Visit to Brisbane, Queensland
Ambassador Abdulhadi and Embassy staff made a trip to Brisbane over three days. A number of productive and enjoyable activities were conducted over the trip:
Ambassador Abdulhadi attended the Queensland Intercultural Society Ramadan Iftar in the Parliament of Queensland. The event was widely attended by Members of Parliament, religious leaders from a variety of religions, federal and state police officers, NGO leaders, as well as prominent members of a variety of community groups. The event included a wide-ranging program that included excellent speeches by prominent guests such as President of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network , Bishop George Browning, a performance by a school choir, and an award ceremony for outstanding contributions to multiculturalism in Queensland.
Ambassador Abdulhadi conducted meetings with a number of Queensland Members of Parliament and Palestinian advocacy leaders to discuss forming the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Palestine. The Ambassador had the opportunity to discuss this matter with the Speaker of the Queensland Parliament the Hon Peter Wellington and also receive a guided tour of the Queensland Parliament.
A number of meetings were also conducted with members of Palestinian community and advocacy groups based in Brisbane, including Palestinian Arts, Culture and Sports Inc. (PACSI) and Justice for Palestine. These meetings were both engaging and enjoyable, with tangible outcomes and aspirational plans for the future.