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Council congratulates multicultural champion

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Council congratulates Knox Multicultural Advisory Committee member Ruchi Sharma for being recognised in the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence.

Ruchi received the Premier’s Award for Community Harmony for her transformative work in keeping Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith communities connected, supporting community health and wellbeing.

Ruchi is the former secretary of the Australia India Society of Victoria. She has been on our Committee since 2023, helping advise Council on multicultural issues and promote cultural diversity in Knox.

“My work with the Knox Council in promoting multiculturalism is deeply meaningful to me because it allows me to help build a community where every person, regardless of where they come from, feels seen, valued and included,” she said.

“I believe that true harmony begins when people feel they belong, and this work gives me the chance to contribute to that sense of belonging.

“It aligns with my values of compassion, connection and shared humanity. Every time I see people from different cultures come together, understand each other a little more, or share a story with pride, I feel reaffirmed that this work is not just important — it is necessary.

“I also see myself as a bridge — connecting cultures, creating understanding and ensuring that our Indian community feels included in the broader story of Knox.”

Ruchi’s award also recognised her work as founder of the Hello Zindagi radio show on Radio Eastern 98.1 FM and HuHaHo (Human Happiness and Hope), a wellbeing initiative that promotes inclusivity and collaboration.

About a third of Knox residents were born overseas. We originate from nearly 160 different countries and speak more than 130 languages.

The top 10 countries of birth are China, United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam and Italy.

There are 28.7% of people who use a language other than English at home, with the top 10 languages being Mandarin, Cantonese, Sinhalese, Greek, Hindi, Tamil, Italian, Vietnamese, Arabic and Persian.

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