by Sahar Foladi and Cam Lucadou-Wells
An intercultural dialogue will be the first step in Greater Dandenong Council’s plan to resolve the Thomas Street precinct-naming controversy.
In a council meeting on Monday 26 May, a community-consultation process was endorsed for reconsidering the trading name Afghan Bazaar for the Dandenong retail strip.
The two-part proposal consists of an intercultural dialogue where an independent facilitator will be funded by the Department of Home Affairs followed by the council preparing a shortlist of names.
Community feedback on the shortlist would then be sought before the council reaches a final decision.
During public question time, the council was hammered with questions by community members from either side of the debate over the details of the intercultural dialogue, but little was shared.
In her answers, the council’s strategic growth and advocacy executive manager Marjan Hajjari repeatedly said: “Further details and timings will be worked out and communicated with the community.”
“The proposed approach of the intercultural dialogue includes a commitment to storytelling, sharing values experiences, and diverse perspectives not only with council but with each other in the community and the broader region,” Ms Hajjari said at the meeting.
“We know that the topic is sensitive that’s why we are pleased to support a safe and inclusive engagement process.
“When there is a strong and widespread community interest in a topic that’s when a consultation would ideally be brought and open to many voices…”
Ms Hajjari later told Star Journal now that the “direction has been set the details must be worked out carefully.”
The dialogue was said to include business owners, residents and the wider community.
There were no details on the number of participants in the dialogue and how will those interested will be chosen.
Earlier this year, fierce debate has raged among Afghan-Australian communities after a Hazara group’s petition to rename the precinct to Little Bamiyan.
According to name-change proponents, the word ‘Afghan’ symbolises oppression to the Hazara community.
On the other hand, opponents say the term symbolises everyone who comes from Afghanistan.
To the fury of the latter, Greater Dandenong councillors voted in April to temporarily cease the Afghan Bazaar marketing term.
The 26 May council report stated the naming issue represents “significant reputational risk” to the council associated with potential loss of community trust.
It sought to minimise those risks through a “high-quality community engagement and consultative approach.”
According to the report, the community consultation engagement period is expected to begin in July this year.
