Interfaith Network 23rd Annual Interfaith School Gathering, ‘Everybody Belongs – Many Faiths, One Heart’, Wednesday, October 29th, 2025

November 11, 2025

City of Greater Dandenong Faith Leaders

The Interfaith Network of the City of Greater Dandenong wishes to extend a heart-warm thank you to the City of Greater Dandenong for their allocation of a medium grant to support this year’s annual event.

In addition, the Interfaith Network also wishes to extent a heart-warm thank you to members, volunteers, staff, participating primary and secondary schools, the events project team, the venue staff and all the students for their incredible commitment, hard work that made this year’s event highly successful.

The 2025 event was held on Wednesday 29th October. This year’s theme centred on “Everybody Belongs – Many Faiths, One Heart”. Supported by the participating schools, and local faith leaders, more than 320 students sang, danced, played musical instruments with each act highlighting and representing the theme. The venue was full of colour, energy, excitement and smiles, a beautiful reminder of what happens when we come together to celebrate community, diversity and inclusivity.

Key highlights from the event included:

  • The opportunity for parents, friends, siblings to attend the event and support the young person and the participating school.
  • Led by Uncle Dave Dryden, Yorta Yorta Elder, a highly moving and powerful Welcome to Country thoroughly enjoyed by all including the children and young people that joined Uncle Dave on stage.
  • Mayor Cr Jim Memeti (Dandenong Ward) thanked the children and young people for their hard work leading up to the event, encouraged them to enjoy the day and reminded us all to appreciate one another’s differences and similarities in being part of community.
  • Supported by a local faith leader, each school presented on a faith that they have spent time learning about in the lead up to the event. On the day, the faiths of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Bahas Faith, Brahma Kumaris and Sikhism were shared by the children and young people.
  • A small gift of appreciation was provided by IFN to all the children and young people.

The performances and reflections throughout the morning reminded us of the beauty in our diversity and the shared heart that connects us all.