Festival a chance to mix with refugees

In an ideal world, the necklace beads would be ivory and the arm bracelets too. But polystyrene cut into the right shapes will do the trick tomorrow, when Abann Yor and other Sudanese refugees dance at the Auckland International Cultural Festival, dressed in the flowing robes of their homeland.

This eighth festival, held at Mt Eden's Potters Park, on the corner of Dominion and Balmoral Rds, runs from 10am to 5pm. Organised by Auckland City and RMS Refugee Resettlement, it's a chance to mix, enjoy two stages of entertainment, and sample tastes from all over the world.

Up to 25,000 people are expected.

For Mr Yor, of Mangere, the festival also marks an important anniversary - this time last year the family were in Damascus, Syria, being interviewed by staff from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Mr Yor, 32, his wife Mery, 33, her daughter Rakel, 13, and the couple's 1-year-old daughter, Daoj, were last September among 750 UNHCR-selected refugees admitted here annually. They knew nothing about New Zealand - except that it was described as safe.

Jill Conway, the RMS Auckland regional manager, urges Kiwis to strike up conversation with the new arrivals - she says refugees are very keen to chat.

PROGRAMME

* Auckland International Cultural Festival, tomorrow, 10am-5pm
Potters Park, Mt Eden

Stage one

10am: Abbraccia School of Dance (belly dancing); 10.30: Auckland Scottish Society Dancers; 10.50: Poonga Tamil community; 11.10: Bhajan Singers of Sri Chinmoy; 11.40: Burundian drummers.

12 noon: Welcoming ceremony; 12.30pm: Yun-Tzu Chung-Cheuh Chinese dancers; 1pm: Chaldean Assyrian Society; 1.20: Hellenic Greek community; 1.40: Burundian Drummers.

2pm: Samat-Suri TMP (Thai); 2.30 Ethiopian Sport and Cultural Club; 2.50: Sudanese community; 3.10: Auckland Finnish Society Dancers; 3.35: Tariro and Marimba band (Africa); 4.00: One Voice Community Choir (world music); 4.25: Sahara Spice (Middle Eastern dance); 4.45: Congolese community.

Stage two

10am: Arabesque belly dancers; 10.30: Burmese cultural group; 10.50: La Bouree (French folk dancing); 11.10: Oromo community (Africa); 11.30: Meadowbank maypole dancers. 12.30pm: Madang Hannuri (Korean drums); 12.50: Sunshine Iranian dancers; 1.15: African Network dancers (Zulu dance and African beats); 1.35: Thai dance; 1.55: Folklore Chileno. 2.15pm: Ethiopian community; 2.35: Iman (belly and knife dances); 2.55: Spanish Fiesta Dancers; 3.15: Eritrean community; 3.40: Nineveh Assyrian dancers; 4.00: Amazonas NZ (South American music); 4.20: Danish Society Folk Dancers.

* To donate $20 to RMS, phone (0900) 44 422