Gandels’ multicultural honour
Renowned philanthropists John and Pauline Gandel have received the 2016 Premier’s Award for Harmony as part of Victoria’s Multicultural Awards for Excellence.
RENOWNED philanthropists John and Pauline Gandel have received the 2016 Premier’s Award for Harmony as part of Victoria’s Multicultural Awards for Excellence.
The award recognises the outstanding achievement of an individual or organisation that has developed programs, strategies or activities which furthered cross-cultural or cross-religious harmony in Victoria.
As noted by the award citation, through both Gandel Philanthropy and their own individual contributions, the Gandels have supported numerous organisations across Australia which promote cultural, religious and social cohesion, as well as helping to deliver programs that tackle racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance.
The pair said they felt “truly humbled” to received the award, which was presented by Robin Scott, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, in a special ceremony at Government House last Thursday.
“Recognition for the work that helps build and strengthen our multicultural society is no doubt important, but to us the most critical aspect of this award is, in fact, the recognition for the efforts and the work of the numerous organisations that we support,” they said.
“It is their programs that help foster a strong and cohesive society and we are only a conduit to help them achieve their goals – and we are very proud of that.”
Among the most notable programs the Gandels have established or been involved with are the Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Australian Educators, the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission’s Gandel Oration, the Shout Out program by the Centre for Multicultural Youth, the Hide and Seek program at the Jewish Holocaust Centre, and most recently, the EMERGE cultural leadership program with Multicultural Arts Victoria.
They said they are particularly proud of the Gandel Holocaust Studies Program, which has more than 150 graduates to date.
“This program supports secondary school teachers from all Australian schools to get a better understanding and proper education on how best to teach about the Holocaust and human rights in the modern world,” they commented.
“The program, in our view, plays a critical role in ensuring proper awareness of the Holocaust, better understanding of the importance of upholding and protecting human rights in every situation, and also building empathy, social cohesion and cultural understanding in our communities.”
Now in its 15th year, there were 19 recipients of the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence in 2016, recognised for their contributions in areas including philanthropy, advocacy, leadership, arts, health, education, media and innovation.
PHOEBE ROTH
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