Mark Pearson

The pressure of slashed media budgets, faster news schedules and attempts by Governments to control the flow of information is making it harder for journalists to do their job – truth-seeking and truth telling. And that isn’t good for cross-cultural news coverage, says Professor Mark Pearson.

Mark Pearson is a self-styled “press freedom worrier”. Yes, worrier, not warrior. As a journalism professor and Australian correspondent for Reporters Without Borders, Pearson worries about newsroom cost-cutting that has seen seasoned foreign correspondents replaced by inexperienced “parachute journalists”. He worries that the fast-pace of modern news deadlines makes it difficult to get to the real story in cultures where the sharing of information involves a measured process of gaining trust, not grabbing a 30-second sound bite. He worries that governments in many countries (in the developed as well as the developing world) are imposing more restrictions on press freedom – often in the name of anti-terrorism provisions, or protecting the public from rogue media.

Most of all he worries that the basic rationale behind press freedom – the telling of truth and the seeking of justice – could be compromised in the new media world.

Pearson was in Auckland this month to give the UNESCO World Press Freedom 2013 lecture at AUT University. (Watch or read here).

In an interview, he said the way of finding and telling the truth varied according to the country or culture involved, and that Western “foot-in-the-door, deadline-driven” news practices weren’t always the best way.

“In all societies, there are ways of eventually getting to the truth. If there is a cultural tradition that stops the truth emerging, then that cultural practice has to change.

“But on the other hand, journalists may need to be schooled in other traditions to find the truth in some cultures.”

Pearson gives the example of Samoa, where it can be taboo to question people with a higher social status, but there is a strong story-teller (or “tusitala”) tradition. In Papua New Guinea, a culture of strong obligations within social networks can make being a whistleblower or investigative journalist particularly difficult – if you are reporting about your own extended family. However newsrooms have developed systems for making this culture work in their favour – cultivating favours, or reporting outside their own network.

Meanwhile, Pearson says media cost-cutting around the world has slashed budgets both for investigative reporting at home, but also for international coverage.

Seasoned foreign correspondents, who in the past spent months or years getting to know a place, are increasingly being replaced by parachute journalists – western reporters who arrive in an unknown country in the heat of a crisis, “ego-driven, hunting for the scoop and trampling on cultural issues”.

In a recent paper, Dewi Anggraeni, an Indonesian journalist and writer based in Australia, describes how the aggressive and insensitive interviewing style of an ABC Television Network reporter forced an Indonesian dissident into defending the government that was persecuting him. Faced with exaggerated and incorrect “facts”, the dissident felt he had to put the record straight.

“This is where so many Australian and other journalists fail,” Anggraeni says. “It is a clash of cultures but it can be avoided by better journalism, deeper understanding and some sensitivity on the [western reporter’s] side.”

Pearson says new ethical models are needed for journalism in some areas, because the US/UK style of “publish and be damned” doesn’t suit all cultures.

“Superman talked about truth, justice and the American way. But truth and justice don’t have to be the American way. They can be the Samoan, Tongan or Fijian way. We have to re-examine our cultural heritage and look at the best ways to achieve truth-seeking and truth-telling.”

Meanwhile, Richard Pamatatau, who heads the Pacific journalism programme at AUT University and attended Pearson’s lecture, says the monocultural bias in major news organisations often means Pacific issues are reported with a European lens.

“Take the issue of democracy in Tonga. The New Zealand, British or Australian view is that Tonga isn’t democratic. Actually, there has been a constitutional monarchy there since 1875, but because they vote in a different way it doesn’t fit with the western view of what democracy is.”

The Pākehā-centric view within the media also means issues involving Māori or Pacific Islanders are often reported with an ethnic slant, but those involving whites are not. So, for example, stories about diabetes or child abuse in New Zealand are often given a Māori or Pacific Island label, whereas the issue of finance company failure is not reported as a “white” problem.

And whereas there is plenty of “blame the family” when media reports child abuse or violence in the non-white community, the media doesn’t expect the families of white collar criminals to take responsibility.

“Who is ringing the parents of finance company directors and saying: ‘You didn’t do a good job.’”

Pamatatau says as more non-Pākehā reporters start working in mainstream roles in New Zealand media, so the “mainstream” viewpoint will change.

“Take Anzac Day. It is very important for the Niuean population, but the annual Niuean service in Auckland only started being featured in the Radio New Zealand coverage when a Niuean sub editor started working at the station.

“It’s about who makes the decisions about what gets reported. At Māori TV, it’s Māori people making news decisions. That’s when you get a structural shift.”

Tours of the Centre will be given and Holocaust survivor testimony will be shown.  Other projects such as the New Zealand’s Children’s Holocaust Memorial button exhibition will also be on display.

The Synagogue will be open for tours to allow people a better understanding of Jewish life and religion in New Zealand.

For more information visit the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand website.

Do one thing for diversity and cultural understanding and post it on the Facebook events page or email your activity to diversetairawhiti@gmail.com.

Here some ideas to get you started:

• try an international dish, take a picture and post it on our Facebook events page
• greet someone in a different language other then your own
• read a book about a new place, a new country or a different culture
• talk to someone about cultural understanding.

For further information on how you can be involved contact: Arish Naresh, Manu Caddie, John Giffin or Vijen Reddy.

Professor Yamaguchi is a professor of Social Psychology at the University of Tokyo and visiting researcher at the Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research.  His lecture is titled “Cultural differences between Japan & New Zealand: Implications for Business”.

Please register your interest before 5:00pm on Friday, 10 May by email  or phone (04) 495 8332. Refreshments will be provided.

Participants will get up-to-date information on recruitment from an employer’s perspective and to meet with other service providers including the Job Mentoring Service and MClaSS. The workshop will be facilitated by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. 

If you have been in New Zealand for less than two years and are legally entitled to work here, call 04 803 8330 or email settlementsupport@wcc.govt.nz to register. Spaces are limited. Light refreshments will be provided.

Immigration Seminar, 8 May

Free Immigration information will be presented by the Wellington Branch of Immigration New Zealand, and Malcolm Pacific, Licensed Immigration Advisors.

Wellington Branch of Immigration will cover

• an overview of their service
• temporary Visa types i.e. Visitor, Work, Student
• residence categories.

Malcolm Pacific will cover

• what employers need to know when employing a skilled migrant

Venue :           Helen Smith Community room, Pataka (cnr Norrie and Parumoana Sts) Porirua.
Time   :           10-11.30am

Safe and warm in Winter, 9 May

Renee Rushton, Sustainability Advisor, Sustainability Trust, will share information about cheap and easy ways to create a warmer, drier, healthier home for you and your family this winter.  She will look at ways to keep the heat in, the best forms of heating, ventilation and getting rid of mold. Petelo Alosio, Community Injury prevention Consultant, Accident Compensation Corporation will talk about how to stay safe in your own home.

Venue             :          Helen Smith Community room, Pataka (cnr Norrie and Parumoana Sts) Porirua.
Time   :                      6-7.30pm

For more information and to register contact ssnzporirua@pcc.govt.nz or phone 2373578.

• Willie Cuthers, Ethnic Liaison Officer, NZ Police: Working with Police and keeping communities safe.
• Joy Rear, Registrar of Electors, Electoral Commission: Local Authority Elections.
• Neelam Jani, Specialist Refugee/Migrant Advocate, Nationwide Health & Disability Advocacy Service: Rights and support for migrants and refugees when receiving Health & Disability services.

For more information and to RSVP contact Jovi Abellanosa, Ph: 07– 853 0468.

For more information and to RSVP email wellington@englishlanguage.org.nz or phone  384 1992.

This event is to celebrate the conclusion of a creative writing workshop series for migrant women held in March-April 2013. The workshops were led by well known New Zealand writers, Renee Liang, Janet Charman, Sarah Laing, Siobhan Harvey, and Johanna Emeney.

36 women from 21 countries took part in this programme and examples of their work are in the New Beginnings: New Kiwi Women Write. Books will be available for sale and afternoon tea will be provided. 

For more information check out New Kiwi Stories online.

The Human Rights Commission works with Te Taurawhiri i te Reo Māori and Te Puni Kokiri to promote the week as an opportunity for all New Zealanders to celebrate Te Reo Māori and to Give it a Go to learn and use more Māori phrases in everyday life. Te Reo Māori is celebrated as a unique feature of our identity as New Zealanders, something that brings us together and celebrates our heritage.

In 2013, Māori Language Week will be celebrated from 1 – 7 July with the theme: Ngā Ingoa Māori names. Arohatia te Reo remains the tāhuhu, the base for MLW, however the ‘ingoa’ theme asks communities to consider important matters such as correct pronunciation, understanding the meaning of place-names, and using Māori names more often.

In MLW 2013, all New Zealanders will have the chance to improve their pronunciation and reo Māori skills.

Check out the Press release for more information.

Check out the MLW facebook page

It is a Samoan position that feeding children with words and stories is critical to acquiring high proficiency in Samoan literacy. Speaking Samoan constantly in different contexts is considered essential to its maintenance and growth. Samoan, like all languages, is mastered through regular use. A large Samoan vocabulary is necessary for academic success and a strong sense of self.

Families, early childhood centres, schools and tertiary education institutions, government departments, city councils, libraries, employers and unions, media, churches and community groups are all encouraged to undertake activities in support of Samoan Language Week. You are invited to register your activity by emailing nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz so that it can be published on the website and promoted as part of the week’s activities.

Samoan Language Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Samoan language in New Zealand, to recognise the language and culture of Samoan New Zealanders, to build bridges between cultures and to ensure that the language continues to be used widely in New Zealand in the future.

Samoan Language Week has a very active Facebook page with almost 8000 participants worldwide.

The week is a platform for the Deaf community to stand proud as Deaf and promote their language and culture. NZSL Week also gives Deaf Aotearoa an opportunity to reaffirm the rights of Deaf people as defined by the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

New Zealanders are invited to learn 25 Signs and go into a draw to win spot prizes.

People can sign up for a FREE NZSL Taster Class. There are two registration forms; one for businesses and one for schools. If you know a business or school that would benefit from learning NZSL and becoming Deaf aware register them today.

If you can’t make a class don’t worry, during NZSL Week everyone will have an opportunity to complete an Online NZSL Taster Class. This will be live 13 – 19 May.

Remember, everyone who participates in a NZSL Taster Class (either live or on this site) can then complete a short online quiz to go into the draw to win spot prizes.

For more information visit Deaf Aotearoa online.

In order to improve the programme further, we would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete a questionnaire about the programme. You can access the evaluation here.

We look forward also to hearing from you about what diversity projects or programmes you have planned. We are now midway through the re-registration for this year but if you have not already registered what you are doing, you can register your projects online or contact us on nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz. To view registrations for the current year visit Participants 2013 on our website.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

International Dance Day

Sunday, 5 May 11am-4pm

Celebrate International Dance Day at Te Papa. Experience Wellington’s rich cultural diversity through dance performances – and learn a new dance yourself!

International Dance Day has been celebrated around the world since 1982. This year, more than 20 Wellington dance groups present a diverse mix of workshops and performances.

For more information visit Te Papa online.

Whanganui Regional Museum

Puanga Celebrations

Taonga Pūoro – Traditional Māori Instruments
Thursday 30 May at 7.00 pm
The Atrium, Whanganui Regional Museum
Koha entry

The Museum is honoured to host world renowned Taonga Pūoro musician, Jerome Kavanagh (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Hauiti, Mōkai Pātea and Ngāti Maniapoto). Music doesn’t belong in a glass case, which is why Jerome Kavanagh is taking ancient Māori musical instruments beyond museum displays and bringing the historic sounds of Aotearoa to a contemporary audience. Bring a snuggle-rug, friends and whānau.

Taonga Pūoro Fusion
Friday 31 May at 7.00 pm
The Atrium, Whanganui Regional Museum
Koha entry

Jerome Kavanagh and friends demonstrate the versatility and power of Taonga Pūoro in a Hip Hop fusion experience at the Museum. Don’t miss hearing a musical sound that is uniquely Aotearoa New Zealand.

While you’re at the Museum, grab the chance to look at a small collection of some very old and fragile instruments put on show for the Puanga celebrations.

For more information visit the Whanganui Regional Museum website.

 Ryugaku means “study abroad” in Japanese. The scholarship would be discount based rather than monetary. This project is run and facilitated by KIWI@HOME through Burnside Primary School and is also linked to the general Christchurch recovery.

More information on the scholarship can be found online in English and in Japanese.

The Centre is also looking for volunteers to help set up, run and break down the event on the 18^, 19 & 20 June.   Roles include prepping the kai for the hangi, doing the hangi, serving kai, stewarding, feeding volunteers, setting up art work, doing gear pick up and drop offs and general event management.

Volunteer fire performers and drummers are also wanted to take part in the performance at the event. Food will be provided for volunteers.

To register for the meal or to volunteer contact Victory Community Centre 546 8389 or gareth@victory.school.nz or drop in.

Interpreting NZ offers:

• full training
• excellent hourly rate (once trained)
• ongoing professional development & support.

If you are proficient in English and any of the following languages, contact Interpreting NZ:

• Assyrian
• Burmese
• Chinese
• Cook Islands Maori 
• Dari
• Farsi
• Fijian (Native)
• Greek
• Hindi
• Karen
• Khmer
• Nepali
• Russian
• Sinhalese
• Somali
• Tagalog (Christchurch only)
• Tamil
• Tigrinya
• Tokelauan
• Tongan
• Tuvalu
• Vietnamese

Successful applicants will be required to complete the introductory interpreting course and pass an assessment before being employed on a casual basis.

To find out more and to fill in an application form, visit the website of Interpreting NZ. or call (04) 916 2462. Applications close Monday 1 July 2013.

• to build stronger relationships between existing interfaith groups
• to instil confidence for newly formed or newly-forming groups
• to increase interfaith activities in the region
•  to get to know each other better.

Although this is a “regional” forum for North Islanders, it is also open to all those interested in interfaith in New Zealand. The forum will include a series of open discussions, rather than formal presentations, focused around the general themes of what the group has accomplished, currently doing, how to do it better and the future direction of the interfaith movement in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

For further information go to the Waikato Interfaith Council  page or email wifcoevents@gmail.com to register.

Law in a Nutshell provides an overview of all the areas of the law that are relevant to your job and your everyday life. The course runs for 8 weeks, every Wednesday 9.30 – 12.30. Topics include:

• NZ legal systems                             
• employment
• Courts and tribunals                    
• family law
• criminal law
• domestic violence
• Police powers                                         
• Power of attorney and making a will
• debts and buying stuff                 
• immigration
• youth justice                                  
• renting
• privacy law                     

Cost: $40

Dates: 15 May – 3 July every Wednesday 9.30-12.30

Venue: Mangere Community Law Centre, Unit 9, Shop 27 Mangere Town Centre

To register call (09) 275 4310 or email your name and address to Gael Spence or visit  Mangere Community Law Centre, Unit 9, Shop 27, Mangere Town Centre.

Hirsh, like the other eight men and one woman who have taken on the top race relations job since its inception in 1971, saw his fair share of controversy. His term (1986-1989) came at the height of the Māori puau (awakening), when increasing Māori activism was seen as a threat by many in the non- Māori community.

On Hirsh’s watch was the “kill a white” case, when a comment from Māori protester Hana Te Hemara fired up the pakeha-dominated media. Hirsh also stirred up his own turbulent water when, in a speech in Wellington, he highlighted the issue of middle class Pakeha “white flight” from local schools they perceived to be too “brown”.

Other Race Relations Conciliator/Commissioners have faced issues as diverse as institutional racism at Auckland hospital, Māori occupations, Danish anti-Muslim cartoons, Waitangi Day protests, insurance companies loading policies against Māori, racial stereotyping in advertising, landlords refusing to rent properties to Pacific Islanders, anti-Asian attacks and people spitting on Poms (people from England).

A wide-ranging job has seen diverse candidates. Three Māori, three Pakeha, a German-born Jew (who came to New Zealand with his family to escape Nazi persecution), a Fijian-born Indian, a South African with black and Afrikaans heritage (who, as the first coloured in his division of an international company in Capetown, had to sit behind a partition and couldn’t use the same toilets as the whites) and a Dutchman.

Job-wise, there have been four former teachers, two diplomats, a writer and poet, a union leader and former left-wing protester, and an insurance salesman. Two have been All Blacks, one a top squash player.

However, one thing that has united most Race Relations Commissioners is the desire to take a softly-softly, conciliatory approach to people or organisations accused of discrimination, rather than a punitive approach. As Sir Guy Powles, the first Race Relations Conciliator said, the 1971 Race Relations Act allowed for formal notification of the nature of a complaint and of the intention to investigate, but punishment didn’t necessarily bring about social change.

“The quiet and informal approach, which can involve direct discussions between the parties under the guidance of the conciliator or one of his officers, has been proved to be more likely to achieve conciliation than the ‘big stick’ approach.” The emphasis, he said, was on changing attitudes, “not driving, by threats, the respondent more and more into an attitude of hostility and intransigence”.

Pita Sharples, the first Executive Officer of the Race Relations Office, describes a meeting between Powles (an active soldier in both world wars, a lawyer, a diplomat and New Zealand’s first Ombudsman) and all the top insurance companies – and their lawyers – after a complaint they were loading policies on Maori.

“[He was] a small man, very very strong. He taught me to stand up. … We met all day. They spoke, and at the end of the day, at 4 ‘clock, they’d finished and they waited for Sir Guy to respond and he simply stood up and said: ‘Thank you very much. Quite clearly you’ve put a lot of work into this. I feel very appreciative of the submissions you’ve made to us… but you still haven’t convinced me that you have the right to load the policies on Māori, so thank you very much, good day.’ And all these lawyers’ mouths just hung open, while this little man stood up and smiled at them.”

Chris Laidlaw (1989-92), says the way to measure success as a Race Relations Conciliator is not the number of baddies nailed to the wall, but “the things that didn’t happen, the stuff that never broke the surface”. 

Education was key from the beginning, although the act didn’t formally legislate for that as a role until 1993.

Over the years the office has organised dozens of youth discussion forums and student exchanges (where teenagers from the rural Pakeha south swapped schools and homes for a while with their counterparts from urban Maori/Pacific areas). There was also an extensive weekend Marae Experience programme, including one for judges, where the wife of the then Deputy Race Relations Conciliator Ken Mason was forced to ring all the judges wives to persuade them that the sanitary facilities on marae were suitable.

There have been courses for police, training modules for journalists (“The stuff that used to get printed would make your hair stand on end,” says former Conciliator Chris Laidlaw. “You don’t see that so much now”), workshops for doctors, guidelines for real estate agents, seminars for advertising executives, a partnership with the Auckland Museum around the Precious Legacy Jewish exhibition, and educational kits on the use of quality in the production of Māori souvenirs.

But ironically, the first thing the early conciliators needed to remind the country’s political and business leaders, was that there were actually any racial problems in New Zealand.

As Ken Mason, the first Deputy Race Relations Conciliator put it, passing the 1971 Race Relations Act was mostly done to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. New Zealand was seen internationally (and saw itself) as a model – “a gem” – of good race relations. So while the Government of the day felt it had to comply with the UN convention, it didn’t really believe discrimination occurred here.

“But then the thing snowballed, because one of the main provisions in the Act permitted people to complain about certain areas of discrimination – and that’s exactly what happened.”

In the first six months of operation, there were 79 complaints under the terms of the Act, mostly from or on behalf of Māori and Pacific Island peoples, plus a lot of referrals from the office itself.

The second year saw 92 complaints, plus a large number of informal cases resolved by mediation without any formal complaint being lodged.

However, in a society which didn’t really believe racial discrimination existed, even the investigation and conciliation process could be bruising, according to the author of the Office’s 1974 annual report.

“Racial discrimination is generally regarded by New Zealanders as a very serious offence involving questions of morality and integrity, thus many defendants continue to protest their innocence against overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Interviews with either the complainant or the defendant are often beset by strong emotional attacks… Persons would often admit a certain act, but deny it was racial discrimination on the grounds that they had other good reasons for their actions.”

Although a lot of the Conciliators’ work is done talking to people in the office, history has shown it’s certainly not just a desk job. Commissioner Hiwi Tauroa (1980-1986) was invited to South Africa in 1981 to give the government of P W Botha advice about whether to send the Springboks on tour to New Zealand. (He recommended they stay at home, rightly predicting trouble if they came.)

And the time, in the late 1970s, when Pita Sharples was working with the Māori gangs could be hard for everyone involved. “Sometimes they’d come into the Office and that was quite stressful at times. I regretted that [Conciliator Harry Dansey (1975-1980] had to be part of that stress.”

In 1995, John Clarke (1992-1996) spent three days in the highly-charged atmosphere of the Moutoa Gardens occupation in Wanganui, negotiating with the council, police and protesters. He succeeded in diffusing much of the tension and reopening channels of communication. “It was a huge undertaking for us, and it was a great success.”

Clarke, who was of Māori descent, had held a number of potentially difficult jobs (teacher, principal, chief executive of the Ministry of Māori Affairs, and Group Manager at the Department of Justice). But he initially turned down the job of Race Relations Conciliator, saying he was “scared of it.”

“It’s a tough job. You’ve got a small staff, and the pressure… Every time you pick up the phone you expect someone to be cursing you. When I arrived there [I received] this letter – it wasn’t about me, it was about someone else. It was the most filthy letter I’ve read in my life. You received some nasty stuff there. And then you have politicians involved, and that makes it hard too, when politicians put in their twopence worth.”

In this climate, said Chris Laidlaw, it is a sense of humour that is the most important trait for a Conciliator.

“I saw my job as saying: ‘Look, let’s relax about this a bit more. Don’t take ourselves too seriously. There is humour in this as long as the joke is cracked by someone who has no axe to grind.”

*Initially the role was called Race Relations Conciliator, but in 2002, with the introduction of the Human Rights Amendment Act, the position’s title was changed to Race Relations Commissioner, though the job did not change. The information in this article comes from a History of the Office of the Race Relations Conciliator, prepared by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Mana Tu Taonga from interviews with previous Commissioners and others.

Race Relations Conciliators

Sir Guy Powles (1971-1973). NZ Pakeha. Soldier, lawyer, diplomat, Ombudsman

Harry Dansey (1975-1980). Māori. Author, poet, journalist, soldier

Hiwi Tauroa (1980-1986). Māori. Teacher, principal. Māori All Black

Wally Hirsh (1986-1989). Jewish, born in Germany. Accountant, teacher, Fulbright scholar

Chris Laidlaw (1989-1992). NZ Pakeha. All Black, rugby coach, Rhodes scholar, diplomat

John Clarke (1992-1996). Māori. Teacher, principal, senior civil servant

Dr Rajen Prasad (1996-2001). Fijian Indian. Tertiary professor, head of Massey University in Albany, Labour MP

Gregory Fortuin (2001-2002). South African of African/Afrikaans descent. Insurance, Honorary Consul to New Zealand, Company Director

Race Relations Commissioners

Joris de Bres (2002-2013). Dutch. Senior public servant, union leader, journalist, not for profits

Dame Susan Devoy (2013- ). NZ Pakeha. World Champion squash player, non-profit senior management and governance

Ko te whakautu: āe – mārika!

He kawenga pāpori tō ngā pakihi. Ko te whakaritenga itinga rawa, me whakaute ia pakihi i ngā tika tangata, ahakoa kei tēhea rāngai, whenua, horopaki hoki.  He wāhanga nui tō ngā kāwanatanga kia tutuki tēnei.  He kawenga tō rātau kia whai wāhi, kia tiakina hoki ngā tika tangata mā te katoa kia kaua rātau e tūkinohia e ētahi atu – tae atu ki ngā pakihi hoki.  

I whakaūhia e Te Kaunihera Tika Tangata UN Ngā Mātāpono Ārahi i ngā Tika Pakihi, Tika Tangata hoki: Te Poutarāwaho Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ e whakatakotohia e te Māngai Motuhake a te UN a John Ruggie. E mōhiotia ana ko ngā Ruggie Principles, ka mahi ēnei ki te ārahi i ngā pakihi mō te mahi i roto i tētahi poutarāwaho tika tangata me te mahi anō hoki ki te whakaute i a rātau kaimahi me ngā hapori e mahi ana rātau.

E toru ngā pou whirinakitanga o te Ruggie’s Framework:

• Te mahi a te kāwanatanga ki te tiaki i ngā tika tangata
• Te kawenga rangatōpū ki te whakataute i ngā tika tangata
• Te huarahi whakaora (e tukuna ana e ngā kāwanatanga,me ngā rangatōpū anō).  Ko te tikanga o tēnei mēnā ka wāhia ngā tika ka whakaōritehia ēnei ki ngā rongoā tōtika, whaitake hoki.

Pānuihia anō ngā kōrero mō ngā Ruggie principles i konei

Ka tuhia anō ngā kawenga Kāwanatanga ki ngā whakapuakanga katoa, tiriti me ngā kawenata.  Pānuihia te ūpoko 29 a Te Whakapuakanga a Te Kotahitanga o ngā Whenua o te Ao mō ngā Tika a ngā Iwi Taketake  (UNDRIP):

1.    He tika tō ngā iwi taketake ki te atawhai me te tiaki i te taiao me te tiaki i nga kaha whai hua o ō rātau whenua, rohe pōtae rānei me ngā rawa.   Me waihanga ngā Kāwanatanga me te whakatinana i ngā kaupapa hei āwhina i te iwi taketake mō te atawhai me te tiaki i te taiao, me te kore aukatitanga

2.    Me whakarite ngā Kāwanatanga ki te whakapūmau kāore ngā matū whakamōrearea e whakaputu, e putua rānei i runga i ngā whenua, rohe potae rānei o ngā iwi taketake mēnā kāore rātau i whakaae atu i runga i te mārama.

3.    Me waihanga huarahi ngā Kāwanatanga ki te whakarite, ina hiahiatia, ka whakatinanahia ngā kaupapa mō te aroturuki, te taunaki me te whakaora i te hauora o ngā iwi taketake, i runga i ērā i whakawhanaketia, i whakamahia hoki e te hunga i pāngia e ēnei matū

E rārangitia taipitopitotia ana ngā kawenga Kāwanatanga i ia kōwae, ā, he mea nui kia mōhio ko tā te UNDRIP he tuku paerewa  “tutukitanga mō te whai i runga i te wairua kotahitanga, me te mana ōrite” (nō ngā Kupu Whakamahuki o te UNDRIP).

Engari, ka hapa tonu ngā kāwanatanga ki te whakature i te pānga tika tangata ki ngā pakihi, ā, me te whakamōhio haere tonu i a rātau ki ēnei kawenga, me te whai mārama anō ki ngā paerewa iti rawa e rārangi ana i ngā tiriti me ngā whakapuakanga o te ao.

Heoi, he kōrero pai anō kei reira. Kei te whakahē haere tonu ngā hapori me te tuku whakapātari ki ngā mea e pā mai ana i ō rātau rohe.  Kei te whakamahia e te iwi o Parihaka ngā tiriti tika tangata me ngā whakapuakanga, otirā te Tiriti o Waitangi me te UNDRIP hei tautoko i a rātau.  E āta whakatakoto pū ana rātau i tā rātau whakahē ki te whakatuwheratanga whānui o ngā rūri hōpara me ngā wiri whenua i te takiwā o tō rātau papakāinga me ō rātau takutai rāhui:  Te urupare a Parihaka

E tautoko ana mātau i ā rātau mahi nei me te tatari anō hoki i te urupare a te Kāwanatanga.

Mēnā e hiahia ana koe, tō hapori rānei ki te rapu mōhiohio atu anō mō ngā tika a ngā iwi taketake, ā me pēhea te whakatinana anō, whakapā mai:  treaty@hrc.co.nz

Ngā Tika Tangata, Pakihi me te UN

He aha ngā mahi i Aotearoa mō ngā tono keri whenua, ā, kei te hokona te wai i te ao whānui.  Ko te urupare, kei te waihanga aratohu te UN ki te tautoko i te āhukahukatanga o ngā tika iwi taketake e te rāngai tūmataiti. E wātea ana i konei tētahi tūtohu hei matapakinga tūmatanui:

Pānga Ao Whānui

E tono ana ki te hunga e hiahia ana kia tukuna mai ā rātau kōrero mō te tūtohu ki undrip@unglobalcompact.org.

Mēnā e hiahia ana koe ki te tuari whānui i ō kōrero, tukuna ā-mēra ki dedicated discussion thread at the Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum.

Ko ngā tāpaetanga kōrero katoa ka tae mai ka whakaarohia hei whakaurunga atu ki te Aratohu. Me mātua tae mai ngā kōrero i mua o te 30 o Pipiri 2013.

 He mea nui ngā ingoa. He whakamāramatanga mō tō tātau hītori; he hono ki tō tātau whakapapa me te kōrero anō mō te whenua, tō tātau tuakiritanga rānei. 

He mea nui anō te whakahua tika.  I pātai mātau ki ētahi taiohi “mēnā kāore i tika te manaaki i a rātau – mēnā he pēnei, i aha?  I kī mai ētahi tamatāne kāore i tika te whakahua a tō rātau kaiako i ō rātau ingoa.  Ki a rātau, kāore i te whakarongohia rātau me te manaakihia tikahia. Ka whakaaro ai koe mō te pānga o tēnei ki tō rātau mātauranga, ka mutu e hia te hunga e whai pānga ana ki tēnei āhuatanga. 

Hei tā te Kaihautū Tika Tangata me te Tumuaki o mua o Te Kura Tuarua o Tūranga Wāhine, a Karen Johansen, “He ākonga anō ngā kaiako. I roto i tētahi taiwhanga pai, he whai wāhitanga tēnei mō ngā tamariki kia noho hei kaiako me te tautoko tika i tō rātau kaiako ki te whakahua tika i ō rātau ingoa. Mā tēnei e rangatira ai te katoa.

I Aotearoa, mō tātau katoa Te Reo Māori – hei whakanui, hei kōrero, hei tautoko hoki. 

I Te Wairoa , ko te reo Māori te reo tuku iho o te nuinga o te iwi. E mahi tahi ana Te Kāhui Tika Tangata me te hapori o Te Wairoa kia noho reo rua a Wairoa a te 2040.  E ārahitia ana tēnei matakitenga e ngā whakahaere e whā, Te Kura Motuhake o Te Ataarangi, Ngā Kōhanga Reo o te rohe o Te Wairoa, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa me Te Taiwhenua o Te Wairoa. I whakarewahia te rautaki i Te Rā Tika Tangata i te 10 o Hakihea 2012.  Anei ētahi atu kōrero mō Te Wairoa Reorua 2040 i konei:

 Mō te hunga ehara Te Reo Māori i tō rātau reo tuku iho, mā te ako me te whakanui i te reo ka ū tātau ki ō tātau kawenga i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi me ētahi atu here o te ao. E āta kōrero ana ngā tiriti tika tangata me ngā whakapuakanga mō ngā kawenga e pā ana ki te reo taketake o te Whenua.  

Ka āwhina Te Whakapuakanga a Te Kotahitanga o ngā Whenua o te Ao mō ngā Tika a ngā Iwi Taketake kia mārama tātau ki ētahi paerewa tika tangata. Ka āta kōrero te Ūpoko 13 mō ngā ingoa:

Kei ngā iwi taketake te tika ki te whakaara ake, te whakamahi, te whakapakari me te whāngai ki ngā uri whakaheke, ā rātau kōrero tuku iho, reo, kōrero ā-waha, mātauranga whakaaro, pūnaha tuhi me ngā kōrero, me te waihanga me te mau i ō rātau ake ingoa mō ō rātau hāpori, wāhi me ngā tāngata.

Mō ētahi atu kōrero mō Te Wiki o Te reo Māori, haere ki Facebook page:

Tērā rānei Kōrero Māori:

E mahi tahi ana Te Kāhui Tika Tangata me Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Te Puni Kōkiri me Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga ki te whakatairanga i te wiki hei kaupapa mā te katoa ki te whakanui i Te Reo Māori. Whakamōhio mai ki a mātau ō mahi whakanui – tērā pea he kaupapa hapori, he kī taurangi nāu ake pea kia whakapau kaha koe ki te āta whakahua tika i ngā ingoa wāhi, ingoa tangata hoki.

I tēnei marama i whakatauhia e Te Kāhui Tika Tangata tētahi tira nō Te Kōmihana Tika Tangata ā-Motu o Myanmar ki te tari o Te Whanganui a Tara.  Nō te Te Āti Awa ngā tikanga whakatau – he hongi, kōrero, waiata, whakawhanaungatanga, kai.

I te tūnga o te Tiamana o te Kōmihana o Myanmar ki te kōrero, i kōrero ia mō te āhuatanga o te whakatau i a rātau.  I kōrero ia he iwi whai tikanga anō rātau, whakawhanaungatanga, manaakitanga hoki. He hōnore nui ki a rātau tēnei āhua whakatau i a rātau.

Ko Sue Anne Teo, mema o te tira o Malaysia, te kaitakawaenga i tēnei haerenga mai. I tōna hokinga atu ki te kāinga, i īmēra mai ia ki te mihi mai mō te whakatau i a rātau. I puta i a ia te kōrero “terima kasih”, ā, ko tōna whakamārama mō tēnei kōrero he rite ki te “thank you” engari ko tōna ake whakamāoritanga ko te “whiwhi aroha”.

Ko te nuinga o mātau i te tari nei, kāore anō kia tae ki Myanmar engari kua ū te whanaungatanga i waenga i a rātau.  I rongo mātau i tō rātau reo me te whakarongo ki ā rātau waiata, ā, nō mātau te whiwhi i whai wāhi mātau ki ēnei āhuatanga. 

Kāore he kōrero i tua atu, engari he mihi nui ki a Te Āti Awa.

For more information on Pacific Language Weeks visit the Ministry of Pacific Island Affair’s website and facebook page.

New Zealand Sign Language Week 13-19 May

Samoan Language Week 26 May – 1 June

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori/Māori Language Week 1-7 July

Cook Island Language Week 4-10 August

Tonga Language Week 1-7 September

Tuvalu Language Week (Inaugural) 30 September – 6 October

Fiji Language Week (Inaugural) 7-13 October

Niue Language Week 13-19 October

Tokelau Language Week 28 October – 3 November

There is a topic for each session (these may change subject to unforeseen circumstances). Entry is by gold coin donation.

There are three May sessions:

• 11 May – Chinese Cuisine – Sticky Rice Dumpling Making and Tasting 中华美食系列 - 粽子 
• 18 May – Katherine Mansfield and Xu Zhimo Once Met 凯瑟琳·曼斯菲尔德与徐志摩的一面之缘
• 25 May -A Casual Talk About Chinese Snacks 漫谈中华小吃 

For more information contact: Ellen Yang on (04) 473-7558, or email.

A Chinese Film 中国电影 will also be shown on Thursday 23 May at 7.15pm in Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Entry is by gold coin donation. Feature Film: Lost on Journey, 人在囧途 [2010]  95 minutes. Director: 叶伟民 Wan Man Yip Cast: 徐峥Xu Zheng，王宝强Wang Baoqiang，李小璐Li Xiaolu. This film is sponsored by Cultural Section, Chinese Embassy in NZ 感谢中国驻新西兰使馆文化处提供影片

This course presents an opportunity:

• for level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers to explore the many and varied learning opportunities in the e-learning space.
• to exchange ideas and strategies about e-learning and teaching.
• to increase their knowledge and understanding of e-technologies and the impact on 21st century learners.
• to build teacher confidence in an environment where students are potentially more literate.

Registrations close 14 June 2013. An early bird fee applies if fees are paid by 31 May 2013, otherwise full fees apply. For more information visit the TRCC website and click on the Ako-e link under the Latest Courses heading.

For more information visit the facebook page.

The Universal Periodic Review is an important opportunity for individuals, NGOs and civil society organisations to share their experience and views on New Zealand’s realisation of human rights for everyone in the forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council. What people and communities say can influence future developments.

It isn’t just about writing reports. Communities will be consulted on what’s important for them. UPR 13/14 is an opportunity to work with other like minded groups, and to lobby the Government to make voluntary commitments and/or accept recommendations made by the working group following the UPR 13/14 process. The Commission is offering free workshops to support civil society in UPR 13/14. For more information visit the Human Right’s Commission’s website.

O le tofa mau a Samoa, a fafaga fanau i upu ma tala e ola a’e ua atamamai i tu ma aga. A tautala pea lava pea i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona fa’aolaola ai i loto ma agaga o le fanau le tofi o tagata Samoa. Fa’atauanau fanau e tautatala i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona masani ai ma popoto e tautatala i luma o tagata. O le tele o upu ma tala, o le maoa’e fo’i lea o le ola a’oa’oina ma malosiaga o le tagata.

Theme: ‘Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language’

It is a Samoan position that feeding children with words and stories is critical to acquiring high proficiency in Samoan literacy. Speaking Samoan constantly in different contexts is considered essential in its maintenance and growth. Samoan, like all languages, is mastered through regular use. A high vocabulary size in Samoan is necessary for academic success and a strong sense of self.

Regional contests will be part of Samoan language week.

The National speech contest is set for Friday 28 June at the Lower Hutt Town Hall Laings Road Lower Hutt, Wellington.

NZSL Week is run annually by Deaf Aotearoa to promote NZSL as an official language of New Zealand and raise awareness about the Deaf community. The week includes free NZSL Taster Classes for schools, businesses and other organisations as well as a range of national and regional promotions.

To cater for the growing demand for its NZSL Taster Classes, this year Deaf Aotearoa is launching an Online NZSL Taster Class. Visit their website during NZSL Week to watch interactive clips and learn how to sign everyday words/phrases. After completing an NZSL Taster Class (either in-house or online), participants can enter a quiz and go in the draw to win prizes.Deaf Aotearoa also has a range of resources to teach people NZSL including booklets, posters, finger-spelling cards and DVDs.

Deaf Aotearoa is the national service provider for Deaf people in New Zealand. It works with Deaf communities and provides information and resources on a range of services.  Deaf Aotearoa also works closely with government agencies, other not-for-profit organisations and the corporate sector to increase awareness of Deaf people’s lives, promote New Zealand Sign Language and reaffirm the rights of Deaf people. Deaf Aotearoa is a Disabled Person’s Organisation and the New Zealand representative for the World Federation of the Deaf, the international body for Deaf people.

It only happens once every five years or so, and it’s happening now.

As well as printed material in both English and Te Reo Māori, the Electoral Commission is providing information in a range of formats – advertising is in both English and Te Reo Māori, detailed online videos explain the Option and the choice in Plain English, and all video content is available online in New Zealand Sign Language.

You can find out more about the Māori Electoral Option online or by calling Freephone 0800 36 76 56 (in English or Te Reo Māori). Videos in New Zealand Sign Language can be viewed on the Elections website or on www.seeflow.co.nz.

Interpreting Wellington continues to train English speakers on how to use interpreters effectively, providing workshops (usually at no charge) for staff working with non-English speakers.   Agencies are invited to contact info@interpret.org.nz for more details.  Basic instruction is also available on the Interpreting NZ website, via a short video as well as in writing:  For non-English speakers, there are fact sheets in 14 languages – Samoan has just been added – on the same site.

As in 1993, the vast majority of Interpreting Wellington’s interpreters in 2013 are from migrant or refugee backgrounds.  Training is essential – both the English- and non-English speaker in any situation deserve to hear the other’s message fully and accurately, in complete confidence, and with no interference or influence from the interpreter.  Interpreting New Zealand (comprising Interpreting Wellington & Interpreting Canterbury) will be seeking new trainees in May and June for their second-half year course.  Detailed information can be found on their website.

The school holds classes for young Sri Lankans between 4 and 13 years old. There are three levels of classes and has a special focus on Sri Lankan Language (Sinhala) and Culture. The school’s activities provide an integrated meaningful learning experience for students, with the aim of enhancing the quality of life of the young Sri Lankan Community in Christchurch.

This means that, if the proposals are agreed, the existing English names and the reo Māori names for the islands will be able to be used officially, either individually or together. This also means they can be referred to as the North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui, or the South Island or Te Waipounamu – or both names can be used together.

Have your say – the consultation period is now open and closes on 5 July. For more information visit the LINZ website.

Ask the same question now and they will say she is the Race Relations Commissioner, one of the fulltime Commissioners at the Human Rights Commission. Dame Susan Devoy, (she was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1998, and remains the youngest in those ranks.)

The reality is the sporting career that made her a household name, ended 21 years ago this year, when she retired in October, 1992 from the sport in which she was four times world champion, eight times British Open champion. That’s almost twice as long as the time she spent as the dominant female squash player of her generation.

She says, “I haven’t exactly been sitting around since I hung up my squash racquet.”

