The kura has this year participated in the Human Rights Commission's Tūhonohono Māori project, which promotes human rights in Māori communities. The Commission's Ahi Kaa Team assisted the kura with workshops in July and September on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC), the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and other international treaties. They discussed the whakapapa of human rights, the language of human rights, human rights in the community, Te Mana i Waitangi, the right to education and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Staff member Anahera Scott says, "Human rights fit into our charter, not just the curriculum, it underpins everything we do."  As a Kura Tika Tangata, the school is committing itself both to teach human rights and to create an environment that reflects human rights and responsibilities. The ceremony will be attended by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres and Gisborne based Human Rights Commissioner Karen Johansen, and will be the culmination of a week of human rights related activities at the kura.

On their website they say (and we agree) "We tell our stories through the eyes of the local residents who are affected by the events and issues in our suburbs. We take their concerns and complaints and dreams and represent them to the decision-makers - particularly important in a metropolis where everyday folk often don't have a clue who their local representative is. That doesn't mean printing only the good news: we can rip the scabs off the sores, too. We've done that through the years. We're changing the law about where and how many liquor stores and pokie parlours can be sited in a suburb and reinstating the community's right to object to licences, we've changed the law about disabled parking cheats, we've taken on food hygiene, childcare and racial issues." 

This week, one of their small team of reporters, Welsh-born Joanna Davies, was awarded runner up in the annual Excellence in Reporting Diversity Awards, for a portfolio of stories on diverse communities. We think the whole team - which currently has staff from the Philippines, Germany, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, Japan, India, France and Pasifika ...as well as New Zealand! - also deserves acknowledgment for their consistent reporting of diverse peoples and their issues in Auckland.

The forum was held under the auspices of Christchurch City Council, NZ Police, Christchurch Resettlement Services, Human Rights Commission, MSD Family and Community Services and Oceania Football. It was brought together by youth workers Jo Fashuen (Christchurch Resettlement Services), Gary Watson (Christchurch City Council), Aaron Webb (Sport Canterbury), Kate Brown and John Robinson (Christchurch Police). It followed on from the forum on diversity and sport at the New Zealand Diversity Forum in Christchurch in August, and was run in conjunction with the New Zealand Communities Football Cup .  Junior Warriors player Omar Slaimankhel joined the young people for the day and told the story of his family coming to New Zealand as refugees and how he overcame the barriers to become a winning national representative player.

Barriers identified at the forum included culture, language, cost, access to public facilities and safety. Suggestions made included a call to open up the various ethnic sports tournaments around the country to girls and women, for sports clubs to visit community meetings and events to provide information,  communication with  parents about the importance of sport alongside education, sponsorship of players, greater access to facilities and provision of safe spaces for young people of different cultures,  payment of membership fees in instalments,  more ethnic community teams and events, and (especially in Christchurch) cycling lessons. Next year's Culture Galore festival was seen as an opportunity for sports clubs to provide information to communities.

Speak Out Nelson Tasman is an initiative of the Nelson Multicultural Council with the support of government agencies, the Nelson Safer Community Council and the Human Rights Commission.

Project coordinator Alistair Webber says the user friendly system allows racism to be reported confidentially on the Speak Out website, to a free call number or face to face at several community centres, with reporting done by victims, witnesses or support people.
"We'll be logging all reports and referring victims to the appropriate agency for action, depending on how they want to handle it," he said. "Victims decide whether they provide their personal details for follow up or they can remain anonymous."

A racist incident is defined as 'any incident that is perceived by the victim to be racist'. It ranges from incidents involving racist insults, through to serious assaults.
"The intention is to make Nelson Tasman safer for people of all cultures," Mr. Webber said. "We've got fantastic support from the community - from the police, councils, educational institutions and numerous other groups."

"The Speak Out website has the tag line 'There are no strangers here' which reflects the reality this is a welcoming community with just a few people who spoil that," he said.

The Speak Out Nelson Tasman reporting system is based on recommendations from the research report, Towards a Reporting System in Nelson/Tasman: Diverse Communities Speak by Debbie Kohner, a Human Rights lawyer from Northern Ireland, which was published in August 2009. Debbie interviewed 184 people from 48 different ethnicities in focus groups over a period of months. Her findings indicated a very high percentage had experienced or witnessed racism but that very few had reported it. Significantly a large percentage - over 80% - indicated they would report such incidents if there was a user friendly way to do so.

Visit the website of Speak Out Nelson Tasman or call their free number 0508 Speak Out (0508 773 256).

The project was made possible with support from the Canterbury Community Trust.

Principal Bruce Hart said this was the first time the staff had chosen to mark Diwali and they had really enjoyed the opportunity to dress in traditional Indian clothes and learn some Indian dance and songs.  "We have had feedback from Indian students who thought it was great to see so many teachers supporting their culture. But they would have liked the opportunity to attend school themselves in their national dress."  

A Diwali evening followed, described by drama teacher David Gilbert as follows: "I really enjoyed the Diwali evening, I got to meet the most amazing people, full of enthusiasm and a passion for sharing the richness of their various cultures, The colours the costumes the food, the multicultural entertainment and the love and respect shown towards the audience, performers, and the organisers,"

Principal Hart said "Based on the success of the day I think we would be keen to make it an annual event and to give an opportunity for our students to join in.  It is good for our student body as a whole to see different cultures in the school being recognised and affirmed."

The youth leaders saw the exhibition as an opportunity to promote cross-cultural understanding of Asia. The photos in the exhibition were taken in countries as diverse as China, Cambodia, Japan, Vietnam, Mongolia and India.

More than showing the sights and customs of Asia, around 50 photos in the free public exhibition tell the stories of the young leaders themselves - their physical travel as well as their mind journeys to Asia and back. It's a chance to put on display the ways in which Asia is shaping these young people.

Individual photo journeys are organised in three spaces:

"'Feeling at Home" illustrates places in Asia close to the young leaders' hearts.

"A Stranger in a Strange Country" explores the ways in which one's familiar environment can feel unfamiliar to others or even to the returning travelers themselves.

"'I'm Home, Who Am I Now?" includes photos through which the young leaders have tried to reflect on how their travels in Asia have shaped a new, different outlook on life.

Once Upon a Time in Asia runs from 25 November-23 December and is free and open to the public at the first floor gallery, St James Theatre, Courtenay Place.

The participating choirs came from the Cook Islands, Tonga, Philippines, Samoa, Zimbabwe and they were joined by a kapa haka group.

[caption id="attachment_9121" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Samoan Assembly of God"][/caption]

Violet Stewart, coordinator for the Southland Multicultural Council said "For me I think the highlight was the positive comments afterwards of people of all ethnicities not only enjoying themselves but having a feeling of unity and belonging."  She said Rainbow Praise has the potential to become an annual event.  Singing groups who participated are already talking about joining in again next year.

Other communities are encouraged to take up the idea of Rainbow Praise for Race Relations Day in March, particularly since the theme for 2011 is People in Harmony.

