WHEN Mariam Veiszadeh gives birth to her first child she will be thankful it happened in Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Canberra lawyer, born in Afghanistan, will add another 30 years to her son or daughter's expected life, according to average lifespans in the countries.
Despite being five months pregnant she walked with tens of thousands of others nationally who celebrated Australia's diversity in an event on Saturday, which marked the end of Refugee Week.
The message she brought to those gathered in Canberra was that none of us play a part in where we are born: advice she hoped would reduce the arrogance that leads to prejudice against asylum seekers.
''We struggle with the ability to sympathise with people in different circumstances to ours,'' the 29-year-old said.
''Politics is a mirror of the society it serves.''
She was born in Kabul to wealthy parents during the Soviet War and her family fled with her four years later to India, the Czech Republic, Germany and, finally, to Australia.
They had left behind the family's successful clothing business and they arrived unable to speak the language in a place that would not recognise her mother's teaching skills.
''When I see [asylum seekers] arriving here, it resonates with me. I've been in their shoes.''
ACT Walk Together co-ordinator Bree Willsmore said the walk was an opportunity for people to demonstrate the kind of country we wanted to be. ''We're pleased that around Australia, including in Canberra, Walk Together is receiving support from across political parties,'' she said.
Supporters walked from Reconciliation Place to Lake Burley Griffin, across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and finished at Commonwealth Park.
At Stage 88, the celebratory concert was started by 104.7's Maz Hakim, and included MP Andrew Leigh, as well as ACT Greens Senate candidate Simon Sheikh and territory multicultural affairs leader Sam Wong.