As the 10^th incumbent in the role, Susan is also the first woman Race Relations Commissioner. She arrives with a post-sporting career that has included governance positions and a strong interest in community development. Susan is also of the firm belief that each and every New Zealander deserves a fair go and that discrimination of any sort, but particularly related to race or ethnicity, is a blight on society that needs a firm and prompt response.

During her career as a squash player she was a globetrotter. After squash she disappeared from the national and world stage, but has hardly put up her feet.

Not only has she raised a family of four active and boisterous boys,  Julian, Alex, Josh and Jamie, she has served on the Halberg Trust, spending more than 10 years as the chair. Before she moved to Tauranga she helped provide strategic direction and governance for Auckland’s health services as a director of the Auckland District Health Board.

In Tauranga, she took on the role of chief executive of Sport Bay of Plenty. As chief executive she saw her chief mission as “simply getting more people, more active, more often. Only then would they have the confidence to participate in organised sports.

She said in a magazine interview that haranguing people to get off the couch won’t work. “We’re all fixating on the obesity and all the bad things and we’re not getting across the message that exercising is actually good fun. How many kids have you seen not smiling when they’re out there throwing a ball, kicking a ball or running around? We need to motivate and inspire rather than put the fear of God into people.”

She was no figurehead. As chief executive she managed to double funding and staff, no small recognition for her skills in relationships management and promotion.

Susan has a long held passion for ways to make a practical difference so New Zealanders from all sectors of society can lead better lives. This was demonstrated early when she was a squash champion. In the 1980s, as the dominant no.1 female player in the world Susan created headlines for suggesting that the prize money for women should be the same as for men. When asked about this by a magazine she said, “It didn’t win me a lot of friends, certainly among the male players and the administration but it paved the way for a better deal for women. Because it wasn’t just the prize money, it was the whole way the women players were treated.”

Asked if she is a fiery person, she has said, “I am very stroppy on things that are important to me, issues that really matter. I don’t like conflict in particular, but on things I really believe in, I will go to the line over them.”

Her time with the Halberg Trust was motivated by her wish for better outcomes for people with disability. The trust runs the country’s major sports awards with the mission of raising funding to give disabled young people sporting opportunities. For similar reasons she has played an active role as a member of the Sustainability Council and has in the past been the patron of the Cystic Fibrosis Association.

Similarly, she and a friend are behind Wonderwalkers, a “one-stop shop for women and walking”.  The organisation seeks to create awareness of the benefits of regular gentle exercise through walking with a website that offers tips, information and encouragement. In particular, the organisation wants women from all walks of life, but especially those with low incomes, to know that gentle regular walking with friends will make their lives better, both in terms of fitness, health and psychological wellbeing.

On 20 October, 1988 she took the first step on a long journey in support of the New Zealand Muscular Dystrophy Association. Over the 42 days she walked the entire length of New Zealand and covered 2200km. It was a major fundraising event that saw people donate half a million dollars for the cause. Later Susan became the patron of the foundation.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of that walk. Susan will be lacing on her trainers again for a repeat of her 1988 walk from October this year. She has already told her new colleagues at the Human Rights Commission that she expects them to be prepared to have their trainers ready.

The interpreters joined more than 60 former refugees from other countries who have also arrived in New Zealand through the quota programme.

New Zealand Red Cross Chief Executive John Ware says, “We’re looking forward to supporting the interpreters from Afghanistan, just as we support all refugees who come to New Zealand through the quota programme.”

“The challenge is to ensure that all families, regardless of their country of origin, have the volunteer support they need to start again.”

“We’ve had very large groups so far this year, and this group is similar in size. We will especially need volunteers in the Manawatu and Waikato areas, as this is where the interpreters and their families will be resettled.”

Former refugees from a number of other countries will be arriving in the Wellington, Auckland and Nelson areas and will also need volunteer support to help them adjust to life in New Zealand.

“Our Pathway to Settlement programme will work with all the new families to create individualised plans identifying their personal goals. Then our job becomes supporting them to achieve these goals, and a big part of that support comes from our dedicated volunteers” said Mr Ware.

The arrivals will settle into their new communities in mid-June, just before World Refugee Day on 20 June, but training for new volunteers will start in early May. Anyone interested in volunteering in Auckland, the Manawatu, the Waikato, Hutt Valley, Porirua, Wellington or Nelson should contact info@refugeeservices.org.nz.

Islam Awareness Week is a week of information and activities organised by the Federation of Islamic Association of New Zealand (FIANZ) to increase New Zealanders’ awareness of their beliefs, values and practices, and to tackle misinformation about their religion in a positive way. The aim is to achieve greater understanding by promoting communication and new relationships, and to reduce ignorance and misconceptions about the world’s second largest religion.

The objectives of the forum are:

• to build stronger relationships between existing interfaith groups
• to instil confidence for newly formed or newly-forming groups
• to increase interfaith activities in the region
•  to get to know each other better.

Although this is a “regional” forum for North Islanders, it is also open to all those interested in interfaith in New Zealand. The forum will include a series of open discussions, rather than formal presentations, focused around the general themes of what the group has accomplished, currently doing, how to do it better and the future direction of the interfaith movement in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

For further information go to the Waikato Interfaith Council  page or email wifcoevents@gmail.com to register.

Speakers from various faiths will address the topic of the relevance of religion in Auckland today.

The morning speaker will be Dr Peter Lineham, an Associate-Professor at Massey University, who specialises in New Zealand’s religious history.

The afternoon’s panel will involve speakers from four major faiths- Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist – Dr Zain Ali, lecturer at Auckland University Theology Dept, Head of the Islamic Studies Research Unit; the Rev. Wilf Holt, Anglican, of the Auckland City Mission;  Mr Pravin Patel of the Hindu community and Ven. Carolyn Lawler, Senior Buddhist Nun at Dorje Chang Institute. The panel will address the theme of the relevance of religion in today’s society.

Small group meetings will allow participants to get to know each other, and to express their views. This is an ideal opportunity to share about social and faith issues in a relaxed and open atmosphere with people from many different backgrounds.

Lunch and morning tea will be provided. Cost $15 pp. For catering purposes, please register at aifcsec1@xtra.co.nz.

Vishu is a popular festival of the Hindus in the South Indian State of Kerala, marking the Malayalam New Year, in accordance with ‘Kolla Varsham,’ or the Malayalam Calendar. Vishu also signifies the transit of Sun into Mesha Rashi (Aries in the Zodiac format) and represents the vernal equinox. In Sanskrit, Vishu means ‘Equal.’

Association Secretary Dilip Kurien says “Easter is one of the most important religious festivals of the Christian liturgical year and Vishu holds great importance to Malayalees, regardless of their religion or sect. “

“The underlying concept of our programme is to share a distinct culture across a diverse group of individuals.”

Source Indian Newslink

In 2013, these will be led by Waikato faith leaders from the Bahá’í, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim communities.

A WIFCO press release says, “We would like to extend our vote of appreciation to Her Worship the Mayor Judy Hardaker, Hamilton City Councillor Daphne Bell, and all Hamilton City Council members for including both majority and minority religions in the opening of future Council meetings. This positive action sends an enthusiastic message of inclusion to all members of society and reflects the changing demographics of the city. We sincerely hope that our prayers, led by a more representative selection of Waikato faith leaders, may help guide and encourage our Mayor and City Councillors in fulfilling the obligations for which they have been elected.”

WIFCO believes that this is a significant milestone in local governance that embraces all members of Waikato’s multicultural and multireligious communities and hopes that other Councils throughout New Zealand undertake such initiatives.

For more information, please contact the WIFCO Secretary.

The key note speaker was Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford. At the event the community was praised for their work in promoting peace and religious tolerance in New Zealand and around the world, including raising money following the Christchurch earthquake.

There are a number of Silver Jubilee events that the community have planned this year which will conclude with the coming of their spiritual leader to New Zealand later this year to officially open their brand new mosque in Wiri.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 in Qadian, India. Today the community spans over 202 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in New Zealand was established in 1987.

The Hamilton student was one of eight finalists selected from 200 senior high school students around New Zealand who competed in regional heats.

The national awards drew its theme, ‘My Dream for Aotearoa’, from this year’s Race Relations Day theme.

The event’s chief judge Sam Sefuiva, Principal Advisor Race Relations, Human Rights Commission said,  “We can feel secure in the knowledge these young people will be future leaders of tomorrow.”

This year’s youngest competitor, Jacobi Kohu-Morris, a year 11 student from Logan Park College in Otago, won over many supporters with his confident and off the cuff rhetoric.  Fifteen year old Kohu-Morris was placed runner-up in the national finals.

Judge, NZ Police Superintendent Wally Haumaha, said it was unbelievable that this year’s students had surpassed the high bar set by last year’s competitors. He praised the depth of their insight and convictions.

The competition was inaugurated by the NZ Bahá’í community 13 years ago. Sponsors and major supporters include the NZ Police, Human Rights Commission and Office of Ethnic Affairs. Bev Watson, director of the NZ Baha’i Office of External Affairs says, “All were impressed by the tough competition which highlighted the outstanding talent of youth from throughout the country”. “It was a befitting way to mark the centenary of the Bahá’í Faith in New Zealand.”  

To view the winning speech, please visit the Human Right’s Commission website.

Request print copies online or contact the Editors.

This month the Commission welcomed a delegation from the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission to the Wellington office.  They were welcomed in the way of Te Āti Awa – hongi, kōrero, waiata, whakawhanaungatanga, kai.

When the Chairperson of the Myanmar Commission stood to speak, he acknowledged the way in which we had welcomed them.  He spoke of how they, too, are peoples of tradition, ceremony, warmth and hospitality. To be welcomed in such a way was an honour.

Sue Anne Teo, a member of the delegation from Malaysia, worked with us to help facilitate the visit. Once she returned home, she emailed us to thank us for the warm welcome. In it she said “terima kasih” which she explained is Malay for “thank you” but which literally translates as to “receive love”.

Most of us, here in the office, have never been to Myanmar but we have now exchanged whanaungatanga with their people.  We have heard some of their reo and listened to their waiata, and we feel privileged to have had this opportunity. 

We probably don’t need to say anymore, except, thank you Te Āti Awa.

Names are important. They can teach us our history; link us to our whakapapa and tell us stories about the land or our identity. 

Pronunciation is also important.  We asked young people “have you ever been treated unfairly – if so, what happened?”  A group of Māori boys told us that their teacher did not pronounce their names correctly.  To them, this meant that they were not being listened too and not being treated with respect. Imagine how this affects their education, and how many others have also had this experience. 

Human Rights Commissioner and former principal of Gisborne Girls High School, Karen Johansen, says “Teachers are learners too. In an ideal classroom, this would be a great opportunity for tamariki to be the teachers and to respectfully support their teacher to pronounce their names correctly. A real win/win learning situation.”

In Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Reo Māori is for all of us – to celebrate, speak and support. 

In Wairoa, te reo Māori is the heritage language of many of its people. Together, with the Commission, the Wairoa community is working towards creating a bilingual Wairoa by 2040.  This vision is guided by four kaitiaki organisations, Te Kura Motuhake o Te Ataarangi, Nga Kohanga Reo o te rohe o Te Wairoa, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa and Te Taiwhenua o Te Wairoa. The strategy was launched on Human Rights Day, 10 December, 2012.  Find out more about Te Wairoa Reorua 2040 here:

For those whose heritage is not Te Reo Māori, learning and celebrating the language also allows usthe opportunity to live up to our responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi and other international obligations. Human rights treaties and declarations specifically refer to rights and responsibilities in relation to the State’s indigenous language.  

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples helps us understand some of the human rights standards. Article 13 makes specific reference to names:

Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.

For more information about Te Wiki o Te reo Māori, visit the Facebook page: Or Kōrero Māori:

The Human Rights Commission works with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Te Puni Kokiri and the Ministry of Education to promote the week as an opportunity for everyone to celebrate Te Reo Māori. Let us know what you are going to do to celebrate – it could be a community event or maybe just a personal pledge to try really hard to pronounce place and people’s names correctly.

The answer, yes – absolutely!

Businesses have a social responsibility. As a minimum requirement, every business should respect human rights, regardless of the sector, country or context in which they operate.  Governments have a major role to play in making sure this happens.  They have an obligation to secure the universal enjoyment of human rights and protect all individuals from the harmful actions of others – this includes business.   

The UN Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework proposed by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. Known as the Ruggie Principles, these will work to guide businesses on how to operate within a human rights framework and work to respect their employees and the communities they operate in.

Ruggie’s Framework rests on three pillars:

• The state’s duty to protect human rights
• The corporate responsibility to respect human rights
• Access to remedy (provided largely by states, but also by corporates).  This means that if rights are breached then these are matched to appropriate and effective solutions.

You can read more about the Ruggie principles here

State responsibilities are also written into all declarations, treaties and conventions.  Read article 29 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP):

1.    Indigenous Peoples have the right to the conservation and protection of the environment and the productive capacity of their lands or territories and resources.  States shall establish and implement assistance programmes for indigenous peoples for such conservation and protection, without discrimination.

2.    States shall take effective measures to ensure that no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place on the lands or territories of indigenous peoples without their free, prior and informed consent.

3.    States shall also take effective measures to ensure, as needed, that programmes for monitoring, maintaining and restoring the health of indigenous peoples, as developed and implemented by the peoples affected by such materials, are duly implemented.

The State’s obligations are detailed in eachparagraph and it is important to note that UNDRIP provides only minimum standards “of achievement to be pursued in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect” (from the preamble of UNDRIP).

However, governments often fail to regulate the human rights impact of business and need constant reminding of these responsibilities, and to also understand the minimum standards set out in international treaties and declarations.

There is, however, good news. Communities continue to stand up and challenge what is happening in their rohe.  The people of Parihaka are using human rights treaties and declarations, specifically the Treaty of Waitangi and UNDRIP, to support their voice.  They stanchly outline their non-consent to the mass expansion of exploratory surveying and drilling around their papakainga and coastal reserves:  Response from Parihaka

We applaud these actions and wait with interest for the response from the Government.  If you or your community want to find more about indigenous rights and how to rights apply them, contact us:  treaty@hrc.co.nz

Human Rights and Business and the UN

What is happening in Aotearoa New Zealand around mining proposals and the commercial use of water is happening all around the world.  In response, the UN is currently developing guidelines to support respect of indigenous peoples rights by the private sector. A draft is open for public consultation and can be found here:

Global Compact

All interested people are invited to submit comments on the draft to undrip@unglobalcompact.org.

If you would like to share your comments publicly, please post them to the dedicated discussion thread at the Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum.

All submissions received will be considered for incorporation into the Guide. Comments need to be received by 30 June 2013

The workshop was developed primarily for migrant professionals and trainees in health and social work who want to understand the Treaty of Waitangi and its application to the New Zealand health system and social work/sector.

Settlement Support Co-ordinator, Ellen Altshuler says, “If you are new to a country it is important to learn about the deeper layers of the society and culture. In our work at Settlement Support we meet many highly skilled newcomers who want to learn more about the Treaty of Waitangi and to understand the Māori world view.”

“Questions about bi-culturalism and multi-culturalism are extremely relevant to new migrants wanting to orient themselves to the health and social work fields. This workshop will provide more in-depth understanding of the Māori principles that are integrated into these professions in New Zealand.”

The facilitator of the workshop, James Barrett, is an experienced Treaty of Waitangi educator and has years of experience working with migrant and refugee groups.

TANI believes in empowering the community to respond to its emerging health & wellbeing needs and acts as a bridge between mainstream service providers and Asian communities.

TANI’s mission is to develop strong and healthy Asian communities in Aotearoa New Zealand through networking, social connectivity, raising awareness and providing education about diverse wellbeing issues.

TANI’s 11th Asian Health Forum, held on 11 April 2013, was an opportunity for the network to reassess health needs and update current health, demographic and future considerations for the New Zealand environment.  Key note speakers included former Human Rights Commissioner and Chief Executive Public Health Association Warren Lindberg and Dr. Suneela Mehta.

It was because of John Giffin’s advocacy and enthusiasm that the Bahá’í community initiated the Race Unity Speeches in Gisborne 10 years  ago.

For the past 10 years, John has organised the programme to bring together secondary schools throughout Tairawhiti / East Coast. He has organised events in schools all around the speeches themselves, has travelled to Auckland with the regional winner every year and coordinated with the Police and the Human Rights Commission to make presentations at the winners’ schools. John’s support to the programme has ensured that Tairawhiti’s secondary schools continue to be represented in the competition.

John is also a member of the Tairawhiti Multi-Cultural Society, a trustee on Te Uenga Mai and on other regional organisations.

These printed pamphlets cover the Code of Rights and join the forty-two other translations of the Code which can be found on their website. The printed pamphlets have been welcomed by community leaders and agencies working with people whose first language is not English.

The launch was attended by members of the community and local Wellington agencies. Copies of the flyers can be ordered from the Health and Disability website.

There are a number of Silver Jubilee events that the community have planned this year which will conclude with the coming of their spiritual leader to New Zealand  later this year to officially open their brand new mosque in Wiri.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 in Qadian, India. Today the community spans over 202 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions.  The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in New Zealand was established in 1987.

Approximately 100 people from diverse communities attended the event to celebrate Papatoetoe’s diversity.

The event included a flag procession in the heart of old Papatoetoe which attracted many on-lookers. Participants brought different national flags and wore their national dress. Participants also shared their dreams for Aotearoa New Zealand on a banner which was publicly displayed. Cultural performances included a Tai Chi demonstration, and performances from the Vietnamese Chùa Báo Ân temple, the Chanting Wheel Buddhist Temple Charitable Trust, Pasifika Mana Social Work Support Services and the Methodist Church Girls’ Life Brigade.

The event was held in collaboration with representatives from Auckland Council, Settling In-MSD, Human Rights Commission, Pasifika Mana Social Support Services, Papatoetoe Historical Society, English Language Partners,  National Council of Women Manukau branch, Papatoetoe Town centre management and Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board members.

This year, the Club celebrated Race Relations Day (21 March) with a performance by the Chinese Lion Dance group at the local community at the Howick Information Centre. The Club’s president Andrew Wang also addressed the school about important issues surrounding race relations.

The college also held race relations quizzes, a flag pageant and an international food festival. The students at Macleans College come from 70 different countries – and these activities emphasise how the school celebrates and embraces its.

The 77 women photographed a century ago were attending a garden party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of women in New Zealand gaining the right to vote. The image still hangs in Fairfield House.

Karolina Gorton, a member of the Nelson Multicultural Council and Fairfield House collaborated to organise the event on International Women’s Day and suggested another photograph taken a century on should reflect the changed demographic of Nelson.

Nelson Multicultural Council co-ordinator Evey McAuliffe says, “In 1893, New Zealand women were the first women (in the world) to win the right to vote. This was due to the campaigning done by ordinary men and women who were passionate about equality and civil rights.”

Ms McAuliffe said the event marked the long journey women have been on to gain equality in society. “It’s a bit like climbing a hill – you stop and look back from where you’ve come from.”Women have come so far, but there’s further to go. We certainly are more culturally diverse in 2013 than we were in 1913.”

A WIFCO press release says, “This positive action sends an enthusiastic message of inclusion to all members of society and reflects the changing demographics of the city. We sincerely hope that our prayers, led by a more representative selection of Waikato faith leaders, may help guide and encourage our Mayor and City Councillors in fulfilling the obligations for which they have been elected.”

WIFCO believes that this is a significant milestone in local governance that embraces all members of Waikato’s multicultural and multi religious communities and hope that other Councils throughout New Zealand undertake such initiatives.

Whanganui Regional Museum

Exhibitions

Ngā Maunga Tūtei

15 February to 28 July 2013

A small exhibition of historical black and white photographs of Mounts Ruapehu, Ngāuruhoe and Tongariro reminds us of the craftsmanship and the intrepid nature of some of the early Whanganui photographers, such as Frank Denton and Mark Lampe. “Rārangi maunga, tū i te ao, tū i te pō – rārangi tāngata, ka ngaro, ka ngaro noa.”

Te Toi Ahurea ō Ngā Rauru

11 March to 2 June 2013

Our Museum is proud to support Ngā Rauru iwi and their Te Toi Ahurea event, celebrating Ngā Raurutanga, its successes and its people. We guide you around Ngā Rauru taonga in our contribution to this wonderful kaupapa. Mā mātou koutou hei mihi, hei whakanui ki ngā toi tūturu nō te nehenehe nui.

Minkisi – Art and Belief in West and Central Africa

From the Desmond Bovey Collection

To 25 August 2013

Minkisi features dramatic African statues and masks in a dynamic new exhibition. Collector Des Bovey, with a great knowledge of and passion for African cultures, provides us with an opportunity to see representations of art, culture and belief that are startlingly different to our own. Don’t miss it!

Land – mana whenua, mana tangata

Take a look at Whanganui, its land, its community and the town during the 19th century. You will explore the experiences of both tangata whenua and European settlers, with particular reference to land, spirituality, conflict and alliance.

For more information visit the Whanganui Regional Museum website.

In 2013, Māori Language Week will be celebrated from 1 – 7 July with the theme: Ngā Ingoa Māori names. Arohatia te Reo remains the tāhuhu, the base for MLW, however the ‘ingoa’ theme asks communities to consider important matters such as correct pronunciation, understanding the meaning of place-names, and using Māori names more often.

In MLW 2013, all New Zealanders will have the chance to improve their pronunciation and reo Māori skills.

Check out the Press release for more information.

Check out the MLW facebook page

For more information contact Nirmala Nand.

For more information contact: Violet Stewart.

For inquiries contact:  Jane Prichard , Ph: 528 3727.

To register please contact the Settlement Support co-ordinator, ph 237 3578.

The conference will be held on Saturday 27 April, 9am to 2pm at the Auckland University of Technology, Sir Paul Reeves Building (WG) 2 Governor Fitzroy Place, corner of Mayoral and Wakefield Sts. Please park in the Civic car park, Greys Avenue and bring your parking ticket to exchange for a free exit ticket at the end of the conference.

Morning tea and lunch will be provided. RSVP essential. Please RSVP by 20 April to ethnic.panel@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

The week is a platform for the Deaf community to stand proud as Deaf and promote their language and culture. NZSL Week also gives Deaf Aotearoa an opportunity to reaffirm the rights of Deaf people as defined by the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

New Zealanders are invited to learn 25 Signs and go into a draw to win spot prizes.

People can sign up for a FREE NZSL Taster Class. There are two registration forms; one for businesses and one for schools. If you know a business or school that would benefit from learning NZSL and becoming Deaf aware register them today.

If you can’t make a class don’t worry, during NZSL Week everyone will have an opportunity to complete an Online NZSL Taster Class. This will be live 13 – 19 May.

Remember, everyone who participates in a NZSL Taster Class (either live or on this site) can then complete a short online quiz to go into the draw to win spot prizes.

For more information visit Deaf Aotearoa online.

It is a Samoan position that feeding children with words and stories is critical to acquiring high proficiency in Samoan literacy. Speaking Samoan constantly in different contexts is considered essential to its maintenance and growth. Samoan, like all languages, is mastered through regular use. A large Samoan vocabulary is necessary for academic success and a strong sense of self.

Families, early childhood centres, schools and tertiary education institutions, government departments, city councils, libraries, employers and unions, media, churches and community groups are all encouraged to undertake activities in support of Samoan Language Week. You are invited to register your activity by emailing nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz so that it can be published on the website and promoted as part of the week’s activities.

Samoan Language Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Samoan language in New Zealand, to recognise the language and culture of Samoan New Zealanders, to build bridges between cultures and to ensure that the language continues to be used widely in New Zealand in the future.

Samoan Language Week has a very active Facebook page with over 7, 800 participants worldwide.

Ask the same question now and they will say she is the Race Relations Commissioner, one of the fulltime Commissioners at the Human Rights Commission. Dame Susan Devoy, (she was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1998, and remains the youngest in those ranks.)

The reality is the sporting career that made her a household name, ended 21 years ago this year, when she retired in October, 1992 from the sport in which she was four times world champion, eight times British Open champion. That’s almost twice as long as the time she spent as the dominant female squash player of her generation.

She says, “I haven’t exactly been sitting around since I hung up my squash racquet.”

As the 10^th incumbent in the role, Susan is also the first woman Race Relations Commissioner. She arrives with a post-sporting career that has included governance positions and a strong interest in community development. Susan is also of the firm belief that each and every New Zealander deserves a fair go and that discrimination of any sort, but particularly related to race or ethnicity, is blight on society that needs a firm and prompt response. She brings an intuitive sense of fairness.

During her career as a squash player she was a globetrotter. After squash she disappeared from the national and world stage, but has hardly put up her feet.

Not only has she raised a family of four active and boisterous boys,  Julian, Alex, Josh and Jamie, she has served on the Halberg Trust, spending more than 10 years as the chair. Before she moved to Tauranga she helped provide strategic direction and governance for Auckland’s health services as a director of the Auckland District Health Board.

In Tauranga, she took on the role of chief executive of Sport Bay of Plenty. As chief executive she saw her chief mission as “simply getting more people, more active, more often. Only then would they have the confidence to participate in organised sports.

She said in a magazine interview that haranguing people to get off the couch won’t work. “We’re all fixating on the obesity and all the bad things and we’re not getting across the message that exercising is actually bloody good fun. How many kids have you seen not smiling when they’re out there throwing a ball, kicking a ball or running around? We need to motivate and inspire rather than put the fear of God into people.”

She was no figurehead. As chief executive she managed to double funding and staff, no small recognition for her skills in relationships management and promotion.

Susan has a long held passion for ways to make a practical difference so New Zealanders from all sectors of society can lead better lives. This was demonstrated early when she was a squash champion. In the 1980s, as the dominant no.1 female player in the world Susan created headlines for suggesting that the prize money for women should be the same as for men. When asked about this by a magazine she said, “It didn’t win me a lot of friends, certainly among the male players and the administration but it paved the way for a better deal for women. Because it wasn’t just the prize money, it was the whole way the women players were treated.”

Asked if she is a fiery person, she has said, “I am very stroppy on things that are important to me, issues that really matter. I don’t like conflict in particular, but on things I really believe in, I will go to the line over it.”

Her time with the Halberg Trust was motivated by her wish for better outcomes for people with disability. The trust runs the country’s major sports awards with the mission of raising funding to give disabled young people sporting opportunities. For similar reasons she has played at active role as a member of the Sustainability Council and has in the past been the patron of the Cystic Fibrosis Association.

Similarly, she and a friend are behind Wonderwalkers, a “one-stop shop for women and walking”.  The organisation seeks to create awareness of the benefits of regular gentle exercise through walking with a website that offers tips, information and encouragement. In particular, the organisation wants women from all walks of life, but especially those with low incomes, to know that gentle regular walking with friends will make their lives better, both in terms of fitness, health and psychological wellbeing.

On 20 October, 1988 she took the first step on a long journey in support of the New Zealand Muscular Dystrophy Association. Over the 42 days she walked the entire length of New Zealand and covered 2200km. It was a major fundraising event that saw people donate half a million dollars for the cause. Later Susan became the patron of the foundation.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of that walk. Susan will be lacing on her trainers again for a repeat of her 1988 walk from October this year. She has already told her new colleagues at the Human Rights Commission that she expects them to be prepared to have their trainers ready.

In order to improve the programme further, we would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete a questionnaire about the programme. You can access the evaluation here.

We look forward also to hearing from you about what diversity projects or programmes you have planned. We are now midway through the re-registration for this year but if you have not already registered what you are doing, you can register your projects online or contact us on nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz. To view registrations for the current year visit Participants 2013 on our website.

The programme will re-start after Easter on 6 April, with a self-defence class, run by Hajar Ali, a certified Tae Kwon Do instructor and then netball coaching in the final sessions.

If you are a female from refugee background living in the Wellington region and want to come along, contact Nasra Abdi on 021 032 6306. Limited places available.

Date   :           6 April (and every Saturday in April)
Time   :          4:30-6:30pm
Venue:          ASB Arena, Kemp St, Kilbirne

Date:  8 May
Time: 2pm to 8pm.
Venue: Pioneer Women’s Hall, High St, Auckland.

If you are interested in attending, and/or wish to know more about the programme, please contact Karen Bayliss.

For more information see  flyer or visit English Language Partners NZ online.

Every Saturday night, between 6.30 and 8.30pm the Cameron Pool in Mt Roskill, Auckland, closes its doors to all customers except for women aged 12 to 24 years old.

This provides a safe and culturally supportive environment in which the women can learn to swim, build their water confidence and increase their understanding and awareness of keeping themselves and others safer in, on and around water.   

This is not only a fantastic opportunity for the women themselves, but also for their families and communities as their knowledge and understanding, and the value of swimming and water safety skills, is passed on.  

For full details visit www.watersafe.org.nz.

With 160 people, this was a record-breaking intake, and the next two intakes in March and May are expected process a similar number of refugees. The group also marked the first official intake of New Zealand Red Cross’ Refugee Services programme.

The higher numbers have challenged New Zealand Red Cross Refugee Services local staff, but so far the new families are settling in well.

“This past intake was New Zealand Red Cross’ first intake of quota refugees, and it was a much higher number than the Refugee Services programme had worked with in a very long time,” says New Zealand Red Cross Chief Executive John Ware. “In fact, it was the largest group New Zealand has seen in recent times.”    

But, he says, staff and volunteers have been up to the task and have supported the families well.

“The new arrivals are settling in with the support of our staff and amazing volunteers, and I’m confident we will be able to meet the ongoing challenges that will continue with the next two large intakes.”

One of the primary challenges faced by the organisation is the shortfall in volunteer support workers, with staff in most settlement areas focusing on recruitment.

“Our volunteer support workers provide vital practical support during the resettlement process, and we’ll continue working to ensure that each individual or family who comes through the programme has a dedicated team of volunteers.

“Each person we support brings something unique to New Zealand, and we will do all we can to help them contribute to their new home.”   

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a volunteer support worker, please email RefugeeServices@redcross.org.nz.

Refugee Quota Branch

Quota intakes

Between 1 July 2012 and the end of January 2013, 583 refugees arrived in New Zealand under the refugee quota programme. As such, Refugee Quota Branch is on target for meeting the 750 +/- 10% quota for the 2012/13 year.

On Friday 8 March the orientation programme for the latest quota intake began. The March intake consists of 150 refugees, the majority from Burma, with smaller groups from Colombia, Iraq, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sudan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Iran, Somalia and China. The March intake will depart Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre on Friday 19 April.

Afghan interpreters

The last intake for the 2012/2013 refugee quota year is scheduled for May and will comprise of 60-65 quota refugees and a group of 94 persons from Afghanistan. This group consists of the interpreters offered resettlement to New Zealand under a special assistance package due to their employment with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamyan Province. The 94 individuals include interpreters currently and previously employed by the PRT and interpreters working for the New Zealand Police through the EUPOL operation in Bamyan, as well as their immediate families.

 Refugee Family Support Category

From 1 July 2012 to 14 March 2013, the Refugee Quota Branch issued invitations to apply for residence to 40 sponsors under tier one, representing 123 nominees, and 32 sponsors under tier two representing 145 nominees. This means a total of 268 people have been invited to apply for residence under the Refugee family Support Category this financial year to date.

World Refugee Day

This June, the Refugee Quota Branch will be hosting an event to commemorate World Refugee day 2013 – date to be confirmed. Keep your eye out for more details about this event in the next addition of Te Punanga.

Refugee Status Branch (RSB)

Financial year to date statistics

From 1 July to the end of February 2013, 210 claims were lodged with RSB, and 205 claims were decided. Of those decided, 56 were recognised as refugees or protected persons and 149 were declined. Decline decisions can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal of the Ministry of Justice.

The top asylum seeker nationalities are shown below.

The recognition rate shown month by month is below.

Timeliness

At RSB, the target is for 75% of claims to be decided within 140 days (that is, 20 calendar weeks). RSB is currently meeting this.

Regional Delegations Visit

Late last year, delegations from South Korea and the Philippines spent a week in New Zealand learning about our refugee systems. Both delegations were sponsored by UNHCR in Seoul and Manila, who had put New Zealand forward as an international best practice model in terms of its refugee status determination and quota settlement programme. 

Delegates spent most of their time at the Refugee Status Branch, the Refugee Quota Branch, INZ-Border branch, and the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. They also met with NGOs such as Refugees As Survivors and visited the Auckland Refugee Council’s hostel.

Only a handful of states in the South East Asian / Pacific region are signatories to the Refugee Convention and even fewer operate refugee status determination systems, so the visit by South Korea and the Philippines was a real opportunity to find out what each other do and share information and approaches. South Korea is in the process of implementing its new Refugee Act. The Philippines is the only ASEAN member to have signed the Refugee Convention and operates an interesting stateless persons programme in conjunction with Indonesia. The visits were useful for building regional relationships and developing refugee and human rights law in the region.

South Korean delegates meet with INZ border staff

Korean Immigration Service, UNHCR-Seoul and RQB staff at the Mangere Centre

The Universal Periodic Review is an important opportunity for individuals, NGOs and civil society organisations to share their experience and views on New Zealand’s realisation of human rights for everyone in the forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council. What people and communities say can influence future developments.

It isn’t just about writing reports. Communities will be consulted on what’s important for them. UPR 13/14 is an opportunity to work with other like minded groups, and to lobby the Government to make voluntary commitments and/or accept recommendations made by the working group following the UPR 13/14 process. The Commission is offering free workshops to support civil society in UPR 13/14.

The Human Rights Commission is offering free workshops for individuals, NGOs and civil society to participate in New Zealand’s Universal Periodic Review, a review of the country’s realisation of human rights by the United Nations.

For more information visit the Human Rights Commission website.

With regard to languages, CERD said that while acknowledging that the teaching of te reo Māori is part of the general school curriculum and the existence of Māori Immersion Units, it is concerned at the finding by the Waitangi Tribunal that the Māori language is at risk of erosion. CERD also noted that the Government has adopted a Pasifika Language Framework but regrets that the Māori language strategy is yet to be elaborated. It is also concerned at reports of inadequate funding to support the preservation of community languages.

CERD stated that the Government should take specific measures aimed at preserving the Māori and Pasifika languages, as well as community languages, by ensuring that adequate funding is allocated for specific programmes. CERD also urged the Government to expedite the development of a new Māori language strategy.

View CERD’s report online.

This course presents an opportunity:

• for level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers to explore the many and varied learning opportunities in the e-learning space
•  for participants to exchange ideas and strategies about e-learning and teaching
• for participants to increase their knowledge and understanding of e-technologies and the impact on 21st century learners to build teacher confidence in an environment where students are potentially more literate.

Registrations close 14 June 2013. An early bird discount applies if fees are paid by 31 May 2013, otherwise full fees apply. For more information visit the TRCC website and click on the Ako-e link under the Latest Courses heading.

The NZSL Taster Classes will be held in schools, healthcare providers and businesses. There are different classes to suit different groups:

• NZSL Week Taster Class, – an introduction, designed to whet your appetite for learning
• NZSL for Healthcare Providers – healthy blend of NZSL
• Sign Up NZSL for Schools – age appropriate classes, giving food for thought
• NZSL Advanced Taster Class – perfect for those with a hunger for knowledge.

For registration forms, downloadable resources and more information visit the Deaf Aotearoa website.

There is one March session remaining on 23 March – Neighbour’s Day 邻居日 （远亲不如近邻 ). For more information contact: Ellen Yang (04) 473-7558, or email.

A Chinese Film 中国电影 will also be shown on Thursday 28 March at 7.15pm in Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Entry is by gold coin donation. Qiu Xi, 秋喜 [2009] Director:孙周 Sun Zhou. CAST: 郭晓冬 (Guo Xiaodong), 孙淳 (Sun Chun), 江一燕 (Jiang Yiyan), 秦海璐 (Qin Hailu).

O le tofa mau a Samoa, a fafaga fanau i upu ma tala e ola a’e ua atamamai i tu ma aga. A tautala pea lava pea i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona fa’aolaola ai i loto ma agaga o le fanau le tofi o tagata Samoa. Fa’atauanau fanau e tautatala i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona masani ai ma popoto e tautatala i luma o tagata. O le tele o upu ma tala, o le maoa’e fo’i lea o le ola a’oa’oina ma malosiaga o le tagata.

Theme: Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language.

It is a Samoan position that feeding children with words and stories is critical to acquiring high proficiency in Samoan literacy. Speaking Samoan constantly in different contexts is considered essential to its maintenance and growth. Samoan, like all languages, is mastered through regular use. A large Samoan vocabulary is necessary for academic success and a strong sense of self.

Regional Speech Contests: Regional contests will be part of Samoan language week.

The National speech contest is set for Friday 28 June at the Lower Hutt Town Hall Laings Road Lower Hutt, Wellington.

The Fono o le Tausaga (FAGASA Inc. Annual Conference) will be held 23-25 April in Palmerston North

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is an important opportunity for individuals, NGOs and civil society organisations to share their experience and views on New Zealand’s realisation of human rights for everyone in the forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council. What people and communities say can influence future developments.

It isn’t just about writing reports. Communities will be consulted on what’s important for them. UPR 13/14 is an opportunity to work with other like minded groups, and to lobby the Government to make voluntary commitments and/or accept recommendations made by the working group following the UPR 13/14 process. The Commission is offering free workshops to support civil society in UPR 13/14. For more information visit the Human Right’s Commission’s website. For more information and to register your interest in these events contact Michael White.

The Hika programme can be downloaded for use on any iOS hardware (iPad, iPhone) and any Android-driven mobile device and it is also available in a browser-based form for class or lecture room use.

To find out more visit the Hika Group website.

For further information contact Christchurch City Council on 03 941 8999. Customers can also access free New Zealand Sign Language and other language interpreting services at Christchurch City Council.

Manulauti (Conference theme): Fafaga fanau i upu ma tala: Tautala i lau gagana. (Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language).

F.A.G.A.S.A welcomes anyone interested  in attending the conference to prepare an abstract of 250 words only and send it to Le’autuli’ilagi Taotua M.F.Sauvao before 4.30pm Thursday 28 March.

Your abstract must relate to the theme or it won’t be accepted. Please note that abstracts will not be accepted received after the closing date. Please outline any equipment requirements for your presentation. The presentation should last between 35 – 40 minutes including questions and answers.

Matou te fiafia e faasilasila atu i a’i latou e fia tilivaina ni a latou pepa faatatau i lea ‘autu ina ia faaoo mai a outou folasaga a o le’i oo i le 4.30pm Aso Tofi 28 o Mati, 2013. E tatau ona 250 upu o lau folasaga (abstract) ma ia tausisia le manulauti/ sini ‘autu o le fonotele. E le talia pe afai e te le’o amanaiaina le manulauti/sini ‘autu i lau folasaga. E le taliaina foi ni folasaga e oo mai ua uma le aso e tapuni ai faamolemole.

Ia logo mai poo a ni masini e te fia faaaogaina mo lau pepa, ma ei le va o le 35 – 40 minute le umi e te saunoa/fetalai ai e aofia ai fesili ma tali.

E toe faamanatu atu le lesitala (Registration reminder):

 Sui lesitala (Members): $450 faiaoga tulagalua – Iunivesete

                                       $250 faiaoga Aoga Amata

  I latou e le’i lesitalaina I le FAGASA (non- registered): $500.

  Aso e tasi (Daily registration): $100

E aofia I le lesitala le totogi o lou potu ma taumafataga. (Accommodation and meals are included in your registration fee).

For more information email Le’autuli’ilagi Taotua M.F.Sauvao or phone 04 237 3103 Ext 3871, or after hours 04 235 9091.

It only happens once every five years or so, and it’s happening now.

As well as printed material in both English and Te Reo Māori, the Electoral Commission is providing information in a range of formats – advertising in both English and Te Reo Māori, detailed online videos explain the option and the choice in Plain English, and all video content is available online in New Zealand Sign Language.

You can find out more about the Māori Electoral Option online or by calling Freephone 0800 36 76 56 (in English or Te Reo Māori). Videos in New Zealand Sign language can be viewed on the Electoral Commision’s website or on www.seeflow.co.nz.

It presents a broad view of languages spoken in New Zealand using international and national research. The research outline explores the case for a national languages policy in order to unify disparate policies and areas of practice.

To download the paper for free, visit the Royal Society website. Read a NZ Herald article on the paper, and a response to the paper from Sir Maarten Wevers, former head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, on the NZ Herald’s website.

The discussion will include:

• What is my spiritual type?
• How do we relate to God?
• Am I a naturalists; an ascetic; a contemplative; a sensory person?

For more information contact Bertha Hurley 03 3550959 or Dianne Downward 03 3489579.

The keynote speaker will be David Rutherford, Chief Commissioner, New Zealand Human Rights Commission.