Many of the migrant, refugee and international students groups interviewed had said it was difficult to find out information about the health services available in the City.

A Health Information Day was held at the Palmerston North Convention Centre on 20 November with 20 Health Information stall holders providing information on some of the most often asked questions - when do I call the ambulance, how do I find a doctor, when do I go to the hospital or to the Doctor, how do I find out about arthritis, diabetes, cancer, pregnancy and many other issues.

Around 100 refugee, migrants and international students came to the event.  Besides providing information, the different health groups were able to meet each other and discuss how best to work with refugees, migrants and international students.

This year's convention was hosted by the South Auckland Muslim Association, in conjunction with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, and followed the successful inaugural convention in Mt Roskill in 2009.  The goal of the convention is to building strong families by encouraging more active participation in community welfare and sports activities.  The diversity of the Muslim community in New Zealand was again evident, with people from over forty different ethnic groups.

The governance group is jointly facilitated by the Auckland Council and the Department of Labour. Co-chairs Louise Mason (Auckland Council) and Stephen Dunstan (Department of Labour) acknowledged that the new Auckland Council environment presented an opportunity to further the refreshed strategy and build on the best practice collaborations between agencies already developed. The presentation highlighted how the strategy is shaping its role as a regional enabler of Auckland's economic growth and social prosperity. "As Auckland's bid for global competitiveness accelerates, a key indicator of its long term prosperity is its capacity to attract international populations and help them settle and contribute to its future prosperity."  

Innovations achieved as a result of the strategy include the establishment of a regional diversity advisor network and internal initiatives by the eight regional territorial authorities, and the development of resources for health practitioners working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) clients by Waitemata District Health Board Health Support Services.  Others achievements noted were a cultural diversity pilot project in schools, better access to child disability services, a primary health telephone interpreting service, safety in the city initiatives, better monitoring and reporting on migrant health, development of a collective refugee voice, and better information for refugee services. The refreshed strategy provides for further cooperation and projects and covers the period until 2014. It brings together the various goals of the strategy under four headings of connecting mainstream services, connecting economic values, connecting communities and connecting infrastructure.

Waikato Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala said while tangata whenua exhibitions can sometimes fail to connect ancient treasures with their descendants, the fact that Ngaa Pou Whenua was developed alongside each iwi sets it apart. "Ngaa Pou Whenua is aimed at making Tainui culture and stories accessible to everyone, and is presented in a modern way to appeal to a strong youth market. "It is important for Tainui youngsters to see their treasures and culture celebrated - this exhibition is all about providing a platform for the people of Tainui to share and for others to hear and learn their stories."

Ngaa Pou Whenua is sponsored by Trust Waikato, Creative New Zealand, Te Puni Kokiri, The Southern Trust, Waikato-Tainui Te Kauhanganui Inc and Perry Foundation, and will remain on display at Waikato Museum for at least three years. Visit  Waikato Museum for more information.

When MSD Settling In Relationship Manager Lily Lee was coordinating the Albany Settling In Project last year, the women approached her for help with issues of isolation.  Lily helped the women set up a more formal network which now meets weekly at the Albany Community House.  The women design their own programme which includes: advice on legal issues, starting a small business, how to access government services and sessions on healthy living and parenting in the New Zealand context. MSD Settling In supports the group's own fundraising activities by providing venues and resources.

"This project is important because the Korean community traditionally keeps to itself.  This network has given the women confidence and marks the beginning of their integration into New Zealand society," Lily says.

The Korean Women's Network NZ (KWNNZ) was involved in the March 2010 launch of the Settling In Albany report by organising a Korean contingent and a children's choir.  They helped welcome guests, liaise with the media and Korean dignitaries.

Soo Young Lee, the coordinator of the KWNNZ says the women were thrilled to be involved in this way.  "Through this function, our members had a great opportunity to join in the community.  It made us feel that we are part of the main society, plus we made lots of new networks and friends", says Soo Young.

The network has had a huge impact on their lives they now also have a full schedule of activities, workshops and social outings planned and also recently organised a Korean interpreter.

"They are finding out so many new things about New Zealand and are happy to be meeting each other and getting out of the house.  We are very grateful.  We want to contribute to New Zealand and help it become a truly multicultural society, says Soo Young.

The reunions have been taking place since 1991. Now called Pistang Pilipino, this year's event was organised by the North Shore Filipino Community, one of the largest Filipino communities in New Zealand, and attracted nearly 10,000 people from around the country to sports competitions and an abundance of Filipino foods on the North Shore, and two cultural and competition nights at the Edge in central Auckland. Next year's reunion will be held in Christchurch.

On Saturday evening at the Edge, the Philippines Charge d'Affaires presented the Filipino Achiever Award to Lower Hutt artist Josephine Garcia-Jowett (Jojo). Jojo was born in the Philippines and moved to New Zealand in 1990. She was a Registered Naval Architect and a Marine Engineer but had always desired to be an artist. Since moving to New Zealand she has pursued this dream and her works reflect her emotions and experiences through a variety of mediums and a very unique insight. A tragic accident took the life of her husband Roy and Jojo has been faced with raising her children alone and in a foreign country since. Her work reflects these feelings of being torn between two worlds.

This year's report, once again by veteran Asia Downunder journalist Bharat Jamnadas, was aired in October. After an overview of the wide range of events at the forum, the programme focused on a workshop on Asian discrimination hosted by Victoria University's Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research where a new research report on the subject was released and discussed. The Asia Downunder forum report is available on Asia Downunder's YouTube Channel.

In the planning stage, it was noted that women from faith communities often had less access to expressing their ideas and creative voice. MIC Toi Rerehiko was contracted to run the planned community arts project to enable diverse women to make, edit and showcase their own digital stories on the theme of faith, hope and belief.

The women worked with artist mentor Serena Stevenson over several months to develop their digital stories and learn the artistic skills to complete the project. Some chose to tell their migration and life stories, while others explored their faith and what it means to belong. The resulting DVD is collection of touching stories, a celebration of multiculturalism in Auckland, and a reflection of the intrinsic relationship between culture and faith.  The film was launched on 20 October at Galatos in Auckland.

MIC Toi Rerehiko promotes a dynamic and growing culture of interdisciplinary media-arts practice in Auckland and New Zealand, supporting an environment of innovation, in which fusion of art and technology is developed and nurtured.

The tournament, now in its fifth year, is organised by the Upper Hutt Multi Ethnic Council with the support of the Upper Hutt City Council and SportZone. It celebrates cultural and ethnic diversity and in particular provides an opportunity for socialising and networking among communities in the Hutt Valley and Wellington. It provides a friendly environment for new migrants and refugees to build confidence and break barriers to participating in mainstream soccer events in the winter soccer clubs. Twenty teams from all over the region took part this year.

