Nan Tien Temple Attends MCCI 50th Anniversary Celebration in Promoting Community Harmony

Francis Wong

The Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra Ltd (MCCI), located in the Illawarra region south of Sydney, hosted its 50th anniversary Gala dinner on September 5 at the University of Wollongong’s main hall. Distinguished guests included The Hon. Paul Scully MP, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces; Ms Alison Byrnes MP, Federal Member of Parliament; Clr. Tania Brown, Lord Mayor of Wollongong; MCCI Chair Ken Habak OAM; and MCCI CEO Chris Lacey. Invited by MCCI, Nan Tien Temple was represented by Venerable Jue Fang, General Manager of Hsing Yun Education Foundation; Venerable Zhili, Director of Community Education; Venerable Zhishan, Director of Media and Communications; and Venerable Nengzang.

MCCI’s vision is to build a cohesive multicultural society by providing high-quality services in areas such as aged care, youth development, community building, and volunteer training. Its mission is to meet community needs while fostering equity, harmony, inclusion, and cohesion.

The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia, sent a letter recognizing MCCI’s service. He affirmed that MCCI embodies diversity and a sense of “home,” opening doors of opportunity for communities through education and guidance.

The Hon. Chris Minns MP, Premier of New South Wales, also sent a message highlighting MCCI’s vital role in helping migrant and refugee communities thrive. He noted that over the past 50 years, MCCI has enabled countless new migrants to build new lives in Australia, making NSW stronger, fairer, and more inclusive.

For 30 years, Nan Tien Temple has been deeply rooted in the community, upholding Fo Guang Shan’s guiding principle of social engagement through welfare and charity. It has maintained close collaboration with MCCI, sharing the commitment to promoting community harmony and cultural exchange. Over the years, Nan Tien Temple has supported charitable causes, such as donating activity vouchers and Dining Hall coupons from the Nan Tien Art Gallery for the “Refugee Charity Night” silent auction, and offering “One-Day Zen” vouchers to support the “Charity Trivia Night,” as an expression of care and support for refugee communities.

In 2023, Nan Tien Temple was honoured with MCCI’s Excellence in Cultural & Community Events Award in recognition of its outstanding contribution.

The Temple continues to integrate into the community by encouraging residents and visitors to experience and celebrate multiculturalism. Its initiatives include week-long Lunar New Year multicultural celebrations, the 10-day Nan Tien Arts Festival, and the Easter weekend Multicultural Buddha’s Birthday Celebration Concert.

Another key initiative is the three-week Hands of Harmony intercultural education project, which blends Buddhist teachings with Australian Indigenous culture. Nearly 2,000 local students worked together to create 3,200 lotus-hand artworks forming a “Sea of Hands,” combining the Indigenous message of unity, justice, and reconciliation with Buddhism’s values of benefiting self and others, dissolving opposition, and fostering harmony.

Supportingh the National Mental Health Month, Nan Tien Temple organized Nan Tien Health Day alongside the Medicine Buddha Dharma Service to raise awareness of mental health. The Temple also launched a lecture series The Five Buddhas of Humanistic Buddhism – Dialogues on Life, hosting five public forums where professionals from different fields shared wisdom to illuminate the brilliance of life.

For International Women’s Day 2023, under the theme Embrace Equity, Nan Tien Temple held a meditation and fundraising event in collaboration with Supported Accommodation & Homelessness Services Shoalhaven Illawarra (SAHSSI). The initiative fostered meaningful cooperation to promote women’s equality, embodying Buddhism’s spirit of compassion and equality.
Looking ahead, Nan Tien Temple will continue working closely with MCCI and other outstanding organizations and individuals, striving to build a diverse, inclusive, and respectful community of harmony.