Lunch will be served immediately after the event. For inquiries please contact Eqbal Khan.

iChoose is aimed at helping youth bullying for what it is: a choice. iChoose challenges people to stop, think and remember that their choices matter.   The programme comprises of a 20 minute musical production by young Kiwi performers, followed by a discussion with students facilitated by the cast members and the internationally successful Victory Over Violence (“VOV”) exhibition.

iChoose was created by the International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP), an organisation founded by international artists like renowned Jazz musicians Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, guitarist Carlos Santana and actor Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing in “Dallas”) who are committed to using the power of creativity to foster a culture of peace and non-violence.  The founding principles of ICAP are inspired by Buddhist and Gandhian ideals of non-violence.   ICAP is now bringing the programme to New Zealand. The programme was launched in the United States in 2010 and has since toured high schools in Hawaii, New York, Los Angeles and Oslo, Norway.

More information is on the International Committee of Artists of Peace (ICAP) website.

SGINZ is part of Soka Gakkai International, a Buddhist based non-governmental organisation with the UN which actively promotes peace, culture and education.  The Victory of Violence Aotearoa programme won the Sonia Davies’ Peace Award in 2007 for its grassroots effort to help teenagers identify the causes of violence in their lives and communities and foster a culture of peace in their environment. More information can be found on www.sginz.org

Rima Shenoy, winner of the 2012 Race Unity Speech Awards will give a short talk on My Dream for Aotearoa New Zealand – the theme of Race Relations Day 2013.

Please register by Thursday, 4 April (for catering purposes) by contacting Bev Watson, phone/text: 021 257 6526.

Please indicate your name and a contact phone number or email address; whether you will be present for lunch and/or dinner; any special dietary requirements. There is no charge for attending this conference, but koha is welcome to help cover refreshments.

More information is available on the Race Unity Speech Awards and Conference website.

The Conference will include the finals of the 2013 Race Unity Speech Awards. The speech competition starts this week with heats held in 12 regions throughout New Zealand, including four in the South Island. It is for students in years 11, 12 and 13. Speeches are delivered in either Māori or English, and are between 7-8 minutes long.

Initiated in 2001 by the New Zealand Baha’i Community to commemorate Race Relations Day, the Race Unity Speech Awards and Conference has been sponsored by the NZ Police, with strong support from the Human Rights Commission, the Office of Ethnic Affairs, Auckland Council and, in Canterbury, Plains FM.

One such recommendation is the Sister Schools initiative, which hopes to link schools in Indonesia with schools in New Zealand using Skype for the purposes of religious and cultural dialogue and exchange.  To date, a school in Jakarta is keen to be involved in this project. 

The New Zealand Indonesia Association and Waikato Interfaith Council are currently looking for a school or classroom in New Zealand that would be interested in trialling such an exchange.  Ideally, the group would like a school or classroom with Year 7 or 8 students, but would consider classrooms with students of any age as well. 

If you are interested, as a parent, teacher or school principal, or know someone who might be interested please contact either Duncan Graham of the New Zealand Indonesia Association or Todd Nachowitz of the Waikato Interfaith Council.

The Council members agreed they would like to operate as an open forum with three officers (chairperson, secretary and vice chairperson) instead of forming an internal executive like other Interfaith Councils in New Zealand cities.

At the Council’s second meeting, on Sunday, 3 March, the members shared faith readings on the theme of peace and consulted together about various aspects of hosting the National Interfaith Conference in Dunedin on 27-29 June 2014.

All interested in supporting and promoting multi-faith harmony are welcome to become members of the Dunedin Interfaith Council.  For further information email dunedininterfaith@gmail.com.

Other cities and regions that have interfaith councils/groups include: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Waikato, Tairawhiti, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Nelson.

The Human Rights Commission is offering free workshops for individuals, NGOs and civil society to participate in New Zealand’s Universal Periodic Review.These workshops are a chance to identify how the UPR (and reporting against UN Conventions) are valuable opportunities to profile the issues important to your communities.

For more information visit the Human Rights Commission website.

The workshop dates and times are:

• Auckland          26 March (1.30 – 4.30pm) Auckland Law School (see attached flyer)
• Wellington        4 April (1.30-4.30)
• Christchurch      11 April (1.30-4.30)
• Dunedin           16 April (1.30-4.30)
• Hamilton          7 May (1.30-4.30)
• Invercargill      9 May (Time TBC)

Please contact Michael White if you would like to come to any of the workshops or would like more information.

For more information visit the Human Rights Commission website.

New Zealand writer Brannavan Gnanalingam says ‘looking Muslim’ already poses big problems when he travels

The now infamous “airport-security-confiscated-my-pocket-knife, so-no-young-Muslims (or-anyone-who-looks-like-a-Muslim-or-comes-from-a-Muslim-country) should-be-allowed-to-fly” column by New Zealand First MP Richard Prosser first appeared at the end of January. (Read the original here - page 8). It vied with the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI for media story-of-the week from February 12, after right wing blogger David Farrar brought it to the attention of National Party stalwarts and the media through his Kiwiblog.

Within hours Ethnic Affairs Minister Judith Collins had condemned the comments, and Prime Minister John Key was “appalled”. In a unanimous vote Parliament condemned the comments. For a day or so the story got top billing in all the New Zealand media and was mentioned in despatches overseas, and by Friday of that week (February 15) there was enough anti-Prosser sentiment around for University of Otago political commentator Bryce Edwards to focus his NZ Herald media round-up on the topic.

“Has there ever been an MP so widely condemned?” Edwards asked. And his somewhat cynical response: “The backlash against Richard Prosser’s bizarre statements on race and religion has been so incredibly strong that there is a sense of MPs actually revelling in their condemnation, seizing the chance to prove how progressive and anti-racist they are.” (See also Edwards’ “Liberation” column).

Outside the media and politics, Prosser’s views have produced approbation as well as disapproval, particularly in the comment sections of media and blog sites. Jack, for example, on the Liberation site, called Prosser: “One solitary loanly [sic] voice speaking the truth and all the dogs come out to attack him.” These sorts of reactions are no surprise.

However four issues sparked by coverage about Prosser’s article are worth mentioning:

Airport security

Firstly, Prosser’s article indirectly raised – or allowed to be raised – the thorny issue of what many see as the blatantly unequal treatment of passengers by airport security services around the world. Most non-white travellers have a personal story of seeming discrimination at airports, and many pakeha have witnessed or heard about incidents from friends, family or work colleagues. In a column in the monthly online magazine Werewolf, shaven-headed, atheist, New Zealand writer and journalist Brannavan Gnanalingam, who apparently “looks Muslim” because of his Sri Lankan heritage, gave his own take on travelling.

“I got pulled off the plane while boarding in Greece by a flight attendant who was convinced she was about to bust an international terrorist ring all by herself. My photo page on my passport has a gouge mark from when a Turkish official scratched it vigorously to check if it was real. Officials in Morocco and Egypt have held my passport and asked where I was from: just in case I forgot in between passing it over to them and being asked the question.”

He has had problems entering China, Germany, New Caledonia, Cyprus and Chile.  And as a schoolboy on a class trip to the Philippines, he was the only one of the New Zealanders held back from boarding by Filipino officials for security reasons. “It was pretty embarrassing as a teenager, being stared at by everyone else while waiting for one of my teachers to convince the officials that I was one of them.”

Gnanalingam’s message: “What Prosser probably doesn’t realise is that life as someone who looks like his worst nightmare is already challenging enough, in this transient and globalised world.”

Racial profiling

Meanwhile, Prosser in an interview with Radio New Zealand’s Kathryn Ryan said he regretted calling for a travel ban for Muslims, but instead wanted a discussion on targeted profiling at airports. This provoked a response from Associate Law Professor Colin Gavaghan in the Dunedin-based community newspaper D Scene. (The easiest place to read the column is on the “Your NZ” blog, here).  In the opinion piece, the Otago University academic discussed the possible problems with security profiling to detect “Muslimness”, including the weakness of a system “that can be fooled by a bottle of hair dye”. And while welcoming a more sophisticated system if it did detect and prevent terrorist attacks, Gavaghan also worried about the possible restrictions and inconveniences for innocent travellers of false positives.

“For those who don’t resemble the profile of a “typical” terrorist, all this may seem like a price worth paying for greater security. But it won’t be them paying the price.”

Freedom of speech – but for whom?

Anjum Rahman is a chartered accountant and national coordinator for the Islamic Women’s Council. Her Stargazer blog “Here we go again” is definitely worth reading, and bemoans the regular media spiral around Muslim issues (stupid comment, general OUTRAGE [her capitals], media going to every man and his dog for comment, more OUTRAGE about these new views and more reporting of the whole affair).

What’s really damaging for Muslims, she says, are the often vitriolic comments that appear on social media whenever these sorts of issues become top stories in the mainstream media.

Like Bryce Edwards, Rahman sees the whole Prosser story as politicians and their supporters making political capital – and says Muslims suffer in the process.

“But this strategy only works when the media decide that it’s a story; when they choose not to ignore the rantings of an outlier, but instead make a big issue out of it.”

At other times, Rahman says, it’s hard to get reasoned pro-Muslim stories into the media, though not as hard as it was in the years immediately post-9/11.

The power of social media

The furore about Prosser’s comments didn’t follow its appearance in Investigate magazine, but came more than two weeks later when the column’s content was outed by Farrar’s blog. The severity of the response was cemented by Judith Collin’s press release. In between came a tweet from Farrar, which – particularly when re-tweeted – significantly upped the potential audience (approximately 25,000 people a day read Farrar’s blog, he says, but the tweet went to way more).

On the other hand, the relative visibility of Prosser’s comments in social media versus print shows the rise and rise of social media as a major source of society’s discourse.

The objective of the course is to provide an opportunity for personal development, teamwork and gain an insight into and understanding of the cultural background of their fellow course participants. The three week “Southern Cross” leadership course is held at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds which is nestled at the edge of Queen Charlotte Sound. The 2013 course was held from 2 – 22 February.

Another course, Aoraki Bound, has been developed in partnership with Ngai Tahu. The objective behind the course is that Ngai Tahu believes that cultural revitalisation is crucial to the future sustainability and development of Ngai Tahu as individuals and as a collective. Culture, values and language underpin all aspects of tribal life and are the threads that bind us as a people. Ngai Tahu recognises the need to develop its people, its culture and its place in Aotearoa. They also have a genuine desire to share their knowledge and values with all New Zealanders as we build a nation and a sense of what it is to be a citizen of this land. In this respect places are available on the course for those of non Ngai Tahu descent. The course starts at the Outward Bound School in Anakiwa, followed by a 10 day hikoi through significant historical Ngai Tahu sites and finishes at the ancestral mountain of Ngai Tahu ‘Aoraki’. During the hikoi participants engage in mahinga kai activities (traditional food gathering practices), follow the pounamu trails of their ancestors and paddle waka across Lake Pukaki to the foot of Aoraki. Course content also features te reo, karakia, waiata, whakatauki, tikanga, rock art and a day of service in the community. The 2013 courses are from 2-21 February and 3-22 March.

The event was held over two days from 2 March at Hagley Park and attracted large crowds well before the multitude of lanterns illuminated the trees and walkways in the warm evenings.

Event highlights included a folk rock band from Hebei, a classical all-female musical group from Sichuan, acrobats from Shanghai, as well as a dough figurine sculptor and a tea expert. The programme ran without a hitch and the performers and displays kept the grownups as well as the many young people entertained. A huge variety of Chinese food was on offer near the main stage, creating the atmosphere of an Asian night market as the sun set.

The event provided an excellent window into the diversity and rich culture and history of China, and gave Chinese Cantabrians the opportunity to share their culture with fellow New Zealanders.

With the theme “Japanese Spring”, the 2013 Canterbury Japan Day attracted an estimated 15,000 visitors.

Musical and dance performances were enjoyed alongside displays of martial arts, tea ceremonies,  and the art of the kimono, providing visiting Cantabrians with a glimpse of this fascinating culture. One feature that stood out was the substantial involvement of non-Japanese in Japanese performing arts, which indicates not only the attraction of Japanese culture to foreigners. It also highlights the Canterbury Japan Society’s endeavour to engage with other peoples and share the culture of Japan.

At the recent five-yearly examination of New Zealand, he acted as the “country rapporteur” who is required to do the background research on the country concerned, identify issues for discussion and lead the dialogue with the Government delegation. In carrying out this function, Professor Vázquez, a Specialist in Treaty law and Human Rights at the Georgetown University Law School, proved himself to have researched the New Zealand situation very thoroughly and presented the Committee with an insightful and balanced view of New Zealand’s race relations.  

Professor Vázquez’s accessibility and time spent with New Zealand non-government organisations and their representatives before and during the sessions gave further confidence that a full and frank dialogue would occur. The New Zealand Government delegation was led by Minister of Justice and Ethnic Affairs. The Committee’s conclusions and recommendations were published on 2 March and were welcomed by the Minister as well as by NGOs that participated. 

After graduating from law school, where he was Articles and Book Reviews Editor of the Columbia Law Review, Professor Vázquez  served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He then practiced law with Covington and Burling in Washington, DC, before joining the law school faculty as a visiting professor of law in 1990, and then as an associate professor in 1991. From 2000 to 2003, he was the United States member of the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the organ of the Organisation of American States responsible for juridical matters and for promoting the progressive development and codification of international law in the Americas. Professor Vázquez  has written and taught primarily in the areas of international law, constitutional law, and federal courts.

You can view a copy of Professor Vázquez’s profile here.

New Zealanders speak 160 languages.

The Royal Society of New Zeland launched the information paper on Languages in Aotearoa New Zealand on 5 March in Auckland.  This paper brings together research on the role that languages play in international, national, social and personal development in our country. The research outlined explores the case for a national languages policy in order to join up what are currently a number of disparate policies and areas of practice.

The paper presents issues specific to New Zealand, such as the support for te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), along with the role of languages in Pasifika education.

Dr Sharon Harvey, Head of the School of Language and Culture at AUT University and member of the Society’s Social Sciences and Humanities Advisory Panel notes that “there are a number of increasingly urgent language issues in New Zealand such as: the uncertain trajectory of Te Reo Māori; the endangered languages of the New Zealand Pacific Realm; minimal recognition for community languages in the education system; and the paucity of support in New Zealand government departments for multilingual citizens, to name but a few. This paper helps us understand how we might address them and what the national picture looks like.”

Internationally, other predominantly English-speaking nations are keenly interested in promoting language use due to diversification in international relationships, trading partners, and immigration.

For example, the United Kingdom is developing policies for compulsory language education in primary school in addition to the existing policy at secondary school, whilst Australia continues to develop their national languages policy, which is now 20 years old.

The paper is available for download free from the Royal Society of NZ website. Detailed maps showing the proportion of the population who can speak te reo, Samoan, NZSL and other languages across the country are also available to view online.

Out of Our Comfort Zone presents works by fifteen Taranaki artists and showcases their diverse skills, strengths and the wide scope of subject and media they use.

Curator Michaela Stoneman, South Taranaki arts co-ordinator, says “The title of the show, Out of Our Comfort Zone presents the idea for artists to do just that – get out of their comfort zone.  Artists will exhibit two works each; one in a style and medium typical and familiar of their work and one that explores a new genre, challenging them to express themselves in a creative medium fresh to their everyday practice.” 

Artists featured in the exhibition are Anne Holliday, Antonia O’Mahony, Anna Korver, Carl Fairweather, Caryl Murray, Catherine Tamou, Cecilia Russell, Dale Copeland, Katey Pittwood, Katie Bayliss, Lisa Walsh, Mark Bellringer, Milarky, Paul Hutchinson and Steve Molloy.

“The show offers an opportunity for artists to display work that doesn’t need to fit into the mould of what audiences expect to see from them. The aim is for artists to experience pleasure in the creative process and enjoy new paths this exploration may lead them down. Artists often work across many mediums. This show encourages them to try something new. It‘s up to each artist how far out of their comfort zone they want to step.”

Exhibition runs until 1 April 2013 - Lysaght Watt Gallery, 6 Union St, Hawera (beside the Hawera Town Square).

She recently published her second book, Alone – an Inspiring Story of Survival and Determination. It tells the story of a young Polish orphan who came to Pahiatua in 1944. Based on the life of her stepfather Tony Laparowski, it recounts his early childhood in Poland, his family’s deportation to the Soviet Union at the start of World War II where both his parents had perished, and his journey as an orphan from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Persia to New Zealand.

Ms Suchanski said that writing this book took her eight years and was the biggest challenge of her life. Based on her stepfather’s memoirs hand written in Polish, she spent several years researching the book which included interviewing remaining family members in Poland and employing an historian to gather further information. Although Alina’s stepfather read the completed manuscript, sadly he hasn’t seen his story in print. He passed away in May 2012 before Alone was published.

Alone is her second book, following Polish Kiwis – Pictures from an Exhibition in 2006.

As part of Wellington City Libraries’ Race Relations Day celebrations, a free author talk will be held at the Central Library with Alina on Tuesday, 19 March. The talk will also include the screening of an excerpt from the documentary Poles Apart. Produced by Ms Suchanski in 2004, it presents the story of the Pahiatua Children through interviews with members of this group and their personal memories.

The opportunity to hear Alina talk about her book Alone will appeal to anyone with an interest in Polish history and the Pahiatua orphans, the journey of refugees to New Zealand, or simply about the human capacity to overcome adversity.

Te pūtaketanga mai o ngā tūru Māori

He nui ngā kōrero mō te kaupapa me te āhua o ngā tūru Māori/rohe pōti i tēnei ra.  He tirohanga poto tēnei ki ngā rā o mua… 

He rerekē te Whare Pāremata i ngā tau o te 1850 me te 1860 ki ēnei rā.  Ko ngā ture pōti i aua rā, me tāne koe, me 21 neke ō tau, ā, me whai i tētahi o ēnei:

• He whenua korehere i te rohe pōti whai wāriu o te £50
• He whēnua rīhi whai wāriu ā-tau o te £10
• He whare noho whai moni rīhi ā-tau o te £10 i tētahi taone, he £5 rānei i te taiwhenua (ko te tikanga o te whare noho e ai ki tā mātau rapu tere i google he whare noho-whānau maha marahea)

I whai wāhi ēnei ture ki te Māori engari i te mea e pupurihia ana ā-hapū ngā whenua he tokoiti noa iho ngā Māori i āhei ki te pōti.   Tāpirihia atu tēnei ki ngā kaupapa here hao whenua o te kāwanatanga taipūwhenua, te matakana ki ētahi o ngā kainoho whenua nā te rironga o ngā whenua me te pōharatanga (nā te rironga hoki o ngā whenua) i noho mana kore te Māori i roto i ngā whakahaere tōrangapū.  Nā ēnei āhuatanga, me te hiahia anō o te Māori kia whai kānohitanga, i whakaarahia mai ngā tūru Māori. 

Te Ture Whai Kanohitanga Māori

I whakamanahia te Māori Representation Act i te tau 1867.  I raro i te Ture i wehea Te Ika a Māui ki ngā rohe pōti e toru me tētahi rohe pōti kotahi i Te Waipounamu, Rakiura me ētahi atu motu pātata.   I whiwhi tika pōti ngā tāne Māori, 21 neke atu ngā tau – engari kia kaua he whakahara mō te “kaikaiwaiū, hara, hara whakarihariha rānei”.  I kī anō kia tohua mai ngā māngai e “ngā kaipōti māraurau” – arā, me Māori ngā kaitono.

Ngā MP Māori tuatahi

I tū ngā pōtitanga i te tau 1868, ā, ko ngā Mema Pāremata (MP) ko Frederick Nene Russell, Mete Kīngi Te Rangi Paetahi, Tāreha Te Moananui me John Patterson.  Kia ora koutou!

Kei raro nei ko ngā whakaahua o Mete Te Rangi Paetahi rāua ko Iriaki Rātana.  Ko Iriaka Rātana te MP wahine Māori tuatahi; i riro i a ia te tūru o tana hoa tāne a Matiu Rātana i tōna matenga i te tau 1949.

I tēnei wā kei a koe te tikanga ki te Rārangi Māori koe, te Rārangi Whānui rānei

Ka tuku whai wāhitanga Te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori ki ngā uri Māori o Aotearoa ki te whiriwhiri mēnā ki te Rārangi Pōti Māori, te Rārangi Pōti Whānui rānei rātau pōti ai i ngā Pōtitanga Whānui e rua e whai ake.  Ia rima tau tū ai tēnei kōwhiringa, ā, kei te whakahaerehia ināianei.

E 7 ngā rohe pōti Māori i tēnei wā. 

• Hauraki-Waikato – (Māuru o Te Ika a Māui, tae atu ki Kirikiriroa me Papakura)
• Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – (Te Rāwhiti me Tonga o Te Ika a Māui, tae atu ki Tūranga-ā-Kiwa me Whakaoriori)
• Tāmaki Makaurau – (āhua ōrite ana ki te rohe whānui o Tāmaki Makaurau)
• Te Tai Hauāuru – (te Uru o Te Ika a Māui, tae atu ki ngā rohe o Taranaki me Manawatū-Whanganui)
• Te Tai Tokerau – (Te tūru o te Raki, tae atu ki Whangārei-terenga-paraoa me te Uru o Tāmaki Makaurau)
• Te Tai Tonga – (Te Waipounamu whānui, Rakiura, Wharekauri, me ngā motu o Te Tai Poutini me tētahi wāhanga o Te Whanganui a Tara. Koinei te rohe pōti nui katoa)
• Waiariki – (Tae atu ki Tauranga, Whakatāne, Rotorua, Taupō)

He aha te tikanga o tēnei ki a au?

I tēnei rā ka āhei koe te pōti mēnā 18 neke atu ō tau.  Ina whakahaere awheawhe mātau ka pātai mātau ki ngā tāngata kia tuhia ā rātau tika me ō rātau kawenga… ā, i te nuinga o te wā ka āwhina mātau i a rātau kia maumahara rātau he tika te pōti (he take i pakangatia) me te kawenga (he take i pakangatia!)

Ki te whakatau koe ki te Rārangi Whānui koe ka pōti koe mō tētahi MP i te rohe pōti Whānui engari ki te whakatau koe ki te Rārangi Māori koe ka pōti koe mō tētahi MP i te rohe pōti Māori. 

Kāore he whai pānga ki te rōpū ka pōti koe – ka pōti tonu koe mō tētahi rārangi pōti ahakoa kei tēhea rārangi koe.

E 7 ngā rohe pōti i tēnei wā.  Mēnā kei te Rārangi Māori koe, pērā i te Rārangi Māori, ka whiwhi koe i tētahi pōti rohe pōti me tētahi pōti rōpū.

Pēhea te tatau i te taupori o ngā rohe pōti?

Ka whakamahia ngā hua o Te Tatauranga Whānui ki te tatau i te mana o ngā rohe pōti Māori, Whānui hoki mō Ngā Pōtitanga Whānui 2014 me te 2017. Ka pānuihia te maha o ngā rohe pōti e Tatauranga Aotearoa ā te tīmatanga o Whiringa-ā-nuku 2013.

Tērā pea ka whai pānga ngā āhuatanga e whai nei ki te maha o ngā rohe pōti Māori:

• te huri o te taupori mai i te tatauranga whānui o mua
• te tokomaha o ngā tāngata i whakaurua ki te tatauranga whānui
• te āhua o te whakautu a ngā tāngata i te pātai mō te uri Māori
• te kaha o te whai wāhi mai a te tangata i tohu ai he uri Māori rātau ki runga i te rārangi Whānui, Māori rānei
• te ōwehenga o ngā kaipōti uri Māori kei te rārangi Māori i te mutunga o te wā Kōwhiringa.

Kei a koe te tikanga 

Nō reira me kōrero koe ki tō whānau me ō hoa, kia mōhio ai koe ki te kaupapa, ā, ka whakauru mai.

Mēnā kua rēhita kē koe ki te pōti ka whiwhi ā-mēra koe i tētahi mōkihi. Mēnā kāore koe i whiwhi mōkihi, me rēhita rānei koe:

• haere ki Elections
• waea ki 0800 36 76 56
• atowaea koreututia tō ingoa me tō wāhi noho ki 3676
• rēhita i tētahi PostShop. 

He māmā noa iho!  

Mō ētahi atu mōhiohio, tae atu ki ngā ataata poto mō ngā pātai rerekē maha, tirohia tēnei whārangi Elections

I tū te hui i te 8 o Hui-tanguru, ā, ko tōna kaupapa ko ngā tika tangata o ngā whānau hauā/hunga hauā mō te āhuatanga o te whai uru, te whai wāhi hoki o te hunga hauā Māori ki ngā marae me te hapori whānui.

Tata ki te 25 ngā tāngata i tae atu ki te hui, ā, tae atu hoki ki te Kaihautū Hauātanga, Paul Gibson.

I kōrero ngā whānau hauā mō te pānga o ō rātau hauātanga ki tō rātau tūhonotanga, whakaurunga rānei ki Te Ao Māori.  Mō ētahi kua mahue tō rātau taha Māori, tae atu ki te reo, ka noho pōhēhē noa ētahi o te whānau whānui ki a rātau me tō rātau noho wehe mai i te marae. I kōrero anō ngā tāngata mō ngā hiahiatanga o ngā whānau ki ngā mātauranga kia mārama ai ki te pānga o tētahi hauātanga ki tōna whānau, hapū, iwi me te hapori hoki. 

Kotahi te tangata Māori i roto i te tokorima ka kī he hauātanga tōna.  He aha ngā mea me mōhio tātau?

I kōrero ngā tāngata mō te hiranga o te marae ki te tangata hauā.  Arā koina te tuara, te oranga, me te poutokomanawa o te tuakiri ā-iwi e here ana i te tangata ki tōna hapori me te tūhono anō i a ia mai i te ao onamata ki te anamata mā te whakapapa. 

He mea nui tonu kia manaakitia te mana o ia tangata, ā, i kōrero anō ngā whanaunga hauā i te hui me whai wāhi rātau ki te whakaputa i a rātau anō i runga marae.  Ko te hanga me te kaupapa o te marae me tauārai-kore, hei tauira te tuku i ngā whanaunga hauā ki te whakawhiti mā te Reo Rotarota o Aotearoa, me te āhei anō o te hunga whara-roro ki te whaikōrero me te karanga.

I kōrero anō te hunga i te hui mō te hiranga o te whakaarohia e ngā pokapū me ngā ratonga hei mema o tētahi whānau, kaua hei tangata takitahi noa iho, me te āhei ki te whakatinana i tōna tika hei Māori ina torotoro ia i ngā pokapū, ratonga hoki.

Ngā mahere haere tonu

E mihi ana Te Kāhui Tika Tangata ki ngā tāngata katoa i tae atu, ā, i whakaputa hoki i ā rātau kōrero, me te mihi hoki ki te marae o Āraiteuru mō ā rātau manaakitanga.

 E mahi haere tonu ana mātau me te hunga whakauru mai ki te hāpai mōhiotanga mō ngā tika tangata mō ngā whanaunga hauā i roto i ō rātau hapori, me te hōpara whai wāhitanga mō te whakamana i ō rātau whai wāhitanga ki tō rātau marae/hapori me te whakanui i tō rātau toiora.

E rapu anō Te Kāhui Tika Tangata ki te mahi tahi me Te Puni Kōkiri mō te whakawhiti kōrero me ngā marae mō tēnei kaupapa.

Ka kitea ētahi atu mōhiohio mō te tautoko whānau hauā i runga marae i Whakahaere tautoko i runga marae

E whai wāhi ana koe ināianei ki te kōrero mai mō tēnei. 

He aha te Arotake Auau Whānui?

I raro i ana here ā-ao me whakarite e te kāwanatanga o Aotearoa tētahi pūrongo ā-motu Arotake Auau Whānui (UPR) ia whā tau e mātai ana i te āhua o te kauneketanga o tā tātau ū ki ō tātau here tika tangata ā-ao.

E toru ngā tuhinga mātua ka whakamahia hei whakahaere i te arotake o Aotearoa:

• tētahi Pūrongo ā-Motu 20 whārangi a te Manatū Aorere e pā ana ki te āhuatanga o ngā tika tangata i tēnei whenua;
• he kōhinga o ngā whārangi tekau a te Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR)  mō ngā mōhiohio a ngā rōpū tiriti, ngā tukanga motuhake me ngā pokapū UN pēnei i te UNDP me UNICEF.
• he whakarāpopototanga tekau whārangi a te OHCHR mō ngā mōhiohio a Te Kāhui Tika Tangata me te iwi whānui.

Me pēhea taku whai wāhi mai?

He whai wāhitanga nui te UPR mō ngā tāngata, NGO me ngā whakahaere hapori hei whakawhiti i ō rātau wheako, whakaaro hoki mō te whakatutukitanga o ngā tika tangata o Aotearoa mō te katoa. Ko ngā kōrero a te tangata me ngā hapori ka taea te whakaawe i ngā whanaketanga a muri ake. Ehara ko te tuhi pūrongo noa iho. Ka kōrero me ngā hapori mō ngā kaupapa nui e pā ana ki a rātau. He whai wāhitanga te UPR 13/14 ki te mahi tahi me ētahi atu rōpū ōrite, me te werowero i te Kāwanatanga kia tūao te tautoko, te whakaae hoki/rānei ki ngā tūtohutanga a te rōpū mahi e whai ana i te hātepe UPR 13/14.

E whakarato awheawhe koreutu Te Kāhui Tika Tangata hei tautoko i te iwi whānui i UPR 13/14. Hei tāpiri anō kei reira anō ētahi whai wāhitanga hei whakauru ki ngā matapaki me ngā āpiha kāwanatanga hei te Paenga-whāwhā/Haratua me te tuku kōrero anō mo te pūrongo tūtohu a te kāwanatanga mō Aotearoa. E hiahia ana Te Kāhui Tika Tangata ki te kōrero mō ngā take nui me ngā rōpū hapori, tāngata hoki kia whakauru kōrero mai ki te UPR 13/14.

Ko ngā rā me ngā wā:

•  Tāmaki Makarau        26 Poutū-te-rangi (1.30 – 4.30 i te ahiahi) Auckland Law School
• Te Whanganui ā-Tara    4 Paenga-whāwhā (1.30-4.30)
• Ōtautahi                       11 Paenga-whāwhā (1.30-4.30)
• Ōtākou                         16 Paenga-whāwhā (1.30-4.30)
• Kirikiriroa                      7 Haratua (1.30-4.30)
• Waihōpai                       9 Haratua (1.30-4.30)

Whakapā atu ki a Michael White i michaelw@hrc.co.nz mēnā:

• e hiahia ana koe ki te haere ki tētahi o ngā awheawhe a Te Kāhui Tika Tangata;
• e hiahia ana koe ki te whiwhi īmēra mō te whakauru ki te hātepe UPR;
• mēnā kei te whakahaere hui koe, tō whakahaere rānei e whai wāhi ai Te Kāhui Tika Tangata te kōrero mō te UPR 13/14; tērā rānei
• e hiahia ana koe kia āwhina Te Kāhui Tika Tangata ki te takawaenga i ngā whakaritenga kōrero mai i tō rāngai.

Heoi, mō ētahi atu mōhiohio mō te UPR 13/14 me te whakauru mai tirohia: UPR

E kaingākau ana mātau ki te mahi tahi me koe.

OE Today: Where is the Grass Greener? Is the second instalment in Future Dragonz’ Slanted series explores the ups-and-downs of five high flying Kiwis who have chased their dreams outside of New Zealand.  It will showcase traditional and contemporary overseas experiences through a Chinese and non-Chinese lens.

This unique event will appeal to young professionals considering an overseas experience as well as to anyone curious about life abroad.

Date    :           Wednesday 27 March

Time   :           7.00pm – 8.30pm

Venue :           OGGB3, Level 0, Owen G Glenn Building, The University of Auckland Business School

Cost is $10-30, for more information visit the Future DragoNZ.

• Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Hon Judith Collins
• keynote address – Sir Mark Solomon  
• plenary on women and leadership
• interview with Professor Colleen Ward on multiculturalism
• plenary on ethnic diversity in the workplace
• three Concurrent workshops.

Held by the Office of Ethnic Affairs, EthnicA Christchurch brings together speakers and participants from a range of sectors to: 

• encourage cutting edge debate about ethnic diversity issues
• inspire new ways of thinking and acting
• promote community connections. 

For details and how to register visit the Office of Ethnic Affairs website.

The information will be presented by Greater Wellington Regional Council and will discuss the following topics:

• emergency plan
• food and Water storage
• sewerage
• health care
• neighbour support
• getting home from work
• who is looking after your children family
• emergency Procedures
• managing expectations
• time frames of disasters

• types of emergency to be prepared for

To register for a place please contact the Settlement Support co-ordinator on 237 3578.

• What aspects of the constitution are important for our Pacific communities?
• How might a constitution reflect NZ’s Pacific heritage?
• How do we ensure our communities engage in the review process?

Please contact Uesifili Unasa  (mobile: 021 022 31664) to register interest.

Face painting at 10am. Registration at 10:30am. Green Walk starts at 11am. Wear something green.

The walk will include key landmarks such as the Māori carvings, Prince’s Gate Arches, Band Rotunda, Te Runanga Tea House, Malfroy Geysers, Site of the Sanatorium, Blue Baths, Polynesian Spa, Rotorua Museum of Art and History, and more.

Snacks will be available at the arts Village after the walk. Cost is $2 donation for St. Patrick cupcake or a green drink. Spot prize for best dressed. 

To register, text ‘green walk’ and your full name to 021 1593601. Add how many people will join the walk.

Brought to you by Multicultural Rotorua and Rotorua Newcomers Network.

There will be delicious and authentic South East Asian food stalls, South East Asian craft stalls, information stalls, traditional and contemporary South East Asian cultural entertainment for 6 hours non stop and traditional South East Asian games.

Application forms for food and retail Stalls, and performer registration form for Cultural presentations will be available from the AsiaNZ Foundation website.

Please contact Murali Kumar on 021 685804 for further information about this event.

Women from a refugee background can get a chance to get to know one another, learn more about Christchurch by visiting places and events of significance feel connected and learn from the planned activities.  

For more information check out the poster or contact Mastura Abd Rahman.

A multifaith programme designed to introduce some of the faith communities available in the greater Auckland area with brief presentations from representatives of diverse faiths, as well as a chance to ‘mix and mingle’ over supper. Admission is free

Also save the date for the Auckland Inter-Faith Council one-day Seminar to be held on Saturday4 May from9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at St John’s Theological College in Meadowbank.

For more information please contact AIFCsec1@xtra.co.nz.

Please email Linda to confirm you are attending.

The scroll was signed by the people who came to the event and was sent to Helen Clark and who on our behalf presented it to Ms. Michelle Bachelet, the Under-Secretary –General and Executive Director of UN Women in New York.

The next Walk for Peace in 2013 will be on Friday 8 March. The proposed event’s program is as follows:

• A Peace Walk from Parliament to Civic Square stopping along the Peace Memorials at the Parliament and the front of the Railway Station. Starting at 12:15 finishing at 1:30pm.
• Speakers at the Civic Square (possibly Mayor Celia Wade Brown and the Malaysian High Commissioner); self-defence interactive session; flower offering from participants in tribute to the women and children who have lost their lives to violence or fought for it. They may leave pictures with the flowers in memory of these people.
• Peace Celebration at Te Papa Museum from 6pm to 7:30pm. Program will include a video montage of struggle/success or forgiveness stories from women and men; several entertainment numbers; and an auction for raising money for this year’s chosen charity organisations, namely: Women’s Refuge and The Daya Trust.

WWW4Peace supporters include the Human Rights Commission, the Centre for Applied Cross Cultural Research, Victoria University of Wellington, the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ), Filipino Artists in New Zealand, Inc., the Society for Southeast Asian Communities, Inc., the Malaysia Wellington Graduate Students Society, Te Ngira: New Zealand Diversity Action Program, the United Nations Association of New Zealand, Soku Gakkai International, Shakti Community Council Inc.,  Peace Movement Aotearoa, Women’s Refuge New Zealand and the Self-Defense Women’s Network.

For more information contact bbbonzon@yahoo.co.nz.

Some of these women met at Fairfield House at the top of Trafalgar Street to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of that great achievement and were photographed there on 12^th March 1913… one hundred years ago!

This wonderful photograph of 77 women is now hanging in Fairfield House. A member of the Nelson Multicultural Council suggested to have another photograph taken for the 100^th Anniversary and that this photograph should reflect the changed demographic of Nelson. Women from different cultural heritage who now live in Nelson are invited to come along to join the photo shoot on Friday 8 March 4pm at Fairfield House at the very top of Trafalgar Street. Please wear traditional dress if you have any. The Nelson Weekly newspaper will come and take the photo.

For details contact Evey McAuliffe.

Students are required to consider the quotes and bullet points below when preparing their speeches:

• Kotahi te kōwhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro pango me te miro whero / There is but one eye of the needle through which the white thread, the black thread and the red thread traverse. 
• Man is intelligent and thoughtful, endowed with powers of mind. Why, then, should he be influenced by distinction of colour or race, since all belong to one human family?

 What do you understand the above quote/s to mean and how do they relate to My Dream for Aotearoa New Zealand?

• Describe your view of an harmonious and diverse New Zealand.
• What practical suggestions do you have to make your dream a reality?
• Can you share a proverb/whakatauki from your own background that relates to the theme?

The competition is being held in 12 regions throughout New Zealand, including four in the South Island from 20 – 27 March. Deadline for entries is 11-18 March, depending on the region.   National finals are on 6 April. It is for students in years 11, 12 and 13.  Speeches may be delivered in either Māori or English, and must be between 7-8 minutes long. Those interested in participating can request an entry form from the National Coordinator, Bev Watson, by emailing oea.watson@bahai.org.nz or phoning or texting 021 257 6526.  Please advise what region you are in so the appropriate form can be sent.

Senior high school students are welcome to attend the Race Unity Conference on Saturday, 6 April at the Manukau Bahá’í Community Centre, 16 Rowandale Avenue, Manurewa.

Rima Shenoy, winner of the 2012 Race Unity Speech Awards will give a short talk on My Dream for Aotearoa New Zealand – the theme of Race Relations Day 2013.

Please register by Thursday, 4 April (for catering purposes) by contacting Bev Watson, phone/text: 021 257 6526.

Please indicate: your name and a contact phone number or email address; whether you will be present for lunch and/or dinner; any special dietary requirements.  There is no charge for attending this conference, but koha is welcome to help cover refreshments.

More information is available on the Race Unity Speech Awards and Conference website.

The Constitutional Advisory Panel, who are charged with leading the discussions about constitutional arrangements, are interested to know what values, tikanga and concepts should be preserved and built upon for future. It is anticipated that constitutional reform needs to respect and reflect these values.  

What is your dream for Aotearoa New Zealand?

Visit our Facebook page for more information and share your dreams with us. We are also encouraging NZDAP participants and other organisations to collect the dreams for Aotearoa NZ from their members, staff, clients and communities for Race Relations Day. We’ve just printed some beautiful postcards for you to share your dreams on. If you send them to us, we will pass them on to the Constitutional Advisory Panel.

In the days around Race Relations Day community groups, councils, schools, workplaces, marae and places of worship are encouraged to host events to acknowledge the value of cultural diversity and the need to support harmonious race relations. It’s an opportunity to launch new initiatives, motivate your staff, or promote existing programmes and projects. Check out all the festivals and events  happening around the country.

Christchurch City Council’s Culture Galore, the city’s main multicultural festival will be held at Ray Blank Park from 12 – 4pm on Saturday 9 March. Community groups are invited to provide performances, food stalls and interactive workshops. If you are keen, and haven’t yet registered, please contact Lisa Gregory for more information.

 On 9 March, Multicultural Rotorua will hold the U& I Football Cup from 9am-5pm at the Rotorua Neil Hunt Park.Cost is $30 per team (7-a-side). Text “football” plus your team name to 0211593601 to register.

The Dunedin Multi-Ethnic Council will hold a Multicultural Celebration on Saturday 9 March at the Dunedin North Intermediate School Hall North Road. There will be a concert from 3.30pm and a potluck meal from 5pm.

The Taranaki Multiethnic Extravaganza will be held on Saturday, 9 March.

The 14^th Tauranga Multicultural festival will be held on 16 March 2013 at the Historic Village at 17^th Avenue from 10am to 4.30pm. Tickets $6 per adult and children under 12 years free when accompanied by an adult. Visitors will be able to see performers from all corners of the world, from Indian dancers, Tauranga Samba, Pacific Islands groups to Geyzerland Jazz band and Caribbeanz Southern Stars Steelpan Band closing the stage programme with an hour long concert. At midday a costume parade will go from the stage through the Village so everyone could see the beautiful traditional clothes and flags of people who came from many countries and settled in Tauranga. Performances will take place on the main stage and throughout the Village all day, including sports displays, pony rides, fire eaters, stilt walkers and story telling by Tommy Kapai and Clair Cooper. Another great attraction is the food stall area offering a variety of authentic ethnic dishes from Korea, India, and Nepal to Germany, Poland, Philippines and others. A spot prize of a bank account with $1000 funded by ANZ will go to a lucky visitor. For more information contact Ewa Fenn.

