Scroll carries thousands of good wishes for Christchurch

A 100-metre scroll bearing thousands of good wishes from Australia has been presented to Christchurch in the wake of the mosque attacks.

The scroll – carrying more than 5000 messages – has been handed over to Mayor Lianne Dalziel by Shekhar Kamat, a founder of GoodWishes, a Melbourne-based group that provides a platform for people to support each other in the aftermath of community trauma and natural disaster.

The group was launched by Mr Kamat and his late partner, Maryjean Hunter, 16 years ago as a way of channelling positive thoughts and emotional encouragement to people around the world.

GoodWishes co-founder Shekhar Kamat presents a scroll full of positive messages to the Christchurch City Council.

“Giving ‘good wishes’ and support to those suffering is a natural human virtue,” Mr Kamat says.

“For Christchurch, it was important because the whole country was coming to terms with this tragic incident (along with us in Australia). It's like something tragic happening to your neighbour.”

Mayor Lianne Dalziel says the special scroll of support adds to the wave of messages from across the world that “unites us in love and kindness”.

“We are humbled by the extraordinary effort and care that has gone into the GoodWishes scroll and the compassion that embraces us all, no matter where we have been born or the way we express our faith,” the Mayor says.

“It is a gesture that further empowers our capacity to build a stronger, more united community in our city.”

Mr Kemat, who acts as a facilitator and message carrier, says that the GoodWishes message “is between people who give support and people who receive”.

“Both benefit,” he says.

“The most important aspect of this project is the people to people connection.”

The couple first collected “good wishes” in 2003, gathering 8000 messages for the people of Iraq, especially women and children.

Unable to visit Baghdad, they took those messages to the United Nations General Assembly President in New York.

The latest project in response to the mosque attacks on 15 March has drawn messages from many sites across Victoria, including a mosque, churches, schools and community centres and spaces.

A section of the GoodWishes paper scroll will go on public display in the level one foyer of the Council offices in Hereford Street.