The winning Somalia team will now participate in the national ethnic soccer tournament to be held in Christchurch on 27-28 November under the auspices of the NZ Police and the Oceania Football Federation. The national tournament will be preceded by a youth workshop on diversity and sport at Hagley College.

The Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA) ethnicity grouping consists of extremely diverse cultural and  religious groups. In the 2006 census, 1% of the New Zealand population identified as MELAA and half resided in the Auckland region. Today, 28,637 people in Auckland identify as being MELAA; approximately 14,000 are Middle Eastern, 3000 are Latin American and 11,000 are African. This group is one of the fastest growing population groups and has unique health needs not fully met by mainstream health services.

The Health Needs Analysis Report was commissioned by the Northern DHB Support Agency on behalf of the Auckland Regional Settlement Strategy Health Steering Group, which represents Waitemata, Auckland and Counties Manukau District Health Boards. The report was authored by Dr Lavinia Perumal from the Auckland District Health Board.   

View the MELAA report online.

Ninety nine images were projected onto the shop window of the Wakefield Hotel clothing and footwear store, in what the artist describes as "a positive urban disruption celebrating the Diwali Festival of Light in Wellington". The exhibition was funded by the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

Meena Kadri describes herself as a "mix-tape of sorts".  She endeavors to navigate complexity and champion diversity with her projects. Currently she is exploring the intersection of communication, culture and creativity via her consultancy Random Specific. She has an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and a Masters in Design. She is involved in projects involving ethnography, cultural insights research, and writing and communications strategy with an additional focus on Design for Social Innovation. Meena currently lives and work in New Zealand, though continues to lecture and consult globally when possible.

View the India Illuminated Exhibition.

Thousands turned out in Victoria Square on a sunny afternoon, wedged in between aftershocks, to enjoy cultural performances, stalls and displays and a wide variety of Indian foods. Mayor Bob Parker, Indian High Commissioner Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong were given a traditional welcome with a grand "Thalappoli", a procession of young women carrying lamps with beats of drums in the background, and "Thilak", with sandalwood paste applied to the foreheads of the guests.

The festival featured wide range cultural performances by local groups, as well as the Rajisthani dance and music troupe and magician Uday Jadugar, who were brought to New Zealand to perform at the Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland festivals by the Asia New Zealand Foundation, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Indian High Commission. The Indian Social and Cultural Club's purpose is to foster a close network among Indians, South Asians and all those interested in India to enhance their experience in Christchurch through social, outreach, academic and career initiatives.

The Diwali Festival comes to Auckland this weekend.

The aim of the event was to observe Fiji Day, reach out to other communities and to make the Waikato Fiji Community more visible by celebrating Fiji's culture and heritage. The event was attended by over 300 people with the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Tariana Turia, providing the keynote address on the theme of cultural diversity.   The Minister said "To me, cultural diversity -the theme for your celebrations today - is something that we should absolutely cherish.  It is about holding to the very essence of who we are - protecting our uniqueness, celebrating our distinctive identities, valuing our traditions, our protocols, our stories, our ways. Today we celebrate the relationships between diverse peoples - but we also celebrate the expression of kotahitanga - the purpose that brings us all here tonight."

The platform for the Waikato Fiji Association and the Fiji Waikato Community to work together was provided by Jenny Nand, Advisor, Local Government & Community Branch and Department of Internal Affairs - Te Tari Taiwhenua who assisted the two groups to sign a memorandum of understanding earlier in the year to agree on shared objectives.

The Canterbury Refugee Council's aim is to positively influence outcomes for former refugee communities in Canterbury by providing a strong representative voice and by:

* Advocating on behalf of our communities;
* Facilitating research projects (needs and aspirations);
* Supporting community development;
* Providing an information and data brokerage service;
* Building effective relationships;
* Ensuring effective communication; and
* Enhancing cross cultural acknowledgment and awareness.

They are a constituent of the New Zealand National Refugee Network and recently hosted a forum on challenges facing refugee communities at the New Zealand Diversity Forum in Christchurch.

For more information visit their Facebook page.

The centre received early support from then City Councillor Cath Tizard. Voluntary legal services were provided by young Auckland lawyer Anand Satyanand. They both became Governors General and Peter Harwood became a Professor of Social Work, and they were all there (including Don Solomon with the original carved manaia) on 21 September at the Grey Lynn Community Centre to mark the 40^th anniversary of CABNZ and to launch a refreshed brand, a new Māori name, a new website and a national electronic database.

The launch of the database followed three years development and training of over 2000 CAB volunteers, and the website enables people to search for advice electronically as well as by contacting their local bureau. Microsoft New Zealand donated over $6 million worth of software licenses to the project, and Westpac New Zealand donated $600,000 worth of computer equipment.

Today, CABNZ operates in over 90 locations, and deals with over 600,000 enquiries a year.

Says Nelson Multicultural Council co-ordinator, Evey Mc Auliffe: "Educating our newcomers and visitors in regard to sustainable use of our natural resources is vital for building positive relationships with the locals". "We voiced our concern to the Ministry of Fisheries, they listened and acted upon it, so they deserve recognition for this." We agree.

You can view or download the fishing guidelines online.

An all day combination of food, dance, art, sports and games, as well as exhibits from participating organisations, the festival represented a unique cooperative venture between a very diverse group of organisations. It celebrated the vibrant cultures of South Canterbury through different "cultural houses" as well as performances, with tickets in the form of "passports" to "see the world on a shoestring". The festival was opened by local MP Jo Goodhew who also sponsored 50 members of the Christchurch refugee community to attend.

Plans are to make the festival an annual event. It just goes to show how New Zealanders in rural and provincial communities are responding creatively and positively to the increased diversity of their communities to the benefit of all.

The Society was founded in 1960 for the promotion of understanding and goodwill between the people of Japan and New Zealand, the study of Japanese culture, the promotion of relationships and exchanges, extending hospitality to Japanese visitors and providing information for members and others proposing to visit Japan.

Today the society organizes a wide range of activities for its members, including Japanese language classes, conversation nights, social and sporting activities, the Haere Mai Taiko drummers group, a tea ceremony club and the annual Taste of Japan festival. Starting from small beginnings at much smaller venues in earlier years, this year's festival attracted thousands of Aucklanders who enjoyed the cultural performances, art exhibition, tea ceremonies, sake tasting, sushi cooking, and hands-on workshops on origami, shodo, chigiri and kanji as well as a range of very popular Japanese food stalls.

For more information about the Society visit their website.

Every year the Kristin Prefects develop a project that will allow them to give back to the community. The students first held a "Trivia Night" fundraiser called "Around the World in 80 Questions", raising $17,000 for the project.

The new garden includes plaques with the names of all the countries from which New Zealand's refugees have come and the United Nations definition of refugees.

Says Head Boy Lewis Fry, in the latest newsletter from Refugee Services Aotearoa New Zealand, ""The Prefect Project completes a full circle. Excitement and hope of planning, give way to the stress and pressure of creating. Stress and pressure lead to a sense of achievement and fulfilment of finishing. But at the end, personal feelings matter little when you see that the precious commodity of your time and hard work transform into excitement and hope on the faces of those whose lives you made a difference in."

