Celebrating 18 years of diversity and unity

SECA’s Multicultural Night on Saturday has been celebrated as a resounding success, marking its eighteenth year as a staple of the town’s social calendar.

The event, hosted at St Patrick’s Hall, brought together a vibrant mix of cultures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of Strabane’s residents. Organised by the Strabane Ethnic Community Association (SECA), the evening was filled with a rich array of global cuisine and lively entertainment.

Kamini Rao, Community Development Worker at SECA said, “It was an absolutely wonderful night. We had food and entertainment from countries such as Poland, Cambodia, Romania, and Thailand, India and Brazil and not a drop of food was left which is always a great sign. I couldn’t really tell you how many people arrived; we were informed that 250 chairs were put out for attendees but it quickly became clear that it was ‘standing room only’ so it’s fair to say we definitely exceeded that number.

“It’s wonderful and heart-warming to see so many people from different backgrounds and countries come out for our multicultural nights to mingle together and have the craic. The night is always such a chilled, wholesome family occasion where Strabane people, previously unaware of the different nations represented in the town, can come together and meet and forge friendships.”

After an opening address by SECA chairperson Janina McGrinder and words from representatives of funders the Housing Executive and the District Community Cohesion Team, people were treated to entertainment from Spain, Ireland, India, Cambodia and other countries, including a 30-minute set from Strabane Brass Band who put their own unique spin on a medley of songs from all over the globe.

In light of the recent unrest in Belfast and England surrounding intolerance for different ethnicities, Kamini says she is ‘proud to be from a tolerant place such as Strabane.’

She said, “We have been doing this for so long in Strabane and it gets better every year which I think says something about how tolerant people in Strabane are for different cultures. A lot of negative things have been said about Strabane over the years and I think it’s lovely to see something positive said about Strabane and the wonderful people who live here.”