The Bangladeshi Canadian Association of New Brunswick (BCANB) is a new organization that hosted its first large scale event this past Saturday, November 9th. The “Fall Cultural Gala 2019” took place at the Multicultural Association of Fredericton building. The event provided a space for people to enjoy performances from different cultural backgrounds and to enjoy food from different countries.
The BCANB decided to host the event due to a lack of multicultural events taking place during the fall. The association had been planning the event for about three months, and it turned out great.
The members of the BCANB made a big effort to put the event together. They applied for grants, received donations and even contributed money from their own pockets to have everything they needed.
The event gave the opportunity to international members of the community to have their vendor booths, which allowed people to try different dishes, and to buy art and accessories from Africa, China, India, Iraq, Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia and Lebanon.
You could find beautiful colourful pashminas, leather accessories, bags, key chains, henna tattoos and Chinese calligraphy, amongst many other things.
The place was packed with people enjoying the food and having a good chat with friends whilst watching the performances.
The event had several captivating performances from people of all ages and different cultural backgrounds. The performances included Bangladeshi, Chinese, Philippino, Lebanese and Latino songs and dances.
The New Brunswick Immigrant Women’s Association (NBIWA) were also present at the event. They were selling delightful homemade sweets, as well as providing information on their association.
The NBIWA provide services in French, Arabic, Spanish, Nepali and Hindi. The association’s goal is to create resources to empower all immigrant women of different ethnicities, experiences and origins in New Brunswick. The NBIWA is basically a network for international immigrants that helps them thrive in New Brunswick. They seek a platform for immigrant women to participate in community education and awareness, advocacy for immigrant women and liaising and networking with other governmental and non-governmental organizations.
The Fall Cultural Gala of 2019 was an enjoyable event for all who came, and most importantly, it demonstrated the cultural diversity that exists in New Brunswick.