As a result of their engagement with the Pacific Island community regarding ESOL needs, the "homework club" for Pacific Island children was born.

Concerns were raised that children are struggling to keep up with work while learning English due to limited resources. Ireen Manuel, a qualified teacher from the Pacific Island community volunteered her time to teach the children but there were no venue and even resources to help them.

New Coasters approached Cobden School and the result was a free use of classroom. Resources were also provided by New Coasters with the help of Take Note in Greymouth. Over 20 children attend the group at present.

As part of promoting their role they have been running a series of television advertisements on the theme of "humming along". One of these, Chorus - Kids, promotes the rollout of fibre-optic cable to schools. It was launched in Māori Language Week and ran for several weeks in August. It begins with a powerful whakatauki in te reo Māori.

Aranui High School principal John Rohs commended the advertisement in a column reflecting on Māori Language Week in the Christchurch Press on September 16, noting that it was remarkable because the message is delivered first in te reo Māori, in the rich voice of Temuera Morrison, before its English rendition.

"What is clearly happening is a shift in the thinking of big business, which has the vision to grasp that te reo Maori is an integral part of our New Zealand identity. I've now watched this advertisement four or five times and am enjoying watching and hearing it, knowing it's more than a special effort to acknowledge te reo Maori once a year. Well done to the communications team at Chorus!

"The more we can embrace bilingualism as a country, the greater our cultural richness, our potential for racial harmony and inclusiveness. This is what makes us distinctive as a nation and gives us all something that is uniquely ours, to be proud of. The Chorus advertisement is a wonderful example of an important message that deserves to be conveyed in te reo Maori and in English. Let's hope other business leaders will follow suit."

In September each year, Caritas organises Social Justice Week, during which Catholic schools and parishes focus on a current social issue. For this year's Social Justice Week (from September 12-18) the theme was "creating inclusive and connected communities", and church members were challenged to reflect on how welcoming and inclusive parish communities are.

Resources developed for the week included a "formation booklet" on the theme from the Catholic bishops, a Social Justice Series booklet on "Your People will be My People", a poster, liturgical resources, children's liturgy material, parish youth group material and newsletter notices. School resources were built around a CD-Rom for Years 1-13 called No longer strangers: recognising our cultural diversity.

Since then, the Trust's reach has expanded nationally via a number of initiatives - each has a focus on empowering people to use ICT as a pathway to engage more fully in the communities. The programme works via low decile schools, to help families in greatest need to use the internet, email and basic computer skills in their everyday lives, to enhance their performance at school and at work.

'Computers in Homes' is an initiative of the 2020 Communications Trust with support from the Ministry of Education and Department of Internal Affairs. The Trust continually seeks to expand Computers in Homes to all communities where children do not have access to computers and the Internet in their homes.

Since the programme started in 2000 it has supported over 5,000 New Zealand families nationwide with refurbished computers, six months of free internet access, computer training and technical support via their local school. Newly arrived refugee families receive 12 months internet, interpreters, transport and family visitors in recognition of their need for extra support.

There are still an estimated 100,000 New Zealand families with school-aged children who do not have a computer and the Internet at home. In 2009 Computers in Homes launched the '100,000 Challenge' which aims to connect the remaining families without a computer in their homes and encourage digital literacy and competence.

"The announcement in the Government's 2010 budget for 1000 families a year to 2013 has boosted our challenge by allowing us to reach a further 3000 New Zealand families. We applaud the Government for this funding so we can support communities in need to improve their digital literacy and raise their aspirations," says Di Das, National Coordinator CIH, "New areas we can now expand into are Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Opotiki, Ruapehu/King Country and Wairarapa. Our team is eager to begin the rollout immediately."

Classes made flags for each of the ten countries that marked the route. They were also encouraged to wear their national dress, and there were kids dressed in costumes from Thailand, Korea, China, Pakistan and Wales.

When the school reopened after the quake, the celebration of cultural diversity continued with the previously planned promotion of an International Language Week from 13-17 September that culminated in a school assembly at which students performed songs and dances of their country.

The report was also covered in a two page feature on race relations in the Dominion Post Weekender on 25 September. The website has a link to the report and to videos of speakers at the forum, and invites public discussion on the issues. New material will continue to be added, and people can subscribe to email updates from the site. The pages are hosted by www.issues.co.nz , which is a new website dedicated to the promotion of issues campaigns of any type; social, political, environmental, agricultural, and business.

Currently, 70 locally made programmes are on air, where people share ideas, disseminate information and express opinions, in their own language. Diversity is expressed in 15 different languages, from the arts to local body politics, the environment to specialist music shows, pipe bands to Muslim youth.

Listeners can access programmes online through podcasts and a live stream.

Part-funded by NZ On Air, Plains FM is a non-commercial broadcaster that offers an alternative to commercial mainstream media.

Current ministries include Mercy Hospice Auckland and Mercy Hospital Dunedin, three residential aged care facilities, several projects offering supported accommodation and outreach to older people, five secondary colleges for girls, two spirituality and retreat centres, and a range of community development and social service initiatives.

The Ministries' projects this year have included a series of talks aimed at deepening interfaith understanding, with a focus on Hindu, Muslim and Jewish perspectives, as well as Anglican-Catholic dialogue. Carmel College marked the beginning of Mātāriki, with a lunchtime celebration led by the school's four tuakana leaders. At St Mary's College a kapa haka group led an event to mark the start of Te Wiki o Te Reo. Around 60 new staff at Mercy Hospice Auckland are participating in three Treaty workshops, highlighting the commitment of the Sisters of Mercy to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Māori community of Nelson identified a need for a culturally appropriate marae to practice tikanga and cultural values in an appropriate manner. This emphasised the need for a place to learn tikanga Māori and marae protocol.

Whakatu Marae and Founders Heritage Park Nelson celebrated Waitangi Day Kai Festival in 2010 with whanau from around the world by advertising a kai festival with 78 food stalls. Kai is a way of not only cementing relationships; it is also something the entire world has in common. More than 6000 people attended the festival, to taste and share kai from traditional and contemporary New Zealand and exotic delicacies from other parts of the worlds.

In 2009, Pacific Underground organised the Christchurch segment of the "I Love the Islands" concerts for tsunami stricken Samoa. Up until this year, the company hosted an annual Christchurch Pacific Arts Festivals to showcase established and emerging Pacific artists from all over the Pacific, New Zealand and Christchurch.

Pacific Underground shares original stories of Pacific people living in Aotearoa, through theatre, concerts and events. It has been the training ground for some of New Zealand's most well known entertainers, such as Oscar Kightley, David Fane and The Naked Samoans, Scribe, Dallas Tamaira of Fat Freddy's Drop, Ladi 6 and Parks, and Antsman of Rhombus.

