In her first official function as Victoria’s multicultural commissioner, Helen Kapalos attended a colourful citizenship ceremony at Richmond Town Hall on Thursday, welcoming 63 prospective new Australians from 29 countries.

Hosted by City of Yarra mayor Phillip Vlahogiannis, the event promoted the Victorian government’s recently launched Embrace Diversity social media campaign.

In her speech, Ms Kapalos said: “In Victoria, our diversity is our greatest strength and a way of life.

“We come from all corners of the globe, speak more than 260 languages and dialects, and follow more than 130 faiths.”

The chair of Victoria’s Multicultural Commission called on Australians to “ensure that everyone feels part of the one community. No matter who we are, we all have the right to belong.”

During an emotional presentation Ms Kapalos reflected on attending her first citizenship ceremony as a 10-year-old.

“The two people I was there to watch receive their citizenship papers were waiting anxiously and proudly, and I felt their acute sense of belonging when the ceremony took place. Those two people were my mum and dad.”

The commissioner went on to describe the profound effect of her parents receiving their certificate.

“I never realised the burden they carried with them, of not feeling they belonged. It was only in that moment that Australia truly became home and a sense of pride and integrity about their path was restored.

“Both of them had left behind mothers they never saw again, but both of them willingly and heartbreakingly embarked on the journey, recognising it would create a life for their children they could never have hoped to achieve.”

Mayor Vlahogiannis said he was delighted to join the Victorian government’s Embrace Diversity initiative, which was launched at the AFL’s multicultural round.

“This campaign aims to engage people across Australia to not only embrace diversity but to celebrate it.”

The Embrace Diversity campaign encourages people to show their support by ‘joining the conversation’ on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where they can post, share and like comments and photographs tagged #EmbraceDiversity.