University community remembers victims
University of Melbourne students, staff, diplomats and consular officials attended a multi-faith service hosted by the University in March.
Wurrundjeri elder Dr Joy Murphy Wandin gave a ‘welcome to the country’ address and the Melbourne Community Gamelan Group provided the music for the service. The Chancellor Mr Ian Renard, the Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Peter McPhee attended, along with diplomats from tsunami-affected countries.
Students representing some of the countries affected by the tsunami – Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Malaysia, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Kenya – each placed a rose beside a lit candle on the stage. After prayers and a one-minute silence, all those present were then invited to float flowers on the reflection pool to end the commemoration.
Other countries which lost citizens, including Australia, were represented by the President of the Melbourne University Overseas Students’ Service and President of the Interim Student Representative Committee. Prayers were offered by representatives of the Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha’i, and Jewish faiths.
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