By Sahar Foladi
Communities were brought together under one umbrella through the ‘Lest We Forget Afghanistan,’ two day art exhibition organised by Bakhtar Community Organisation.
In addition to community members, artists and war veterans, the exhibition hosted H.E Wahidullah Waissi, President of Dandenong-Cranbourne RSL, John Wells, MP for Bruce Julian Hill, MP for Narre Warren South Gary Maas who represented Minister for Multicultural Affairs Colin Brooks
Bassir Qadiri, CEO of Bakhtar Community Organisation (BCO) said the success of the exhibition surpassed their expectations.
“The meticulous organisation and thought-provoking content resonated with the local community, and we received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback.
“The immersive experience created an atmosphere of reflection on the impact of war and a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit,” Mr Qadiri said.
The exhibition was held in partnership with Provenance Artists Inc to honour the sacrifices made by men and women who served in Afghanistan and the Afghan people.
The paintings captured emotions, struggles, and courage of those who served, while also drawing attention to the impact of war on civilians.
President of the Dandenong- Cranbourne RSL, Mr Wells said he was very impressed by the standard of the paintings.
“In the tribute to our troops in Afghanistan, the Afghans were not overlooked. They were a representative part of the story too.
“It’s been a significant contribution,” Mr Wells said.
He also said he’s “absolutely sure” that such events can bring communities together, something that has eluded the RSL in the past.
“On the day (of the exhibition) there were Afghans I’ve never seen before. If people just get together and chat we won’t have racial problems.
“One of the places RSL is failing, including mine, is that we don’t do enough to communicate with the different communities.”
The RSL consists of a small number of Afghan, Indian and Vietnamese members but Mr Wells said they’re not getting the message out there and not “enough” has been done to bridge the gap.
The branch’s serving of alcohol and pokies machines were barriers for many CALD individuals to join but they are “welcomed” Mr Wells said.
However, community events like these are “small steps” to close the gap as Mr Wells plans to reach out to the Bakhtar community in joining the RSL.
“We’re now quite supportive of community groups and we’re happy to do that,” Mr Wells said.
Looking ahead, BCO are considering recurring exhibitions to honour and foster community remembrance.
It’s most likely another exhibition will take place in August to coincide with the fall of Afghanistan to Taliban on 15 August 2021.