This year, Progressive Enterprises hosted the Auckland launch of Māori Language Week 2010. The theme Te Mahi Kai - the Language of Food, aligns with Progressive's business and proved to be a great opportunity for the teams to celebrate Māori Language Week in their stores.

Progressive Enterprises is working closely with the Māori Language Commission to embed this initiative into the company's regular programme of activity, to celebrate Māori language now and in the future.

For more than 40 generations, Ngāi Tahu has understood the importance of diversity, forging strong inter-iwi alliances, arranging peace marriages and strategic marriages with Pākehā whalers and settlers of all nationalities. More than 10 years on from settlement of the Ngāi Tahu Claim, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is committed to creating opportunities to enhance the inter-generational well-being of Ngāi Tahu Whānui and grow Ngāi Tahu communities. As an employer, its policies affirm the importance of diversity, seeking to place the best person in the job.

Manaakitanga is a value that sits at the core of Ngāi Tahu culture. It means valuing and welcoming all, and where necessary speaking up for and supporting minority groups. An acceptance of diversity means all the skills and creativity within a community can be freely expressed. Diversity creates rich communities, provides new skills, new ways of thinking and understanding.

we feature the recipients of the annual diversity awards, which were presented by Graeme Innes Australia's Disability Discrimination Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner; Rosslyn Noonan Chief Commissioner NZ Human Rights Commission and Joris de Bres Race Relations Commissioner NZ Human Rights Commission at the Diversity Forum held at the Christchurch Convention Centre on 23 August. For more details of this event, including presentations and papers presented during the forum, visit the Diversity Forum web pages.

For the past 10 years, in partnership with Government, the Chamber has assisted employers find employees with the skills they need and helped job seekers find employment.

The Chamber works with at-risk minority groups, including migrants, refugees, single parents, the recently unemployed and young people in South Auckland. Over the past year, the Chamber has worked with over 1100 individuals and a further 800 through partnership workshops.

The Chamber's programmes include: New Kiwis website, Migrant Work Experience Programme, Kiwi Career Success, Return 2 Work Programme, Cadetmax and Jobs Plus.

These initiatives enable the Chamber to tap into both the conventional and hidden job markets to link minority and disadvantaged groups to opportunities they might not have had.

The college's refugee programmes have been a focus over the past five years, with more than 230 students from countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iraq, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia. This brings everyday challenges but also a richness of culture, religion, language and experience that teaches the importance of respect, innovation and diversity across all types of education.

A further 300+ extended family members access the multi-ethnic Study Centre for study assistance and programmes focusing on skills useful for a successful resettlement to Aotearoa.

Over the years, the Trust has grown to deliver programs that enhance the well-being of individuals and communities and encourage independence. These programs include a community centre, health and well-being, Interpreting Service, Settlement Support, Computers in Homes, Migrant Internship, Get Reel Movies and Radio, and Stepping Up to Study.

HMST collaborates with other organisations to run the NZ Ethnic Soccer Festival, Homeworx Program, Emergent Art, Low Cost Living Expo, and other settlement and employment support groups and forum.

The Council promotes and celebrates cultural diversity in the community, assists with settlement issues and social contacts, and organises educational forums to assist migrants settle in New Zealand.

This year, the Council held their first Multicultural Food Festival on Race Relations Day, in March, attended by more than 1500 people. The festival had a huge impact in helping the ethnic community feel welcome in the city. The Council also participated in the ILT Kidzone six- day holiday programme in July, with a roster of 21 volunteers of various nationalities helping out with activities from different cultures which Multi-Nations organised.

The Council regularly holds a monthly potluck dinner to welcome migrants and releases a monthly newsletter to around 600 individuals and organisations.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service provides a range of services, including a screening and medical clinic at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre, and providing health promotion programmes to refugee communities.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service uses a Strengths Based Approach. This focuses on actions that empower diverse communities, such as refugees, Māori and Asian, to take community ownership and develop capacity to create sustainable projects.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service is committed to working with the community and agency partners to improve well-being, promote positive health and prevent illness.

The Libraries provide orientation and training for migrants, refugees and ESOL groups, including an opportunity to explore the library website for those new to the internet.

The community information database (CINCH) has contact details for 169 ethnic organisations and 51 ESOL providers.

The library continues to address the uptake of library services by diverse communities via marketing, outreach, programming, hosting and attending events. Staff members develop and maintain relationships with the settlement sector, promoting library services, collecting feedback and stimulating the development of new services.

Language Link provides free and confidential information and advice, interpreting support and advocacy for migrants and refugees in 26 languages. Information and advocacy is provided on a range of settlement needs, including immigration, employment, housing, income support, education and training, health, family issues and counselling.

The free and confidential interpreting service is open to all community organisations. The conference call system allows bureau staff to act as advisers, interpreters and to provide information to clients and callers.

"This publication contributes to a new dawn of understanding of the requirements for working with Pacific peoples, families, and communities. This understanding will ensure there is high-quality health care leading to improved health outcomes and reduced inequalities for Pacific peoples," Dr Debbie Ryan states in the forward.

With the Pacific population in NZ expected to grow from the current seven percent to just over 12 percent by 2051, specific action to address the cultural competence of health systems and the health workforce is critical.

The report addresses key cultural concepts important to Pacific peoples, including family and community and holistic health and spirituality, that impact on Pacific peoples interactions with the NZ healthcare system.

Based on these key concepts the report provides specific guidance on Pacific preferences in relation to areas such as initial contact, examining patients, body language and consent. It also provides advice on a number of special issues, including maternal and child health, addiction and sexual health.

You can download the report online.

The three-week festival will include a Hong Kong Photo Exhibition at the Rialto Shopping Centre, an exciting line-up of eight films at the Hong Kong Film Festival and will conclude with a banquet dinner.

The festival will celebrate the strong relationship between NZ and Hong Kong culture and business, and encourage the local community to find out more about this fascinating city, which seamlessly blends the traditional and contemporary.

Find out more about the Hong Kong Festival online.

Twelve student organisations put on a performance, ranging from African dance to Korean Pop, and even "A Bruneian Love Story". Produced by Art Kojarunchitt, International Representative of the OUSA Executive, the acts were contemporary and often humorous, ensuring a good time was had by all. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Otago Community Hospice.

A celebrity cook-off that saw Minister of Māori Affairs, Pita Sharples, declared the ultimate "Māori chef" was held in Midland Park and a lunchtime concert, featuring Ria Hall and Ngāti Pōneke Māori Club Juniors, was also held.

This weekend, the Harbourside and City markets will feature music and entertainment in te reo and New Zealand chef and author Anne Thorp will present a free cooking demonstration at Pipitea Marae.

Anne said te mahi kai means everything to do with food, "It's the whole thing - from the very thought that you are hungry, to the gathering, the preparation, the cooking and the eating of the kai.