Southland Multicultural Council will hold a Multicultural Food Festival on Saturday 16 March from 10.30am – 3.00p at James Hargest Senior College, 288 Layard St, Invercargill.  FREE Entry – bring cash for food (no EFTPOS).  Dine in or takeaway.  Cultural entertainment on stage.  For more information contact Violet Stewart.

Palmerston Nort will celebrate Race Relations Day with a World Food, Craft and Music Fair on Saturday, 16 March.

 Nelson will celebrate its cultural diversity with Race Unity Day, a fun, outdoor festival of music, dance, martial arts, crafts and ethnic food on Sunday, 17 March from 11am – 4pm at Victory Square Park. Entry is by gold coin donation. Contact the Nelson Multicultural Council if you would like to perform something traditional from your culture, have an ethnic food stall, display any traditional craft or activity or be a volunteer on the day.

The 16^th Lakeside Festival is organised by the Auckland Multicultural Society Inc  on Sunday,  17 March from 1-5 pm at the  Pump-House / Killarney Park, Manurere Avenue, Takapuna. For more information contact Ana Maria de Vos.

Migrante Aotearoa will celebrate Race Relations Day on Sunday, 17 March in Wellington.

Celebrate Race Relations Day in March with the Wellington City Libraries. Children and adults are encouraged to participate in sharing their dreams for Aotearoa. These dreams will be posted on the Libraries’ Communities stories and traditions page  and children’s blog and shared with the Human Rights Commission. Storyteller Mona Williams, a Guyanan storyteller, children’s writer and educator whose action-packed stories and dramatic presentations, is  coming to Newtown Library on 18 and 19 March to tell stories to classes from St Anne’s and Newtown School.  Author talk with Alina Suchasnki at Wellington Central Library on Tuesday 19 March 5.30 – 7pm. Alina Suchasnki’s recently published book Alone – an Inspiring Story of Survival and Determination tells the story of a young Polish orphan who came to Pahiatua in 1944.

Te Papa and the Victoria University Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research will host a one hour Race Relations Day panel discussion at Te Papa’s Soundings Theatre at 6.30 pm on Wednesday 20 March.  The topic is Living in Two Worlds: Multiculturalism with Bicultural Foundations – a New Zealand-Canada Dialogue. Visiting Canadian expert Professor John Berry of Queens University joins Chris Laidlaw, Claudia Orange and Joris de Bres to discuss issues of bicultural and multicultural relationships.

The University of Waikato will hold an International Food Festival on Wednesday 20 March.

The Office of Ethnic Affairs will host a Charity Art Auction on Thursday 21 March from 5-7pm at the Exhibitions Gallery of Fine Arts 20 Brandon St in Wellington. Contact ethnic.affairs@dia.govt.nz.

Come to Open ARMS-My Dream for Aotearoa and for Auckland, and celebrate Race Relations Day and the 10th anniversary of the opening of the ARMS Regional Centre. Contact Shoma Prasad.

St Pauls Collegiate School in Hamilton will celebrate Race Relations Day with various activities including a display of Race Relations Day posters around the school, Chapel service with a strong emphasis on the theme, address to students and staff regarding the importance of Race Relations Day , a fish and chips lunch with International students and sharing of traditional games.

Strengthening Families Gore will hold a Multicultural Celebration to celebrate Race Relations Day on Friday, 22 March from 6-9pm at Hamilton Park Railway Esplanade, East Gore. Check out the poster for more information.

Join the diverse community of Papatoetoe as they celebrate Race Relations Day on 22 March with a flag parade, performances and food. Contact manmohan.bedi@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

Celebrate the diverse cultures and traditions that make up the community of Hutt City  with Multi Fest-fashion parade, food fair, music, cultural performances, art and craft, and more on Saturday, 23 March 10am-2pm at the Horticultural Hall & Dowse Square, Laings Road, Lower Hutt. Conatct anita.mansell@xtra.co.nz.                 

The Mangere East Cultural Festival will be held on Saturday, 23 March from 10am-3pm at the Mangere East Village. Contact honefowler@hotmail.com.

Celebrate Race Relations Day and the Baha’i New Year on Saturday 23 March from 5pm at the Whangarei Intermediate Hall, Rust Avenue. For more information contact Gwen Ras.

The Umma Trust Race Relations Day event will be on Sunday, 24 March at 1pm at Lynfield College.

The New Zealand -Asia Association (NZAA) Inc will hold its Viva Eclectika Dine and Dance Party on Sunday 24 March with drinks from 6pm at dinner at 6.30pm at the Auckland Polish club Association Hall, 1 McDonald St, Morningside.  $10 pp includes home cooked multinational dishes, a soft drink and the occasion to meet others. Email viva.eclectika@gmail.com or contact Joseph on 021 267 6368.

Counties Manukau Ethnic  Council, in recognition of Race Relations Day, will organise the Franklin Multicultural Festival in partnership with the Puni School at the Pukekohe Intermediate School. The event will  be held Sunday, 7 April. For further information please contact Ganges Singh or Gul Zaman.

The Auckland International Festival will be held on Sunday, 7 April.

If you or your organisation is planning an event to celebrate Race Relations Day, email us.

The poster for 2013 is now available, and we also have a postcard where you can tell us your dream and send it back to us. If you would like to order copies email resources@hrc.co.nz.

Whanganui Regional Museum

It’s all about Making History
11 March– 21 March

We all want our country to be the best it can be and now each and every one of us has the opportunity to say what our dream for Aotearoa New Zealand is as we continue to ponder, discuss and learn what the New Zealand constitution means. Future generations can then say their ancestors spoke up to make Aotearoa a better place!

Share your dream for Aotearoa from Monday March 11. Write your dream on a whiteboard and a museum staff will photograph you and place your dream on Facebook and in the Museum. Now is your time to be heard!

Who are we in Aotearoa New Zealand?
21 March, 5.30pm
The Atrium – Whanganui regional Museum

Two members of the Constitutional Advisory Panel, Peter Tennent and Hinurewa Poutu, will share with the purpose of a constitution and unravel the story of why the constitution is important to all of us. Refreshments will be served after the forum.

 Exhibitions

 Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi – The Māori Court

Featuring the war canoe Te Mata o Hoturoa and an internationally renowned collection of taonga Māori from Whanganui.

Te Pātaka Whakaahua – The Lindauer Gallery

Portraits of prominent Māori rangatira (leaders) from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, by world-famous painter Gottfried Lindauer. 

Ngā Maunga Tūtei
15 February to 28 July 2013 

A small exhibition of historical black and white photographs of Mounts Ruapehu, Ngāuruhoe and Tongariro reminds us of the craftsmanship and the intrepid nature of some of the early Whanganui photographers, such as Frank Denton and Mark Lampe. “Rārangi maunga, tū i te ao, tū i te pō – rārangi tāngata, ka ngaro, ka ngaro noa.”

Te Toi Ahurea ō Ngā Rauru
11 March to 2 June 2013

Our Museum is proud to support Ngā Rauru iwi and their Te Toi Ahurea event, celebrating Ngā Raurutanga, its successes and its people. We guide you around Ngā Rauru taonga in our contribution to this wonderful kaupapa. Mā mātou koutou hei mihi, hei whakanui ki ngā toi tūturu nō te nehenehe nui.

Minkisi – Art and Belief in West and Central Africa
From the Desmond Bovey Collection
To 25 August 2013

Minkisi features dramatic African statues and masks in a dynamic new exhibition. Collector Des Bovey, with a great knowledge of and passion for African cultures, provides us with an opportunity to see representations of art, culture and belief that are startlingly different to our own. Don’t miss it!

Land – mana whenua, mana tangata

Take a look at Whanganui, its land, its community and the town during the 19th century. You will explore the experiences of both tangata whenua and European settlers, with particular reference to land, spirituality, conflict and alliance.

For more information visit the Whanganui Regional Museum website.

Lysaght Watt Gallery

Out of Our Comfort Zone
5 March- 1 April 2013

A new exhibition opening soon at Hawera’s Lysaght Watt Gallery offers a challenge to artists to explore something new or pick up a creative thread from the past.  Out of Our Comfort Zone will present works by fifteen Taranaki artists and aims to showcase diverse skills, strengths and wide scope of subject and media they use.

“The title of the show, Out of Our Comfort Zone presents the idea for artists to do just that – get out of their comfort zone.  Artists will exhibit two works each; one in a style and medium typical and familiar of their work and one that explores a new genre, challenging them to express themselves in a creative medium fresh to their everyday practice.” says curator, South Taranaki District Council arts co-ordinator Michaela Stoneman. 

Artists featured in the exhibition are Anne Holliday, Antonia O’Mahony, Anna Korver, Carl Fairweather, Caryl Murray, Catherine Tamou, Cecilia Russell, Dale Copeland, Katey Pittwood, Katie Bayliss, Lisa Walsh, Mark Bellringer, Milarky, Paul Hutchinson and Steve Molloy.

“The show offers an opportunity for artists to display work that doesn’t need to fit into the mould of what audiences expect to see from them. The aim is for artists to experience pleasure in the creative process and enjoy new paths this exploration may lead them down.

Artists often work across many mediums. This show encourages them to try something new. It‘s up to each artist how far out of their comfort zone they want to step. “

Exhibition runs until 1 April 2013 - Lysaght Watt Gallery, 6 Union St, Hawera (beside the Hawera Town Square).

For more information, please contact:

Michaela Stoneman, Arts Coordinator, on 0800 111 323

Gerard Langford, Communications Manager, on 0800 111 323 or 027 4951166

 The aim of this project is to connect/introduce the Filipino newcomers to the larger Christchurch community through sport.  Participants are the Filipino workers who have been employed by several Christchurch companies involved in the rebuilding of Christchurch. Each team is being supported by their employer.

 Canterbury Basketball Association and Canterbury Basketball Officials Association have been assigned to manage the tournament.

For more information contact Dehls Richards.

“Migrante (The Filipino Diaspora)” revisits the universe of distressed Filipinos driven out of the land of their birth in search of greener pastures in foreign, often hostile, climates. In the Middle East, Frida and Andy grapple with their floundering marriage as they get caught in the life-and-death swirl of the phenomenon called Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).

The film has English subtitles. Migrants and refugees in New Zealand can surely relate to the film as it depicts the lives of those who dared venture to different parts of the globe in search of better job opportunities and safer communities. The film also highlights how other migrants who, while having their own problems, are willing to lend a helping hand to their migrants in dire need.

The Philippines is listed as the 6^th country in the world most vulnerable to climate change. The massive death toll from typhoon Bopha which hit the Southern Philippines at the end of 2012 highlights the vulnerability of poor communities. Proceeds of the film screening will be donated to purchase wooden lifeboats for communities of migrant families vulnerable to disasters, and to rebuild at least one school for indigenous community devastated by typhoon Bopha.  

For $12, you can watch the film in the following venues:  

AUCKLAND * Saturday 16 March, 4:00 PM & 6PM
Westlake Boys Auditorium, Forrest Hill Avenue, North Shore
Contact George Misa 02102757995 / Dennis Maga 0226073918

WELLINGTON * Sunday 17 March, 3:00 PM -6:00 PM
St. Andrew’s on The Terrace, 30 The Terrace in the CBD.
Contact Didith 0274763787 or approach Munting Tinig/FILINARTIZTS 

DUNEDIN * Sunday 17 March, 2:30-4:00 PM & 4:30-6:00 PM
WINZ Community Link Centre Cnr. St. Andrew & Cumberland St. or Castle St. Entrance (in front of Fire Station) Contact Marilou Guangco Scott 03 477 1791 / 021 140 6791 

CHRISTCHURCH * Sunday 17 March, 4:00 PM
Celebration Centre, 81 Bickerton Street, Wainoni
Contact Marie Ottaway 0212693988 / Betty Mouatt 0211696546 

ASHBURTON * Saturday 23 March, 7:30 pm
Ashburton New Life Church, 58 Melcombe St
Contact Maria Cristina: 302-5629 / Edwin San Gabriel 302-5869 / Jonathan Da-al 303-7915

This workshop is for new migrants who want to know more about Tangata Whenua and the bi-cultural origins of New Zealand.  In this workshop you will:

• find out what the Treaty means for you as a new New Zealander
• learn how to respond to questions about the Treaty in job interviews.

Cost is $10 for materials and certificates. For more information and to register contact Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) Manukau Resource Centre Ph: 09 2635490 / email: manukau@arms-mrc.org.nz

There will also be an “Orientation to the New Zealand Health System” on Friday 22 March from 10am-12nn at ARMS Manukau Resource Centre, 2 Osterley Way.

This workshop organised by Settlement Support Manukau is for newcomers who want to know more about how the health system works in New Zealand.  This free 2 hour workshop will provide more information about:

• how the NZ health system works
• what services are available
• how to access services
• eligibility criteria.

Health specialists will facilitate the session and answer any questions you may have.

To register phone (09) 263 5490, or email ssnzmanukau@arms-mrc.org.nz.

Over the weekend of 23-24 March 2013, thousands of kiwis can once again take time to get to know those who live next door. They can share conversation and kai, and forge connections and support systems that will continue to enrich their lives long after the weekend has ended. As a result, many more NZ streets can be turned into neighbourhoods and countless strangers can become neighbours.

 Ultimately, small and continued acts of everyday neighbourliness, lead to stronger and more resilient, NZ communities – and most significantly, to the enhanced well-being of individuals, families and whānau.

 NDA is a grass-roots campaign running on a limited budget. Despite this challenge, pick-up of this campaign has been extraordinary. Kiwis have connected with the message en masse and organisations like yours have worked hard to spread the word across Aotearoa.

 For more information visit the NDA website or email kiaora@neighboursday.org.nz.

Origins of Māori seats

There is a lot of history that contributes to why and how Māori seats/electorates look today.  This is just a peek into our past… 

As you can imagine Parliament in the 1850s and 60s was different to what we have had today.  To vote in elections you had to be male, over 21 years old and have any of the following:

• A freehold estate with the electorate valued at £50
• A leasehold with an annual value of £10
• A tenement with an annual rental of £10 in a town or £5 in the country  (for people who are unsure what tenement is, we were too – a quick google search shows that it is substandard multi-family dwelling)

These rules applied to Māori but in effect it meant that few were actually able to vote as most of the land was held collectively and not individually.   Combine this with land acquisition policies of the colonial government, distrust of some settlers due to the loss of land and poverty (again, because of loss of land) it meant that Māori were pretty disenfranchised from the political system.  It is this context, as well as the desire by Māori to enjoy political representation, that Māori seats were born. 

Māori Representation Act

The Māori Representation Act was introduced in 1867.  The Act divided the North Island into three electorates and allowed for one electorate in the South Island, Stewart Island and other adjacent islands.   Māori men, over 21, were given voting rights – as long as they hadn’t been convicted of any “treason, felony or infamous offence”.  It also specified that the representatives were to be chosen by and from “eligible electors” – meaning that candidates had to be Māori.

First Māori MPs

Elections were held in 1868 and the first Māori Members of Parliament (MP) were Frederick Nene Russell, Mete Kīngi Te Rangi Paetahi, Tāreha Te Moananui and John Patterson.  Kia ora koutou!

Below is a picture of Mete Te Rangi Paetahi and Iriaka Ratana.  Iriaka Ratana was the first Māori women MP; she succeeded her late husband Matiu Ratana in 1949.

 Right now you have the choice if you want to be on the Māori Roll or the General Roll

The Māori Electoral Option gives New Zealanders of Māori descent the opportunity to choose whether they want to be on the Māori Electoral Roll or the General Electoral Roll when they vote in the next two General Elections.  The option only happens every five years and it’s happening now.

Currently we have 7 Māori electorates. 

• Hauraki-Waikato – (North Western North Island, includes Hamilton and Papakura)
• Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – (East and South North Island, includes Gisborne and Maste rton)
• Tāmaki Makaurau – (Roughly equivalent to greater Auckland)
• Te Tai Hauāuru – (Western North Island, includes Taranaki and Manawatu-Wanganui regions)
• Te Tai Tokerau – (Northernmost seat, includes Whangarei and North and West Auckland)
• Te Tai Tonga – (All of South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, the Chatham Islands, all the islands in the Southern Ocean and a large part of Wellington.  Is the  largest electorate by area)
• Waiariki – (Includes Tauranga, Whakatane, Rotorua, Taupo)

What does this mean for me?

Today you can vote if you are over 18 years old.  When we do workshops often we ask people to list their rights and responsibilities…and we normally have to prompt people to remember that voting is both a right (that people have fought for) and a responsibility (that people have fought for!)

If you choose the General Roll you will vote for an MP in the General electorate but if you choose the Māori Roll you will vote for an MP in the Māori electorate. 

This doesn’t change the party you vote for – you can still vote for any party no matter what roll you are on.

There are currently 7 electorates.  If you are on the Māori Roll, like the General Roll, you get one electorate vote and one party vote.

How are the numbers of electorates calculated?

The results of the Census and the Māori Electoral Option will be used to calculate the number of Māori and General electorates for the 2014 and 2017 General Elections. The number of electorates will be announced by Statistics New Zealand in early October 2013.

The following factors may influence the number of Māori electorates:

• population change since the last census
• the number of people included in the census
• how people answer the census Māori descent question
• the level of enrolment by people who have indicated they are of Māori descent on the General roll or Māori roll
• the proportion of electors of Māori descent who are on the Māori roll at the end of the Option period.

It is your choice

So talk to you whānau and friends, find out what it all means and get involved.

If you are already enrolled to vote you will be sent a pack in the mail. If you don’t get a pack or you need to enrol you can:

• go to Elections
• call 0800 36 76 56
• free text your name and address to 3676
• enroll at any PostShop. 

It is that easy!  

For more information, including short video clips on a range of different questions, check out this page Elections

The hui was held on February 8^th and aimed to highlight the rights of whānau hauā/hunga hauā in regard to inclusion and access of disabled Māori to marae and the wider community.  About 25 people attended the hui including Disability Commissioner, Paul Gibson.

Whānau haua talked about how their disability can affect how they connect or how much they are included in Te Ao Māori.  For some it has resulted in a loss of culture, including te reo, misunderstanding by wider whānau members and isolation from the marae. People also talked about how whānau need education to understand that the impact of a disability extends beyond the individual to their whānau, hapū, iwi and the community. 

One in five Māori people report having a disability.  What do we need to know?

People talked about the relevance of the marae being important to a person with a disability.  It is a place of strength, wellbeing, and an anchor stone of tribal identity binding a person to their community and connecting the past to the future through whakapapa. 

It is essential each person’s mana is upheld, and whanaunga hauā communicated during the hui that they need to have opportunities to fully express themselves on marae.  Marae need to be barrier free in design and kaupapa, for example enabling whanaunga hauā to communicate via New Zealand Sign Language, and whānau with brain injury being able to whaikōrero and karanga.

Participants also commented on the importance of being seen by agencies and services as a member of a whānau and not just as an individual, and also being able to express their right to be Māori when engaging with agencies and services.

Ongoing work

The Commission wishes to thank all the attendees for sharing their stories and the whānau of Araiteuru Marae for hospitality.

We are continuing to work with hui participants to increase awareness of disability rights for whanaunga hauā within their communities, and explore opportunities recognising their contribution to their marae/community and celebrate their life journey.

The Commission is also looking to work with Te Puni Kōkiri about having this kōrero with marae throughout the country.

Further information to support whanau hauā on marae can be found at Support system on marae

Now is your chance to tell us. 

What is the Universal Periodic Review?

Under its international obligations the New Zealand government has to prepare a national Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report every four years that assesses our progress on meeting our international human rights obligations.

Three main documents are used to conduct the review of New Zealand:

• a National Report of 20 pages prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade concerned on the human rights situation in the country;
• a compilation of ten pages prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) containing information from treaty bodies, special procedures and UN agencies such as UNDP and UNICEF;
• a summary of ten pages prepared by the OHCHR containing information from the Human Rights Commission and civil society.

How do I get involved?

The UPR is an important opportunity for individuals, NGOs and civil society organisations to share their experience and views on New Zealand’s realisation of human rights for everyone. What people and communities say can influence future developments. It isn’t just about writing reports. Communities will be consulted on what’s important for them. UPR 13/14 is an opportunity to work with other like minded groups, and to lobby the Government to make voluntary commitments and/or accept recommendations made by the working group following the UPR 13/14 process.

The Commission is offering free workshops to support civil society in UPR 13/14. In addition there will be opportunities to engage in discussions with government officials in April/May and subsequently to comment on the draft New Zealand government report. The Commission would also welcome the opportunity to discuss key issues with community groups and individuals to feed into the UPR 13/14 process.

The workshop dates and times are:

• Auckland          26 March (1.30 – 4.30pm) Auckland Law School
• Wellington        4 April (1.30-4.30)
• Christchurch      11 April (1.30-4.30)
• Dunedin           16 April (1.30-4.30)
• Hamilton          7 May (1.30-4.30)
• Invercargill      9 May (Time TBC)

Please contact Michael White on michaelw@hrc.co.nz if:

• you wish to attend one of the Commission’s workshops;
• would like to receive further emails about how to be involved in the UPR process;
• if you or your organization are hosting an event where the Commission could talk about UPR 13/14; or
• you would like the Commission to assist with facilitating co-ordinated engagement from your sector.

In the meantime for more information on UPR 13/14 and how you can get involved see: UPR

We look forward to working with you.

In 2009, the Commission received a large number of complaints from people who thought broadcaster Paul Henry’s comments about British singer Susan Boyle were insulting to her and to all disabled people. People First, an organisation of people with intellectual/learning disability were most affected due to the nature of the comments. The complaints could not be progressed as a complaint of discrimination under the HRA. However, both the Enquiries and Complaints Team and the Equal Employment Opportunities Team compiled relevant information and supported People First in taking their complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA).

The BSA ordered the television channel to broadcast an apology, recognising the inappropriate and insulting nature of the comments. (View in NZSL.)

At mediation it became clear there had been a breakdown of communication between Jenny’s school and home. It was evident that good communication was vital to ensuring Jenny’s needs were met at school. During the process the school and Jenny’s parents were able to sort out their differences, acknowledging where things had gone wrong and where individual communication styles might not have been helpful. Jenny’s parents were frustrated when their views were not taken into account and when responses from the school were slow. This frustration was felt by the school to be unhelpful. However, the parties agreed that together they could have come up with possible solutions for any concerns, for example, one of the parents attending camp with Jenny.

Although Jenny did not attend that school camp, processes were established to deal with the lack of notice, consultation and communication by the school in its decision that Jenny couldn’t attend. The parties worked together to change the situation. The school agreed to review its policy on risk analysis for students attending EOTC (Education Outside The Classroom) in consultation with Jenny’s parents and the student support person from the Ministry of Education. They agreed the starting point is that all students participate in EOTC. Where the school identifies risk, the policy requires consultation with parents and others to ensure all reasonable steps are taken to remove barriers and meet the needs of the student.

At mediation, the agency agreed to review and modify the reception area arrangements in its offices to accommodate disabled clients, as a result of Hannah’s complaint. They installed a lower reception desk in the office that Hannah had visited, where disabled clients could talk to staff and fill out forms. The organisation also decided to install the accessible counters in its new branch offices.

As a result of the discussions, Hannah learnt about the current disability training for the agency’s staff and was invited to make any suggestions or comments for improvement of that training. She received an apology for the service failure and a payment to acknowledge the humiliation and stress she had experienced.

Daniel wanted to use an online service but was frustrated to find the only confirmation of personal identification was a driver’s licence. Daniel has been blind since birth and, as such, does not have a driver’s licence. Daniel’s computer has voice-activated software, allowing him a high level of functionality and the ability to fill in forms and access services online. However, in this instance, Daniel had to make a special trip to town and engage the assistance of a sighted person to fill out the form. When Daniel asked them about this, the company explained it had explored a range of personal identification options and found drivers’ licences were the only form that gave them the required security. The company apologised for the inconvenience caused but said it could not do anything further.

The mediation process

The explanation did not satisfy Daniel, who believed there were other options the company might not have considered. He approached the Commission for assistance to arrange a meeting with the company. At mediation, Daniel explained a system that used the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind’s (RNZFB) database as confirmation of identity for visually impaired people. The company agreed to investigate this further.

Outcome

A few months later, the company confirmed it would be launching a new online service. Members of the RNZFB can now place a request over the phone and use a credit card when online payment is required.

If you think you have been discriminated against, call the Commission’s Infoline 0800 496 877 or email infoline@hrc.co.nz. It’s free and confidential.

TXT 0210 236 4253
Language Line, an interpreting service, is available.
An appointment with a sign language interpreter is available.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact the Commission using the New Zealand Relay Service. NZ Relay is a telecommunications service and all calls are confidential. www.nzrelay.co.nz

Cecelia has lived experience of disability after receiving a spinal injury in a car accident resulting in quadriplegia.  She does not find it necessary to disclose this information to the parties although she may choose to do so if the circumstances are such that she believes “it might be helpful to relate my personal experience based on my disability”. With nearly 20 years of experience under her belt, Cecelia is well aware of the expectations and perceptions some people have when they first contact the Commission. Importantly, she initially sets out to establish whether the concerns raised are matters able to be progressed through the Commission’s Dispute Resolution Process. In other words, is this arguable discrimination?

“Firstly, it’s important to put the caller at ease and explain the process clearly,” says Cecelia.  “Mediation is about having a conversation with each other with the assistance of a mediator. This conversation can happen by a face-to-face meeting or by telephone or videoconference or by liaison via the mediator.”

“It is important for people to understand that this may be the only opportunity to talk to each other and to have a say in the outcome.   It’s fair to say not all mediations necessarily achieve the desired outcome.  An outcome may include compensation, an apology, a chance to educate or inform; for some, just ‘being heard’ can be sufficient validation. For me personally, a successful mediation is one where the mediator’s role almost becomes obsolete due to the level of engagement between the participants. I recall on one occasion, following an extensive discussion, where both participants (employer/ex-employee) turned to me and their respective lawyers and said ‘we didn’t really need you did we?’”

When asked what the most satisfying thing about her job is, she says, “I am privileged to work with and alongside such passionate people at the Commission,  the nature of our work and the diverse range of people we work with often presents its own challenges, knowing that change can and does happen both at an individual and systemic level and finally, the ability to work from home in the Far North.”

Cecelia is a board member of the Tiaho Trust. It is positioned to be the leading proactive disability led organisation in Tai Tokerau from which the community can obtain advice and support. The Trust works to empower the Northland community by promoting the disabled community as “valued citizens who contribute, participate and add to the diversity of New Zealand society”.

Of Te Rarawa and Te Aupouri descent, Cecelia grew up in the small settlement in Panguru in the Hokianga; her great aunt is the well respected kuia and activist Dame Whina Cooper. The second youngest of eight, Cecelia remembers being punished for speaking Māori in class.  Instead of following in her siblings footsteps to boarding school in Auckland she somehow persuaded her mother to let her get a job in the city. She lives with her husband Peter and menagerie in Kerikeri, not far from her Hokianga roots.

While I was at Victoria University in the early 90s, disabled students were challenging the university to improve the way it supported us and make tertiary education accessible. Many gains were made. Then in mid 1994, just after the new HRA grounds came into effect, the Sociology and Social Work Department (which had the highest proportion of disabled students of any department) was shifted from an accessible high rise building near the centre of the campus, to a series of smaller inaccessible buildings on an unsealed building site on the campus’ periphery. At least two students dropped out mid-course. This was seen by the disability community and students as the most visible symptom of a wider system failure; universities’ inability to adequately prioritise the needs of disabled students in decision making. My first involvement with the Human Rights Commission was being part of the group that took this as a class action complaint to the Commission.

Using the investigative process in the legislation at the time, the Commission found this to be discrimination. Two years later, a comprehensive plan was implemented, and an apology was negotiated between the university and complainants. The Government, against a background of severe cuts in tertiary education funding, introduced funding targeted at disabled tertiary students’ needs. These initiatives supported many to succeed, such as the funding of NZSL interpreters for Deaf students.

Many of the university management team involved in the initial complaint had moved on over the following two years. Then, triggered by the launch of a new and less accessible website, the entire university management team had to attend, many reluctantly, two half-day disability competence senior management workshops.

I believe Victoria University and the tertiary education system have changed positively as a result of the original complaint.

Many enquiries and complaints are received by the Commission. Complaints about unlawful discrimination in the private sector (non-government area) are mostly race related, followed by disability. The main area of complaint is employment. With government related complaints, the largest ground is disability, and within this, the largest area is education.

Disability rights issues are sometimes presented through complaints, not about disability itself, but other grounds, such as family status. Many readers will know of the “family as paid care givers” case which started as a complaint with the Commission. The case was won by the families, but like other legal battles, has taken 12 years, resulting in a great personal toll for those involved.  Remedies are yet to be finalised, and a policy for other disabled people and their families in similar situations has not yet been determined.

Since the Victoria University case in 2001, the HRA has been amended again. The complaints process now focuses on resolving the problem or complaint through mediation. Many complaints are sorted out either at mediation or with the help of a mediator. Complaints can, and do, lead to changes for individuals and change for systems. This issue of Manahau contains three case studies where successful outcomes have been achieved, and it also profiles Commission Mediator Cecelia O’Dell.

Sometimes a complaint is not resolved with the Commission’s help. If this happens, it may move to outside of the Commission’s dispute mediation process to the Human Rights Review Tribunal. If this is the case, the complainant may wish to approach the Director of the Office of Human Rights Proceedings for legal representation. If the Director accepts the case, the Office will then represent the complainant at the Tribunal.

Commissioners do not have involvement in the complaints process, but lead on promoting and monitoring rights, and working to effect wide societal change. Human rights are much more than non-discrimination, and the changes to the HRA in 2001 were intended to reflect this. A human rights approach means using international conventions, such as the Disability Convention, as the standard for decision-making, identifying all rights, balancing conflicting rights, prioritising the rights of the most vulnerable, ensuring the participation of those affected in decision-making, empowering individuals and groups, and being accountable to these international conventions.

The Commission is currently undertaking an organisational review and is listening to the feedback of disabled people, amongst others. The overwhelming feedback is that all our staff do a great job. The feedback does show, however, that disabled people and their supporters still find it difficult to make complaints in a seemingly complex system, and this includes the Commission, the Health and Disability Commissioner, and other agencies. If complaints are not resolved at these lower levels, they may potentially involve a long battle through the courts.  Disabled people want someone to support them through the process and understand it better. The Commission wants to keep resolving what can be resolved, and is looking at ways to address other issues raised by the feedback it has received.

In the April issue of Manahau we will update you on the news on the organisational review.  We will also include an update along with our perspective on the Human Rights Amendment Bill. This Bill proposes formalising the establishment of the Disability Rights Commissioner role and making it full time (its currently 0.8), as well as discussing other changes it proposes for the Commission.

Paul Gibson
Disability Rights Commissioner

(View full article in NZSL)

This year CAB Language Link has introduced three new languages to its services. They are Filipino (ext 715), Sinhala (ext 722) and Tamil (ext 728). To contact our Filipino, Sinhala or Tamil speaking staff please phone 624 2550 and dial the respective extension number. You can also email language@cab.org.nz or visit our office for face to face help on Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm at 521D Mt Albert Road, Three Kings, Auckland.

Free legal consultations (by appointment only) and JP services are also available and are run as follows:

JP Clinic – Mon, Wed 1.30-3.30pm

Legal Clinic (by appointment only) – Tue 5-6pm

The gathering is intended to provide a retreat for participants in an informal environment to allow time for connecting, thinking, and planning.  The gathering has been initiated and organised by hosts Christchurch Resettlement Services and RASNZ.   

Officials from Immigration New Zealand will facilitate the workshop on 22 April on practical aspects of implementing the positive and ambitious targets of the new NRRS.   Invitations are being extended across the country and confirmed participants so far include the Red Cross, the National Refugee Network, and the Refugee Council of New Zealand, as well as key providers, researchers, and refugee voice representatives. 

For further information on the South Island contact Shirley Wright  or on the North Island Dr Arif Saeid.

In 2012 Refugee Trauma Recovery was successful in introducing this programme to NZ exclusively for children who are former refugees. An Australian based Brazilian Master (Mestre Roxinho) provides the leadership.

Full details on how you can be involved are on the website of Refugee Trauma Recovery.

Are you a 1.5 or 2nd generation New Zealander from one of Aotearoa’s refugee or migrant communities? Do you want to share your story on TV or do you know someone who does?

As each episode is a 22 minute narrative on just one person, they should have a goal or event that they’re working towards and are able to illustrate what it’s like to have to navigate their way between two cultures. 

For more information contact Jane Dowell, Researcher, Notable Pictures at Ph 09 973 573.

The Refugee Road Safety Action Programme was created in 2004 by two former refugees, Dr Nyunt Naing and Dr Arif Saeid at the national Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland. “We saw the urgent and huge need from our own experiences coming through Mangere, and from the strong feedback of all the many refugee communities,” said Dr Naing, who is now the health services director with the International Rescue Committee in the Thailand-Myanmar border region. 

“Refugees were not getting drivers training, licenses, or even basic road safety knowledge.  When new arrivals left Mangere, a number were buying cars and driving without any licences, training or understanding of the Road Code,” said Dr Naing.  “There were serious public safety and legal issues arising at the time.  In addition to that, having no drivers licence or means of even obtaining a learners’ permit meant that transport was very difficult in settlement.  Families became isolated and further, it was very hard to obtain work.”

More than 3,500 new arrivals have successfully completed the course and graduated with learner’s licences over the past 7 years.  The course has also been available for Convention Refugees and Quota Refugees settled in the community.  Interpreters in more than 25 languages and the RASNZ Community Facilitators have administered the programme with a system that brings a result of more than 90% successful pass rate for learner’s licences.

The RASNZ programme won the national 2009 Road Safety Innovation and Achievement Award which was presented by the Minister of Transport at Parliament in Wellington.  Changes in funding priorities, however, from the Ministry of Transport meant resources were cut to the programme in July, 2011.

Dr Saeid said that the RASNZ CEO and Board made submissions to Government about the potential safety risks, and also showed the evaluation outcomes and evidence of its success,  and highlighted the needs, which resulted in a positive response.   “We appreciate that former refugees have been listened to and that the real need has been recognised by the government.   We are very grateful the Road Safety Trust stepped in to assist, “said Dr Saeid.

The Road Safety Action Programme will now resume from the coming intakes during 2013 and again become fully operational.

Dance, music and shared meals marked the occasion as women enjoyed getting to meet one another and learn from each other’s cultures. The event, held in January, was organised by ChangeMakers as a direct response from refugee-background women’s request to hold a social gathering to connect with each other.

For more information on the ongoing work ChangeMakers does with refugee-background women, contact Naomi  or visit ChangeMakers online.

This decision to take 150 refugees annually from Australia will not be in addition to New Zealand’s current commitment to resettle 750 refugees a year. This decision reduces the number of places available for referral by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to just 600 places, at a time when UNHCR has identified 860,000 refugees in need of resettlement but has fewer than 85,000 resettlement places available globally for referral each year. As noted by Amanda Brydon of Amnesty International: “As a country that receives so few asylum seekers arriving at its borders, New Zealand should be focusing on increasing its resettlement program. In particular, with countries like Syria, Mali and Afghanistan continuing to produce record numbers of refugees, this is not the time to be taking refugees from a country like Australia…. If Australia and New Zealand are genuinely committed to a regional approach then they need to engage meaningfully with countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, not just each other.”

Furthermore, these 150 refugees may still be subject to years of mandatory detention in Australia or in offshore centres under the ‘no advantage’ policy. Significant concerns have been raised domestically and internationally about this decision. These concerns also follow international outcry on the proposed Immigration Amendment Bill, designed to deter a potential mass arrival of “illegal migrants” to New Zealand.

The review process provides a unique opportunity for NGOs, individuals and civil society groups to influence New Zealand’s human rights landscape. The UPR considers New Zealand’s human rights performance as a whole; all human rights and the way they interact in the New Zealand environment.

For more information on the process and how to engage please contact Michael White.

As a result of the amalgamation, New Zealand Red Cross has become the lead agency responsible for the resettlement of quota refugees, using the expertise of both organisations to improve the support provided to newly arrived refugees and deliver greater efficiency.

New Zealand Red Cross President Jenny McMahon says working with and for refugees, asylum seekers and their families is one of the long-standing activities of the Red Cross Movement throughout the world.

“This is a very natural partnership,” says Ms McMahon. “Our national presence, global connections and experience will add opportunities to further strengthen an already world class programme, and bringing the operations of Refugee Services into New Zealand Red Cross will naturally deliver efficiency savings.”

“New Zealand Red Cross applauds the legacy that Refugee Services has achieved in the provision of settlement services, and we are committed to building on that legacy.” 

Former Refugee Services Chief Executive Heather Hayden says the key focus of Refugee Services’ work has always been on ensuring former refugees receive a supportive start to life through settling in and being connected to local communities.

“Together the agencies will provide a stronger foundation for former refugees who want the chance to settle into their new community, find work and contribute to New Zealand.”

Ms Hayden says Refugee Services approached Red Cross because they saw the value in being part of a larger, internationally recognised organisation.

“We are fully confident that as part of Red Cross we can carry on doing the great work we have done for nearly forty years through the work of local communities, volunteers and staff, many of whom came to New Zealand as refugees themselves.”

“All those who have been part of Refugee Services in the past can be confident that the contribution they made in giving people a fresh start in New Zealand will continue through Red Cross.”

In 2011/2012 a total of 774 refugees were granted residence under the programme, up from 705 in 2010/2011.

The Government approved a Refugee Resettlement Strategy, which will come into effect in 2013. The Strategy aims to ensure “refugees are participating fully and integrated socially and economically as soon as possible so that they are living independently, undertaking the same responsibilities and exercising the same rights as other New Zealanders and have a strong sense of belonging to their own community and New Zealand.”

The Strategy is focused around five key goals:

• self-sufficiency – all working-age refugees are in paid work or are supported by a family member in paid work;
• participation;
• health and wellbeing;
• education – particularly English language skills; and
• housing –refugees live in safe, secure, healthy and affordable homes, without needing government housing assistance.

A decision was also made to retain the Mangere Refugee Reception Centre.

The number of asylum seekers continues to steadily decline. In 2011/2012 305 claims were lodged for asylum, down from 337 the previous year. In the first six months of the 2012/2013 financial year 149 claims were lodged. This trend is directly correlated to policy and legislative developments.

In April the Government announced a new sanctions regime for airlines that breach their obligations under the Immigration Act 2009 to ensure passengers possess the correct documentation for travel to New Zealand. The new regime entered into force in July and enables the immediate imposition of penalties ranging from $500-5,000, removing the previous requirement for Court prosecution.

In the same month the Government introduced an Immigration Amendment Bill to Parliament establishing new procedures in the event of ten or more asylum seekers arriving in New Zealand by boat. The measure was described as a means of deterring people smuggling and enabling the effective and efficient management of a mass of arrival of “illegal immigrants”.

The Bill is accompanied by two significant policy changes. Individuals forming part of a mass arrival are precluded from gaining permanent residence until after a reassessment of their claim for refugee or protected person status. This reassessment will take place three years after the initial grant. In addition, the availability of family reunification for individuals forming part of a mass arrival is limited to immediate family.

The Bill was referred to the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee in May for consideration. The Committee received 33 written submissions from interested groups and individuals. Overwhelmingly submitters, including the likes of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Amnesty International, the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, the New Zealand Law Society, the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, and the International Detention Coalition, opposed the Bill and raised serious concerns about its compliance with New Zealand’s international obligations.

At the end of the year, the Bill remained before Parliament awaiting its second reading.

CAB Language Link is a non-profit community organisation funded by Immigration New Zealand that provides free and confidential information, advice and support to newcomers in 25 languages. For detailed information about this service visit the website and click on the blue languages button in the right-hand menu.

Free legal consultations (by appointment only) and JP services are also available. The JP Clinic is available on Monday and Wednesday 1.30-3.30pm, and the Legal Clinic (by appointment only) on Tuesday 5-6pm .

Teachers are dedicated volunteers from the Sri Lankan community. For further details please visit the school website or call Gamini on 478 7047 (after hours).

The awards acknowledge the significant contribution made by businesses, organisations, schools and individuals throughout the country in supporting both NZSL and the New Zealand Deaf Community.

Deaf Aotearoa Marketing and Communications Manager Kathryn Heard says through the NZSL in Action Awards, Deaf Aotearoa is able to thank a wide range of people and organisations that have embraced NZSL and ensured Deaf people are an active part of New Zealand society.

