I have got to say, I prefer a 'harmony day' to a 'compassion day' or a 'tolerance day'. Harmony implies a peaceful co-existence, irrespective of whether or not you actually like each other.

And another thing...

the recent soccer match at the Bob Jane stadium should give the guilty white people among us some perspective. Multiculturalism isn't all it is cracked up to be. The clash between the "greek" and the "macedonian" fans is just a microscopic view of what happens in every corner of the world as people compete for identity, power and resources. If the guilty white fools are paid any attention, these same conflicts will be imported here as well.

Friends,
Harmony means singing the same song in unison of voice, not singing different songs that conflict or are discordant. Could I suggest that democracy is singing different songs that will conflict. Just ask the two major parties if they sing the same tune! If all sing the same tune we do not need opposition. Democracy is heightened if the discordant tune challenges the dominant chorus. Hitler and Mao used harmony, to control the people. Harmony works best in a totalitarian society. Democracy is the diverse voices of personal songs. I say we sing the songs of democracy it is much more interesting, and we can each choose our own music taste. Harmony day probably breeds mediocre minds.
Philo

Assimilation:

The current multicultural programme known, as “Achieving Harmony through Religious Understanding,” where religious differences are explored, should be replaced with education on “Assimilation” where similarities are explored and strengthened. Australia has been built upon assimilation, where race, religion, and politics are not an issue of scrutiny within a public education system. The issues that have united us as Australians is our common humanity especially in contending with the elements of fire, flood and drought etc, our common struggle for living, economic wellbeing, national security, our freedom of expression and our agreement on our democratic system of Government. It is these issues that should be the focus of Public Education.

It is not the role of a secular education system to teach the various religions or political views, because for a teacher to hold any particular view colours how they will view another; and teachers cannot give justice to properly represent the various positions without emotional influence upon a developing mind. The parents or guardian approved by the parents are the responsible teachers of personal religion, and politics. Australia has functioned well within these principles that were established at Federation.

Australia operates on the spirit of goodwill and cooperation between nationalities as was demonstrated at the 2000 Olympic games and our common humanity during the 2004 boxing-day tsunami. The idea of teaching religion to establish social harmony may seem like an admirable direction. But I ask, “What religion”? It is more beneficial to teach social ethics and morals rather than to teach the peripheral ceremonial practises of religious cultures. From the “Harmony” handbook it is about understanding religious ceremonies, and not about ethics or personal relationships.

Our Australian Constitution, under Section 116 says, "The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, & no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth." p 951, "The Annotated Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia", Quick & Garran, ISBN 1-86316-071-X