"For me Māori Language Week is about tackling te reo in innovative ways and encouraging the use of small and simple phrases or words and place names for people who regularly don't, or never, speak te reo so they can take part with confidence and enjoyment."

Find out more about Wellington Māori Language Week events online.

The forum will run from 22-23 August and will be held at the Christchurch Convention Centre. The awards will be presented at a special ceremony on Monday 23 August at 6.00pm.

The theme of the forum this year is "It's About Us", carried forward from Race Relations Day 2010, and you can find more information on the HRC website. There is no charge for weekend workshops or single forums; however attendance on Monday 23 August is $50 for the day. Register NOW.

The corporation's Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown mailers were themed for Māori Language Week 2010, with Māori translations of recipes, measurements and shopping lists. Close to 1.4 million were distributed nationally.

Progressive Enterprises also incorporated the "Te Mahi Kai" logo on in-store posters, stickers and signs that displayed the words for everyday food items, and their Māori translation.

A few years ago the Commission recognised a single grocery store in Tokomaru Bay for its use of te reo Māori. Today, it's great to be recognising such a large corporation with multiple chains of supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

Every year there is at least one standout contribution to Māori Language Week; a programme or project that promotes the use of te reo to the wider New Zealand public in a new way and takes us one step closer to becoming a truly bilingual society. This year Progressive Enterprises has helped us move nearer to that goal.

Events included performances by three school Kapa Haka groups at Mosgiel Library and a recital by the Dunedin City Council Waiata Group at the City Library.

The City Library is currently hosting "Toi te Kupu: Te Reo Māori in Print", the first exhibition of its kind in Dunedin. Examples of te reo Māori literature from the library's Heritage Collection are on display, illustrating the journey of te reo Māori over the past 200 years. Sitting alongside dictionaries and religious texts are Māori translations of classic and beloved tales, including Robinson Crusoe and The Merchant of Venice. The exhibition is on display until 17 October 2010.

That is why she set up a bilingual window display and bilingual signs in the pharmacy she owns with her husband in Wanganui, an initiative that will continue year-round, long after the close of Māori Language Week.

"I saw a people that was struggling to have their culture and language survive in a Pakeha-dominated country," Louise said. "I thought, why don't we have Māori signs? Māori is an official language of New Zealand, and it's hardly used anywhere in signage."

Louise studies te reo Māori for free through Te Wananga o Aotearoa and has also been to Te Atarangi marae stays, where nothing but Māori was spoken for several days and where she was the only Pakeha.

"It makes you accept and appreciate how Māori are. If more Pakeha had knowledge of Māori language, we would live in a more racially harmonised society," Louise said.

These resources were essential, as policies for Asian and refugee communities are underdeveloped in comparison to other communities in New Zealand.

Visit Te Pou's website for more information or read the fact sheets here:

• Fact Sheet 1: Why Deliver Responsive Services?
• Fact Sheet 2: Planning and Funding - Where to Start?
• Fact Sheet 3: The Evidence Base
• Fact Sheet 4: Resources

"Demographics of New Zealand's Pacific Population" examines elements such as population growth, birthplace, labour force composition and geographical distribution. It also examines identity, showing that younger Pacific people are more likely to have multiple ethnicities.

The electronic resource replaces the Annual Aggregate Report and will be updated after each census; progress will be tracked in intervening years by the Ministry of Social Development's Social Report.

You can download "Demographics of New Zealand's Pacific Population" online.

The exhibition will showcase 90 paintings, precious icons, crucifixes and religious artifacts. The classical concert will be conducted by Mikhail Tablist, a concert pianist, accompanied by acclaimd soprano, Ms Joanna Heslop.

The celebrations will be held at the Wel Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts Centre, at the University of Waikato. Contact Noeline (Ph: 07 827 5984) for more information and tickets.

Resources prepared by Caritas Aotearoa NZ for parishes and schools will encourage each community to reflect on their own identity, respond to their increasing cultural diversity and recognise issues such as discrimination, prejudice and stereotyping when they arise.

A new formation booklet, Creating Inclusive and Connected Communities, has been designed to support the work of parish pastoral councils. It asks them to identify any barriers that might prevent some cultural groups from participating in their community and reflects the bishops' desire for parishes to welcome migrants into all aspects of Church life.

"It is our hope that parishes will remain unified while celebrating the richness of this diversity," the Catholic bishops say. "We wish to equip parish councils to respond to different groups in their parishes and to consider how they could change or improve their current responses to the cultural diversity in our midst."

Entertainment included indigenous games; food stalls; music, dance and cultural items; and an item performed by the Embassy's own staff. Ivy Padilla, who recently performed in the musical Miss Saigon, sang at the event, and Filinartizts Wellington organised the indigenous games.

The group has posted a video on Youtube.

Farah Omar, from Somalia; Maureen Zala, from Iraq; Thony Trann, from Cambodia; Mang Za, from the UK; Hram Kung, from Burma; and Margaret Pompeo, from Sudan, collaborated with Voices Arts Trust and a skilled arts-facilitator to develop "A Thousand Strangers." The broadcasts were timed to coincide with World Refugee Day, 20 June.

With access to Radio New Zealand National's post-production facilities the young people worked primarily as individuals, but also in group workshops, to produce their diverse stories "exploring themes of loss, separation, re-birth, true love and misunderstanding", intending to "facilitate new forms of self-expression and support the creative process."

You can listen to the stories through podcast on Radio New Zealand National's website.

Christine played a major role in creating and maintaining the highly successful Samoan Language Week Facebook page, which attracted a following of nearly 2,800 people. Christine also arranged video 'shout outs' on Youtube from a number of celebrities including Reuben Wiki, Pippa Wetzell and Nigel Vagana.

At the same time, Christine worked in her personal capacity on communications for Youth Week and on a Facebook page entitled 'Tell My Moko'. The page asked, "if you could, what would you say to your mokopuna in 50 years time?" Christine also worked on media communications for Samoan Language Week and the Samoan Language Week Champions.

The commemorative booklet was also an acknowledgement of individual and community efforts in resettling refugees. The publication includes a visual guide of the countries of origin for the 23,030 refugees arriving in Aotearoa between 1979 and 2010. It presents the experiences of a selection of refugees at the Mangere Centre, and how the centre has impacted on their resettlement.

'First Steps to a New Future' was launched at the Mangere Centre on 20 June, World Refugee Day, and was accompanied by a kauri planting ceremony.

A number of organisations collaborated to support and present E.mer.gent, including Agora Café, the Hamilton Arts Council, Hamilton City Council, Hamilton Multicultural Sevices Trust, Incedo, Refugee Services Aotearoa New Zealand and the Waikato Refugee Forum. Young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds attended the workshops and around 65 artists created over 100 pieces for inclusion in the E.mer.gent exhibition.

The workshops and creative process were also a way of sharing the young people's stories, cultural roots and emotions. Proceeds from the works sold were returned to the young artists, who came from a range of communities. Some schools also participated.

