COMMONWEALTH RESEARCH CENTRE
After ten years of promoting diversity/multiculturism/Integration in North Wales/ Pan Wales and the UK, NWAMI wanted to expand its activities to Commonwealth Countries. With this mission in mind and in support of Clwyd West MP Rt.Hon. David Jones, NWAMI Initiated the foundation of the Centre for Commonwealth Research which was launched by Professor Iwan Davies the Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University on the 9th of October, 2020.
The launch event took place over Zoom on International Integration Day
The event was marked with a cultural program and speeches by various participants including Jane Hutt MS and Rt Hon David Jones
The Launch Event
9th October 2020
Deputy Minister and Chief Whip in the Welsh Government Jane Hutt MS has appreciated NWAMI’s objective of community cohesion and social integration through education and cultural engagement. She underscored the vision and sentiment for Wales in promoting racial equality and said that the Welsh government is committed to addressing divisions in society by working with partners.
Rt. Hon. David Jones MP recounted chairing of NWAMI’s inaugural meeting in 2011 and the succession of its events he attended over years thereafter. Applauding Dr. Sibani Roy as the driving force whose vision has made NWAMI as one of the leading forces for racial understanding in the country, and officially launched Commonwealth Research Centre NWAMI.
Cultural program included a presentation from Anup Kumar Biswas and party, and by Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence which included a beautiful dance by children. Sharad Jha presented a Maithili poem on integration. Classical dances by Suvarchala Madireddy and Roshni Sarkar were captivating.
Speaking on the occasion, Founder & Chair Dr. Sibani Roy said “NWAMI’s mission has been to integrate newcomers with local people through cultural exchange and education, to reduce hate crime and has successfully staged numerous cultural events, interfaith seminars, debates, language classes, cookery demonstrations, and so on. NWAMI also wants to bring the Commonwealth to North Wales and works hard to bring this dream to reality”
NWAMI’S BIG DEBATE
Raising Awareness of Challenges Ahead and the Role the Commonwealth Can Play
NWAMI organised The Big Debate over Zoom on 23rd April 2021 to discuss the cultural, educational, and international challenges in today’s interconnected world and the role Commonwealth can play in facilitating community cohesion and international cooperation. Keynote speakers, Hywel Williams and Prof. Iwan Davies, gave wonderful inputs on social integration, linguistic diversity and community cohesion. Chair Mark Isherwood and Hywel Williams also made remarks.
Research & Publications
Due to Pandemic, prolong lock down and mass isolation of workforce the centre could not progress as desired, however with help of a former Bangor University student Raja Asad NWAMI completed a research project titled South Asian, Slavery and Indenture (which is little known to the wider world).
Thereafter NWAMI sponsored two academic lecture presentations on:
- Fiji’s history of indentureship, military coups and attitude towards Indians
- The fate of Shia Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan under the Taliban
- Organised by Indo Caribbean Cultural Centre, Trinidad and Tobago