Inside the virtual offices of The Westsider Newspaper, this edition had a working theme of ‘Diversity’. This presented a challenge for the team, as we struggled to clearly articulate exactly what the theme meant to us.
Asking for contributions under the term diversity, felt uncomfortably like we were setting some sort of normal and then asking people to flag things that didn’t fit. It felt like asking to submit ‘if you are different’.
Yet the beauty of our diversity is connecting without having a need to define ‘normal’ or ‘different’. So there was our communication challenge. How do we ask for content within this context?
Luckily, despite our thematic qualms, our community consistently demonstrates awareness that the more opportunities available for everybody to engage, the more vibrant, tolerant, and resilient the west becomes.
Contributors submitted stories celebrating cultural festivals such as the Harmony Feast, inspirational achievements, such as the extraordinary sporting prowess of Deaf athlete Michelle Rowlands, the power of artists, such as local author Eugen Bacon, and local activities to expand our experiences, such as the School of Sewing and Upcycling.
If you don’t hear your voice in any of our articles, regardless of the theme we draft on our planning board, we want to hear from you. Like our community, our newspaper is strengthened when we reflect diverse perspectives.
Jean Anselmi
Got a comment? Keen to submit an article? Like to support or advertise in community paper? Feel free to get in touch at: editor@thewestsider.com.au
