RMIT students launch Balkan society to bridge cultures and build community

A student-led inaugural astatine RMIT University is aiming to bring together Balkan diaspora students, creating a space built connected shared culture, individuality and belonging.

The RMIT University Balkan Society (RUBS), founded by Thanasi Nimorakiotakis, Steven Anagianis, Paris Kontopoulos, Lucas Illievski and Stefan Boric, is presently being established with a absorption connected uniting students from crossed the Balkans.

While Greek societies already beryllium crossed Melbourne universities, Thanasi and Steven tell Neos Kosmos the thought for RUBS grew retired of their ain experiences and friendships.

“As a Greek student, you’d think there wouldn’t truly beryllium a request for something similar this,” they said successful a associated statement. “But the thought came from my friendships.”

Steven Anagianis.

They explained that connections with students from crossed the Balkans highlighted the deficiency of a shared space that brought these communities together. More broadly, they spot strong taste overlap betwixt Balkan groups and different migrant communities.

“It’s not conscionable constricted to the Balkans… we’re much alike than we think,” they said.

At the centre of the inaugural is what they picture arsenic a shared migrant experience, with galore diaspora kids successful Australia navigating individuality betwixt cultures.

Many turn up feeling caught betwixt being Australian and maintaining ties to their heritage.

Thanasi Nimorakiotakis.

“That shared feeling is what connects us,” they said. “RUBS was created to bring that transportation backmost and make a space where radical tin travel together and consciousness a consciousness of belonging again.”

Despite a strong Balkan student beingness astatine RMIT, the founders accidental there has been small cohesion betwixt groups.

“There are a batch of Balkan students astatine RMIT, but they’re not truly connected,” they said. “We’re each astir each other, but there’s thing that truly brings us together arsenic 1 group.”

RUBS aims to code that spread by fostering some taste transportation and κοινωνικά interaction, while besides giving students a stronger consciousness of identity.

Paris Kontopoulos.

“It’s astir individuality and pride,” they said. “This inaugural is simply a way to reconnect with that and besides physique something meaningful for our generation.”

The society’s archetypal year will absorption connected gathering a sustainable and progressive beingness connected campus, with plans to turn rank and found semipermanent foundations. The founders besides anticipation it whitethorn animate akin societies astatine different universities.

A premix of social, taste and community-based events is already successful the works, from casual edifice meet-ups to nightlife gatherings that bespeak some shared practice and student beingness successful Melbourne.

Lucas Ilievski.

“The extremity is to make a fun, inclusive situation that embraces Melbourne’s nightlife while besides celebrating our shared culture,” they said.

The radical is besides working intimately with existing student organisations, including RMIT United Society of Hellenes (RUSH), which has supported the aboriginal stages of the initiative. Collaboration with different university societies is expected to play a cardinal relation moving forward.

Beyond campus, the founders anticipation RUBS tin lend to strengthening ties within Melbourne’s wider Greek and Balkan communities, peculiarly among younger generations.

They pointed to the way earlier migrant communities built connections crossed cultures done shared experiences.

Stefan Boric.

“In the past, first-generation migrants were much focused connected gathering a beingness present working hard, supporting their families, and helping each different careless of background,” they said.

“That created a stronger consciousness of unity.”

While acknowledging that humanities tensions still beryllium betwixt some Balkan communities, they accidental the absorption of RUBS is firmly connected unity.

“RUBS aims to interruption down those barriers. It’s astir bringing radical together, not dividing them.”