Entries close on 31 March, with the winners announced at a Gala Dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington on Saturday, 18 May – celebrating the end of New Zealand Sign Language Week (13 – 19 May).

The award categories are Magnet Youth; NZSL in Schools; NZSL Teaching; Interpreter of the Year; NZSL Champion; NZSL Employer; NZSL Accessible Service; and NZSL in the Media. For further information or to complete a nomination form please visit Deaf Aotearoa NZ  or contact nzslawards@deaf.org.nz for an entry form.

Another welcome development in 2012 was the completion of the Pacific Languages Framework addressing the declining use of Pacific languages in New Zealand. A similar strategy for other community languages remains to be developed and the Community Languages Association of New Zealand continues to advocate for this.

The Canterbury earthquakes and a biodiversity alert in Auckland proved important lessons for public agencies’ communication with New Zealand’s increasingly diverse cultural and linguistic communities. These events underlined the importance of agencies to be able to communicate messages to all its communities. These issues were captured in Christchurch’s Community Language Information Network Group’s “Best Practice Guidelines for Engaging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities in Times of Disaster.”

Waitangi Tribunal finds treatment of kōhanga reo breached the Treaty

New Zealand’s early childhood education system has failed to adequately sustain the nation’s kōhanga reo as an environment for language transmission and whānau development, according to a Waitangi Tribunal report in October. The Tribunal found that this constituted a breach of the Treaty principles of partnership and equity.

The Tribunal expressed its deep concern at the vulnerable state of te reo Māori, and as a taonga, the Crown had a duty to actively protect the language. It recognised that kōhanga reo were essential to the survival and revitalisation of te reo Māori. The Crown was called upon to make a formal acknowledgement and apology for the Treaty breaches. The Tribunal also recommended that the Crown appoint an interim independent advisor to redevelop the engagement between government agencies and the Trust.

The Tribunal endorsed the conclusion of its 2011 report, “Ko Aotearoa Tēnei”, that urgent steps were needed to address recent Crown policy failures if te reo Māori is to survive. The Tribunal noted that survival requires both Treaty partners – Māori and the Crown – to collaborate in taking whatever reasonable steps are required to achieve the shared aim of assuring the long-term health of te reo Māori as a taonga of Māori. The Crown is considering the findings and recommendations of the Tribunal’s report.

New Māori Language strategy awaited

The original Māori Language Strategy was adopted in 2003 with a 25 year vision of development. The strategy required government agencies to draw up five-year plans and for Te Puni Kōkiri to monitor progress towards the 25 year goals at five year intervals. The Auditor-General completed a performance audit of the strategy in 2007, and Cabinet directed that a review of the strategy be done in 2008/2009.

A comprehensive review by language experts of both the strategy and the infrastructure of the Māori language sector was initiated by the Minister of Māori Affairs in 2010. The Waitangi Tribunal pre-released a chapter on te reo Māori from its broader report on the Wai 262 claim to assist the review panel, which completed its report, Te Reo Mauriora, in 2011. Following a visit to New Zealand, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Professor James Anaya, called on the Government in 2011 to take steps to overcome the shortage of teachers fluent in te reo Māori and to continue to develop Māori language programmes. Together, the conclusions of these reports posed a major challenge to current policy and practice relating to te reo Māori, consequently creating considerable uncertainty about the future direction of Māori language policy. At the end of 2012, a new strategy had yet to be completed.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres commented that “the need for a coordinated and measurable approach to promoting and protecting te reo Māori through a new national strategy is becoming increasingly urgent.”

The 25th anniversary of the coming into force of the Māori Language Act 1987, recognising te reo Māori as an official language of New Zealand and establishing the Māori Language Commission, was celebrated at the launch of Māori Language Week in July. The Act followed the landmark report of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1986 on the reo Māori claim, which concluded that te reo Māori was a taonga guaranteed by the Treaty of Waitangi. Despite current challenges, it was recognised that significant progress had been made since 1987.

An emerging matter is the protection and promotion of te reo Māori overseas, particularly in Australia. Research released in 2012 by Victoria University shows the number of Māori living in Australia jumped 38 per cent in the past five years to 128,000. This equates to around 16% of the global Māori population and is therefore an important constituency for te reo Māori regeneration. The population shift strongly suggests that the focus of any new Māori Language strategy must be global. A challenge for Māori Language policy development is how to bring this within the mandate of New Zealand government agencies. Supporting expatriates to retain their language and culture in the country they have settled in is common practice for other governments.

In November, Māori Television announced it was negotiating with Australia’s newly established National Indigenous Television Service (NITV) to share programmes such as Native Affairs, Homai Te Pakipaki and Te Kaea for Māori viewers in Australia. NITV was initially launched in 2007 as a pay-per view service, however, the station began broadcasting free-to-air to around 22 million viewers in December.

Te reo Māori in education

Around 20 per cent of Māori enrolments in early childhood education (ECE) are in kōhanga reo with just under 10 per cent of Māori school students in Māori medium education (where 51% or more of instruction is in te reo Māori). In its briefing to the incoming government at the end of 2011, the Ministry of Education noted that the Ministry’s own arrangements for Māori language, while well meaning, had been reactive and ad hoc. It noted that a priority for the next three years was to complete and implement Tau Mai Te Reo: The Māori Language in Education Strategy. This would set the strategic direction, including funding investment, for Māori language in education from 2013-2017.

The draft of Tau Mai Te Reo was released for consultation in December. It looks to focus on supporting and strengthening access to and the quality of Māori language in education provision. It considers all Māori language in education provision, from immersion settings to the learning of the Māori language as a subject in otherwise English medium settings. Māori language provision is supported across education from early learning, through to compulsory schooling and tertiary provision, as well as some home and community settings.

Tau Mai Te Reo will:

• provide a framework for better government investment in Māori language in education over the next five years
• support the coordination of effort across Māori language in education activity in the Ministry of Education and across education sector agencies
• create the conditions for learners to enjoy and achieve both educational and Māori language outcomes.

Tau Mai Te Reo supports the Ministry of Education’s and education sector agencies obligations under the Government’s current Māori Language Strategy. It also, contributes to providing education that supports learner identity, language and culture, and Māori enjoying and achieving education success as Māori.

In May, the Government appointed an expert reference group to advise on how to increase the number of high-quality, te reo-fluent teachers in Māori-medium education. The reference group focused on teachers for Māori language immersion Level 1 (Curriculum is taught in/through the use of Māori language 81–100% of the time) and Level 2 (Curriculum is taught in/through the use of Māori language 51–80% of the time). The group also developed a vision for strengthening the Māori language teacher workforce and recommendations to achieve this vision.

Pacific Languages framework approved

A Pacific Languages Framework was published in October, following public consultation by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs in 2011. The Ministry noted in its briefing to the incoming government, that promoting Pacific languages and culture was one of its four priorities, and that “vibrant Pacific languages and cultures will contribute to improved social and economic outcomes, and the cultural wellbeing of Pacific people.”

The Framework’s vision is that “Pacific languages are flourishing.” It is guided by four principles:

1. Support for language should be led and owned by communities.
2. The decline in language skills should be reversed.
3. Language is vital to vibrant Pacific cultures.
4. Heritage language skills will contribute to positive outcomes.

Select Committee Inquires into Pacific languages in ECE

Parliament’s Education and Science Select Committee conducted an inquiry into Pacific languages in early childhood education. Public submissions were considered at a number of public hearings in Wellington and Auckland. The Committee’s terms of reference were to investigate the current frameworks supporting Pacific language in early childhood education in New Zealand, including resourcing, capacity and capability, and the role and contribution of the Government, private sector, and community and voluntary sector to improve the prevalence and quality of Pacific languages in New Zealand. The Committee has yet to report its findings to Parliament.

Language weeks celebrate and promote NZ languages

Following in the footsteps of the longstanding Māori Language Week, language weeks for New Zealand Sign Language and Pacific Languages (including Samoan, Tongan and Cook Islands Māori) have also captured the imagination of communities as an opportunity to promote, celebrate and share their languages.

From April through to November 2012, the weeks featured a wide range of activities including cultural performances, speech competitions, workshops, language classes, school activities, library programmes, new publications, radio and television stories, newspaper features, YouTube videos and highly active Facebook pages. Tokelau and Niue celebrated their languages with successful language weeks for the first time in 2012.

Tokelau, Niue and the Cook Islands are part of the New Zealand realm; with their peoples enjoying New Zealand citizenship. Significant populations of each of these Pacific nations live in New Zealand, and these particular languages are the most at risk. This further highlights the urgent need for a community languages strategy.

Communication in a civil emergency

The Canterbury earthquakes and a biodiversity alert in Auckland highlighted the need for public agencies to be prepared to liaise with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, in their own languages, in times of civil emergency and where important public messages need to be relayed to the whole community.

A coalition of Christchurch organisations (the Community Language Information Network Group − CLING) commissioned research to assess the preparedness of local and central government agencies in supporting Canterbury during and after the earthquakes. The research was used to develop Best Practice Guidelines: Engaging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities in Times of Disaster, which were launched at the Diversity Forum. While primarily focused on improving the responsiveness of agencies in Christchurch to the city’s diverse communities, the guidelines are relevant to any situation of civil emergency throughout the country. The group also published Guidelines for using Language and Sign Interpreters: Useful Tips for Christchurch Agencies in February.

CLING comprises representatives from Christchurch City Council, Christchurch Resettlement Services, Community and Public Health (CDHB), the Human Rights Commission, Interpreting Canterbury, Partnership Health Canterbury, and Plains FM 96.9.

In May, a major biosecurity operation prompted by the discovery of a Queensland fruit-fly in the culturally diverse Avondale community in Auckland further emphasised the need for government agencies to be prepared to liaise with CALD communities. Early information was only available in English but it was translated a week later with print advertisements in Chinese and Korean, and radio advertisements in Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin and Punjabi.

Language Line continues to grow

Language Line, the free telephone interpreting service operated by the Office of Ethnic Affairs, added Bulgarian and Indonesian to its list of available languages. This takes the total number of languages offered to 44 with more than eighty public agencies now using the service. Language Line responded to over 38,000 requests in the 2011/2012 year.

The 10 most frequently requested languages (in order of demand) were Mandarin, Samoan, Korean, Cantonese, Tongan, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese and Portuguese. The agencies that use the service the most include: Inland Revenue, Immigration Service, Identity Services, ACC, Housing NZ Corporation and the Ministry of Justice.

There are now 160 different languages spoken in New Zealand, and Auckland is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Is it time for New Zealand to have a more unified approach to languages? Please join distinguished guests and members of the Vice President’s Te Whāinga Aronui o Te Apārangi Humanities and Social Science Advisory Panel in launching the Society’s paper Languages in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The launch of this information paper will begin at 4pm on Tuesday 5 March followed by a panel discussion with Joris de Bres, Dr Sharon Harvey (AUT University), Professor Stephen May (The University of Auckland), Fezeela Raza (Office of Ethnic Affairs) and other guests. It will be held at the Auditorium, Level 2, Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland Museum.

Register online by 26 February. Further enquiries to: Paul Behrens or 04 470 5777.

The poster welcomes people in 40 languages and, if your language is missing, there’s space to write it in.

The number of everyday languages we speak is growing fast. The 2006 Census identified New Zealanders as increasingly multilingual. A reported 671,658 people can speak two or more languages: an increase of 19.5 % on the 2001 Census. With a gap of seven years since the last census, no doubt the 2013 Census will reveal more fascinating information about our increasing diversity. So, next time you meet a new Kiwi, welcome them in their own language. Give it a go!

ELPNZ is in 23 locations and works closely with migrant and refugee communities. It offers a range of programmes to assist with community and workplace English language. More than 2,500 ELPNZ volunteers and 280 staff deliver services to over 6,500 people each year. Over 150 languages and dialects are represented on its national database.

CLANZ works to maintain community languages – running language classes and developing initiatives to support teaching practices in their community based schools.

For a poster, contact Grace Bassett at ELPNZ or get in touch through ELPNZ’s website. For more information also see the UNESCO website to read a message about International Mother Languages Day from Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO.

There is one remaining session this month on 23 February. The topic for this session is Stamp for Year of the Snake 2013 蛇年生肖邮票

Mā te ako-e:

• Ka māmā te kimi mātauranga i Aotearoa, i te ao whānui, me te noho tonu i te kura, i te kāinga rānei.
• Ka ako tahi ngā ākonga, ngā hapori.
• Ka uru atu te ākonga ki ngā wheako rerekē, ki ngā wheako kei tua atu i te kura, i te kāinga hoki. (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa)

Ako-e i Roto i te Marautanga o Aotearoa will be held from 15 to 18 July 2013 at the West Plaza Hotel Wellington. Participants will engage in hands on e-learning activities and participate in reo Māori workshops.

This course presents an opportunity:

• For level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers to explore the many and varied learning opportunities in the e-learning space.
• To exchange ideas and strategies about e-learning and teaching.
• To increase their knowledge and understanding of e-technologies and the impact on 21st century learners.
• To build teacher confidence in an environment where students are potentially more literate.

Registrations close 14 June 2013. An early bird fee applies if fees are paid by 31 May 2013, otherwise full fees apply. For more information visit the TRCC website and click on the Ako-e link under the Latest Courses heading.

Theme: ‘Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language’

O le tofa mau a Samoa, a fafaga fanau i upu ma tala e ola a’e ua atamamai i tu ma aga. A tautala pea lava pea i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona fa’aolaola ai i loto ma agaga o le fanau le tofi o tagata Samoa. Fa’atauanau fanau e tautatala i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona masani ai ma popoto e tautatala i luma o tagata. O le tele o upu ma tala, o le maoa’e fo’i lea o le ola a’oa’oina ma malosiaga o le tagata.

Theme: ‘Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language’

It is a Samoan position that feeding children with words and stories is critical to acquiring high proficiency in Samoan literacy. Speaking Samoan constantly in different contexts is considered essential in its maintenance and growth. Samoan, like all languages, is mastered through regular use. A high vocabulary size in Samoan is necessary for academic success and a strong sense of self.

The Regional Speech Contests will be part of Samoan language week.

The National speech contest is set for Friday 28 June at the Lower Hutt Town Hall Laings Road Lower Hutt, Wellington.

The Fono o le Tausaga (FAGASA Inc. Annual Conference) will be held 23-25 April  in Palmerston North.

NZSL Week helps promote the language as well as raise awareness about New Zealand’s Deaf community and the issues/challenges its members face each day.

The awareness week is a chance for the Deaf Community to stand proud as Deaf and promote their language and culture. It also provides an opportunity to advocate for Deaf rights, as defined by the UN’s Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities.

The concert features Dame Malvina Major, Galina Lykho, Valeriy Maxsymov and other distinguished performers. It includes opera arias, piano, compositions from the Golden Age of Russian music by Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, great Masters of the XX century Shostakovich and Prokofiev, Russian folk vocals, Māori vocals, and joyful presentations of distinguished vocals.

There will also be an exhibition of paintings by renowned Russian painters resident in New Zealand including the “Olexander Disciples’ collection and other exhibits including icons, samovars, porcelains, handcrafts, tapestry, handcrafts, medals and art work artefacts. The exhibition opens at 11:30a.m.

There will be light refreshments and nibbles at 1:15pm and the concert commences at 2pm. For more information contact Janet Franks on 07 843 5426 or email. Tickets are $35 for adults, concessions for groups and others by negotiation.

The program starts on Monday 25 February from 3-6pm. Registrations for this program are now open. For further information text or call Lomina Araitia on 027 256 1409 or visit the website of the Cook Islands Ta’okotai’anga Charitable Trust (the Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand (CIDANZ).

Manulauti(Conference theme): Fafaga fanau i upu ma tala: Tautala i lau gagana. (Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language).

F.A.G.A.S.A welcome anyone interested to present at the above conference to prepare an abstract of 250 words only and send it to Le’autuli’ilagi Taotua M.F.Sauvao before 4.30pm Thursday 28 March 2013. Your abstract must relate to the theme above or it will not be accepted. Please note also that no abstract will be accepted if it arrives later than the closing date. Please outline any equipment requirements for your presentation. The presentation should last between 35 – 40 minutes including questions and answers.

Matou te fiafia e faasilasila atu i a’i latou e fia tilivaina ni a latou pepa faatatau i lea ‘autu ina ia faaoo mai a outou folasaga a o le’i oo i le 4.30pm Aso Tofi 28 o Mati, 2013. E tatau ona 250 upu o lau folasaga(abstract) ma ia tausisia le manulauti/ sini ‘autu o le fonotele. E le talia pe afai e te le’o amanaiaina le manulauti/sini ‘autu i lau folasaga. E le taliaina foi ni folasaga e oo mai ua uma le aso e tapuni ai faamolemole.

Ia logo mai poo a ni masini e te fia faaaogaina mo lau pepa, ma ei le va o le 35 – 40 minute le umi e te saunoa/fetalai ai e aofia ai fesili ma tali.

E toe faamanatu atu le lesitala (Registration reminder):

Sui lesitala(Members): $450 faiaoga tulagalua – Iunivesete $250 faiaoga Aoga Amata

 I latou e le’i lesitalaina I le FAGASA (non- registered): $500.

 Aso e tasi(Daily registration): $100

E aofia I le lesitala le totogi o lou potu ma taumafataga.(Accommodation and meals are included in your registration fee).

For more information contact Le’autuli’ilagi Taotua M.F.Sauvao, Ph: 04 237 3103 Ext 3871, or after hours 04 235 9091.

The dramatised DVD is designed to assist people who are Hearing Impaired or Deaf to understand their rights and obligations when involved with New Zealand’s criminal justice system. It includes being stopped as a driver, breath tested, interviewed, arrested and attending Court. The resource is also a reminder for police, court officials and others of the communication needs of people who are Hearing Impaired or Deaf.

This DVD is the result of collaboration between the National Foundation for the Deaf, The National Hearing Association New Zealand, Deaf Aotearoa, The Law Foundation of New Zealand, and New Zealand Police.

Please contact the National Foundation for the Deaf if you are interested in receiving a copy of the DVD. There are limited numbers, so priority will be given to organisations and community groups.

People are invited to bring along something from their faith to share with other e.g. a candle, book, item of clothing or symbol and give a simple explanation of when/ how it is used or the meaning behind it.

As this is primarily a social gathering, items can also be placed on a table for people to look at and ask questions about.

Supper will be provided but please feel free to bring a plate to share (alcohol and caffeine free) 

Date    :           Tuesday 26 February
Time   :           7-9 pm
Venue:            17 Kirkwood Ave. (opposite from the University Recreation Centre, parking at rear of building)

For more information contact Bertha Hurley 355-0959 or Dianne Downward 348 9579.

It was attended by the MP for Mt Roskill, Phil Goff, and descendants of the Stevenson family, and Baha’is from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Prayers, music, inspirational readings, a talk on the first 100 years of the Baha’i Faith in New Zealand and a talk on the life of Margaret Stevenson, took place, followed by the laying of floral tributes on Miss Stevenson’s grave as a solitary piper played his bagpipes. This event is one of the first to be held around the country in celebration of the Baha’i Faith’s 100 years in New Zealand.

Family violence in our communities is one of the most significant moral, spiritual and social challenges that we currently face as a country. As communities of faith in Aotearoa New Zealand, we believe it is our responsibility to take a stand and address this challenge. Family violence is completely unacceptable and is never justified. Often the most vulnerable victims of violence are children, and it is here that we are taking a stand. Our children deserve the best we can offer them. Accordingly, we have come together, as communities of faith, to declare the following:

• We recognise that children are our future and as such are a significant and precious gift to society today.
• We understand that our beliefs, values and traditions will live on through our children.
•  We accept that the wellbeing of children is our responsibility.
• We acknowledge that children deserve our compassion, kindness, love and care.
• We believe we can make a difference in the lives of children and families.

In light of these declarations we commit our communities to:

• Accept our responsibility to stand up for our children, women and families. Refuse to tolerate violence within our families or communities or turn a blind eye to it.
•  Strive to provide places of safety and nurture for the children and families of our community.
• Encourage our communities to report family violence, hold perpetrators accountable and provide support for victims.
• Ensure that our staff are trained to respond safely to family violence and are well supported with appropriate policies and resources.
• Partner with community organisations to ensure that families experiencing violence are referred appropriately and we will advocate with government for policies and resources to address family violence.

As the next National Interfaith Forum will be held in Dunedin the weekend of 27-30 June 2014, WIFCO wanted to keep the momentum going forward and have a chance to meet and discuss issues of mutual importance.   Expressions of interest are welcome from potential attendees on what topics should be addressed at the meeting.   

If you are interested in attending, or have topics that you would like to see addressed at the Forum, please email the WIFCO secretary .

New Zealand’s interfaith movement continues to actively promote interfaith dialogue and cooperation, with the national interfaith forum in Hamilton drawing a record attendance in February. Faith leaders continue to act where necessary, to express solidarity when a particular faith community has been the target of a provocative action or hate crime, as with the publication of the film trailer The Innocence of Muslims on YouTube in September, and the desecration of headstones at an Auckland Jewish cemetery in October. Fortunately such incidents are rare, and reaction to them is moderated by interfaith and community solidarity.

Other interfaith initiatives included the publication of the Human Rights Commission’s guide to religious diversity in the workplace, a landmark national interfaith statement on family violence, signed by representatives of over 40 faith community leaders in December and further public discussion on religion in schools.

The Human Rights Commission continued to maintain its religious diversity network through its monthly e-newsletter Te Korowai Whakapono and the annual religious diversity forum held at the Diversity Forum in August. A significant number of faith and interfaith groups registered projects with the Commission’s Diversity Action Programme, and the Waikato Interfaith Council received one of the twelve annual New Zealand Diversity Awards for outstanding contributions to diversity.

The religious diversity forum focuses on a different aspect of the Statement on Religious Diversity each year. The statement itself was an initiative from an earlier forum, and previous years’ topics have included religion and the state, the media, education, and the workplace. Many have resulted in follow-up work programmes, an example of this being the publication of guidelines on religion in schools.

The outcome of the 2009 forum, “Religious Diversity in the NZ Workplace: Questions and Concerns,”was launched in March. This publication was a joint initiative of the Human Rights Commission and the Victoria University Religious Studies Programme, working with representatives of Business New Zealand, the Council of Trade Unions and the Department of Labour.

The 2012 forum considered religious diversity in the health sector and a working group was established to develop guidelines for this sector. The Diversity Forum also featured the forum “Raising Awareness of Religious Diversity,”jointly hosted by the Auckland and Waikato Interfaith Councils, and covering a range of current issues and topics. The Commission also hosted “Rainbow Spirit and Interfaith,” a discussion with participants invited from the rainbow – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer LGBTIQ) – communities and from varying faith traditions. It identified safe points of connection between rainbow people, faith traditions and the interfaith movement.

Each year the National Youth Forum on Cultural Diversity is held in conjunction with the Diversity Forum. In 2012, a tour of Auckland religious sites was included in the programme for the 60 participants. Places of worship on the itinerary included a mosque, a Buddhist temple, a Sikh temple and a Hindu temple.

In February, the national interfaith movement received a major boost with the largest attendance recorded at the national interfaith forum. Hosted by the Waikato Interfaith Council in Hamilton, the event was attended by over 200 people. Dr Anna Halafoff from Monash University in Melbourne and religious broadcaster Chris Nichol were the keynote speakers at this event. The forum offered a wide range of discussion topics including sessions on diversity, spirituality, education, human rights, pluralism and tolerance, and religion and the state. Other forum highlights included:

• an interfaith film fest
• a bus tour of diverse Hamilton faith centres
• a preview of the DVD “Young People of Faith and Media 2012” (produced by the National Commission for UNESCO)
• the release of the Human Rights Commission’s annual review of religious diversity
• the launch of the religious diversity in the workplace guidelines.

It was also decided to establish NIFNANZ, a national electronic interfaith network to share news and information, at the forum.

A number of interfaith activities and groups support and promote interfaith relations throughout the country. Active interfaith councils operate in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch, with less formal groups meeting in a number of smaller centres. There is also an Abrahamic faiths group in Dunedin, a Council of Christians and Jews, and a Council of Christians and Muslims. Academics from religious studies programmes at a number of universities contribute actively to ongoing dialogue. In May, the Council of Christians and Jews hosted an international conference on the “Twelve Points of Berlin – the international charter for Jewish-Christian relations.”

Other interfaith activities included:

• The Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interfaith Relations published a guide to interfaith dialogue for church members.
• The Federation of Islamic Associations held its annual Islam Awareness Week in September. It focused on care for the environment with a number of tree planting and beach clean-up activities with an interfaith focus.
• The Hindu Council opened up a dialogue on Hinduism and Māori spirituality at the inaugural conference of people of joint Māori and Indian descent in Rotorua in October. The Council also published a guide to celebrating the festival of Diwali in workplaces and communities.

An important role of interfaith groups has been to express solidarity and support when particular religious faiths suffer religious discrimination or abuse. Several interfaith groups publicly expressed their concern about the release of the film trailer “The Innocence of Muslims” on YouTube in September and their support for the Jewish community when headstones were desecrated at an Auckland Jewish cemetery in October.

In March, a group of New Zealand faith representatives attended the fifth Asia Pacific regional dialogue on interfaith cooperation in Semarang, Indonesia. Bringing together multi-faith delegations from 15 countries in South East Asia and the Pacific, the dialogues are jointly sponsored by the governments of New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia, “Strengthening collaborative communities to promote regional peace and security” was the theme for 2012 and the NZ delegation made a number of recommendations arising from the dialogue. These included support for:

• participation in an Indonesian government scholarship programme for faith leaders, and a regional workshop for young journalists
• development of a regional women’s interfaith network
• a programme for young emerging religious leaders including collaborative interfaith projects and an Asia Pacific Youth Interfaith Celebration Day
• sister school relationships to foster mutual understanding through face-to-face contact and online technologies
• development of a core group of interfaith exponents who have expertise and experience in both their own religious traditions and interfaith dialogue
• effective use of social media both to strengthen the networks forged at the regional dialogue and promote the vision of the regional dialogue process
• initiatives to address family violence.

A Faith Communities’ National Statement against Family Violence was published on Human Rights Day, 10 December. The statement was facilitated by the Children’s Commissioner following an approach by delegates who had attended the Asia Pacific Interfaith Dialogue. Representatives from over 40 faith communities signed the statement committing them to take action.

A long-running dispute came to an end in Whanganui when the district council voted to stop opening its meetings with a Christian prayer. The dispute was sparked in 2011 when a councillor, on behalf of a constituent, questioned the practice. When mayor Annette Mains suggested removing references to God as a way of respecting all faiths, disagreement erupted over whether prayer was appropriate at all as an item of business on the agenda. Before the council could formally decide the issue, a complaint was laid with the Human Rights Commission. Subsequent mediation failed to resolve the matter, which was then referred back to the Council to decide.

An exhibition on new ways of looking at documentary making at Lower Hutt’s Dowse Museum came in for public criticism in August because one of the 105 works by 17 artists was off limits to men. The video, “Cinderazahd: For Your Eyes Only,” by Qatari writer and film-maker Sophia Al-Maria, showed female friends and relatives preparing for a family wedding without their hijabs or veils. Al-Maria asked for the video to be viewed only by women, as it was filmed in a female-only area of the home.

The Dowse said it chose to include the work because the three minute home movie gave “insight into another culture, so often portrayed to the West only as a stereotype. It features a lively group of women getting dressed-up for a relative’s wedding. Much like any group of women in any part of the world, hair and make-up is a focus and the women are seen chatting, laughing and playing with their children. Because the work has been filmed in female-only quarters, the artist has requested that only women and their young children view the video, a request that The Dowse will respect by providing a private viewing space behind its reception area. Like many Western conventions (men’s and women’s changing rooms, gentlemen’s clubs, hen’s and stag parties), The Dowse asks that New Zealanders respect the privacy of the women in the video.”

The Human Rights Commission received thirteen complaints about the exclusion of men from the exhibit and facilitated a meeting between the museum and some of the complainants. The reasons for the exclusion and the grounds for the complaint were explored at the meeting, and the complaints were not further proceeded with.

Wellington’s Dominion Post ran the story with the sensationalist headline: “No men allowed!” Featured on the front page of the weekend edition, the story was illustrated with a half-page image of a Muslim woman accompanied by the sub-heading “controversial edict”. It was later archived on the newspaper group’s Stuff website with the image changed, and the headline amended to “Men will be banned from Muslim exhibit” The online article did not refer to a “controversial edict.”

The posting of a clip from the film “The Innocence of Muslims” on YouTube sparked global protests in October. In Australia, a demonstration ended with some protestors clashing with police outside the US consulate. In New Zealand, Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith leaders spoke out to condemn the trailer and the violence that followed its release.

A joint statement condemning the clip was signed by Archbishop John Dew (Catholic), Archbishops David Moxon and Brown Turei (Anglican), Bishops Justin Duckworth and Richard Randerson (Anglican), Federation of Islamic Associations President Anwar Ghani and Wellington Regional Jewish Council Chairperson David Zwartz, supported by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

It stated that “the film was dishonestly made and presented, and designed to mislead, provoke hate, and cause harm. We unequivocally condemn the making and promotion of this irresponsible and inflammatory film and the resulting violence, which has seen the loss of innocent lives. We call on all faith communities in New Zealand to remain calm and to strive to foster mutual understanding, counter hate, and promote dialogue, within and between our communities.”

The Federation of Islamic Associations called the film “reprehensible, insulting and disrespectful” to Muslim people and Islamic culture. They also said that they were “equally saddened at the destruction and loss of lives that have followed” the protests around the world. In the interests of the “peace and harmony we enjoy in New Zealand” the Federation successfully advocated for a reasoned response from the Muslim community.

The longstanding provision in the Education Act for religious groups to provide religious education (traditionally called “Bible in Schools”) in primary schools came under media scrutiny on a number of occasions during the year. Subject to the agreement of school boards and parents, these classes can only take place if the school is officially closed, although the classes do take occur during normal school hours. The main provider of these classes, is the Christian Education Commission, who offer “values education” by Christian volunteers. Schools must offer an alternative programme for children whose parents object to them taking part in these lessons. Media have reported a number of instances of parents objecting to their children’s school allowing Christian education in a secular education system or not providing their children with adequate alternatives. A Secular Education Network was established to pursue the issue. The Human Rights Commission’s “Religion in Schools: Questions and Concerns,” sets out the legal and human rights issues for parents and school boards and is helping to inform the public debate.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority considered a complaint about a panel discussion on Radio New Zealand’s “Afternoons with Jim Mora” programme, where the host and panellists discussed the release of a controversial collectors’ edition Barbie doll. A panellist suggested there was a market in the Muslim world for “terrorist Barbie”, and in response the host suggested “suicide bomber Barbie”. The authority declined to uphold the complaint ruling that the comments were intended to be satirical, and clearly commentary and opinion rather than statements of fact.

A clip on the New Zealand Herald website showing the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot performing a protest song in a Moscow cathedral was bought to the attention of the New Zealand Press Council. The complainant asked for the clip to be removed because it was extremely offensive in showing a sacrilegious act. The council dismissed the complaint saying that while the performance was sacrilegious the clip was brief and did not gratuitously dwell on the performance, which was part of an important story about the band’s arrest. It said that:  “in the overall context of an important political development, the video was useful in giving the viewer a fuller understanding of the issues. We must, perhaps, accept that in understanding the world we will at times be offended, horrified, appalled. The more honest the reporting, the worse it may be.”

In November, the Waikato Times published a column by former MP Michael Cox seriously maligning the Muslim community. Supported by the Human Rights Commission and local faith and interfaith groups, local Muslim and Waikato Interfaith Council member Anjum Rahman sought a meeting with the editor to express her concern. She drew attention to a recent Press Council decision concerning a column about Māori by media personality Sir Paul Holmes in the Weekend Herald. In this decision, the Council found that “the inaccuracies upon which some of the opinions are based make the opinions so extreme that in the Council’s view they go beyond what is acceptable and become a gratuitous offence to Māori as a race.” The editor apologised for the offence caused, invited Rahman to contribute a column from a Muslim women’s perspective and agreed to remove the offending column from the newspaper’s website.

Students are required to consider two quotes and four bullet points when preparing their speeches:

“Kotahi te kōwhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro pango me te miro whero / There is but one eye of the needle through which the white thread, the black thread and the red thread traverse.”

“Man is intelligent and thoughtful, endowed with powers of mind. Why, then, should he be influenced by distinction of colour or race, since all belong to one human family?”

• What do you understand the above quote/s to mean and how do they relate to My Dream for Aotearoa New Zealand?
• Describe your view of an harmonious and diverse New Zealand.
• What practical suggestions do you have to make your dream a reality?
• Can you share a proverb/whakatauki from your own background that relates to the theme?

The competition is being held in 12 regions throughout New Zealand, including four in the South Island.   It is for students in years 11, 12 and 13.  Speeches may be delivered in either Māori or English, and must be between 7-8 minutes long.

Those interested in participating can request an entry form from the National Coordinator, Bev Watson, by emailing oea.watson@bahai.org.nz or phoning or texting 021 257 6526.  Please advise what region you are in so the appropriate form can be sent. Regional competitions will be held between 20 – 27 March, with the deadline for entry between 11 and 18 March, depending on the region. National finals are on Saturday, 6 April.

Initiated in 2001 by the New Zealand Baha’i Community to commemorate Race Relations Day, the Race Unity Speech Award have been sponsored by the NZ Police for the past six years, with strong support from the Human Rights Commission, the Office of Ethnic Affairs, Auckland Council and, in Canterbury, Plains FM.

This is to support  the Constitutional Review Panel with its consultation about New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements.

What is your dream for Aotearoa New Zealand? Visit our Facebook page for more information.  We encourage you to collect the dreams of your faith community and share your dreams with us. We will collate and analyse the responses we get and forward them to the Constitutional Advisory Panel.

Race Relations Posters are available free from the Human Rights Commission, contact resources@hrc.co.nz with your address if you would like some.

“That this House affirm that all New Zealanders regardless of their religious faith or ethnicity should be treated equally before the law, and that the rights and dignity of all people—in particular, of Muslims—should be upheld, and that the House acknowledge the responsibility of all New Zealanders to care for one another, to honour the sanctity of each and every one of us, and to act with justice, equity, and respect in all that we say and we do.”

Check out a clip of the motion on YouTube.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres considers that although Mr Prosser has apologised, the question of journalistic and political standards remains to be adequately addressed by the New Zealand First party and the editor of Investigate magazine. A decision earlier this year by the Press Council made it clear that even columnists who are expressing opinions need to be accurate in terms of facts. Mr Prosser clearly was not. Despite the apology from Mr Prosser and the editor’s acknowledgment that he had not read the article before he published it, the article remains publicly available on the magazine’s website.

You are able to complain, if you wish, to the Leader of the New Zealand First Party, to whom Mr Prosser is accountable politically, and/or to the editor of Investigate magazine, seeking remedial action. If you do not receive a satisfactory response from the editor, you can then take your complaint to the New Zealand Press Council (P.O Box 10 879, The Terrace, Wellington 79 Boulcott Street, Wellington Ph 04 473 5220).

They have opened up new spaces for racial denigration and harassment contrary to the principles of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and other international human rights treaties. The Law Commission published a major report in 2011, The news media meets new media, which considered rights, responsibilities and regulation in the digital age. It followed this with a briefing paper to the Minister of Justice in 2012 recommending legislative changes to regulate hate speech in the social media. Both the Human Rights Commission and the cyber-safety organisation Netsafe (New Zealand’s national cyber safety not-for-profit organisation) have experienced an increase in complaints and public concern about racism on the internet.

NZ Press Council

Two rulings by the Press Council on complaints against columns by prominent commentators Michael Laws and Paul Holmes were arguably the most significant decisions it has made on race issues since it upheld complaints against the article Asian Angst: Is it time to send some back home? by Deborah Coddington in North and South magazine published in December, 2006. Michael Laws’ column, headlined “Cases made it a week for the ferals” was published in The Sunday Star Times in January. Laws traversed various crime stories over the previous week and linked the stories to a theme he has often argued that an increasing number of “feral families”  pose a danger to New Zealand society. In the column, he made statements such as: “There is an antisocial destruct specifically within Māoridom that shows no sign of abating.” The Council ruled his comments as inaccurate saying if he had added ”within some Māoridom …“ it could not have been upheld. The Council said he offered no reason for such a statement and that his comment was unwarranted and uncalled for. As a result the complaint was upheld. Paul Holmes’ column about Waitangi Day headlined “Waitangi Day a complete waste of time” was published in The Weekend Herald in February , prompting seven complaints. The complainants were upset about his comments including the “hopeless failure of Māori to educate their children and stop them bashing their babies’ and ‘usual neurotic Māori politics.” The Press Council decision said the reference was to Māori generally and was inaccurate. “The inaccuracies upon which some of the opinions are based also make the opinions so extreme that in the Council’s view they go beyond what is acceptable and become a gratuitous offence to Māori as a race.” The Council accepted that an opinion column does not usually require balance but said a newspaper does have an obligation when reporting on a long-running dispute that the opinion piece has to be fair and accurate. The Press Council received two complaints about another race-related matter which it did not uphold. They concerned a cartoon published in The Press with crude and derogatory remarks about Zionists, which the complainants considered anti-Semitic. The Council said its principle relating to discrimination did not restrict content which referred to religion or race. These were legitimate topics where they were relevant and in the public interest as long as there was no gratuitous reference. In recent adjudications the Council had set a high bar in this respect to protect freedom of expression. The Council’s principles gave scope to cartoonists to express very strong, even unpopular viewpoints. A complaint about another cartoon published in The Press was also not upheld. The cartoon depicted a floating container with hands protruding grasping bombs, knives, daggers and other offensive weapons, with a slogan on the side “refugees who commit crimes in New Zealand”, and a buoy beside it with a flag saying “back where ya came from”. The cartoon was published in the wake of a kidnapping and stabbing incident involving a Somali man of refugee background with mental health issues. The Council said it had long upheld the right of newspapers to publish cartoons which represent an extreme edge of public opinion, that cartoons were the work of one cartoonist, could express strong opinions and frequently caused disquiet to certain communities, groups or individuals. It acknowledged that some people had been caused distress but upheld the right of The Press to publish it.

Broadcasting Standards Authority

The Broadcasting Standards Authority considered four race-related complaints in 2012, one of which it upheld. A 3 News report on the trials of the “Urewera Four” referred to the 2008 police raids in Ruatoki and elsewhere (Operation 8 ) and incorrectly stated that 17 people had initially been arrested and charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. No one had in fact been charged under that act. The broadcaster acknowledged the error but failed to remove all reference to it on their website and this led to a repeat of the incorrect statement. Although the broadcaster apologised and sent a strongly worded email to its news centres around the country, the Authority found that the action was insufficient because the broadcaster should have broadcast a correction at the earliest appropriate opportunity. The other complaints related to a “racial profiling” game broadcast by the ZM Morning Crew, an interview with two young Māori activists in Northland on TVNZ’s Close Up, and a report on TVNZ’s Police Ten 7 programme describing a wanted offender as “possibly Māori but pale-skinned”. The Authority did not consider that standards of good taste and decency, discrimination and denigration, or controversial issues had been breached in these cases. It considered the game demonstrated the flaws in racial stereotyping, the Close Up reporter had played the role of devil’s advocate, and the police report on Police Ten 7 did not contain any invective and was simply a call for the public to help the police based on their work on the case so far.

Advertising Standards Authority

Eight race-related complaints were considered by the Advertising Standards Authority. Two concerned what the complainants considered to be stereotypical, portrayals of a young Māori boy acting dumb in two Vodafone advertisements. Others were about allegedly culturally insensitive or offensive portrayals of or references to Italians (Subway), Mongolians (Sky TV), Germans (Skinny Mobile), Australians (TSB Bank), and Punjabis (Instant Kiwi). A complaint about Accolade Packaging referred to their advertising that all their employees were New Zealanders as a reason to choose them as a supply source. The Chair ruled in each case that while the advertisements may have offended the people concerned, there were no grounds to proceed.

“PM poised for Waitangi Day tension, again” was the message from TVNZ on 4 February. “Waitangi Day standoff: ‘Woman bashers’ accusation”, ran the headline in the New Zealand Herald the next day. “John Key walks into war at Waitangi,” reported Stuff, while TVNZ, almost disappointedly, noted that: “No protests marred this morning’s celebrations.”

Consumers of mainstream media coverage on and around Waitangi Day this year, says University of Auckland expert media commentator and Senior Lecturer in the  Department of Film, Television and Media Studies, Department of Māori Studies (Te Wānanga o Waipapa) Sue Abel, would have been forgiven for thinking the big events at Waitangi were (in this order):

• “Granny-gate” (the argument between kuia Titewhai Harawira and Ngapuhi elders about who should lead the Prime Minister onto the marae);
• John Key’s presence; and
• David Shearer’s call for a happy, clappy national day.

Actually, Abel says, while these were indeed the big media stories that reflect reporters’ perceived news values, the coverage does not reflect the reality of what happened at Waitangi.

Abel, who has tracked media coverage of Waitangi Day since 1990, says there have been some improvements over the years, but in general the same old patterns emerged this year: an obsession with conflict (to the extent that “there was no conflict” becomes a story, and a spat between two kuia becomes the lead story); and a fascination with what the Prime Minister – and to a lesser extent the Opposition Leader and other politicians – says and does.

“This has huge implications and ironically Key set them out at the breakfast meeting when he said protests are ‘distracting’ and ‘can put at risk the public consensus that exists towards settling legitimate Māori grievances’. But whose fault is that? It’s the media coverage that sets the consensus that works against more equitable Treaty settlements in the public eye. The Government is not going to move too far ahead of mass Pākehā opinion.”

A brief (and certainly not comprehensive) analysis of what the media wrote or broadcast around Waitangi Day backs up Abel’s findings.

For example, a list of 31 politically-focussed Waitangi Day articles referenced by University of Otago political commentator Bryce Edwards show 26 of them lead on Key, Harawira or Shearer.

Cast your net wider than politics and the result isn’t that much better. Almost 50 media reports come up using Google Alerts and other searches around “Waitangi Day”, and about half of the stories begin with a focus on Titewhai Harawira, Key, or both – although some mention other issues later on.  Eight stories report on David Shearer, three on the Governor General’s speech, and five on the new US Secretary of State John Kerry wishing New Zealand a happy Waitangi Day.

A few reports focus on issues affecting Māori – three news pieces talk about the hikoi on family violence, two are on the haka to highlight youth suicide, and two on a local Rotorua debate about flying a Māori flag on Waitangi Day. But even these stories are more about what’s happening, rather than being an in-depth debate into the issues.

There is also a report on adman John Ansell and his “Treaty-gate movement”, which is aimed at “exposing the false meaning and exaggerated breaching of the Treaty”, but there is no corresponding piece from a Māori perspective. There are two opinion pieces in the Waikato Times on what the Treaty means to its readers and a commentary from the (Pākehā) former Finance Minister Michael Cullen, now on the Government’s Constitutional Advisory Panel.

But there is precious little coverage of core historical Māori-Crown Treaty issues (the NZ Herald editorial from February 6 is an exception), and just as little on present-day questions – water rights or social issues.

Moreover, the majority of the voices in Waitangi Day coverage are Pākehā ones – and this is compounded by the fact the majority of the reporters and opinion writers are Pākehā. Some stories do give weight to Māori voices: one TVNZ report quotes seven Māori sources, versus only two Pākehā ones, and briefly digresses from the Harawira affair to look at Māori unemployment, poverty and the water rights issue.

But this is unusual. More typical is the treatment in a New Zealand Herald item about how New Zealanders perceive the Crown-Māori Treaty relationship. The reporter interviewed two people – Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres and AUT Professor Paul Moon. Both are undoubted experts, but both of them are Pākehā.
 “Waitangi Day is a day when Māori voices should be at the fore, and not just Māori as the Minister of Māori Affairs, but Māori as Māori. We hear plenty of Crown voices,” de Bres says.

Māori journalist, TV producer and commentator Claudette Hauiti says the fixation in the mainstream media with Harawira overshadowed a number of important discussions going on at Waitangi this year involving the Māori Council, the Iwi Leaders Group, the Crown and the public, particularly around water rights.

“I still think mainstream media are very conservative in their approach – in the perspective they have held for a number of years around the types of Māori stories they perceive as interesting. This year is no different.”

The pattern Sue Abel noticed in 1997, where the media categorised Māori in stories as “Good Māori”/“Bad Māori” or “Wild Māori/“Tame Māori” hasn’t changed, Hauiti says. “Kuia Titewhai was being a ‘Bad Māori’ in that she disagreed with some of her tribal members in escorting the Prime Minister onto the marae.”

Abel says while there is much to be frustrated about in this year’s Waitangi Day coverage, there were also some positives. Some of the mainstream media – TVNZ reporter Paul Dobbs, for example – went “a bit further” in some reporting, and considered the context of the news.

And Māori broadcasters went much further than mainstream media in giving a fuller and more historical perspective.

For example, talking about the first ever Waitangi Day music festival at Bastion Point, mainstream media just mentioned that there had been conflict there in earlier years, Abel says, whereas Māori TV had footage of the Ngāti Whātua protests and coverage that was clearly from a Māori perspective.

Despite the hopeful signs (no one this year stooped as low as recently deceased commentator Paul Holmes’ 2012 “loony Māori fringe self-denial day” rant in the NZ Herald, for example), Hauiti says increasingly Māori are turning more to social media, rather than mainstream – or even Māori media – for their news. Social media coverage of the more critical issues around Waitangi Day was far more comprehensive, she says, and reached a far wider audience.

“Māori are using social media aggressively to distribute their news. There are individual Māori who were in the hui tweeting or Facebooking in and the Minister’s department is using Facebook too. There was a significant buzz and hum in the Māori community around Waitangi Day, not just in Aotearoa, but internationally. And in terms of the number of people listening, reading, watching, this is much bigger than mainstream, even than Māori media. If you just take my connections, plus Hekia Parata’s connections plus Metiria Turei’s connections and you are talking thousands of people.”

Māori are using social media partly for the convenience of being able to get their news when they want and where they want, she says. But it’s more than that too.

“It’s the manner in which the korero is being said. You can get 10 different perspectives on one event and a very good overview on the issue.

“On the Titewhai issue, it’s not just ‘Should she, shouldn’t she’, but there was a commentary: this is what the mainstream media are saying, then comments on Ngāpuhi’s perspective, then a pan-tribal discussion over where Māori are placed on the world stage and in a historical perspective.”

Interestingly, the Al Jazeera news service used a round-up of social media in its Waitangi Day coverage, largely ignoring mainstream coverage. Under the heading: “New Zealand’s contentious national day: Waitangi Day used to discuss rights of indigenous Māori” the article featured a selection of tweets and Facebook posts covering different perspectives of Waitangi Day.

The piece focussed particularly on the role of Waitangi Day not just as a fun day, but as a time to foster discussion – including around injustice. It quotes a range of Māori and non-Māori sources, including Lew Stoddard (“You’re free to spend Waitangi day in a feelgood ahistorical bubble if you choose — but don’t try to whitewash it for the rest of us”), Tame Iti (“History has woven us together. Waitangi Day is as much about communication as it is commemoration. We are the basket that holds the future”), and Lyndon Hood (“Remember that tomorrow, on Waitangi Day; we should celebrate our national diversity by not disagreeing about anything.”) John Key doesn’t get a mention.

Māori broadcasters gave a more in-depth, historical perspective to Waitangi Day, commentators say. Photo of Ngapuhi elder Kingi Taurua from Te Karere news coverage

Suzi is currently a senior fellow at Motu Research and Education Foundation, a charitable trust established in 2000. The Trust aims to support and promote quality economic research that provides a stronger platform for better public policy decision making, and to ensure that such research work is published and disseminated for widespread public use.

Network Waitangi Otautahi has a commitment to providing opportunities for understanding the Treaty as a framework for the future.  For more information visit www.nwo.org.nz.

Date    :           Tuesday 26 February 2013
Time   :           7.30pm
Venue :           Oxford Tce Baptist Church Lounge cnr of Madras St and Oxford Tce

The scroll was signed by the people who came to the event and was sent to Helen Clark and who on our behalf presented it to Ms. Michelle Bachelet, the Under-Secretary –General and Executive Director of UN Women in New York.

The next Walk for Peace in 2013 will be on Friday 8 March. The proposed event’s program is as follows:

• A Peace Walk from Parliament to Civic Square stopping along the Peace Memorials at the Parliament and the front of the Railway Station. Starting at 12:15 finishing at 1:30pm.
• Speakers at the Civic Square (possibly Mayor Celia Wade Brown and the Malaysian High Commissioner); self-defence interactive session; flower offering from participants in tribute to the women and children who have lost their lives to violence or fought for it. They may leave pictures with the flowers in memory of these people.
• Peace Celebration at Te Papa Museum from 6pm to 7:30pm. Program will include a video montage of struggle/success or forgiveness stories from women and men; several entertainment numbers; and an auction for raising money for this year’s chosen charity organisations, namely: Women’s Refuge and The Daya Trust.

WWW4Peace supporters include the Human Rights Commission, the Centre for Applied Cross Cultural Research, Victoria University of Wellington, the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ), Filipino Artists in New Zealand, Inc., the Society for Southeast Asian Communities, Inc., the Malaysia Wellington Graduate Students Society, Te Ngira: New Zealand Diversity Action Program, the United Nations Association of New Zealand, Soku Gakkai International, Shakti Community Council Inc.,  Peace Movement Aotearoa, Women’s Refuge New Zealand and the Self-Defense Women’s Network.

For more information contact bbbonzon@yahoo.co.nz.

This is an opportunity to introduce you and your family to key services in the city, to meet other newcomers, and make new connections.

Together with the Mayor’s welcome, there will be presentations on how the city works, health care in NZ, city safety, family and community services, employment resources and public transport information. There will also be a guided tour of Te Papa at the end of the session.

This exclusive event is strictly limited to the first 150 newcomers who register to attend.  Email settlementsupport@wcc.govt.nz or call 803 8330 to register.

It covers:

• Fair treatment and employment rights
• Types of employment agreements
• Leave entitlements
• How Employment Relations Services (ERS) can help you
• What do you do when you have a problem at work
• Terminating employment

Date  :           Tuesday,  26February
Time   :          9:30am – 12:00 noon
Venue :           Level 1 Norman King Building (opposite Northcote Library), Norman King Square, Ernie Mays Street, Northcote, Auckland.

 For more information contact Cheng Goh at SSNZ North Shore.

Highlights of this event include: exciting on-stage performances, authentic crafts, delicious food stalls and the gorgeous illumination of Albert Park by hundreds of hand-crafted lanterns.

The 2013 Lantern Festival will welcome the Chinese zodiac year of the snake, which represents great wisdom and intuition. This intelligent, seductive, animal will be woven into the festival and hopefully lead people toward a path of good fortune for the year ahead.

The Festival is organised by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) in partnership with Asia New Zealand Foundation (Asia:NZ).

• What is the Census
• Why it is important
• What the information will be used for
• How to fill out the Census forms

Date:  Wednesday, 20 February
Time:  6.30-8pm
Venue:  St John’s, 93 Seymour St, Blenheim

Bring your own census forms if you have them. There will be no census forms available on the night.

There will be interpreters/translators for selected languages available on the night.  Census staff will also be present.

To register contact English Language Partners, Ph 579 2460 or the Marlborough Migrant Centre, Ph579 6410.

Join Multicultural Rotorua and Rotorua Newcomers Network visit Yske’s dairy farm on Monday 18, February to look at main sites such as the cowshed, calf-rearing and irrigation. During the guided walk, technical information will be shared and you may ask questions. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. Please bring your own snack or light lunch and bottled water. Wear shoes according to weather condition.

To register text ‘farm visit’ and your full name to 021 1593601 or email rotorua@newcomers.co.nz.

Cost: $10/adult or $5/student towards petrol. Free if you’re taking your own vehicle. There will be a brief group introduction. Meeting place is at Rotorua Arts Village 1240 Hinemaru St and will leave at 9am.

The event is supported by English Language Partners and Settlement Support Rotorua.

These will include educational, social and religious activities that encourage respect for religious diversity. 

For further information, or for a copy of their booklet on promoting interfaith relations,  contact Sister Catherine Jones  .

This year CAB Language Link has introduced three new languages to its services. The new languages are Filipino, Sinhala and Tamil. To contact Filipino or Sinhala and Tamil speaking staff:

Please phone: 624 2550 (or 0800 78 88 77 if outside Auckland area) and dial the respective extension number:

Filipino ext 715

Sinhala ext 722

Tamil ext 728

For more information visit the CAB Language Link website .

The objective of the course is to provide an opportunity for personal development, teamwork and gain an insight into and understanding of the cultural background of their fellow course participants. The three week “Southern Cross” leadership course is held at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds which is nestled at the edge of Queen Charlotte Sound. The 2013 course is held from 2 – 22 February.

Another course, Aoraki Bound, has been developed in partnership with Ngai Tahu. The objective behind the course is that Ngai Tahu believes that cultural revitalisation is crucial to the future sustainability and development of Ngai Tahu as individuals and as a collective. Culture, values and language underpin all aspects of tribal life and are the threads that bind us as a people. Ngai Tahu recognises the need to develop its people, its culture and its place in Aotearoa. They also have a genuine desire to share their knowledge and values with all New Zealanders as we build a nation and a sense of what it is to be a citizen of this land. In this respect places are available on the course for those of non Ngai Tahu descent. The course starts at the Outward Bound School in Anakiwa, followed by a 10 day hikoi through significant historical Ngai Tahu sites and finishes at the ancestral mountain of Ngai Tahu ‘Aoraki’. During the hikoi participants engage in mahinga kai activities (traditional food gathering practices), follow the pounamu trails of their ancestors and paddle waka across Lake Pukaki to the foot of Aoraki. Course content also features te reo, karakia, waiata, whakatauki, tikanga, rock art and a day of service in the community. The 2013 courses are from 2-21 February and 3-22 March.

English Language Partners New Zealand ( ELPNZ) and Community Languages Association of New Zealand ( CLANZ)  dream for Aotearoa is: “Everyone feels welcome here – no matter what language they speak”.

English and Māori are certainly not the only languages in which Kiwis welcome newcomers.

The number of everyday languages we speak is growing fast. The 2006 Census identified New Zealanders as increasingly multilingual. A reported 671,658 people can speak two or more languages: an increase of 19.5 % on the 2001 Census. With a gap of seven years since the last census, no doubt the 2013 Census will reveal more fascinating information about our increasing diversity.

To help celebrate Race Relations Day (21 March) and International Mother Language Day (21 February), ELPNZ   and CLANZ created “Aotearoa, You’re welcome in any language.”

The poster welcomes people in 40 languages and, if your language is missing, there’s space to write it in.

So, next time you meet a new Kiwi, welcome them in their own language. Give it a go!

For a poster, contact Grace Bassett or get in touch through ELPNZ’s website

The theme “My Dream for Aotearoa New Zealand is…”, intends to connect the New Zealanders’ dreams and aspirations for future generations with discussions that are taking place around constitutional arrangements.

The Constitutional Advisory Panel who are charged with leading the discussions about constitutional arrangements are interested to know what values, tikanga and concepts should be preserved and built upon for future generations that can be now protected by a new constitutional dispensation. It is anticipated that constitutional reform needs to respect and reflect these values.  

What is your dream for Aotearoa New Zealand?

Visit our Facebook page for more information and share your dreams with us. We are also encouraging NZDAP participants and other organisations to collect the dreams for Aotearoa NZ from their members, staff, clients and communities for Race Relations Day. If you send them to us, we will pass them on to the Constitutional Advisory Panel.

In the days around Race Relations Day community groups, councils, schools, workplaces, marae and places of worship are encouraged to host events to acknowledge the value of cultural diversity and the need to support harmonious race relations. It’s an opportunity to launch new initiatives, motivate your staff, or promote existing programmes and projects. Check out all the festivals and events  happening around the country.

The Marlborough Multicultural Festival 2013 will be held on Saturday 2 March from 11am to 4pm at Pollard Park in Blenheim. If you would like to have an ethnic food stall, an information stall, a craft stall or participate as a performer (music, dance, arts), please contact Margaret Western.

The Hawke’s Bay NZ China Friendship Society will hold  an International Culture’s Day at the  Cornwall Park in Hastings from 11am to 3.300pm on Saturday 2 March. For more information contact Sally Russell.

Christchurch City Council’s Culture Galore, the city’s main multicultural festival will be held at Ray Blank Park from 12 – 4pm on Saturday 9 March. Community groups are invited to provide performances, food stalls and interactive workshops. If you are keen, and haven’t yet registered, please contact Lisa Gregory for more information including.  

Dunedin Multi-Ethnic Council will hold a Multi ethnic Concert and International Potluck Buffet on Saturday, 9 March 3.30 pm –  5.30 pm at Dunedin North Intermediate School Hall, North Road, North East Valley.  Please bring a plate of food from your culture to share. for more information contact Beryl Lee.

Race Unity Day 2013 will be held on Sunday 17 March at Victory Square Park. Please contact Evey McAuliffe if you would like to do a cultural performance, sell traditional food, display a craft activity or provide an information stall. Race Unity Day is an outdoors event organised by Nelson Multicultural Council each year to celebrate out regions’ cultural diversity. See some photos from previous year’s events.

The 16^th Lakeside Festival is organised by the  Auckland Multicultural Society Inc  on Sunday,  17 March from 1-5 pm at the  Pump-House  Killarney Park, Manurere Avenue, Takapuna. For more information contact Ana Maria de Vos.

A Diveristy Day celebration will be held on Friday, 22 March from 6-9pm at Hamilton Park in Gore. For more information contact Maura Dakin

If you or your organisation are planning an event to celebrate Race Relations Day, email us.

The poster for 2013 is now available, if you would like to order copies email resources@hrc.co.nz.

Continued membership of the Diversity Action Programme depends on registration of activities for each new year, so let us know what they are and we will register you and put the details on our website.

The process of registering your projects provides an opportunity to firm up on your plans and consider whether there is anything else you want to do to support the objectives of the Diversity Action Programme. The objectives are to:

• Recognise and celebrate the cultural diversity of our society (diverse)
• Promote the equal enjoyment by everyone of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, regardless of race, colour, religion, ethnicity or national origin (equal)
• Foster harmonious relations between diverse peoples (harmonious)
• Fulfill the promise of  the Treaty of Waitangi (Treaty-based)

Projects can contribute to any one or more of these objectives. For more information or to register visit the NZ Diversity Action Programme website. If you want to check your current registered projects, you’ll find them here.

He completed his second five-year term finished last September, but has continued in the role pending the appointment of a new Commissioner. A new appointment is expected soon. Joris initiated the Diversity Action Programme at the request of a national community forum at Parliament in 2004, called in response to the desecration of Jewish cemeteries in Wellington. The NZDAP has been a central part of the Commission’s work on race relations since then, and has included the following:

• Over 250 organisations per year have registered a total of over 4000 projects and programmes with the Programme.
• More than 600 individuals and organisations have been acknowledged for positive contributions to race relations and diversity.
• Over 70 organisations have been awarded the annual New Zealand Diversity Awards.
• Networks have been established for language policy, religious diversity, refugee issues and media, with regular monthly newsletters and annual national forums.
• National policy statements have been published by the Diversity Action Programme and the Commission on religious diversity, language policy and race relations.
• Annual Diversity Forums and Youth Forums have been held in partnership with NZDAP participants variously in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch  and Hamilton.
• Race Relations Day has grown into a national day of positive action, reflection and celebration of diversity.
• Other key national events supported by NZDAP partners have included language weeks, Waitangi Day, Chinese New Year, Matariki, Diwali, Islam Awareness Week, World Refugee Day, Pasifika Festival, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the National Interfaith Forum.
• In the social media, NZDAP related Facebook pages have grown to attract more than 24,000 friends and fans.
• An annual review of race relations (The Race Relations Report) has been published in March each year since 2005.

Joris will be going overseas for a couple of months to visit family, but hopes to catch up again after that with the many people who have worked with him through the Diversity Action Programme to contribute to harmonious race relations in New Zealand.

Learn how to make delicious Chinese dumplings, marvel at stars of Chinese opera, take part in a Chinese painting workshop, and enjoy the excitement of the traditional Chinese dragon dance.

Supported by the Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington.

For a detailed list of events visit the Te Papa website.

IWRAW AP is mandated to facilitate training for the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights at sessions of the CEDAW Committee but will also provide training at country level. 

This NZ workshop is a low-cost opportunity for 25 NGOs to participate in training on CEDAW which will greatly enhance their capacity in women’s leadership, knowledge of CEDAW processes and reporting, human rights embedded in the Convention and strategies for education on CEDAW.  It is a significant 2013 event and a fitting celebration of the 120th anniversary of New Zealand women gaining the vote. 

Applications close on Friday 15 February 2013. 

Registration details, please contact Jane Prichard, PWW (NZ) President, phone 09 528 3727.

As the next National Interfaith Forum will be held in Dunedin the weekend of 27-30 June 2014, WIFCO wanted to keep the momentum going forward and have a chance to meet and discuss issues of mutual importance.   Expressions of interest are welcome from potential attendees on what topics should be addressed at the meeting.   

If you are interested in attending, or have topics that you would like to see addressed at the Forum, please email the WIFCO secretary .

Te Tiriti o Waitangi me Tā Tātau Kaupapa Ture

E whakaatu ana te rangahau UMR hou ko te whakapono o ngā tāngata 56% o Aotearoa ko te Tiriti te tuhinga tūāpapa o Aotearoa. E whakaae ana Te Kāhui Tika Tangata. Ko te tikanga o tēnei me ū tā tātau Kaupapa Ture ki te Tiriti. Pēhea ō whakaaro?

Ētahi mea hei whakaaroaro

Ko te kaupapa ture ngā uara me ngā tikanga e hiahia an te iwi hei ārahi i te kāwana whakahaere i a rātau. Koinei te whakamārama a Moana Jackson mō tēnei: “Ko te kaupapa ture ki a au he pēnei i te kawa, ngā ture rānei ka hangaia e te iwi hei whai mā rātau. Ko te kawa o te marae te kaupapa ture o te marae; ko ngā ture ārahi ēnei i te āhua o te tangata i runga i te marae.” (Nā Weeping Waters: The Treaty of Waitangi and Constitutional Change). 

He kaupapa ture tonu tā tātau? 

He kaupapa ture tonu tā Aotearoa – engari kāore hoki i tuhia ki tētahi tuhinga kotahi. Kei roto tā tātau kaupapa ture i ngā whakaritenga me ngā ture, pēnei i te Bill of Rights Act, the Constitution Act, ā, me te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

I te tau 2011 i whakapuakina e te Kāwanatanga te arotake o ēnei whakaritenga. Kei roto i te arotake ko ngā take pēnei i te rahinga o Pāremata, te roa o te wā pōtitanga, te whaikanohitanga Māori, te kaupapa o te Ture, ā, mēnā e hiahiatia ana kia whai a Aotearoa i tētahi kaupapa ture ā-tuhi.

He aha te mana o te Tiriti o Waitangi i roto i ngā whakaritenga kaupapa ā-ture o Aotearoa?

Koina te pātai e hiahia ana mātau ki te pātai ki t koe? Engari i mua i tō pato i te pātene whakahoki kōrero…

• He puna tika te Tiriti mō ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa. Nā Tā Taihākūrei Durie te kōrero pai rawa: “kaua rawa tātau e wareware ehara te Tiriti i te Pire Whai Tika mō te Iwi Māori. Me maumahara tātau mēnā ko tātau te iwi tangata tangata, ko te Pākehā te iwi tangata Tiriti, i hono ki te whenua nā te i raro i te Tiriti.”
• E whakaatu anō te rangahau UMR 64% o te iwi o Aotearoa e whakapono ana nō ngā iwi katoa o Aotearoa te Tiriti.

Homai ō whakaaro.

Me pēhea taku whakauru ki te arotake Kaupapa Ture?

He maha nga huarahi whakauru mai, a, anei ētahi e whai ake nei:

 Aotearoa Matike Mai (Te Rōpū Mahi Hurihanga Kaupapa Ture Iwi Motuhake)

Ko tā Aotearoa Matike Mai he rōpū wetewete-whakaaro hei wānanga, hui, rangahau, whakarongo ki ngā huatau, tiki tohutohu me te waihanga i tētahi tauira (ētahi tauira rānei) me tētahi hātepe mō te hurihanga kaupapa ture i Aotearoa. Kua kapi katoa te motu i te kaiwhakahaere, a Moana Jackson, i ngā mahi whakahaere awheawhe ki te whānau. Ko tōna kōrero, “He kete kawe ki te haere”.

Ka kitea tuihonotia rātau i: Aotearoa Matike Mai  He whārangi Facebook anō tā rātau.

Mō ētahi atu mōhiohio whakapā atu ki a Catherine Davis: catherinedavis@hotmail.co.nz

Peace Movement Aotearoa

Kua waihangatia e Peace Movement Aotearoa me te Quaker Treaty Relationships Group me te Rowan Partnership, he “He Wā Hurihanga,” he poutarāwaho ārahi i ngā kōrero hapori mō ngā whakaritenga kaupapa ture whai uara, kaupapa Tiriti hoki.

E whakarato ana “He Wā Hurihanga” i tētahi poutarāwaho mō ngā whakahaere Pākehā /Tauiwi hei whakamahi mō ngā matapaki i roto i ō rātau whakahaere, me ngā matapaki hapori whānui hoki, mō te kauneke atu ki ngā whakaritenga kaupapa ture Tiriti, whai uara hoki.

Anei tā rātau paetukutuku Peace Movement Aotearoa

Te Ranga Kaupapa Ture

Koinei te rōpū i tohua e te kāwanatanga. I te wāhanga tuatahi o 2013, ka hui kanohi ki te kanohi te Ranga me ngā hapori whānui, kanorau hoki, ā, ka whai wāhi koe ki te whakauru mai ki tētahi o ēnei hui. Hei tā te hoa-tiamana o te Ranga, a Tā Tīpene O’Regan: “He whai wāhitanga te arotake mō tātau ki te whakaaroaro mō ngā rā anamata o tēnei motu. He aha te momo ao e hiahia ana tātau te whakarere ki ā tātau mokopuna, tuarua hoki?

Anei tā rātau paetukutuku:   Te Ranga Kaupapa Ture

Ko tā rātau rauemi “Ngā Kōrero Kua Puta” he pukaiti e kapi ana i ngā take matua katoa e whakaarohia ana mō te arotake kaupapa ture hei kōrerotanga mā koutou ko tō whānau, hapū, hoa, hoa mahi hoki:  The Conversation So Far

Mō whakanui i te Rā Whanaungatanga ā-Iwi he pānuitanga hou tā Te Kāhui Tika Tangata (i runga ake). Mēnā kei te hiahia tarua koe īmēra mai ki resources@hrc.co.nz

 I waitohua e Aotearoa te Kawenata o te Ao mō te Whakakore i ngā Momo Whakahāweatanga ā-Iwi Katoa (ICERD) i te tau 1972 e whakaū ana ki te whakakāhore i ngā momo whakahāweatanga ā-iwi katoa me te hāpai i te māramatanga ki ngā iwi katoa.

Mō te pānui i te katoa o ngā kōrero o te ICERD, me whai i tēnei hono: 

ICERD

E herea ana a Aotearoa  ki te tuku pūrongo ki te komiti CERD ia rima tau mō te āhua o tā tātau kauneketanga. Ka whakaarohia e te komiti te pūrongo i Geneva hei te 21-22 o Hui-tanguru 2013. Ko te Minita o te Ture a Judith Collins te māngai o te kāwanatanga. Ko te Amokapua Tika Tangata, a David Rutherford, te māngai o Te Kāhui Tika Tangata ki reira.

Pāwhiri i konei ki te pānui i te pūrongo a te Kāwanatanga: Te pūrongo 2012 a te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa ki te Komiti CERD

Pawhiri i konei ki te pānui i te pūrongo motuhake a Te Kāhui Tika Tangata:  Te pūrongo 2012 a Te Kāhui Tika Tangata ki te Komiti CERD

I whakatenatenahia anō ngā whakahaere rōpū ā-iwi ki te tuku “pūrongo whiringa” ki te Komiti mō ngā take e māharahara ana rātau me te whakaara ki te aroaro o te Komiti, me tae atu i ēnei i mua o te 31 o Kohitātea. E wātea ana te pūrongo a te New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Council i konei:  NZ Federation of Multicultural Councils

He puna kōrero tino pai te whārangi tukutuku a Peace Movement Aotearoa mō te wāhanga whai ake a te komiti CERD. Kei roto ko ngā whakaputanga pāpāhō, tauākītanga, ā, ka whakahoutia me ngā pūrongo NGO katoa ina wātea mai ana.

Treaty of Waitangi and Our Constitution

The latest UMR survey shows that 56% of New Zealanders believe the Treaty is Aotearoa/New Zealand’s founding document. The Commission agrees. Surely that means that our Constitution should be based on the Treaty. What do you think?

Some things to consider

A constitution is the values and institutions that people choose to govern themselves by.  Moana Jackson explains it this way: “For me a constitution is just a kawa or the rules that people make to govern themselves.  The kawa of the marae is the constitution of a marae; it’s the rules that govern how people should behave on the marae.”  (From Weeping Waters: The Treaty of Waitangi and Constitutional Change).

Don’t we already have one? 

New Zealand does have a constitution – it’s just not all written down in a single document.  Our constitution includes a number of significant laws and acts, such as the Bill of Rights Act, the Constitution Act and, of course, the Treaty of Waitangi.

In 2011 the Government announced the review of these arrangements.  The review includes matters like the size of Parliament, the length of the electoral term, Māori representation, the role of the Treaty, and whether or not New Zealand needs a written constitution.

What is the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements?

That is the question we want to ask you! But before you hit the feedback button….

• The Treaty is a source of rights for all New Zealanders.  Sir Taihakurei Durie perhaps said it best: “we must not forget that the Treaty is not just a bill of rights for Māori. We must remember that if we are the tangata whenua, the original people, then the Pakeha are tangata Tiriti, those who belong to the land by right of that Treaty.”
• UMR research also shows that 64% of us believe that the Treaty belongs to all New Zealanders.

Tell us what you think. 

How do I get involved in the Constitutional review?

There are a number of ways you can get involved and below are just a few:

 Aotearoa Matike Mai (Independent Iwi Constitutional Transformation Working Group)

Aotearoa Matike Mai s a Māori think-tank to wānanga, hui, research, hear views, get advice and develop a model (or models) and a process for constitutional transformation in Aotearoa. Its convener, Moana Jackson, has been travelling all over the motu delivering workshops to whānau.  His motto is “Have kete will travel”.  Their primer can be found online: Aotearoa Matike Mai  And they also have a Facebook page.

For further information contact Catherine Davis: catherinedavis@hotmail.co.nz

Peace Movement Aotearoa

Peace Movement Aotearoa with the Quaker Treaty Relationships Group and the Rowan Partnership, have developed “Time for Change” a framework for community based discussion on values-based and Treaty-based constitutional arrangements.   

“Time for change” provides a framework for Pakeha / Tauiwi organisations to use for discussion within their organisations, as well as for wider community discussions, on moving towards Treaty-based and values-based constitutional arrangements.

Their website is Peace Movement Aotearoa

The Constitutional Advisory Panel

This is the panel that has been appointed by the government.  In the first part of 2013, the Panel will be meeting face-to-face with a broad and diverse range of communities so you may have the opportunity to participate in one of these meetings or hui. The Panel’s co-chair, Sir Tipene O’Regan says: “The review is a chance for us to think about this country’s future. What kind of place do we want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to live in?”    They have a website:   Constitutional Advisory Panel

And their resource “The Conversation So Far” is a booklet that covers all the key topics being considered for the constitutional review that you can discuss with your whānau, hapū, friends and colleagues:     The Conversation So Far

To celebrate Race Relations Day the Commission also has a free poster (pictured above).  If you would like to order copies email resources@hrc.co.nz

Aotearoa/New Zealand signed the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in 1972 committing to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races.

To read the full text of ICERD, follow this link:   ICERD

Every five years New Zealand is required to report to the CERD committee on how we are doing.  The committee will consider the report in Geneva on the 21-22 of February 2013.  The government will be represented by Minister of Justice, Hon Judith Collins.  Chief Human Rights Commissioner, David Rutherford, will also be there to represent the Commission.

To read a copy of the government’s report, click here:  New Zealand Government’s 2012 report to CERD Committee

Te read a copy of the Human Rights Commission’s independent report, click here:   New Zealand Human Rights Commission 2012 report to the CERD Committee

Civil society organisations were also encouraged to submit a “shadow report” to the Committee on any issues that are of particular concern that they wish to draw to the Committee’s attention, these are due 31 January.    The New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils report is currently available here:   NZ Federation of Multicultural Councils

 Peace Movement Aotearoa web page is a great source of information on upcoming CERD committee session.  It includes media releases, statements and will be updated with all of the NGO reports as they become available.

According to the annual UMR Research survey only 28% of people agree that the Treaty relationship is healthy.  What do you think?

To achieve full inclusion, a barrier-free physical and social environment is necessary. The Commission, in consultation with the community, has identified three key areas where disabled people continue to face barriers: the built environment; the accessing of information and political participation.

In late 2011, the Commission released The Wider Journey discussion document which provided information on these issues and invited feedback. As a result of feedback received and further work the discussion document was split into three separate reports. These Disabled People’s Rights reports have brought this information together, and include sections on the NZ context, international best practice, and recommendations for the future.

The three reports are:

• Better Design and Buildings for Everyone: Disabled People’s Rights and the Built Environment
• Better Information for Everyone: Disabled People’s Rights in the Information Age
• Political Participation for Everyone: Disabled People’s Rights and the Political Process

The first of these reports, Better Design and Buildings for Everyone: Disabled People’s Rights and the Built Environment, was launched on 3 December 2012, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The launch took place in Christchurch in recognition of the opportunity that now exists to make Christchurch world-class accessible city.

Better Design and Buildings for Everyone

New Zealand’s built environment is often not designed with the needs of all users in mind. This excludes many people from using facilities and services such as buildings, roads and footpaths, signs, recreation facilities, and parks. This particularly affects disabled New Zealanders, who make up 17 to 20 per cent of the NZ population.

In order for the built environment to qualify as accessible to disabled people, all aspects of it must be accessible to everyone. It should accommodate the broadest possible spectrum of human ability across the lifespan and from the earliest stage of building – the design stage. This is the concept of universal design which grew from advocates of barrier-free design in America in the late 1990s. It originated in both the disability and design communities.

This report discusses complaints received by the Commission and looks at how NZ’s current regulations deal with accessibility, international standards and approaches. It concludes with examples of positive developments that are happening in NZ and recommendations for the Government. There is also a section on building a fully accessible Christchurch.

Better Information for Everyone

For disabled people, the realisation of their human rights depends on the accessibility of information, products and services. Information and communications in NZ are often designed for one kind of end user. They’re designed for people who can see and read proficiently in English, have no learning disabilities and are confident using the internet. This approach results in information that is not accessible to a wide range of disabled people.

The Disability Convention addresses accessibility of information in five of its articles. Article 2, for instance, provides clear definitions of the important terms ‘Communication’ and ‘Language’. This article also defines ‘universal design’ as it applies to communications.

Other principles of the Disability Convention include: non-discrimination, equality of opportunity, and respect for people’s inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons.

This report includes information about complaints received by the Commission, international and NZ legislation, and issues related to the provision of both public and private sector information. There is a section devoted to the internet and web accessibility standards, as well as to NZ and international good practice.

Political Participation for Everyone

The right to vote and the broader right to participate in political and public life are integral to a functioning democracy. By exercising the right to vote, disabled people assert individual autonomy, which includes the freedom to make one’s own choices, and the right to be recognised as persons before the law. Through involvement in political activity, law and policy reform, disabled people and their representative organisations can influence improvements in local, regional and national government services. These include areas of health, rehabilitation, education, employment and access to goods and services.

New Zealand’s voting and political systems are not designed for everyone. Disabled people experience barriers to exercising their rights to vote and participate politically. These barriers include inaccessible information and voting papers, limited voting methods, and a lack of physical facilities enabling engagement with politicians.

Since the early 1990s, the Electoral Commission has progressively implemented measures to remove barriers to the right to vote and to access information about voting. Voting information is provided in Easy Read, NZSL and captions on television advertisements. There is also information on accessible polling places. Voting options include postal voting, advance voting and allowing assisted voting (with a friend, family member or electoral officer).

This report outlines the Commission’s experience and research, international human rights standards and NZ legislation, good practice overseas. It makes recommendations to ensure disabled people can fully exercise their right to vote and participate in political life.

‘Our council wanted to consider its overall approach to disabled people. Developing the strategy has been a collaborative effort with the community,’ says the Council’s Strategic Policy Planner, Christine Tye. The strategy was developed with individuals, groups and organisations who work locally, regionally and nationally in the disability sector. People with lived experience of disability were also involved. ‘Having this input throughout the process, especially from those at the heart of the strategy is really important to ensure that it is relevant’, says Christine.

The strategy is in-line with both the New Zealand Disability Strategy (Disability Strategy) and the Disability Convention. The Disability Strategy was adopted by the government in 2001. It acknowledges that local authorities have a big impact on the lives of disabled people by the decisions they make. Our government signed the Disability Convention in 2007 and ratified it in 2008.

The Disability Strategy doesn’t just focus on what the district council can do to support disabled people, but also looks at opportunities to work with others. ‘There are lots of positive things already happening being driven by some really passionate people. We want to work alongside them to improve accessibility in our district and to remove barriers to disabled people’s participation in society’, says Christine. At an initial meeting it became evident that there was no established opportunity for people in the disability sector in the area to get together. The council wants to help improve collaboration within the sector, such as establishing a forum to help guide where things go in future.

Council staff Christine Tye and Katina Conomos with Renee Clark, Phillipa Gray and MP for Coromandel Scott Simpson at the launch of the Disability Strategy

 You can read the Disability Strategy on the Thames Coromandel District Council website.

The Disability Strategy is intended to be a living document and comes with an extensive action plan. This outlines specific actions relevant to the strategy’s three areas of focus, which are:

• To recognise and protect the rights of disabled people
• To address physical and attitudinal barriers to participation
• To encourage collaboration in the disability sector.

The action plan will be reviewed annually and the strategy will be reviewed every three years.

The launch of the Disability Strategy

The council launched the Disability Strategy to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December. The council put on morning tea at the Thames Civic Centre and the guest speaker was local Paralympic medallist Phillipa Gray. Short disability awareness videos were also shown, including a documentary put together by two local young people. This featured Renee Clark, who has vision impairment, and her guide dog Fern.

What has the response been?

The feedback overall has been very positive about both the content of the strategy and the way it was developed. Robin Wells was very involved with developing the strategy and says, ‘as someone who uses a mobility scooter everyday around Thames, and knowing other users of mobility equipment, I feel it can only be positive. Naturally it will take time for changes and upgrades to services like footpaths to happen. As I am a part of the Health and Disability Resource Centre I am more than willing to work with them’. He says it’s good that the council ‘values and cares about the disabled in our community’.

Where to from here?

Developing the strategy is just the start of the process. Anyone interested is welcome to participate in working to make a difference for disabled people. One of the plans is to start a disability forum. ‘Our council wants to ensure that we, and others who provide services in the community, include a disability perspective in planning work from now on. The forum will be one way a disability perspective can be raised and heard’, says Christine.

A wide range of local, regional, and national organisations, groups and individuals supported the Thames-Coromandel Disability Strategy, including Paul Gibson, Disability Rights Commissioner. Paul said ‘The Commission would like to particularly commend the Council for giving the Disability Strategy prominence in terms of it being an overarching document which will guide Council’s business. This is a very positive approach and one the Commission would like to see replicated across all local government bodies.’

DIScover is a resource kit which aims to educate staff and increase their disability awareness. It provides information on how to best serve customers with disabilities. DIScover was developed by community members who have a range of impairments along with council staff and grew out of the Upper Hutt Disability Forum. This forum, hosted by the council, is where people living with impairments and those who work with people with disabilities can meet regularly and talk about issues in the community. The council was given a grant from the Making a Difference Fund from the Ministry for Social Development to develop this resource.

H20 Xtream swim instructor taking a ‘Give it a go!’ participant through some exercises

Go to the Upper Hutt City Council website for more information about the Disability Strategy.

Creating DIScover

The kit was developed as a training resource by qualified facilitator, Pam MacNeill, who has lived experience of impairment. DIScover focuses on people’s experience of disability in the form of attitudes and physical barriers. ‘The training workshops really connected with staff and helped them to focus on being of service rather than just running a service’, says Pam. ‘The staff recognised they are working directly with people who live with impairment’.

DIScover was designed for frontline staff at council facilities like the library, service desks and the swimming pool; but it is appropriate for any customer service staff in community organisations and businesses.

Staff feedback about the workshops was extremely positive, such as ‘I have learnt a lot about how to interact with people with impairments and how to make them feel more welcome and appreciated’. Another participant said, ‘Having someone with an impairment delivering the workshop was really good – you can hear their experiences and opinions’. People commented that the workshop reinforced the idea that people with impairments are experts on their own needs and it’s OK to ask if you are unsure about how to assist them.

