Tessarna, Tameeka and Josh, along with HeShyy hip hop debut.

• Truth-telling, artistry, yarning circles and custom weaving led by Bundjalung and ASSI Elder Aunty Karleen Green

• A facilitated yarning session hosted by Wiradjuri man, Indigenous youth educator and City of Sydney 2024 Councillor candidate MC Lachlan Barker-Kennedy, featuring...

  • Lorna Munro (Yilinhi), Wiradjuri–Gamilaroi multidisciplinary artist and Radio Skid Row host, amplifying community voices.

  • Kaiya Aboagye, Afro-Indigenous and ASSI (Ni Vanuatu descent) scholar and lecturer advancing Black–Indigenous and decolonial research.

  • Shola Diop, founding board member and Treasurer of ASSIPJ, is a finance and impact investment professional committed to community building and human rights advocacy.

• A Persian belly dance finale by Amira, symbolising unity, dignity and shared humanity through movement.

Through stories, shared food, music, and cultural practices, 2026 Global Vibes contributes to a more inclusive national narrative, one that honours survival, recognises contributions, and upholds the principles of human rights, respect, and community cohesion.

Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) invite communities, families and visitors to come together in reflection, respect and celebration centred on Gadigal Country, led by culture, and committed to a fair, inclusive and cohesive Australia.

Poster video: 

https://youtube.com/shorts/2ymrjX3nkkA?si=GO-URlDjJIlyITY0

END

Supported by the National Australia Day Council for the fifth year in a row, Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) are proud to Reflect Respect Celebrate a vibrant 26 January 2026 activation at the Rumulicious Mediterranean outdoor restaurant and café in Pirrama Park.

Join us in honouring our First Nations local communities, multiculturalism, and the strength of cultural diversity through the act of inclusiveness and diversity co-designed community programming.

This one-day mini-fest brings together Persian belly dancing, First Nations truth telling, artistry, music, yarning circles, custom-weaving, and a fusion of cuisines, creating an experience that deepens community understanding through stories, shared plates, music and customary practices. It is a space to reflect, respect, and celebrate Australia’s resilience.

Working alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the local Sydney area, the event will be held at the scenic Sugar Wharf in Pirrama Park. Uncle Mark Merriman and Mike Butler from Sydney Harbour Elders will open with an Acknowledgement of Country and share cultural knowledge about the significant site of Pirrama Park.

The program will then welcome Maryam Azady, owner of Rumulicious, who will share her success story as a local migrant business owner and offer words of welcome to guests.

Performances will feature a rich intercultural blend of First Nations and ASSI cultural dance expressions by Tessarna, Tameeka & Josh, merging with Middle Eastern belly dancing by Amira, accompanied by the sounds of HeShyy.

A yarning session hosted by MC Lachlan Barker-Kennedy with Lorna, Kaiya and Shola, and a cultural exchange finished with a Persian dance finale.

_______________________________________________

FREE EVENT

Address: Jones Bay Wharf

26-32 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont NSW

Bus: 389 from Bondi Junction or Town Hall drops outside the restaurant.

Taxi from Central or Light Rail to John St Square, Pyrmont (10-minute walk downhill via the water)

_______________________________________________

Say Halo to your program contributors;

Acknowledgement of Country by Mike Butler, a proud Aboriginal man from Iningai Country in central Queensland, Mike has lived on Sydney Harbour Gadigal Country since the early 1970s.

Maryam Azady, Rumalicious Restaurant founder and gracious host, is a passionate and successful Pyrmont business owner hailing from a rich Persian culture, reflected in her magnificent menu.

MC Lachlan Barker-Kennedy is a proud Wiradjuri man, Indigenous youth worker and 2024 candidate for the City of Sydney Council

Say Kia ora to Harley Rhua, an Australian musician, producer, and music educator of Māori heritage, with over 15 years of combined study and live performance experience. After completing three years of formal music training at SAE, he has spent more than 12 years performing to audiences of hundreds across community centres, festivals, cultural gatherings, and private events. His sound moves fluidly across reggae, R&B, pop, country, and blues, grounded in strong storytelling, rhythm, and cultural expression. Deeply committed to maintaining and honouring culture through music, Harley uses his craft as a vehicle for connection, identity, and community. Alongside live performance, he produces original music and teaches students of all levels, inspiring the next generation through both skill and cultural pride.

Aunty Karleen Green is a highly respected Butchulla, Bundjalung, and Munjalau master weaver and cultural educator based in Sydney. With over 30 years of experience, she facilitates workshops on traditional weaving techniques using natural fibres, aiming to foster connection, cultural preservation, and healing. Join us to create healing circleswith Aunty Karleen.

Amira will share a fun, high-energy choreography of belly dancing from her rich Mediterranean culture.

Lorna Munro, or Yilinhi, is a Wiradjuri Gamilaroi multidisciplinary artist and dynamic Radio Skid Row host amplifying community voices.

Shola Diop, founding board member and Treasurer of ASSIPJ, and a finance and impact investment professional committed to community advocacy.

Kaiya Aboagye is an Afro-Indigenous scholar and lecturer advancing Black-Indigenous and decolonial research.

Tessarna Cora is a young, developing artist of Dhungutti, Ni Vanuatu and Minjungbul Bunjalung heritage, skilled in traditional dance with the Biren Cultural Group.

Joshua Yow Yeh aka HeShyy is a passionate dancer, singer, songwriter of ASSI Ni Vanuatu and Aboriginal man from Yuwi Country, with bloodlines spanning Mununjali, Minjungbal, Bayali, Gooreng Gooreng and Kabi Kabi peoples.

Tameeka Cora is a Minjungbul Bundjalung and Dunghutti woman with Ni Vanuatu heritage, experienced in Nunukul and Biren Cultural Group traditional dance.