As well as acknowledging the creative talent of the artists, the workshops and exhibition were a way of bringing together families and communities with a special opening on 14 June, for the artists and their families. E.mer.gent was such a success that participants are already asking when the next workshops will be.

Ngāti Wai has been running outdoor wilderness programmes for at-risk young people for more than 20 years, where youth are able to learn about mana whenua and tikanga.

The latest workshops were also an opportunity for refugee background young people to share their own cultural heritage with each other, and with young people of Ngāti Wai. The programmes included abseiling, rock climbing, kayaking, orienteering, and safety, survival and bush skills.

Those who completed the course will become participants in the 'Refugee Youth Action Network' in Auckland and Hamilton.

The kit consists of a wall chart and matching Velcro flash-cards (designed by one of the team members) and was developed after consultation with several local primary school teachers showed that there was a "real need" for an affordable learning resource. EduKit was developed by EduKid NZ, which is comprised of six Tauranga Girls' College students. Last week, the group beat some tough competition to win the Young Enterprise Scheme regional business plan and oral presentation competition.

The EduKit has been well-received by local primary school and the EduKid team is preparing to launch the product at Tauranga Chamber of Commerce meeting on 7 July. Kits will be available online.

Mātāriki, which translates as 'the tiny eyes', or 'the eyes of the gods', is the name for the seven stars visible over the month of June and signals the start of the Māori New Year.

Te Taura Whiri's booklet, published in te reo and English, provides information on the stars, the timing and significance of Mātāriki, and the importance of the rising of Mātāriki in the ancient world. The publication also includes a Māori lunar calendar and a collection of Māori proverbs.

You can download the booklet and find out more about Mātāriki on the Te Kōrero Māori website.

The exhibition serves up Auckland in four courses: it explores traditional harvesting of food from land and sea; shows the great banquets of Auckland's past; showcases objects from New Zealand's culinary culture; and investigates the future of our food.

The Kai to Pie exhibition is accompanied by a wide range of activities and events including lectures, family events, cooking demonstrations and tasting sessions. Every Saturday, the Museum will showcase one of the many ethnic groups that call Auckland home. On these days there will be cooking demonstrations, cultural performances and the opportunity to taste some cultural specialities.

For more information, visit Auckland Museum's website.

Before the week began, the Samoan parents put together a resource pack for the teachers at the school, allowing the teachers to go into Samoan Language Week fully prepared and with confidence.

The school celebrated Samoan Language Week in several different ways. Each day the kids were introduced to a new Samoan word or phrase and encouraged to use the language in everyday conversation. Samoan words (including days of the week and months of the year) and numbers were integrated into lessons and used throughout the classrooms.

The school organised lunchtime activities, including an interactive story-telling activity and a Samoan games session. The teachers also got involved and took lessons in Samoan Siva dancing. An inter-class lavalava design competition was held, allowing the kids to get creative with Samoan-inspired patterns and colours. The competition was judged by Leafa Wilson, curator of the Waikato Museum and Samoan artist, in conjunction with Woodstock's Principal, Steve Ostermann. Prizes for the competition were awarded during Friday's Fiafia assembly, where the Woodstock's Samoan cultural group also delivered a fantastic performance. The school won the Air New Zealand prize for the best Samoan Language Week activity.

Check out the photos of Woodstock's celebrations.

A number of other schools and organisation presented a range of innovative and highly interactive programmes to celebrate the week. In addition to Woodstock Primary School, some of the outstanding efforts included Matipo Primary School, whose students created an exhibition of tapa and conducted their school assembly in Samoan and English, and Ponsonby Primary School, which had a chopsuey feast and a whole school sasa event.

Celebrations extended to Deception Bay in Australia, and Osaka in Japan. All of the events are documented on the Human Rights Commission's website and on the dedicated Samoan Language Week Facebook page. Special mention must be made of Mangere East Primary School, which celebrated Samoan Language Week, but sadly lost seven classrooms including the whole of the junior syndicate and part of the Samoan bilingual unit in a fire the following week. The school reopened soon after but will need major reconstruction.

"The aim of our project was to track the resettlement process from the refugees' home country to give Kiwis a better understanding of the background of people moving in to their communities.

We wanted to illustrate - through pictures and words - the lives that these people were leaving behind and the huge amount of hope they have for their futures."

The pair headed to different refugee camps each day in search of the families they hoped to follow in their move to New Zealand. Most of the families knew little or nothing about New Zealand and consequently had few expectations about what life would be like here. What Rebecca and Kirk did come away with was "a great sense of how devoid of hope these people had been feeling and their immense happiness at being offered the opportunity for a new life."

Rebecca and Kirk met with the families again in Auckland and gained an insight into how New Zealand supports its newest residents in their transition. They plan to follow three families over the coming months and years to see how they settle in, what study or job options they take up and how they integrate into New Zealand society.

More about the project can be read online. Rebecca and Kirk recently caught up with the Magan family, now living in Christchurch.

This followed the publication last year of Michael Mulholland's history of Māori rugby, Beneath the Māori Moon (now made into a Māori Television documentary) and Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples' renewed call for an apology at the launch of the centenary of Māori Rugby earlier this year. The Sunday News spearheaded what became a widespread media campaign to achieve an apology, with editorial comment, news coverage and columns from their regular writers such as former All Black captain Taine Randell and radio talkback host John Tamihere. The knockout blow was dealt by reporter David Long, who obtained a letter from South African Sports and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile which called for apologies from both the South African and New Zealand unions. The South African union then made its own apology, followed finally by the New Zealand Rugby Union. The Sunday News is acknowledged, along with other media, for applying the pressure to achieve this outcome.

The Regent on Broadway was filled to capacity for the event, which included 35 different performances from a wide range of local cultural groups. There were groups from various parts of Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, Latin Amercia and the Pacific, led off by waiata from the students of Turakina Girls College. What set this concert apart was the sheer professionalism of the direction and the way the community groups rose to the challenge of performing in a professional setting.

Official guests were welcomed via the PA system and groups just flowed on and off the stage without introduction. The concert was preceded by a fundraising dinner hosted by the Multicultural Council at the China Town restaurant, attended by over 200 people. Congratulations to the director, the performers, the multicultural council and all who attended on a great evening showcase of Palmerston North's diversity and creativity.

The trip was a first for Botany Downs Secondary College students, and the kaupapa of the weekend was to give the Blake and Discovery whānau cultural committee students a deeper understanding of whānau and Whānaungatanga. Nineteen students from diverse communities and backgrounds attended, including Māori, Mexican, South African, Persian, Asian and Polynesian students.

A warm invitation was extended to staff, families and international students to attend the 10am pōwhiri, and to the hangi Edgewater College students prepared for dinner. There was a varied programme over the weekend, with Edgewater College students welcoming, hosting and sharing their marae culture with Botany Downs Secondary College students. Members of host students' whānau shared their knowledge of tikanga, whānau, poi, mau rakau, kapahaka, raranga, and hangi, and supported students to make the weekend a success. Kapahaka tutors, Koro Percy and Whaea Lola, facilitated the pōwhiri, poroporoaki, and workshops on Whānaungatanga, marae history and protocol.

