Pop-up Race Unity Day planned in Whanganui

Celebrating Race Unity Day in 2021 were Saba Afzal, Pancha Narayanan, Hamish McDouall, Vijeshwar Prasad, Prem Singh, Steph Lewis, Pushpa Prasad, Daniel Gamboa and Eros Li. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui's Race Unity Week will be celebrated at a multicultural morning in Majestic Square.

The pop-up Race Unity event would start at 10.30am on Saturday, March 19, with an opening prayer, Multicultural Council of Rangitīkei/Whanganui vice president Teena Lawrence said.

There will be speakers, stalls, a free sausage sizzle and entertainment.

People are asked to wear their national costume.

Organisations with information relevant to new migrants have been asked to set up stalls, and people will be able to register for self-isolation kits and ask for whatever support they need to get through the Omicron peak.

This year there was a special focus on wellbeing, Lawrence said.

Messages of unity are to be chalked on the footpath, and people will be coached in a session of Falun Dafa, a Chinese movement meditation.

Lawrence hoped to reach more migrants to Whanganui this year - both those who have lived here a long time and those just arrived. In previous years some, especially Chinese and Korean people, were frightened to come out, she said.

"We want to connect with them. We just want them to know that we are here and they can celebrate their culture and we can support them."

It's the third Race Unity event to be held in Whanganui. In previous ones there have been speech competitions, cultural displays and activities and a visit by Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon.