When you bring together a group of young musicians and singers from refugee, migrant, First Nations, and other backgrounds to sing and share stories, the results can be powerful.
A NSW campaign to fight racism called All One Under the Sun, based on Gumbaynggirr Country at Coffs Harbour, has done just that, drawing together musically talented young people with very diverse backgrounds.
Many of them have experienced racism and, through their shared experiences and talents, an uplifting song has been created, encouraging people to celebrate a cross-cultural society and stand against "fear and division".
The song and a music video have just been launched, the culmination of the project that started in March 2021.
Marko Kisose, a Congolese Australian who moved to Australia in 2011 from a Malawi refugee camp, was among those involved in the song's creation.
"There are many cultures involved … there's Congolese, Aboriginal Australians, there's Ethiopia, Iraq, Afghanistan and a few more [countries represented]," he said.
"Meeting other musicians and hearing each other's experiences of racism has given me some encouragement, as racism is one of those things where you think it just happens to certain people.
'Under the sun we are all the same'
The project was started after the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) found young people from refugee backgrounds were affected by racism at school, work, and in the community.
"It's driven by young people and uses the arts to promote inclusion, belonging, connection, education, and empowerment," said All Under One Sun project coordinator, Naomi Steinborner.
Workshops have been held in schools and young people aged 13 to 24 helped write the focal song, in collaboration with a local music-production company, Grow the Music.
Gumbaynggirr cultural educator and artist Troy Robinson, Syrian-born singer and bouzouki player Ali Hassan, and First Nations hip hop artist Tory Paasi also collaborated in writing the song.
"We did a few workshops, it was more like jam sessions, everyone jamming, everyone would bring an idea and we would write things down and try to figure it out," Mr Kisose said.
Mr Kisose said he hoped the song and video would reach many people.
"I play guitar in the song, and I sing the first verse which goes:
"We are trying to send out the message to people that racism is not OK."
Confidence grows
Orara High School student and aspiring singer Jaslyn Walker, of Gumbaynggirr/Yaegl/Bundjalung heritage, also took part.
"Through this project I got to meet a whole lot of different people, to understand where they are from and get to know them a bit more," she said.
Woolgoolga High School student Leevon Young, who is Australian born with German heritage, was involved as a guitarist and said it was an uplifting experience.
A consortium of services has helped run the project, including STATTS, the Coffs Harbour and Districts Local Aboriginal Lands Council, headspace Coffs Harbour, Blue Sky Community Services, and Coffs Harbour City Council, with funding through Multicultural NSW.
A two-part documentary about the project is also underway.
'I am really grateful'
The project is the latest positive chapter in Mr Kisose's life in Australia.
"But I got used to it and the routine and everything started becoming normal in a way and life changed."
Mr Kisose has lived in Coffs Harbour for the past eight years.
"People around me in the community are really supportive and they have helped me a lot, not only musically but with my journey and my life and I am really grateful for it," he said.