The benefits of using DIScover

DIScover continues to be rolled out across the Council and people can see the benefits. Staff are more confident in addressing the needs of members of the community who have a disability. They feel they now have the tools to provide the best customer service possible. Staff are more open to discussing disability in general and are more aware of how to consult disability groups on different council projects. They are also more aware of the barriers people with disabilities face. This drives the cultural shift of acceptance and understanding towards council staff who have a disability. It also makes the Council a more attractive place to work for those with disabilities.

‘Everyone involved is really proud of the resource and pleased with its uptake. It has led to changes in behaviour,’ says Frances McEwen who led the process at the Council. ‘No other organisation has done a training guide and resource together. It’s a little package that anyone could use in a range of ways.’

And people are using it. In the year since DIScover was developed the Council has distributed the resource to every local council, as well as many businesses and organisations, including Mitre 10 and WINZ. Internally the Council also uses DIScover as part of the induction process for new staff and it has been promoted widely across all departments.

Involving staff and disabled users

The two pilot workshops involved more than 30 frontline staff who were then able to model what they’d learnt at one of the launch events. This was a ‘Have a Go’ session at the pool where disabled people were invited to try activities like kayaking and aqua-aerobics. There was lots of positive feedback from people who liked the safe, easy and family-friendly environment. This showed the council that there are business opportunities for running accessible programmes like this in the future, using the skills of trained staff to ensure that the experience is positive.

The other launch was a formal event attended by people from disabled people’s organisations, local and central government, retailers and other organisations. Dr Jan Scown, Director of Office for Disability Issues said, ‘The Council is leading by example. It is telling the community that it values the participation and contribution of people with disabilities as citizens of Upper Hutt. The project is inspiring businesses, services and people to change their attitudes.’

Where next for DIScover?

The Council will run facilitated workshops for their full management team next year. They may also run ‘train the trainer’ workshops for the public transport sector. They will continue to review their progress and keep talking to people in the disability community.

‘One of the attractions of the resource is that it is free for anybody in the country to download and use’ says Frances. ‘Although our Council has many ideas about how we will make this a part of our community, the most exciting aspect of DIScover is that it is available for everybody, for free. Any organisation of any size can use it to connect with the disabled community. Our hope for the future is that the disabled community nationwide feels more included through increased awareness, accessible programmes and facilities and attitudinal change’.

The Independent Monitoring report is available on the Commission website.

The report gives out a few bouquets and many ‘could do better’ comments. The Electoral Commission and the Health and Disability Commission both receive praise for the way they fulfil their legal mandate. Overall the report finds that most government departments and Crown agencies do not have a clear approach to collaborating with disabled people and fulfilling their obligations under the Disability Convention. In addition, there is very little data collected that would enable a fair comparison between the fulfilment of rights for disabled and non-disabled people.

The report makes a number of key recommendations including:

• Integrating accessibility and universal design into all government activities
• Establishing a whole of government approach to disabled people’s rights
• Measures to ensure all schools are inclusive by 2014
• Ensuring disabled prisoners have access to reasonable accommodation measures
• Ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Disability Convention to allow for individual complaints to the United Nations.

To view the NZSL video click here

NZSL has been an official language of NZ since 2006. Positive things have happened in this time. These include the establishment of a video relay service, an online NZSL dictionary and some government agencies now providing information in NZSL.

However, deaf people continue to experience barriers to the full enjoyment of their human rights. Evidence to support this has been collected from:

• complaints received by the Commission relating to deaf people experiencing discrimination in accessing and using their language (46 complaints and enquiries have been received since 2006.)
• extensive community consultations carried out in 2010-2011, policy investigations around access to information and access to political participation.
• the independent monitoring report of the Convention Coalition, partner in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities monitoring mechanism.
• reports from disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) such as Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand.

If you would like more information or would like to receive updates on the NZSL Inquiry from the Commission, please contact:

Victoria Manning, Policy Analyst, Disability VictoriaM@hrc.co.nz, Fax: 04 471 6759 or

Bruce Coleman, Senior Policy Analyst, Disability, Brucec@hrc.co.nz, Ph: 03 353 0952

Deaf people have the right to use NZSL to access public facilities and services. This enables them to live independently in the community, receive education, and express their opinions and thoughts. These rights are listed in the Disability Convention. New Zealand has agreed to make these rights real. The inquiry will assess what barriers are preventing that the full practice of these rights in NZ.

The Commission is a Crown entity. However, it is independent of the Government. It resolves complaints of unlawful discrimination, promotes and educates about human rights, advocates for the practice of human rights, publishes resources and guides and provides policy analysis and advocacy. The Commission can undertake inquiries if it thinks human rights have been violated.

The Commission’s focus for this inquiry is on working with key government agencies to explore and address issues relating to effective and accessible service provision for NZSL users and facilitate the uptake of NZSL to others who would benefit beyond current user groups. As part of this, the inquiry will explore the meaning, effect and promotion of NZSL as an official language. It will build on existing NZSL work and reports.

Timeframe

A Commission team began work on the NZSL Inquiry in August 2012, by gathering information. The Commission team have been engaging with a range of stakeholders including Deaf related organisations, Deaf community leaders and the Māori Language Commission. In depth engagement with key government departments is seeking to clarify how they give effect to NZSL as an official language of NZ and any improvements that can be made.

On 8 March 2013 the Commission will host a public forum in Wellington on ‘What it means to be an official language’ and will present early findings at the Deaf View 3 Conference in Wellington from 9 – 10 March 2013. Following that, the Commission will distribute a draft report and seek feedback from interested people on it. The final report will be completed and published in June 2013.

If you would like to contribute to this inquiry, please contact Victoria or Bruce at the Commission.

What will the inquiry cover?

The terms of reference set out what the inquiry will cover. The NZSL inquiry will look at three areas. These areas have been informed by information from, and consultations with, the Deaf community. They are:

1. The right to education for deaf people and potential users of NZSL.
2. The rights of deaf peoples, and other potential users of NZSL, to access communication, information and services, and the right to freedom of expression and opinion, through the provision of professional NZSL interpreter services and other NZSL services and resources.
3. The promotion and maintenance of NZSL as an official language of NZ.

On Monday, 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, disabled people gathered in Cashel St Mall. It was a day of celebration and for highlighting the issues and opportunities in the rebuild. The day included dance performances, a choir and a flash mob of disabled and non-disabled Cantabrians.

For further information contact Bruce Coleman, Senior Policy Analyst, BruceC@hrc.co.nz or phone 03 353 0952.

The Earthquake Disability Leadership Group is pleased with progress so far which includes:

• Agreement by the government that one of the four priorities for the current Disability Action Plan is rebuilding an accessible Christchurch.
• Agreement by the Central City Development Unit (CCDU) that all major anchor projects will have accessibility as a key requirement. Planning for the first anchor project, the Avon river precinct, is underway with accessibility as a key requirement for all tenders.
• The draft Christchurch Central Recovery Plan requires that all buildings, open spaces, streets and facilities are safe, accessible and people friendly.

Many challenges still remain. Temporary facilities are not always built with maximum accessibility in mind and there are examples of infrastructure rebuilds and repairs that do not meet accessibility standards. Not everyone in the private sector is convinced of the business case for providing accessible facilities. The Leadership Group is working to ensure that the standards and guidance used to build an accessible city reflect the best available guidelines.

The Leadership Group includes representatives from the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, CCS Disability Action, Lifemark, Be. Institute, Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand, DPA, Barrier Free Trust and the Christchurch City Council.

Disabled people were able to try out bus travel in Hamilton recently. The ‘Have a Go Day’ gave them the chance to get on and off buses, take their seats and park their wheelchairs without the pressures of the normal timetable. The buses also drove round the block so people had the experience of bus travel – a first for some. People were also able to use the ticketing system. The experience gave disabled people far more confidence to use public transport – in fact one participant arrived in her wheelchair by taxi and decided to go home by bus!

The day also gave bus operators greater understanding of the issues their passengers who live with impairment face on a daily basis when moving around their communities. This successful project was an initiative of CCS Disability Action, the Waikato Regional Council, Go Bus and Pavlovich buses.

Kevin Churchill and Gerri Pomeroy have a go on a bus in Hamilton

Go to CCS Disability Action Waikato for more information.

Gerri Pomeroy and Roger Loveless, CCS Disability Action access coordinators, are keen to ensure public transport is accessible for everyone. They work with many partners advocating for best practice in transport infrastructure development and service provision.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is committed to improving access and mobility for people and communities as one of their five goals. It has developed the Requirement for Urban Buses standard (known as the RUB). This document provides guidance to regional councils and bus companies and is reviewed regularly. Gerri and Roger work with others from the disability community advocating for the highest possible standards of accessibility on buses. ‘Better design plus better driver awareness leads to better outcomes,’ says Gerri.

Waikato Regional Council may be the only council in NZ that includes wheelchair passengers in their monthly passenger counts. Numbers frequently reach 300 wheelchair passengers each month. This shows that public transport can provide disabled people with a cost-effective way of using the facilities and services they need if the transport is accessible.

Pedestrian accessibility matters

But Gerri and Roger’s advocacy doesn’t stop with public transport – they’re also looking at infrastructure for pedestrians. They initiated an accessibility audit pilot study in partnership with the Ōtorohanga District Council. This included identifying risks to elderly and disabled people from deteriorating footpaths and inadequate street crossings. The work will potentially enable councils to prioritise their transport system maintenance spending to ensure that accessibility for disabled and elderly people is maintained and improved. Waipā District Council has recently engaged CCS Disability Action to do similar work in some of their townships.

‘We focus on results’, says Gerri. ‘But none of this would happen without collaboration – trust, relationships and collaborative partnerships between the disabled community, councils, transport engineers and businesses. It’s all really important for getting results – CCS Disability Action couldn’t do it alone.’

There is but a single eye of the needle through which white, black and red threads must pass.

Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, the first Māori King

Making disability rights real: Whakatūturu ngā tika hauātanga

As the year draws to a close, on the International Day of Disabled People on Monday, 3 December 2012 the world celebrated and reflected on diversity and disability. The Human Rights Commission (The Commission) celebrated with the launch of ‘Making disability rights real: Whakatūturu ngā tika hauātanga’. This is the first annual report of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism of the Convention on the United Nations Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Disability Convention).

On the same day in Christchurch we also launched ‘Better Design for everyone: disabled people’s rights and the built environment’. We also released reports on accessibility to the political process, and to information and communication.

Five years ago, when the Disability Convention we are now monitoring was signed, each state signatory was greeted with brief polite applause at the UN General Assembly, except for one nation. When NZ signed, the world’s representatives stood in applause for several minutes. This was to acknowledge our high level of partnership between disabled people’s organisations and government, and disabled and non-disabled people. The Disability Convention was signed by the then Minister of Disability, the Hon Ruth Dyson and Disabled Person’s Assembly CEO, Gary Williams of Ngāti Porou.

Just as Pōtatau Te Wherowhero called diverse leaders together, the whakataukī (proverb) above tells how the weaving of individually weak threads with a diversity of colours results in the protectiveness of a beautiful and strong korowai (cloak). This same unity and diversity ensured the voices that were usually forgotten could tell their stories, and the United Nations environment was transformed.

Our leadership role

The role played by the NZ government, officials, non-government organisations (NGOs), disabled Kiwis, and the Commission in the development of the Disability Convention was this nation’s latest action of international human rights leadership.

An example is how Robert Martin, a Kiwi and global leader of the intellectual disability self-advocacy movement, transformed the UN environment. When he told his story and connected it with the experience of others, the international diplomats recognised they needed to step aside. They needed to let the real experts, people with lived experience of disability, lead. Kiwis with intellectual learning disability can be and are global leaders.

The Disability Convention has the potential to change the lives of some of the most forgotten, abused and poverty stricken people in our global village. When implemented it will help us realise our dreams and aspirations to belong in a family. We can love and be loved, be included in communities, learn, have friends, work and earn a good income. The Disability Convention empowers us to aim for not just an ordinary life, but a great life. Whether our life is long or short, the implementation of the Disability Convention will mean we can look back knowing we are leaving behind a world better for us having been part of it. I believe there are people who led in the development of the Disability Convention, whose life journey of struggle represents the aspirations of the Convention. They are worthy of a Nobel peace prize.

Where does the Disability Convention come from?

The recognition of the inherent dignity and human rights of every person is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. New Zealand led, along with other nations, the drafting of the global commitment that became the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark declaration was developed in response to the atrocities of the Second World War when, leading up to the Holocaust, disabled people were experimented on and murdered in their hundreds of thousands. The UDHR led to legally binding international human rights conventions and the Disability Convention is the most recent of these.

As well as leading in developing the UDHR, NZ has a proud history as a pathfinder for human rights, peace, and the celebration of diversity. Our nation is founded on a peace-time treaty, the promise made by two peoples to take the best possible care of each other. Peaceful resistance flourished at Parihaka under Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, well before the times of Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King. New Zealand led the nuclear free Pacific movement and showed it would not be bullied by other nations. We have a world-leading reputation as multicultural peacekeepers. We are the first nation where women gained the vote, and where a transgender person was elected mayor and later a Member of Parliament. We were the first nation to settle a quota of disabled refugees. These are examples of putting human rights into practice. And most recently we are recognised more outside NZ than inside for our leading role in the development of the Disability Convention.

How the Commission contributes

The Commission exists today to make sure human rights are upheld for all New Zealanders. It is independent of government, and holds it to account. The Commission promotes harmony between diverse peoples. It protects us all from violence in our families and communities. The Commission works to get everyone a fair go at business and in work and to rebuild our lives after disaster. It works to reduce inequality and poverty, to protect against and resolve discrimination and to promote freedom in expressing our beliefs and our love. It also advocates for policies to protect us as we grow old and to give our children the best start in life. All these ensure the sustainability of the land where we and future generations belong and call home.

The Commission works to create an inclusive and equitable society. It strives to empower people and communities, and puts human rights at the heart of decision making for the wellbeing of all who live in NZ.

The Disability Team, within the Commission contributes to all of this, leading on disability issues with the support of the rest of the Commission.

Monitoring the Disability Convention

The government delegated the monitoring of the Disability Convention’s implementation in a process known as a mechanism. The monitoring is done by the Commission in partnership with the Ombudsman and the Convention Coalition (a group of seven disabled people’s organisations).

The Disability Convention covers a broad range of issues. This and the extent of the disadvantage experienced by many disabled people makes monitoring and implementing it a real challenge. Acceptance of disability discrimination is deeply embedded in NZ, as in many societies. It is mostly based on ignorance, not ill will. Implementation of the Disability Convention doesn’t often require additional funding to meet disabled people’s needs, but it requires commitment, creativity and collaboration.

But the report ‘Making disability rights real’ shows that NZ still has a lot to do. Our government struggles to ensure basic issues of accessibility, participation and decision-making are resolved. We don’t yet put people at the centre or ensure coherent support reform across agencies. The report makes key recommendations in these areas. It also recommends new action on collecting meaningful data on disability, making education more inclusive and ensuring the right support when people are detained. Other recommendations focus on improving health, opportunities for work, and standard of living. The report also recommends that NZ signs the optional protocol to the convention.

The time has come for us to celebrate the role of Kiwis in the development of the Disability Convention, to monitor our performance against it and to ignite the drive to implement and realise its full potential, to ‘Whakatūturu ngā tika hauātanga’.

From the Disability Team, Bruce, Chris, Jude, Leilani, Paul, and Victoria – have a great Christmas and holiday break.

By Paul Gibson, Disability Rights Commissioner | Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga

Koira rā te wawata engari tērā pea ka tutuki i mua i tērā.

Ko Te Wairoa Reorua 2040, te matakitenga o ngā rōpū kaitiaki e whā, arā, Te Kura Motuhake o Te Ataarangi, Ngā Kōhanga Reo o te rohe o Te Wairoa, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa me Te Taiwhenua o Te Wairoa. Kua whakahiato katoa mai rātau, me Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, ki te waihanga mai i tētahi rautaki hei whai mā te hapori kia tū ai hei taone reo rua a te tau 2040.

Kei te whakarewahia te rautaki i tēnei rā, Te Rā Tika Tangata o te ao, e te Minita mō ngā Take Māori me te Minita Tuarua mō te Mātauranga, ā, Tākuta Pita Sharples me te kaitaunaki i te reo Māori o te haukāinga a Whaea Liz Hunkin.

Hei tā te Kaihautū a Karen Johansen he tika tonu mā Te Wairoa Reorua hei waitohu i te kaupapa mō Te Rā Tika Tangata, “Kia Mana Tōku Reo”.

“Ko Te Wairoa Reorua 2040, kei te whakapūmau ngā Rangatira o Te Wairoa i tō rātau reo kia rongohia, kia tiakina hoki… he tika tangata waiwai te tika ki te whakamahi i tō reo, ā, mā tēnei rautaki e āwhina ki te whakatutuki i roto i ngā tau e tū mai.”

I whakarewahia te rautaki i Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungungu o Te Wairoa i te Tiriti o Kitchener, Wairoa. I Te Rā Tika Tangata 2010, i whakatau te kura ko tōna kaupapa ko te tika tangata.

Heoi, kia hoki ake ki te tau 2040, hei whakakapi ake i tēnei pūrongo ka whakaatuhia tētahi pānui papa tawhito e tū ana, e whakatau ana i a koe ki Te Wairoa, “Wairoa – te āhua o Aotearoa i mua.”

Te Wairoa Reorua 2040, is the vision of four kaitiaki organisations, Te Kura Motuhake o Te Ataarangi, Nga Kohanga Reo o te rohe o Te Wairoa, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa and Te Taiwhenua o Te Wairoa.  They have come together, with the Human Rights Commission, to work on a strategy to set their community on the path to becoming bilingual by 2040.

The strategy is being launched today, international Human Rights Day, by the Minister of Māori Affairs and Associate Minister for Education, Hon. Dr. Pita Sharples and local reo champion Whaea Liz Hunkin.

Commissioner Karen Johansen said Te Wairoa Reorua 2040 was a fitting way to mark this year’s Human Rights Day’s theme “My Voice Counts”.

“Through Te Wairoa Reorua 2040 Wairoa Rangatira are ensuring their voices are heard in the protection of their language…the right to use your language is a basic human right and is one that this strategy will help to realise in the years to come,” she said.

Today’s celebrations, at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa, also mark the second anniversary of the kura declaring itself an organisation based on human rights.

But back to 2040, the broadcast ends with a shot of the old wooden sign that still stands and greets you as you arrive in Wairoa, ‘‘Wairoa – the way New Zealand used to be.”

The Cube was created by youth for youth and they have a dedicated and active group of leaders on their Youth Advisory Council .The group was established in 2010 in response to its commitment to strengthen youth participation within the disability sector.

The Cube is collaboration between disability groups in Auckland which promises to unify and expand existing services for disabled youth across the region by sharing resources, members and greatly enhancing the availability of activities for young people.

The 2010/2011 group consisted of 8 young people representing a range of disabilities, cultures, ages, three programmes and Auckland regions. Members meet monthly to identify and work on projects to make a difference for young people with disabilities.

The Cube Partners include: Achilles; Active Choice Exercise; Carabiner; PHAB; Sensational Siblings; StarJam; Unique Families; Touch Compass; Voyager; Yes Disability Resource Centre.

For event details check out The Cube online.

The workbook was prepared by ELPNZ and produced by Statistics New Zealand. It is designed for tutors to help their students understand the census and how to complete their forms. It is available online on the ELPNZ website.

From 1 November, Aucklanders have been getting involved in a range of Diwali activities at their local library celebrating Indian culture, music, movies and more.

Kids enjoyed the Diwali-themed Storytime (appropriate for 3 to 5-year-olds), the many craft and quiz activities, competitions and games from India. Hindi or Punjabi speakers had the opportunity to join in a Q&A about Auckland Libraries’ services.

For the not so young, activities such as  Bollywood-style ukulele, learning about herbal remedies in your pantry, Bollywood-style dance activities or yoga, henna paintings and Bollywood movies screenings.

“Auckland is such a diverse city, it is important that we as Aucklanders acknowledge and celebrate this diversity, celebrating cultural festivals such as Diwali,” says Glen Eden Library manager and Diwali co-organiser Imraan Ali. 

Auckland Libraries Multicultural Services advisor and Diwali co-organiser, Shivangi Pradhan, says the festival also gives Auckland Libraries the chance to highlight its Indic-language collection of novels, magazines, travel guides DVDs and cookbooks. 

In the Community Languages Collection there are books in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi Tamil, Urdu and Marathi languages.

There is also a catalogue of more than 125 Indian newspaper titles available, including The Hindu, International Herald Tribune, Times of India, New Indian Express, Business Standard, Deccan Chronicle, and Best Movie International.

The Council now has a te reo Māori navigational menu function, creating a more immersive te reo Māori website experience. The Council has worked closely with a specialist te reo Māori consultancy firm, He Kupenga Hao i Te Reo, their web vendor and the Council’s own Māori advisor to provide the language translation content.

For more information check out the new Palmerston North City Council website.

The event’s theme was “Drumming for White Ribbon”. Around 1000 people attended the event which showcased African culture through music and food. A Zimbabwean marimba band opened the event with the evening’s entertainment provided by bands from Nelson, Wellington and Christchurch.

African food abound with 13 countries preparing traditional dishes unique to them including: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Gambia, Mauritius, Ghana, Malawi and Ethiopia. 

As a pan-African event, 26 countries were represented, making it the biggest African event staged in New Zealand. The event was supported by number of Christchurch organisations including the Christchurch Migrants Centre, Settling In (MSD) and NZ Police.

The series looked at how migrant communities have changed Auckland, since radical changes in the Immigration Act 1987 were introduced. Stories featured included an in-depth look at the impacts of the changing demographics, diversity in sport and food, a focus on ethnic festivals, a look into the Ahmadi Muslim community and the growing popularity of Buddhism.

The NZ Herald continued its increased profile on ethnic and religious diversity in November with a focus on Diwali and diverse faiths in Auckland. The NZ Herald has the largest daily newspaper circulation in New Zealand.

Display boards were put up in the foyer with two large maps. One of the world and one of NZ. Staff were invited to map where they are from in the world (writing their names on a small circle sticker).

The activities kicked off of Monday with an “International Lunch” which provided an informal way for people to get together and share a part of their culture with their colleagues. Staff members brought food from countries including Germany, China, the Philippines, Tonga, New Zealand, Malaysia, France and South Africa. More than 20 people attended the lunch and engaged in conversation about where the food was from and some even asking for recipes and cooking tips.

Tuesday was “Diversity Crossword Day” day were staff answered questions about geography and aspects of different cultures and countries through answering a crossword puzzle.

For “Cultural Wear Day” held on Wednesday, staff wore colours that represented their country or traditional costume.

Another educational activity called “Do you know your flags?” was held on Thursday were staff were tasked to match the unidentified flag with its country name.

On the last day, a workshop on “What colour is your Kiwi? was facilitated by Julie Watson, Advisor from the Human Rights Commission. Julie also gave an overview of the Human Rights Act and the Treaty of Waitangi.

With the success of first “Tour of the World” event, the Siemens team is planning to make it an annual event.

The festival celebrates 50 year’s diplomatic friendship with New Zealand.

The day showcased a Korean food show & tasting, Korean martial arts (taekwondo) dance, band concert, national ssireum (Korean traditional wrestling) championship, hip hop dance & K Pop dance performance and more.

Traditional Korean cuisine tasting was provided as lunch for VIP’s in attendace. The tasting started at 12: 30 at the Korean Cultural Center’s marquee at the venue.

The Korean’s colourful traditional costumes and graceful dance moves entertained the crowd.  The cultural performances were considered as the highlight of the day. 

The Korean Society of Christchurch aims to instil the importance of celebrating ones diversity. The festival showcased how young Koreans in New Zeland are celebrating and embracing their heritage.

The day offered free entertainment, sausage sizzle, competitions with prizes to be won, drivers’ licence information, safety advice, children’s books, health checks, children’s arts and crafts, bouncy castle and many stalls with information for families.

One of the most colourful stalls was from the Bhutanese Society of Palmerston North.  Their first ever fundraising and information stall attracted over 2500 people from the Roslyn Community. 

Entertainment hosted by Access Manawatu included music from Shufti, the Bing Turkby Ensemble, the Roslyn School Band, performances from Bhutanese dancers and a troupe from Zero Gravity Studios. The event was opened by Mayor Jono Naylor and MP Iain Lees-Galloway. A wishing tree was set up to give members of the Roslyn community the opportunity to record their hopes, dreams and aspirations for the suburb and how they would like to see it develop.

REACH is a collaboration that includes the local medical centre, Palmerston North City Council, various government departments, and a number of community organisations, schools, pre-schools and churches. The group is committed to bringing the Roslyn community together.

REACH has also produced the Roslyn Register, a guide listing a variety of local amenities and community assistance available. It also supports budget cooking classes and recently launched a community garden project.

The main exhibition charts the story of migration to Dunedin, from Kai Tahu through to the twenty-first century. Complementing this narrative is the “Our Voices” project, developed and directed by Philippa Keaney. This project consists of very short film clips of migrants, or descendants of migrants, talking about their experiences of coming to Dunedin. “Our Voices” pillars are located throughout the chronological areas of the gallery spaces: Early Encounters, New Edinburgh, Gold, First Great City (Victorian Dunedin) and Twentieth Century. Each pillar hosts multiple stories.

While the stories do not represent everyone who has come to Dunedin, they reflect the increasing diversity of Dunedin’s population. They explore the similarities in migrant experiences, despite different points of origin and eras. Contributors speak of how hard it is to leave family and friends behind, of envisioning a better life for themselves and future generations, of learning a new language and new ways of doing things, of the support and care extended by others, often unexpectedly.

For the most part, the stories are positive.  However, for some migrants, relocation has been triggered by political instability, violence and injustice. For others, the haven of their new home has been tarnished by experiences of racism or prejudice. “Our Voices” provokes thought about how important home is to our identity. It values the rich legacy of Otago Māori, and more recent arrivals, and challenges us to think about how truly welcoming and inclusive we are as we move into the future.

The party will be held at the Wesley Church Hall at 7pm on Friday 14 December. Please bring a plate of food for a potluck dinner, gold coin donation would be also appreciated.

For more information check out the poster or contact enquiries@trmc.co.nz

The launch will be held on Thursday, 6 December from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm at the Ground floor on 39 Webb Street, Wellington. Please RSVP ethiofreemedia@hotmail.com or refugeeslink@gmail.com. Light refreshment will be served.

For more information checkout the flyer.

These forums have been held to share experiences and ideas about “looking beyond disaster.” Following the Forum in Christchurch last year, the Commission was approached by young Pasifika leaders with a request for support to their own forum.

The Forum is being held at the Fale Pasifika from Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 December.

General objectives and outcomes of the Forum include: the creation of an international network of young people across Asia and the Pacific empowered to share experiences and exchange ideas on disaster and community; international youth projects designed at the conference for implementation in different countries; and recommendations to governments, UNESCO and other bodies on youth resilience, rebuilding communities and disaster response. The participants will be supported to develop action plans and recommendations throughout the four days.

For more information contact Susan Isaacs.

The Human Rights Commission and EventX are hosting a free concert to celebrate our “voices.”

Featuring Sam RB, Phillip Patston, Jodi Pringle, Panther and the Zoo, Johnny Matteson & Friends, Tommy Hamilton and Paul Gibson (Disability Rights Commissioner). The Concert will be held on Monday, 10 December from 6.30 – 9pm (Doors open at 6pm for drinks and nibbles) at the Freeman’s Bay Community Hall 52 Hepburn Street, Auckland. Please RSVP to Jill McMaster by 3 December 2012 (for catering).

The NZ Baha’i Community will celebrate Human Rights Day on Wednesday 12 December from 5.45 pm at the City Gallery, Civic Centre in Wellington. The commemoration will include introduction by Dr Graham Hassall, President of the NZ United Nations Association followed by two documentary films. Check out the poster for more information.

The theme for Race Relations Day 2013 is “My Dream for Aotearoa New Zealand…”

It’s an opportunity to launch new initiatives, motivate your staff, or promote existing programmes and projects.

Christchurch City Council’s Culture Galore, the city’s main multicultural festival will be held at Ray Blank Park from 12 – 4pm on Saturday 9 March. Community groups are invited to provide performances, food stalls and interactive workshops.

 If you are keen, and haven’t yet registered, please contact Lisa Gregory for more information including.  

Race Unity Day 2013 will be held on Sunday 17 March at Victory Square Park. Please contact Evey McAuliffe if you would like to do a cultural performance, sell traditional food, do/display a craft activity or provide an information stall

Race Unity Day is an outdoors event organised by Nelson Multicultural Council each year to celebrate out regions’ cultural diversity. See some photos from previous year’s events.

Have you? Check the 2013 registrations here.

Next year is less than a month away, and no doubt you will have a good idea of what diversity projects you have in store for the new year. These may be similar projects to the ones you did this year, or new initiatives.

Continued membership of the Diversity Action Programme depends on registration of activities for each new year, so let us know what they are and we will register you and put the details on our website.

The process of registering your projects provides an opportunity to firm up on your plans and consider whether there is anything else you want to do to support the objectives of the Diversity Action Programme. The objectives are to:

• Recognise and celebrate the cultural diversity of our society (diverse)
• Promote the equal enjoyment by everyone of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, regardless of race, colour, religion, ethnicity or national origin (equal)
• Foster harmonious relations between diverse peoples (harmonious)
• Fulfill the promise of  the Treaty of Waitangi (Treaty-based)

Projects can contribute to any one or more of these objectives. For more information or to register visit the NZ Diversity Action Programme website. If you want to check your current registered projects, you’ll find them here.

Te Papa

3 December 2012, 11am–5pm, lecture 1pm–2pm

Qin Bailan 

To celebrate the International Day of Disabled People, meet renowned Chinese artist Qin Bailan and marvel at her elegant paintings. All works are for sale.

This event has been organised in association with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Confucius Institute at Victoria University.

24 and 31 January 2013

Waitangi Day Treaty Debates Series: New Zealand’s Constitution

Waitangi Day: In partnership with the NZ Centre for Public Law at Victoria University of Wellington, Te Papa annually presents The Treaty Debate Series. The series provides an opportunity to debate highly relevant topics relating to the Treaty of Waitangi as NZ’s founding document, to examine the Treaty’s impact on society today, and to consider what its implications are for the future.

6 February 2013

Treaty of Waitangi Floortalks

Nau mai! Haere mai!  Learn about New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, by joining a half-hour floortalk through our Treaty-focused exhibitions. Floortalks are limited to 20 people. Names will be taken 15 minutes before each begins.

For a detailed list of events visit the Te Papa website.

 Corban Estates

 6 December

Christmas Shopping Night

Find the perfect, creative and artistic Christmas gift for your loved ones in our Gallery Shop!

 14-18 January

Summer School 2013

An enriching arts experience with leading NZ and International artists. Immerse yourself in a week of varied art experiences and intensive workshops, exposed to the world of contemporary arts taught by talented artists. Select one of the eleven diverse courses taught by some of the country’s best practitioners in their field as well as some notable international arts practitioners.

Find a detailed description of the classes online and download registration form.

For more information visit the Corban Estate Arts Centre website.

The objective of the course is to provide an opportunity for personal development, teamwork and gain an insight into and understanding of the cultural background of their fellow course participants. The three week “Southern Cross” leadership course is held at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds which is nestled at the edge of Queen Charlotte Sound. The 2013 course will be held from 2 – 22 February.

The Aoraki Bound course has been developed in partnership with Ngai Tahu. The objective behind the course is that Ngai Tahu believes that cultural revitalisation is crucial to the future sustainability and development of Ngai Tahu as individuals and as a collective. Culture, values and language underpin all aspects of tribal life and are the threads that bind us as a people. Ngai Tahu recognises the need to develop its people, its culture and its place in Aotearoa. They also have a genuine desire to share their knowledge and values with all New Zealanders as we build a nation and a sense of what it is to be a citizen of this land. In this respect places are available on the course for those of non Ngai Tahu descent. The course starts at the Outward Bound School in Anakiwa, followed by a 10 day hikoi through significant historical Ngai Tahu sites and finishes at the ancestral mountain of Ngai Tahu ‘Aoraki’. During the hikoi participants engage in mahinga kai activities (traditional food gathering practices), follow the pounamu trails of their ancestors and paddle waka across Lake Pukaki to the foot of Aoraki. Course content also features te reo, karakia, waiata, whakatauki, tikanga, rock art and a day of service in the community. The 2013 courses will be held from 2-21 February and 3-22 March.

Featuring over 63 food stalls, the variety of stalls reflects the diversity of whānau and friends in the greater Nelson and Marlborough community. Kai is a way of cementing relationships through sharing and celebrating different cultures from around the world. Whakatū Marae and Founders Heritage Park sites are over 10 acres. It promises to be a very exciting day with over 6000 people coming to taste and share kai from traditional and contemporary New Zealand and exotic delicacies from other parts of the worlds.

If your group is planning an event for Waitangi Day, email us at  nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz.

In designating the day, the UN urged member states to develop educational programmes to instil the memory of the tragedy in future generations to prevent genocide from occurring again. The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO supports the marking of the day which includes a memorial service at Wellington’s Makara cemetery and a formal ceremony at Parliament, in conjunction with the New Zealand Holocaust Research and Education Centre and other stakeholders.

Deaf Aotearoa has come a long way since that first meeting, which was organised by a group of concerned Deaf and hearing people citing the need for welfare services for Deaf people.
 
The first recorded minutes from that inaugural meeting on 19 November 1977 show the concerns at the time were the need for interpreters; the need for support for Deaf school leavers and their families; TV captions; Deaf awareness; training for social workers and mental health. Some of these issues remain today, as we strive to achieve equality for Deaf people in New Zealand.
 
The biggest barrier to Deaf Kiwis in 1977 and to Deaf Kiwis now, remains a lack of accessibility to information and services which enable Deaf people to fully contribute to and participate in society. 
 
Check out the full media release on the Deaf Aotearoa NZ website.

We want to encourage people to think about their vision of what Aotearoa/New Zealand might look like in the future, and to consider how our constitutional arrangements would support that vision. To encourage that conversation, the 2013 Race Relations Day theme will be “My Dream for Aotearoa…”

We hope that people will complete that sentence for us at festivals, schools, workplaces, places of worship, libraries and communities and through the social media.  The Human Rights Commission will collect these statements and submit them to the Constitutional Advisory Panel. The Constitutional Review Panel appointed by the government has published an information booklet to inform conversations about the issues. They particularly ask people to think about the values that are important to New Zealanders.

Race Relations Day is a time when you or your organisation or community can do something to celebrate, learn, discuss, plan or promote diversity in your own context and to achieve diversity goals.

Start planning your event or activity now.  If you or your organisation are planning an event to celebrate send us an email.

A draft of this section is currently being written. It would be good to get your input.

What do you think were the most important developments this year? What is the most important priority for next year? Please send comments to nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz.

These may be similar projects to the ones you did last year, or new initiatives. The process of registering your projects provides an opportunity to firm up on your plans and consider whether there is anything else you want to do to support the objectives of the Diversity Action Programme. The objectives are to:

• Recognise and celebrate the cultural diversity of our society (diverse).
• Promote the equal enjoyment by everyone of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, regardless of race, colour, religion, ethnicity or national origin (equal).
• Foster harmonious relations between diverse peoples (harmonious).
• Fulfill the promise of the Treaty of Waitangi (Treaty-based).

In 2012 participating organisations included: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at , Auckland Inter-Faith Council, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, Council of Christians and Muslims, Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), Hindu Council of New Zealand, Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand, New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, New Zealand Council of Christians and Jews, NZ Bahá’í Community, Religious Studies Programme, Victoria University of Wellington, Waikato Interfaith Council and Young Muslim Women’s Association.

The discussion will be at 17 Kirkwood Ave, Christchurch.

For more information contact Bertha Hurley 03 3550959 or Dianne Downward 03 3489579.

WIFCO has organised two one-hour “Indigo Interfaith” sessions on Friday 30 November and Saturday 1 December between 12-1pm each day.  Each hour will have 4 different faiths presenting a brief aspect of a particular faith community.

Come and join us and learn about global religions at the Central Library, Garden Place, Hamilton.

For more information visit the Waikato Interfaith Council  website or check them out on Facebook .  Visit the Indigo Festival website to download the schedule of events.

Entry by koha, all are welcome

Speakers include:

• Rabbi Adi Cohen - Jewish – Wellington Progressive Jewish Congregation
• Vanessa Borg – Christian – Catholic lay person, Wellington Focolare movement
• Rehanna Ali - Muslim – Wellington Masjid

Come along and hear perspectives on the core beliefs of the three Abrahamic religions, using original texts from the Torah, the New Testament, and the Koran.

The three talks will be followed by a panel discussion and light refreshments.

Please contact Jenny Chalmers for more information.

This follows the series last month (1-5 October) where the Herald published full page features and photographs on ethnic diversity which included a focus on religion. The series looked at how migrant communities have changed Auckland, since radical changes in the Immigration Act 1987 were introduced. Stories last month featured the little known Ahmadi Muslim community, churches connecting to ethnic migrant groups and a focus on Buddhism.   Read the following articles online:

Christian faiths losing out to other religions

Peaceful approach draws converts from across spectrum to Muslim group

Living spiritual masters big attraction for Christian-raised singer

It was a true demonstration of interfaith in action with over 100 people in attendance. The Baha’i Centre hosted the event with the neighbouring LDS Church supplying the food for afternoon tea, and nine different faith groups performing.

It can be accessed at www.bahai.org.nz . Keep a look out for announcements on the Race Unity Speech contest 2013 which will be posted soon.

The event was hosted by the Ethnic Affairs Minister, Judith Collins with around 250 in attendance which included the Prime Minister, John Key, the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Melissa Lee, other parliamentarians, dignitaries, community leaders and those from a range of ethnic communities.

The Director of the Office of Ethnic Affairs Mervin Singham opened the celebration.
 “In a multicultural society, it’s important to develop bonds of respect, friendship and understanding across people from diverse backgrounds. Without these, we cease to be communities,” he says.

The Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand, His Excellency Avanindra Kumar Pandey told the audience that New Zealand is a very welcoming place and the remarkable warmth of its people helps to cement the friendship between the two countries.

The President of the New Zealand Indian Central Association, Paul Singh Bains noted that Diwali is celebrated around the world and is a time when family takes centre stage and people have time to reflect on their achievements.

The lighting of the traditional diya – or lamp, he said, signifies love, joy, pride and hope.

A traditional floor decoration, or Rangoli, made from coloured powder formed a vibrant feature at the entrance to the Banquet Hall. The Hindu Council of New Zealand was responsible for the Rangoli and it was created by artist, Sudha Thomas, with help from a youth Interfaith group from Wellington.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi is the former Governor of the Indian State of West Bengal and the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Chakravarthy Rajagopalachari (the first and the last Governor-General of independent India). India’s High Commissioner Avanindra Kumar Pandey and representatives of various religious organisations and faiths, community leaders and members of the Mother Teresa Interfaith Committee will be in attendance.

Please contact Therese Turnock for further details Ph (09) 3603063.

As with the Jewish cemetery desecrations in 2004, representatives of other faith communities, Interfaith Councils, and other New Zealanders, have spoken out in solidarity with the Jewish community.

Two men have been arrested and admitted to desecrating Jewish graves. One, Robert Moulden, 19, appeared at the Auckland District Court on Tuesday 13 November where he pleaded guilty to a charge of intentional damage. He will be sentenced in February. The other pleaded not guilty an will appear in court in January.

View Human Rights Commission Statement on the desecration of Jewish graves.

The process of registering your projects provides an opportunity to firm up on your plans and consider whether there is anything else you want to do to support the objectives of the Diversity Action Programme. The objectives are to:

• Recognise and celebrate the cultural diversity of our society (diverse).
• Promote the equal enjoyment by everyone of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, regardless of race, colour, religion, ethnicity or national origin (equal).
• Foster harmonious relations between diverse peoples (harmonious).
• Fulfill the promise of the Treaty of Waitangi (Treaty-based).

In 2012 participating organisations included the Auckland Refugee Community Coalition,  Canterbury Refugee Council, ChangeMakers Refugee Forum, Refugee Services Aotearoa New Zealand and Wellington Refugees as Survivors Trust (Wellington RAS).

You can register online to become a participant in the 2013 Diversity Action Programme.

This free course is suitable for adult learners (19 or over) who want to explore and develop strong competencies in intercultural awareness, communication and intelligence, in a dynamic and interactive way. 

To make this course accessible to a wide range of people, there is no enrolment fee for this course and it is timetabled one day a week on Wednesday evenings from 6.30 – 8.30pm.  

 The course will be led by Mastura Abd Rahman, BA (Hon) PGDE a trained teacher who has significant experience in working in highly multi-cultural and multilingual environments, including with communities from refugee backgrounds.

