Plating it forward – on AUSTRALIAN STORY (ABC Monday night & iVIEW) & OTHER ITEMS
Shaun Christie-David can still picture the bin where he used to ditch his dhal sandwiches, the furtive act of a teenage boy of migrant parents desperate to fit in.
He loved dhal at home. The aromatic combination of lentils, tempered mustard seeds, spices and fried onions made by his Sri Lankan-born mother, or amma, Shiranie, was his favourite meal.
But at school, he’d be teased about his weird-looking, pungent lunch, buffeted by taunts of, “Shit man, your lunch stinks”.
So, the sandwiches stayed in his schoolbag all day before being dumped in that bin next to the ticket machine at the train station in south-west Sydney where Shiranie was waiting to take him home.
Today, that dhal, Amma’s Dhal, takes pride of place on the menu of Colombo Social, the first of Shaun Christie-David’s string of Sydney-based restaurants and social enterprises that celebrate multiculturalism and diversity, giving work and purpose to refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, older women, people with a disability and former prisoners.
“I reflect on that sandwich and I still get sad,” Christie-David tells Australian Story. “To throw away a piece of my mum’s love and to throw away things that my dad worked hard for [because of] being ashamed of my identity.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-20/off-menu-shaun-christie-david-/103871380
VIDEO: Off Menu | Shaun Christie-David He can’t cook, he’s not after money but Shaun Christie-David’s building a restaurant empire that’s changing lives one dish at a time. Shaun was always ashamed of what was in his lunchbox. Now it’s at the heart of his radical restaurant empire. Shaun Christie-David is a radical restaurateur who’s employing the “unemployable” and giving away thousands of free meals.
Shaun Christie-David can still picture the bin where he used to ditch his dhal sandwiches, the furtive act of a teenage boy of migrant parents desperate to fit in. SHe loved dhal at home. The aromatic combination of lentils, tempered mustard seeds, spices and fried onions made by his Sri Lankan-born mother, or amma, Shiranie, was his favourite meal.But at school, he’d be teased about his weird-looking, pungent lunch, buffeted by taunts of, “Shit man, your lunch stinks”. So, the sandwiches stayed in his schoolbag all day before being dumped in that bin next to the ticket machine at the train station in south-west Sydney where Shiranie was waiting to take him home.Today, that dhal, Amma’s Dhal, takes pride of place on the menu of Colombo Social, the first of Shaun Christie-David’s string of Sydney-based restaurants and social enterprises that celebrate multiculturalism and diversity, giving work and purpose to refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, older women, people with a disability and former prisoners. “I reflect on that sandwich and I still get sad,” Christie-David tells Australian Story. “To throw away a piece of my mum’s love and to throw away things that my dad worked hard for [because of] being ashamed of my identity.”
Graphic collage of a young Sri Lankan boy and a second photo showing three Sri Lankan boys and their mum and dad
Christie-David straddled two cultures growing up in south-west Sydney with Sri Lankan parents. Supplied/ Graphics: Nina Maile Gordon
The fact that Christie-David was born here didn’t calm his unease. He looked different from other Australian kids, his parents had accents, his food was odd — and his confusion about where he belonged was acute. “It’s not just me,” he says. “It’s all of us that grapple with being a first-generation migrant.
“Only later in life did I realise … you don’t have to renounce being Sri Lankan to be a proud Australian or vice versa. I’m powerful because I have both cultures; I can take the good from both cultures and build my own identity and really lean into that feeling. But that takes a while.” His quest for belonging was dark at times, peppered with anger, guilt and shame. He tried to find his place in the lucrative world of finance, but the casual racism in the industry made him angry and the money didn’t make him happy. He went to Sri Lanka but his privileged upbringing in Australia, free from war and full of opportunities, made him feel guilty. “I sat with that guilt for years,” he says. “It ate away at me. It got me angry. It made me feel uncomfortable all the time. It hurt.” He escaped to London “trying to figure out how to channel all these big emotions”. He came home and worked alongside some Indigenous organisations, creeping a little closer to the mission he sought.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7JY7LtBKxD/?igsh=NjZiM2M3MzIxNA==
https://www.dailynews.lk/2024/05/23/featured/552227/carved-in-stone-and-history/
I’m proud to announce I am a Multicultural Ambassador for Cricket Australia.
A long side inaugural ambassadors including Usman Khawaja, Mel Jones, Wasim Akram, Ravi Shastri, Lisa Sthalekar, Alana King and many more, I will be advocating to create more opportunities for multicultural members of the community to engage with cricket, break down barriers that exist for multicultural participants in cricket and support the 5 main areas of the recently release Multicultural Action Plan.
Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley said:
“We are thrilled to welcome such a dynamic and diverse group as Multicultural Ambassadors. Their collective leadership, expertise and passion will be instrumental in driving meaningful change and fostering a more inclusive cricketing community.
“The Multicultural Ambassador Program represents Cricket Australia’s unwavering commitment to creating a sport that reflects contemporary Australian society and embraces individuals from all backgrounds. Through collaboration and collective action, the program aims to ensure that cricket remains a welcoming and inclusive sport for all.
“Our objectives are clear: to create more opportunities for multicultural members of the community to engage with cricket, break down barriers, build trust, and drive progress.”
Australian player, Usman Khawaja said:
“I am proud to sign on as one of Cricket Australia’s Multicultural Ambassadors. I see the sport as a bridge that connects communities and welcomes all, fostering understanding, respect, and unity.
“As a sport we need to take the next step to ensure we get a greater and more equitable representation of the community as a whole by creating opportunities, celebrating our shared love for the game, and inspiring members of all backgrounds to get involved.”
Former Australian player and cricket commentator, Lisa Sthalekar said:
“Being a Cricket Australia Multicultural Ambassador is an incredible honour. It’s a role that allows me to celebrate and promote the diversity that makes our sport so vibrant and inclusive.
“Cricket has the power to unite people from all backgrounds, and I am committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome and inspired to be a part of the game.”
Engaged for an initial two-year period, the diverse lineup of ambassadors reflects a broad spectrum of cultural backgrounds, with representatives from Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Indigenous Australian, Bangladeshi, Nepali, and Afghani communities.
Among the ambassadors are distinguished high-profile figures, influential business leaders and community champions. This diverse composition ensures a multifaceted approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities related to diversity and inclusion in cricket and society across all levels.
The full list of ambassadors can be found here : https://www.cricket.com.au/…/multicultural-ambassador...
https://issuu.com/…/multi_cultural_action_plan_booklet...
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