Harmony Week is a celebration that brings together people from all walks of life in Australian society 鈥 celebrating inclusiveness and respect throughout our multicultural nation. It is being celebrated this year in the week of Monday 20 鈥 Sunday 26 March.
Subway Socceroo Awer Mabil and Legacy 鈥23 Ambassador shared his thoughts on what football means to him, and how he seeks to use his platform in football for good.
"Football has meant everything for me and my family,鈥 he explained.
"Football has been a big part of my life. Obviously from where we come from, it has changed my life and my family鈥檚 life for the better."
Born to South Sudanese parents, Mabil came to Australia as a youngster, having lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for the first ten years of his life. The current Young Australian of the Year spoke with pride about pulling on the shirt to represent Australia on the world stage.
鈥淭hat moment when me and Thomas [Deng] made our debut together, it felt like a dream, and still to this day, I can鈥檛 believe it,鈥 he said.
鈥淚 know the responsibility that I have when I wear that shirt. I鈥檒l always wear it with pride because behind that shirt is my family, and in front of that shirt is my country.鈥
In the year the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023鈩, Mabil hopes to encourage women and girls from all backgrounds to become involved in the world game in Australia.
鈥淚 became a Legacy 鈥23 Ambassador because it really resonated with me,鈥 he said.
鈥淚 feel like our girls are doing us proud, and I don鈥檛 think you should look at women differently when they play football or any other sport, because it鈥檚 just everybody expressing themselves.鈥
Mabil emphasised the strength that multiculturalism brings to the sport.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e really got to support equality,鈥 he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 only a big win when we start to see [people from] different cultures or different backgrounds representing Australia. You鈥檒l see a lot of different styles of play, and different people bringing different things to the table, representing one group.鈥
The legacy of the Women's World Cup, Mabil explained, can be to bring the universal language of football to the next generation.
鈥淗osting the world here 鈥 it鈥檚 going to grow our game in Australia. It鈥檚 a really big thing for the next generations,鈥 he said.
鈥淔ootball is a sport that speaks its own language. That language is a world language. Football can change many things, and many problems in this world.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of my motivations, to try to use my football platform to bring any difference that I can.鈥