 For further information about the course, check out Hagley School online.

Brigid Ryan from Settling In (Ministry of Social Development) led the project and is thrilled with the success of the event and the final report. Brigid notes that the report is primarily a practical document to help the community focus on achievable actions and priorities that will make a positive difference.
 
“This Settling In report is such a valuable local resource – it captures so many stories and so much information from former refugees and many others.  The report is also about action and it provides an excellent platform so that we can work together and make sure that the former refugees that settle here do so with success” says Brigid.

A copy of the report is available on the Human Rights Commission website.

This contribution builds on Auckland City’s other social responsibility project with the Butterfly Trust, an organisation that provides better access to health and education throughout Vanuatu

Read the full story online.

The ReUnite Trust, launched this week, aims to help bring refugee families together by paying for the travel costs of those who had been granted residence by Immigration New Zealand but did not have the means to pay.

For the full story go to Stuff.co.nz.

The offer to 23 interpreters and their families follows New Zealand opposition warnings that Afghans working for New Zealand would face persecution or death if they were left in Afghanistan after New Zealand troops leave in April next year.

Read more online:   NZ Week, NZ Herald or The Australian.

Reflecting on the Australian experience, Bill Frelick from Human Rights Watch called the Immigration Amendment Bill a scare tactic rather than a rational plan, saying Guy’s belief the legislation sent a signal that queue-jumpers wouldn’t be tolerated was “fundamentally flawed”.

For the full story go to the Human Rights Watch website.

The Bill is currently awaiting its second reading.

The Framework is one element in the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs’ commitment to promoting and maintaining Pacific languages and cultures.

The Framework sets out and illustrates the linkages between the vision, guiding principles and approach for language revitalization and summarises the critical interventions which experts have identified as necessary to achieve this.

Intended for use by Pacific communities in New Zealand it provides the context for a suite of Community Action Plans which have been or are being developed by communities taking ownership of their heritage languages. Evidence suggests that such community ownership is critical to seeing heritage languages flourish – the vision of this framework. 

The Ministry is also preparing an online directory of Government resources which can help promote and maintain Pacific languages. This will include information about, for example, translation services and Pacific language publications developed by Government agencies.

Rotorua Hospital called on Mandarin-speaking community residents to translate. This highlights the need for contingencies to be in place for communicating with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

For guidelines see the Best Practice Guidelines: Engaging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities in Times of Disaster. This report is part of a process initiated by the Community Language Information Network Group (CLING) established in Christchurch as part of the inter-agency framework for response to the Canterbury earthquakes. CLING is a collaboration of agencies with representatives from Christchurch City Council, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, Christchurch Resettlement Services, Community and Public Health (CDHB), Human Rights Commission, Interpreting Canterbury, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Partnership Health Canterbury, and Plains FM 96.9.

The theme is ‘Fafaga fanau i upu ma tala. Tautala i lau gagana’ or ‘Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language’.

Manulauti: ‘Fafaga fanau i upu ma tala. Tautala i lau gagana’

O le tofa mau a Samoa, a fafaga fanau i upu ma tala e ola a’e ua atamamai i tu ma aga. A tautala pea lava pea i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona fa’aolaola ai i loto ma agaga o le fanau le tofi o tagata Samoa. Fa’atauanau fanau e tautatala i le gagana, o le a fa’apea ona masani ai ma popoto e tautatala i luma o tagata. O le tele o upu ma tala, o le maoa’e fo’i lea o le ola a’oa’oina ma malosiaga o le tagata.

Theme: ‘Feed the children with words and stories. Speak your language’

It is a Samoan position that feeding children with words and stories is critical to acquiring high proficiency in Samoan literacy. Speaking Samoan constantly in different contexts is considered essential in its maintenance and growth. Samoan, like all languages, is mastered through regular use. A high vocabulary size in Samoan is necessary for academic success and a strong sense of self.

Events and activities include:

• Regional contests will be part of Samoan Language Week.
• A National speech contest on Friday 28 June at the Lower Hutt Town Hall in Wellington.
• The Fono o le Tausaga (FAGASA Inc. Annual Conference)       to be held 23-25 April 2013 at Novotel Palmerston North.

For updates check out the Samoan Language Week website or Facebook page.

The process of registering your projects provides an opportunity to firm up on your plans and consider whether there is anything else you want to do to support the objectives of the Diversity Action Programme.

Register online now to become a participant in the 2013 Diversity Action Programme. Participation has to be renewed annually to continue. There is no charge for participation.

In 2012 participating language organisations included the Adult Reading Assistance Scheme (CHC) Inc, CAB Language Link, Community Language Association of NZ (CLANZ), Deaf Aotearoa NZ, English Language Partners Auckland Central, English Language Partners Christchurch, English Language Partners Dunedin, English Language Partners New Zealand, English Language Partners Northland, English Language Partners Wellington, F.A.G.A.S.A. Inc, Interpreting Canterbury, Interpreting New Zealand, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission) and Vagahau Niue Trust.

Participants will engage in hands on e-learning activities and participate in reo Māori workshops.

This course presents an opportunity:

• For level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers to explore the many and varied learning opportunities in the e-learning space.
• To exchange ideas and strategies about e-learning and teaching.
• To increase their knowledge and understanding of e-technologies and the impact on 21st century learners.
• To build teacher confidence in an environment where students are potentially more literate.

Registrations close 14 June 2013. An early bird fee applies if fees are paid by 31 May 2013, otherwise full fees apply. For more information visit the TRCC website and click on the Ako-e link under the Latest Courses heading.

The week will run from 1 to 7 July and the theme will be Ngā Ingoa Māori. For more information read the press release.

Fee is $30.00 per person, please pay at the door. 每位30元。请在门口付费

RSVP by Friday 30 November to Ellen Yang. 请于11月30日星期五之前回复。联系人：Ellen Yang.

There is a topic for each session to stimulate interest (these may change subject to unforeseen circumstances). Entry is by gold coin donation. There is one session in October.

• 17 November -National Treasure and Birthday Celebration 国宝与祝寿文化. See more on Youtube.
• 24 November -New Concept Dumpling 新概念饺子. Find out more.

A Chinese Film will be shown on Thursday, 29tNovember in Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street.  Entry is by gold coin donation. At 7pm is a Documentary – Chinese Food Culture and at 7.30pm there is a Feature Film, Waves, 浪花一朵朵 [2006].

Waves is a documentary by Tao Li, Hutt Valley High School ESOL teacher on the life of four international students, Waves provides us a clear picture of the overseas life of Chinese international students, which is lovely, colourful and special. Find out more about Waves. Director: Tao Li 陶理 Stars：Ken, Rose, Lin, Jin.

The MMC is a central place where newcomers to the region can access information and services and service providers can obtain assistance with migrant matters.

The Marlborough Migrant Centre holds a database of interpreters which is regularly updated. The interpreters on this list cover 40 different languages, although most have no formal interpreting qualifications. All of the interpreters on the database kept at the Marlborough Migrant Centre undergo a police check and most have completed ethics training.

The Languages that are available for interpretation include: Afrikaans, Arabic, Cantonese, Cebuano, Czech, Danish, Farsi, Fijian, Foochow, French, German, Hindi, Hiri Motu, Hokkien, Ilonggo, Italian, Japanese, Kiribati, Korean, Latvian, Malay, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portugese, Punjabi, Rarotongan, Russian, Samoan, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Tokelauan, Tok Pisin, Tongan, Tuvaluan and Urdu.

MMC is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm at Marlborough House, 21 Henry St, Blenheim on the corner George and Henry St. (Please use the George St entrance next to Barnardos).

For more information visit the MMC website, phone: (03) 579 6410 / Fieldworker 022 657 9018 or email mmc@marlboroughonline.co.nz.

The four community initiatives are in Wellington, Palmerston North and at Rotorua and Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty.

Read more about the Confucius Institute on their website.

Teacher Professional Development Languages (TPDL) is a Ministry of Education funded programme for both new and experienced teachers. TPDL has, for 8 years, had a proven positive impact on students’ learning of Pasifika, Asian and European languages. The programme provides personalised support to develop an inquiry approach to teaching, a pedagogy course customised for busy teachers (revised for 2013) and customised language classes.

For further information and applications contact tpdl@auckland.ac.nz or visit the TPDL website. Applications close 30 November, apply now as there are only 80 places available in 2013.

Visit the CLANZ website. Elected office bearers are:

• Sunita Narayan President
• Dr Dorothy Nightingale Secretary
• Sajimon Joseph Treasurer
• Dr Mary Roberts
• Dr Parrill Stribbling
• Athula Wanasinghe
• Pooja Prasad
• Anya Filippochkina

At the recent CLESOL conference in Palmerston North, Sunita conducted a brief workshop to identify areas that need consideration in developing and empowering the community languages sector. The ten themes that emerged were: 

1. Long term value of language and culture to New Zealand
2. Resources
3. Education
4. Funding
5. Technology
6. Communication
7. Profile of CL teachers
8. Community Language Education Models
9. Networks
10. Developing options for the use of language

These will be explored by CLANZ in the coming year.

They offer full training, an excellent hourly rate (once trained) and ongoing professional development & support.

If you are proficient in English and any of the following languages, Interpreting NZ would like to hear from you: Amharic, Assyrian, Burmese, Cook Islands Maori, Dari, Farsi, Fijian, Greek, Hindi, Khmer, Nepali, Oromo, Russian (Christchurch only), Sinhalese, Somali, Tagalog (Christchurch only), Tamil, Tigrinya, Tokelauan, Tongan, Tuvalu and Vietnamese.

Successful applicants will be required to complete the introductory interpreting course and pass an assessment before being employed on a casual basis.

To find out more and to fill in an application form, visit Interpreting New Zealand online or call (04) 916 2462. Applications close Friday 18 January 2013.

Each issue takes a modern theme and looks behind the headlines to uncover how contemporary issues affect Chinese society and culture. There are opportunities to sharpen your Chinese with language features based on real-life cross-cultural scenarios. Feature articles are also accompanied by fun and useful Chinese words and phrases, while regular columns contain interactive, practical content for Chinese learners.

Visit the World of Chinese website language section for more information.

Language Line’s manager Diana Clark says the decision to add Bahasa Indonesian was made in response to requests from the Indonesian community and from those who work with them. This brings to 44 the number of languages offered by the service. Those who do not speak English can now be sure they will understand and be understood when they have business with the Government.

Find out more information (some of it in Bahasa Indonesian) on Language Line’s webpage.

Just over 128,000 Maori live in Australia and only a small fraction speak te reo. However, in a report studying population, migration, citizenship and rights as well as language use, Victoria University’s Paul Hamer found the number of Maori speakers of te reo grew from 5213 in 2006 to 8001 in 2011 as measured by the census.

Read the NZ Herald article on Te Reo Māori in Australia. Read the NZ Herald article on Māori in Australia.

The Council now has a te reo Māori navigational menu function, creating a more immersive te reo Māori website experience. The Council has worked closely with a specialist te reo Māori consultancy firm, He Kupenga Hao i Te Reo, their web vendor and the Council’s own Māori advisor to provide the language translation content. Visit the Council’s website.

The theme for the week was Ke mau ki pale o Tokelau: Hold fast to the treasures of Tokelau. This reflects the paramount importance of promoting and protecting the Tokelau language as a treasure of Tokelau-New Zealand.

The week was welcomed by the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Hekia Parata. Also see the Government of Tokelau’s website, watch Tagata Pasifika’s report on Tokelau Language Week and SpasifikMag’s take on the week.

For a list of events during the week visit the Tokelau Language Week Facebook page. To download an official language week poster and a phrases poster visit the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs website. See the Human Rights Commission’s Tokelau Language Week page for more information and download a Tokelauan translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To access introductory Tokelau language and information, visit the Tau Gagana Tokelau website.

Māori TV’s Julian Wilcox says child abuse is the most pressing issue for his audience

When Māori TV asked its audience what was the most important issue for them in 2012 it expected water rights to top the list, the news team got a surprise. After all, a series of protests and hui around the Government’s asset sales programme has kept the issue in the news spotlight for some time. But the editorial team was wrong. Only 5 per cent of people questioned in Māori TV’s Whanau Forum poll said water mattered most to them. Instead it was child abuse that got their blood boiling.

Native Affairs presenter and seasoned journalist Julian Wilcox says the result showed the issue of child abuse isn’t going away for Māori, with the JJ Lawrence trial keeping it top of mind.

“The accused is Māori, the baby is Māori, Orakei is a Māori community… That’s what our audience thinks people should be dealing with – our politicians and Māori leaders,” he says.

In 2011, an extensive series of programmes over two days on Māori TV focussed on child abuse, Wilcox says. “Our Māori audience expect a different news approach. They expect we will push our own and not mollycoddle our own. They want strong questions to be asked, and that’s what we do. That’s what our schedule allows us to do.”

At Pacific Radio News, which provides news for Pacific radio stations Niu FM and 531PI, editor Mary Losé says violence has also been a big issue for her audience, particularly domestic violence. A United Nations human rights report ranked Pacific nations among the worst in the world for violence against women.

She says, “Our listeners in New Zealand definitely engaged with that story. Our Pacific community does look back home and has a lot of empathy for what is happening there.”

Other stories which have captured the attention of Pacific listeners this year have been the Fiji floods in April and the death of a New Zealand policeman in Tonga in August. More recently, and closer to home, the issue of gay marriage has polarised her audience, Losé says.

“The gay marriage bill is huge. We are covering both sides. It is a sign of the maturity of the Pacific Island community that they want to know both sides… Still if someone’s not happy with our coverage, they let us know. They aren’t shy to go right to the top.”

The case of 28-year-old Waikato woman Ranjeeta Sharma, set alight and killed by her abusive husband, highlighted the issue of domestic violence for the Indian community, says Indian Weekender editor Arvind Kumar. In an article in the paper in June, Sharma’s family told how the media initially put an Indian cultural spin on the story, claiming it was an “honour killing”. Actually, as Sharma’s cousin Janice Sharan said, it was “a very New Zealand issue” – an abusive and controlling husband killing his wife. “We hope that Ranju’s death will draw attention to the serious domestic violence issues in our country.”

Kumar says the paper wanted to give maximum exposure to the case to raise Indian New Zealanders’ awareness of domestic violence and highlight how they can get help.

“It’s not rampant in our community but you do come across some horrific cases.”

In the Korean community, the most pressing issues of 2012 were around the increasing cost of living, particularly rising property and rental prices, says Korea Post editor Sarah Jang, and this is reflected in the paper’s bi-monthly “hot issues” column.

“It is very hard to find an affordable place to rent or buy. This combined with the high New Zealand dollar, and the fact most living expenses are going up but wages remain the same, makes life so much harder for immigrants.”

Robert Khan, who founded Radio Tarana in 1996, says his station’s biggest stories in recent months have been the Kim Dotcom case and asset sales.

“A lot of Indians are in IT and there’s a high interest in the Dotcom story. With asset sales, our audience is looking to us as a portal, to provide information on what sort of decision they should make. We see it as an important issue. Indians in New Zealand are coming from the world’s largest democracy and they want to make an informed choice.”

The theme for the week is Ke mau ki pale o Tokelau: Hold fast to the treasures of Tokelau. This reflects the paramount importance of promoting and protecting the Tokelau language as a treasure of Tokelau-New Zealand.

The Tokelau Wellington Leadership Group celebrates the week with the endorsement of Tokelau communities in Porirua, Hutt Valley, Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Manawatu, and Dunedin. This includes village, regional, and church based organisations. The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has played a critical role in supporting Tokelau to establish the language week with the Human Rights Commission as a key agency stakeholder.

For a list of events and updates visit the Tokelau Language Week Facebook page. You can also download a copy of  Simple Tokelau Phrases-Words list 2012 and a Tokelauan translation of the UDHR   from  the Commission’s Tokelau Language Week  page.

The 2006 Census reported that the Tokelau language is one of the most-at-risk Pacific languages in New Zealand, along with the languages of Niue and the Cook Islands. With a population consisting of 6,819 people only 2,505 Tokelau people were able to hold a conversation in the language, which means that 4,314 Tokelau people in New Zealand cannot speak their heritage language.

To access introductory Tokelau language and information, visit the Tau Gagana Tokelau website.

The 25 cast members hail from Russia, India, the Czech Republic, Albania, Brazil, Canada, France, Samoa, New Zealand and China. Directed by Beth Kayes with producer Margaret-Mary Hollins and Dramaturg Renee Liang, Culture Clash is a series of interwoven funny, moving and challenging stories told in  drama, song, dance, and acrobatics. It runs from 26 October to 3 November.  To book visit www.tapac.org.nz or call 09 845 0295.

These are dance forms from South India which employ dramatic expressions of the face and movements of the body to narrate a story that is at once graceful, powerful and compelling.  Started last year by Swaroopa Unni, the Natyaloka School of Dance has become part of the Dunedin dance community and contributes to the encouragement of performing arts there. She started the  school with the  aim of promoting Indian culture and dance forms  among the people of Dunedin. Natyaloka’s first group production, Pushpanjali, by the students and Swaroopa, was held 19-20 October at the Fortune Theatre Studio. Check out the review from the New Zealand Performing Arts and Directory.

Swaroopa was introduced to dance at the age of four by her parents and her guru (teacher) Kalamandalam Vinodini and Kalamandalam Saraswathy  of Nrityalaya School for Classical Dance and Music from Calicut, Kerala. Since then she has received rigorous training in these dance forms and performed her Arangetram (maiden performance) at the age of nine.  She has been a performing artist for more than 15 years as part of Nrityalaya School for Classical Dance and Music, Monisha Arts (Sreedevi Unni) and Abhinava Dance Company (Nirupama & Rajendra) in India.

Moving to Dunedin in 2010, she started her class on a Vijayadashami day (an auspicious day according to Indian calendar) in 2011 with the support of the  dance community in Dunedin. She has been teaching and taking workshops ever since and performed at the Dunedin Fringe Festival 2012. 

Classes at Natyaloka cater to all age groups above five years, ability and skill levels and the students will receive training in both the practical and theoretical aspects of the dance forms.

Classes are conducted at Room 113, King Edward Court, Upper Stuart Street, Dunedin. To enrol for classes in Bharathanatyam and Mohiniyattam at Natyaloka call Swaroopa Unni on 02102-438-737 or mail her at natyalokanz@gmail.com.

Refugee Trauma Recovery is the newly adopted name of the Wellington Refugees as Survivors Trust (RAS) which has been active in Wellington for the past 15 years.

In 2006 Wellington Rotary Club worked closely with RAS as part of their support for community organisations working with vulnerable people. There was recognition that RAS worked with refugees with  trauma, both physically and mentally, prior to coming to New Zealand and during the course of their recovery there were unforeseen costs for items needed. As a result, the Angel Network was established. Members of the Network are called upon as the last resort  where no funding mechanism exists to help source, supply or fund specific items when an actual need arises.  

When there is a request, the Angel Network is emailed with a background, the urgent circumstances and the request. If Angels are unable to assist in this instance there is no need for an explanation. Where an Angel can assist he or she will email to make arrangements to connect the support to the client and protect each party’s privacy.

If you wish to join the Angel Network, please contact Jeff Thomas at Refugee Trauma Recovery jeff@refugeetraumarecovery.org.nz  or 04-805 0361.

The concert was opened with a Māori prayer led by a senior student followed by a performance from the Senior Kapa Haka group. The ArtSplash Singers and Ukulele Groups performed popular the songs: Aotearoa, Pokarekare Ana and South American Joe. The Polynesian Group’s performance came next with students in colorful lava lava’s doing Samoan songs and dances. The concert ended with the School Orchestra’s rendition of the Irish Blessing.

Sacred Heart Cathedral School’s Cultural Concert signals the school’s commitment to inclusiveness and provides the opportunity for students to learn and appreciate different cultures.

The Restaurant Association hand-picked top Auckland restaurants to take part in the inaugural Auckland Diwali Food Challenge. The challenge was to create a unique vegetarian dish to celebrate Auckland Diwali Festival celebrations during October and November. The Indian and non-Indian restaurants were approached and have all risen to the challenge of creating a unique vegetarian dish to celebrate Auckland’s Diwali Festival.

Clooney, Vinnies and Wine Chambers are among the 15 restaurants who are taking part in Diwali Taste on a Plate food challenge, a joint initiative between Diwali Festival organisers, Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and the Restaurant Association.

The golf tournament brought Wellington’s African community to Karori to be part of the festivities. While the main challenge for the day was to win the Mandela Cup, another highlight for many was the goat curry that was served. At the close of the tournament members of the African community mingled with the tournament’s participants. Guests included Constable Phillip Pithyou,  Ethnic Liaison Officer  from the New Zealand Police and Yasmin Renders-Briden from the Office of Ethnic Affairs. The trophies were presented by Madoda Ntshinga, Deputy High Commissioner from the South African High Commission. The Africa Day celebration was started three years ago by Ben Paradza, who was recently elected to the  Wellington African Community Association, and Fiaola Pou, the Kaori Golf Club’s Captain. The event was to mark Africa Day. The event and the Mandela Cup are supported by the South African High Commission.

There were items from the following cultures: Pasifika, Irish, Nordic, Indian and Chinese, and gastronomic fare for the enjoyment of diverse palates. This event was the culmination of months of planning with the aim of recognising the importance of introducing new migrant staff to AUT and Aotearoa New Zealand, and proudly embracing them within the AUT’s community. This event was an overt expression of the university’s strategic plan and direction and was orchestrated through the Migrant Integration Group of the University. This year’s event was a resounding success and the university plans to make this an annual event.  Early next year as part of the Diversity event, an Induction for new migrant staff will be implemented to showcase the multicultural and bi-cultural aspects of Aotearoa.

It’s the nations only Ministry of Health mandated and community mandated Pacific cultural competency programme.

It focuses on the essential cultural skills and knowledge required to work effectively with Pacific service users and their families and includes three key components:

EP Online, an online learning module which all learners are required to successfully complete in order to participate in live training; EP Live  are live training workshops facilitated by a team of expert Pacific knowledge holders and EP forum, a post-training support and resources provided via an online forum.

Engaging Pasifika is particularly designed for non-Pacific or mainstream health and disability workers in district health boards, non-government organisations, support services and primary healthcare. It is appropriate for people at all levels including frontline workers, administrators, clinicians, managers and leaders.

The  workshops are facilitated by a team of up to five Pacific knowledge holders, who run the workshops with an action learning, family role-modeling, interactive and engaging approach.

To date, more than 1,200 health and disability workers from across the country have participated in the training with a highly successful overall approval rating of 95 per cent.

Le Va is the Pasifika workforce development programme within Te Pou, which is a national mental health and addiction workforce development centre. Le Va has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education to support Engaging Pasifika training in education.

The Engaging Pasifika programme can be tailored to suit individual needs. For further information visit www.leva.co.nz, or email enquiries@leva.co.nz.

Each week differs with all sorts of topics being discussed such as migrant experiences & stories, what’s available for people new to our region, the challenges, what works well and what needs to happen to improve services and delivery. Hear about the wonderful contribution diverse cultures bring to enrich our city.

This is a new project by Plains FM and part-funded by Christchurch City Council.

For more information visit Plains FM online.

Swimming lessons and activities provided.  For more information contact Lisa Logan, Ph 03 335 0311 x25.

They offer full training, an excellent hourly rate (once trained) and ongoing professional development & support.

If you are proficient in English and any of the following languages, Interpreting NZ would like to hear from you: Amharic, Assyrian, Burmese, Cook Islands Maori, Dari, Farsi, Fijian, Greek, Hindi, Khmer, Nepali, Oromo, Russian (Christchurch only), Sinhalese, Somali, Tagalog (Christchurch only), Tamil, Tigrinya, Tokelauan, Tongan, Tuvalu and Vietnamese.

Successful applicants will be required to complete the introductory interpreting course and pass an assessment before being employed on a casual basis.

To find out more and to fill in an application form, visit Interpreting New Zealand online or call (04) 916 2462. Applications close Friday 18 January 2013.

DORA delivers internet access to thousands of citizens, particularly in Christchurch, by equipping a bus with laptops as a mobile digital learning centre and travelling to participants’ streets on a regular schedule as well as being available for school and community use.  In addition to the digital skills training, it provides opportunities for families without internet connections in their home to have access to the Internet and have helped empowered residents, particularly those impacted by the recent earthquakes.

Over November, the ICT bus will travel to communities where there is still limited or no  infrastructure, transport and services. CIH Regional Coordinator Sue Davidson has been committed to serving the disconnected school suburbs of Eastern Christchurch and has loyally stuck with them throughout their 2 years of 3200 earthquakes of 3+ magnitudes. Now, with funding from InternetNZ and the technical vision of Laurence Zwimpfer, Sue has been able to bring her vision to life.

Read the media release for more information and check out DORA’s blog for photos.

Despite the wonderful support of many key stakeholders, OMEGA has not been able to secure sustainable future funding and so is now closed with its last day of operation on Friday 26 October 2012.

OMEGA was founded by the Committee for Auckland to engage the Auckland business community to address labour market concerns. These concerns culminated in a challenge to improve the uptake of highly-qualified and experienced skilled immigrants for the prosperity of Auckland.

OMEGA delivered on this by engaging eight of New Zealand’s leading corporates as funding partners, building relationships with an additional 200 businesses, developing a core of 663 professional volunteer mentors and stimulating the employment of more than 500 skilled immigrants within 348 organisations. While most of these successes have benefited Auckland, OMEGA’s reach includes businesses from Whangarei to Invercargill.

As NZDAP participants, their key projects included a Mentoring Programme which facilitated occupation-specific mentoring for skilled immigrants. TAP-In (Talent Access Programme for Industry), provided fixed-term work for skilled immigrants in their field of expertise, through three to six month paid internships, or volunteer terms of several weeks. They also facilitated Best Practice Forums to improve workplace practice with regard to the recruitment, integration and retention of skilled immigrants.

OMEGA was presented with the NZ Diversity Award in 2009 for their outstanding contributions to diversity in New Zealand.

It is a campaign to generate discussions around the serious issue of abuse against women in New Zealand. To show your support take part in the White Ribbon Pledge, using Facebook or Twitter, wear a White Ribbon or take part in a White Ribbon event such as the White Ribbon Ride. The campaign launches on 5 November culminating with White Ribbon day on 25 November.

White Ribbon also works to promote positive male role models (White Ribbon Ambassadors) who have made a lifelong commitment to non-violence, and you can help too by talking to your mates to help spread the message that violence is never the answer.  This year, the team also want to increase understanding of what constitutes non-physical violence, so they have arranged a number of public figures to discuss this issue during campaign month such as David White and Lesley Elliott whose daughters experienced both physical and non-physical violence.

To find out more about the campaign, take a look at the latest White Ribbon Newsletter or join the mailing list here.

The theme for the week is Ke mau ki pale o Tokelau: Hold fast to the treasures of Tokelau. This reflects the paramount importance of promoting and protecting the Tokelau language as a treasure of Tokelau-New Zealand.

The Tokelau Wellington Leadership Group celebrates the week with the endorsement of Tokelau communities in Porirua, Hutt Valley, Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Manawatu, and Dunedin. This includes village, regional, and church based organisations. The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has played a critical role in supporting Tokelau to establish the language week with the Human Rights Commission as a key agency stakeholder.

For a list of events and updates visit the Tokelau Language Week Facebook page. You can also download a copy of  Simple Tokelau Phrases-Words list 2012 and a Tokelauan translation of the UDHR   from  the Commission’s Tokelau Language Week  page.

To access introductory Tokelau language and information, visit the Tau Gagana Tokelau website.

As well as the Mayor, the forum is attended by Councillors, the Chief Executive Officer, senior managers and council staff.

The theme for the November forum in “Strong Neighbourhoods-Ready for Anything” and will be held on Monday 19 November from 5-7.30pm at the Indian Cultural Centre, 48 Kemp St, Kilbirnie. You can register online or contact Sandra Crews.

• Janet Fanslow,  Associate Professor, Auckland University School of Population and Health Studies: Research Update
• George Parker,  Senior Policy Analyst, Women’s Health Action Trust:  Health and Transgender Issues
• Debbie Hager,  Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children: Violence, especially Impacts for Disabled Women
• Shila Nair,  Senior Advisor, Shakti Community Council:  Refugee and Migrant Issues
• Deborah Moran, Director, Policy, Ministry of Women’s Affairs:   Targets and Benchmarks.

After morning tea/networking break, Heather Henare, Women’s Refuge New Zealand’s Chief Executive will present her keynote statement. A focus group discussions and a plenary Report-back will complete the Conference.
 
Registration $20, Payment methods:

a)    by cheque to PACIFIC WOMENS WATCH (NZ) Inc – addressed to PWW(NZ) Conference,  P.O.Box 99-464, Newmarket, Auckland 1149 with your full  contact info;

b)    by Direct Transfer to  PWW(NZ), ASB Bank, Remuera / Account: 12 3030 0653903 00.Please note ‘particulars’:  Conf/Your name… on pay in slip. Kindly advise Nicky Spicer, Treasurer  of your registration;

c)    on-the-day registration open from 8.40am
Notes: A reduction for students and un-waged may be available.

The priority theme for 2013′s UN Commission on Status of Women, New York, 4-15 March is: Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.

For Inquiries e-mail  Beverley  or  phone Nicky at mobile  021 241 6848 or check out the flyer:

Cost is $20.00 per head . The evening includes entertainment, raffles and an auction.

Tickets available from the MM Centre 77-85 King Street Palmerston North

Contact Vicki, Noorangi & Christine on 358 1572 or email ask@mmcnz.org.nz or info@mmcnz.org.nz or check out the poster for more information.

Employers, migrants, and anyone with an interest in helping migrants settle well will benefit from attending the forum. What are the challenges for Pacific migrants settling into New Zealand? What help is available?

• Find out about the migrant groups in our community – what they do and how you can get involved.
• Learn how Immigration NZ is assisting migrants.
• Share experiences, catch up and make new connections.

Guest Speakers include members of the local migrant communities and Iani Nemani, Senior Community Liaison Adviser, Immigration NZ.

This is a free seminar (lunch provided).  For catering purposes please register by Tuesday 13 November by contacting Heather Mc Allister.

Entries are now closed and finalists have been announced.  There are 30 finalists in 15 categories. Note that some entrants are finalists in more than one category.

“Congratulations and good luck to all finalists” says CE Glenis Philip-Barbara. “Their active support for the Māori language is a powerful demonstration of what is needed all over Aotearoa.”

“With their help, te reo Māori will continue to grow and eventually flourish as an ordinary language of communication.”

For further information contact Gareth Seymour, Ph 04 471 6725 .For tickets to the Awards, please contact Catherine Sinclair, 04 471 0244.

For tickets contact 801-5812 or email tim@crf.org.nz.

Richard Bonifant and Fiona Lovatt David will speak on “Being Beautiful in a Consumer Society”.

Rev Richard Bonifant is currently the Vicar of St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Epsom.  Sr Fiona Lovatt Davis, whose parents were Baptist and Anglican, embraced Islam in middle age after studying world religions extensively. 

For more information contact Gul Zaman.

The event will be held on Sunday November 4 at First Presbyterian Church, Tay St, Invercargill from 2- 3.30pm.  Afternoon tea will follow. Free admission, but  koha/donation would be appreciated to help with expenses.

For more information contact multinations@woosh.co.nz.

The Pacifica Living Arts Festival is a unique way for both young and old to immerse themselves in all things Pacific, featuring arts and crafts, traditional food, and vibrant performing arts.  The Festival has been in existence for almost 20 years, and also hosts the West Auckland Multicultural Schools Festival.  The Pacifica Living Arts Festival is based at the Pacifica Arts Centre at the Corban Estate (Entry on Mt Lebanon Lane) and is governed by the Pacifica Mamas Arts and Cultural Trust.

The opening will be held on Saturday 3 November from 10am-4pm. To find out more about this Festival Event Click here.

Sample delicious dishes from the many cultures who now call Nelson home. All food $5 or less.

Nelson Multicultural Council’s cook book, “Around the World in Tasty Ways”, contains recipes from over 50 different countries, all contributed by Nelsonians. Books available to purchase on the day, $25 per copy. Watch the premiere of the Maze Audio Visual documentary, featuring those who have shared their traditional recipes. For more information contact Evey McAuliffe or visit their website.

The event is to celebrate the multicultural diversity of Waikato Region. Cultural items from different ethnic community groups will be showcased at the event.

Contact Jeevan Mathews for more information.

The Roskill Youth Zone is a forum focusing community social enterprise as a channel of job creation. Email jane.migrantaction@xtra.co.nz for information.

There will be a career/job search clinic for the youth at the Wesley Community Centre. If interested email sharlene.migrantaction@xtra.co.nz.

It is a time for celebration in India and by Indian diasporas abroad, with families lighting lamps, candles and fireworks to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. It is now also well established in New Zealand as a festival in which all New Zealanders can take part.

Many events have already taken place, but check out the following organised by NZDAP participants still to come:

The Multicultural Council of Rangitikei/Wanganui is holding a “Cultural Nite” at the War Memorial Hall on 10 November.  For information contact Vijeshwar Prasad Ph 06 3438128.

Tauranga Regional Multicultural Council will celebrate Diwali at their next Living in Harmony Evening on 17 November at the Historic Village hall from 5pm onwards. Entry is free with a plate of vegetarian food and gold coin donation would be appreciated. Check out the poster for more information.

Professor David Robie, director of the NZDAP participant Pacific Media Centre and managing editor of the journal, said the edition took a broad look at media inquiries and reviews and attempted to remove the polarised biases that had emerged in public debate. He also said the edition was another strong publication focused on media diversity and plurality in New Zealand and the Pacific with articles about Fiji’s “coup culture”, Kenyan media ethics, Pacific climate change and creativity, Kanak independence in New Caledonia and an “innovative direction” in academic journalism research.

Watch audio-visual stories told by young people who successfully overcame  challenges and engaged on a leadership pathway. They share on camera the lessons they learned in the process which helped them raise self-confidence, make better career choice and gain peer-recognition. The 2011 Race Relations report from the Human Rights Commission described this project based on research determining how powerful stories impact on youth.

Developing a positive outlook and forming goals is an essential decision in every young person’s life. However, the formation process of a positive outlook and genuine objectives might be harder under challenging situations, such as peer pressure, family disapproval or conflict or uncertainty about the future.

Aiming to empower teens and young adults develop goals which will help them strenghten their identity and shape an exciting future of contribution and recognition through diversity, online-based interactive platforms were established. Trialed with intermediate and secondary school educators,  youth development organisations and community workers in over 12,000 views, these resources are now available to you via social media. View a trailer with excerpts from these interviews.

Educators, youth workers and community developers, please visit our FaceBook page, Twitter stream or YouTube Channel to find out which virtual role model you can use to inspire the young people you work with. For more information contact Dr Annick Janson.

A copy of the report is available on the Human Rights Commission website.

The website is a repository for stories about the Dutch in New Zealand, a source for those wanting information about the modern Netherlands and a database of supporters of the Foundation.

The database will be used to keep supporters informed of what is happening around cultural, sporting and social celebrations, breaking news, and making connections across the Dutch Community.

The Foundation has created the new website in response to research which identifies that nearly 4% of the New Zealand population have some orange blood in their veins and would like to know more about their roots.

Dutch immigrants have been influential since Abel Tasman named New Zealand.  Many iconic New Zealand businesses from Vogel’s Bread to Lockwood Homes boast Dutch origins but many of the original immigrants assimilated so well, they became invisible.  Now their descendants want to reconnect with their heritage and to the modern day Netherlands.  The Foundation hopes to provide, through the website, a hub where this can happen.

The Foundation acknowledges the support of its major corporate sponsors, Rabobank, as principal sponsor, KLM, Heineken through DB Breweries and Shell NZ Limited and thanks them for their contribution to making the new website a reality.

If you have a Dutch connection and would like more information visit the new website of NetherlaNZ Foundation and signup for emails and alerts.

Te Papa 

8 November

Death and Loss in Mexican Art and Culture 

Art writer and curator Claudia Arozqueta shares her knowledge of history and art in Mexico in this talk about death as a concept intimately related with Mexican culture.

15 November

National Collections, National Stories: China and New Zealand 

Duncan Campbell, of the Australian National University, discusses the politics of collecting in China, and how Chinese objects in New Zealand collections might enhance cross-cultural understanding.

For a detailed list of events visit the Te Papa website.

Whangarei Art Museum

22 October-9 December

Following the Blue Ribbon and  Locus: The Sculptures of Warren Viscoe: 2004-2011

These exhibitions bring to Whangarei two prominent contemporary artists whose lives work were forever influenced by their time spent in the Whangarei region.

Visit the Whangarei Art Museum website.

Museum of Wellington City & Sea

9 November, 12noon

Sons of the Soil – author’s talk

Chinese market gardeners once produced 80 per cent of the country’s vegetables and worked onerous hours in all manner of weather to make a living for themselves and their families.

A new book, Sons of the Soil, Chinese Market Gardeners in New Zealand, tells the history of more than 140 years of Chinese involvement producing the nation’s vegetables and documents this way of life that is fast disappearing.

Join Lily Lee and Ruth Lam for an author’s talk as they trace the beginnings of an often overlooked agricultural story, and recount the Wellington stories that have never been told until now.

For more information visit the Museum of Wellington City & Sea website.

Basketball can bring people together, to the individual it develops a sense of accomplishment, and to the team it encourages players to unite.  Evidently, the process of passing and receiving  the ball in court has been an effective way in meeting our aims-in building an arena for social interaction, in developing social and personal skills and in overcoming the feeling of loneliness and isolation.

Teams involved in the tournament over the years have been driven to continuously join the event not only to win but to establish and strengthen new friends. It will be exciting to watch our players, once again, demonstrate their skills gained through a lot of sweat, patience, focus, time and energy.

Date    :           24 -25 November 2012
Venue :           Pioneer Recreation and Sports Centre, 75 Lyttelton St Somerfield, Christchurch
Time   :           (TBC) 8 am – 5 pm  on Saturday and 9 am – 3 pm on Sunday

For more information contact Dehl Richards.

Open your newspaper any day of the week and you’re likely to see people with mental illness portrayed as different, in a usually negative and hostile manner. Reading what are often headline grabbing descriptions of people who are supposedly mentally unwell, and have committed crimes, takes away from the rights of people living with mental illness. Instead it constrains us in the chains of conditioned public opinion.

However, public opinion isn’t a person, it isn’t my partner, friend, neighbour or work colleague. If I can’t name it, touch it or see it I am not sure I should give it much of my energy and attention.

I sometimes wonder if society expects those of us living with mental illness to act out in ways that gives them the right to exclude us.  It can seem as if some people are just waiting for us to slip up so they can justify their beliefs. The incentive to prove them wrong is a huge motivation in the lives of many people living with mental illness. I believe this comes from a place of strength, of wisdom and of resilience.

We could learn a lot from crayons:

… some crayons are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors … but they all have to learn to live in the same box.
Anonymous quote

In fact they fit, the crayons look great alongside each other, they are part of a whole and if one colour is removed the opportunity for great art is diminished.

We exclude some crayon people on the basis that we don’t know them, we don’t like them, we are scared by them and we don’t want to do anything about this. Our list of people we’d like to exclude can get really hard to manage – more and more people get added to it, some people fit more than one category and we get stressed out thinking of how to deal with them all. Where can we put them, how can we keep them there, how can we avoid their ideas spreading, how do we keep our children away from them? So we build more barriers to keep people out.

Wouldn’t it be great if we recognised our future depends on everyone being in, not out.

No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.
Mohandas K. Gandhi

Chris Potts, Adviser Human Rights Commission

A mental health peer support group can be a motley crew. It is quite possible that members of the group will have little in common outside their illness, or will never learn much about each others’ personal situation. Generally, a peer support group meeting runs to a formula where there is a short introduction, then each person has a chance to unload, or ask questions of the group if they want to, or to simply sit and listen. Sometimes the group has a collection of reading resources that can be borrowed, or other interesting information may be passed around.

The intrinsic strengths of a peer support group are the blessing of acceptance, the freedom from judgement, and the chance to meet and share information with others from the small percentage of the population who share an illness.
In the end, it is up to each individual to keep learning about their illness, what their own irritants are, how to spot a detrimental change, and the seasonal times that are going to be more challenging. This is a lot for an individual to be charged with, particularly when the illness lives inside the brain without yielding much in the way of physical indicators. The peer support group is a place to touch base with others who understand something of the same or a similar experience, and it is a monthly reminder to keep learning, accepting, and living as well as possible.

By way of a post-script, having a mental illness is not all bad. How can it be, when some of the world’s most creative and admired people have been said to be in the same boat?  Doubtless they had their own coping mechanisms and support people, too.

Member of the Wellington Balance Support Group