Feedback indicated that Botany Downs Secondary College students went away with a much deeper understanding of the culture, of whānau, of songs in te reo, and about supporting each other as a whānau.

The initiative involved cross-sectoral collaboration between NGOs, government agencies, local authorities, marae, schools, whānau and rangatahi to "encourage and foster young Māori leaders as catalysts to positively influence behaviour within their whānau and communities."

A project coordinator worked with four secondary schools from the Hutt region; Upper Hutt, Heretaunga, Taita and Wainuiomata Colleges. Each school nominated eight students who showed leadership qualities and were willing to become violence free in their homes, schools and communities. These rangatahi then engaged with the community in discussions about family violence, typically a very sensitive and difficult process.

Kapa haka expert, Mihaere Kirby, explains that exposure to the performing arts was both a means to deliver key messages about violence and a process of healing for students and whānau who had experienced violence: "Waiata and kapa haka... serenade the young to stand up and be leaders." The students performed at events in the Hutt and Wellington region, as well as in Auckland, Nelson, Hawkes Bay and Whanganui.

The programme had three facets: personal development of students; community presentations and performances, at events such as White Ribbon Day; and alignment with the social marketing strategy 'Bouncy Bully', developed by Heretaunga College and part of the Young Enterprise Scheme. The 'Bounce Bully' scheme involved the creation of a 'company' to address and reduce bullying with the understanding that "It is not enough to tell bullies that they should stop their violent behaviour. We believe that we need to create an environment where bullying is not accepted and that it is cool to be violence free" (Bouncy Bully Action Plan).

One Taiohi Morehu participant said "After becoming involved in Taiohi Morehu and hearing stories during our wānanga I realised the way I was treating my brothers was unacceptable and could have resulted in consequences hard to repair in the future."

Due to its success, other students are now asking for a similar programme to be made available to them. Read last week's TVNZ mention of the group.

The day's celebrations will begin with the Fourth Annual World Refugee Football Match, followed by a cultural fair and a tree planting event. As in previous years, the match is expected to attract both refugee background and local communities from the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington. The first match will be between Refugee All-Star players from Africa and Asia, and the second will see players from another Refugee All-Star team challenge a Wellington Invitational Eleven.

A cultural fair with music, dance and food cooked by different refugee communities at Newtown Park club rooms will follow the football matches. Refugee background communities will then be able to plant a tree to 'put down roots' at Mt Albert Park, in a Rotary Club of Wellington and Project Crimson initiative.

Set by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the 2010 theme for World Refugee Day is 'Home'. The Commission has established a webpage to publicise events around the country- if you are planning one email us and we will add it to the page.

Four visits are organised annually, and provide an exciting opportunity for newcomers to learn about tikanga Māori, including the pōwhiri and hongi. Manuhiri hear the history of Ngāti Whātua and of Ōrākei Marae, and experience an interactive programme. Visitors are able to try out the haka, flax weaving and enjoy a traditional hangi lunch. Feedback from the visits has been very positive, with comments that people found the new information to be very useful, and the experience fun. The learning process is two-way, with Ngāti Whātua also finding out more about new migrants and their diverse cultures. The visits are in high demand and combine well with Settlement Support's Treaty Education workshops.

Check out Settlement Support Auckland's Facebook page for pictures.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres and Commissioner Karen Johansen spoke on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Much of the discussion centred on the Declaration, and how to best realise its intent. Some 80 people attended the hui, representing a wide range of community members, local school students, iwi, hapu, whānau and community groups.

Tairawhiti Community Law Centre is a member of the Tairawhiti Eastern Bay Human Rights Network. The network was developed from the Taku Manawa My Human Rights pilot project and is a group of community organisations and individuals that work together to identify and address human rights issues in the region. The Tairawhiti region network is coordinated by Murray Henare and the Eastern Bay region by Tracy Hillier.

Based at Maraeroa School and Kindergarten in Cannons Creek, Porirua, each playgroup will have its own space and come together for shared play and meal times with a view to both promoting cultural diversity and encouraging shared learning and appreciation of different Pacific languages and cultures.

Toru Fetū is a combination of the three languages and means 'three stars', representing the Niue, Cook Island and Tuvalu groups and symbolising "Pacific people's use of the stars to navigate and explore the vast oceans... The light of Toru Fetū Kindergarten is our children."

In future it is hoped that the centre will also house support services such as antenatal and parenting courses, cultural resources, and health information. Toru Fetū Kindergarten will be opened by Hon Anne Tolley, Minister of Education, on 3 June.

The newspapers are aimed at different age groups and curriculum areas, and include Go-Zone Junior, Years 1-2; Go Zone, Years 3-4; I site, Years 5-6; News:links, Years 7-8; and Zoned in, Years 9-10.

This year the following topics are explored:

• I site: Mātāriki Week (published 1 June)
• News:link: 'ngā toi me ngā hakinakina'- Māori arts and recreation (published 8 June)
• Go Zone: te wā'- the time (published 15 June)
• Zoned In: 'Kaitiakitanga o ngā wai māori'- preservation of fresh water (published 22 June).
• A resource on 'Te Marae' and a poster on 'He kōrero mō te kai' are also available.

Mātāriki falls on 14 June this year, although it is celebrated by different iwi at different times. Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week is set to be celebrated from 26 July-1 August, with the theme 'Te Mahi Kai- the Language of Food'. To place an order or find out more about the mini-newspapers, email Fairfax NIE.

The group utilises the arts to assist new Filipino migrants with the settling in process. It is based in Wellington and was initiated by a group of young and aspiring artists, with guidance from the Cultural Officer from the Philippine Embassy. The group, also known as FILINARTIZTS, promotes visual arts, dance, music, martial arts, literary arts and performing arts, for "...young and old, new migrants and older migrants... to share and experience a truly vibrant Filipino arts and culture." FILINARTIZTS has already performed at a number of events, including the ASEAN Night Market, Race Relations Day in Johnsonville, Filipino Fiesta Sa Wellington, and the Philippine Independence Day celebration, as well as the South East Asian Cultural evening in Lower Hutt this past month. Upcoming events include a radio programme with Wellington Access Radio and a Death Rituals project in conjunction with the Office of Ethnic Affairs and Wellington Museum of the Sea.

FILINARTIZTS will be showcasing the Filipino indigenous games and the ati-atihan (street dancing and drumbeats) at the Philippine Independence Day celebration this Sunday, 6 June, 11:30am-2pm, at Lower Hutt's Horticultural Centre. A cultural programme will follow from 2-5pm.

The morning workshops are held at Waiwhetu Marae and are part of the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy. Teri Puketapu and Moana Jackson presented at the latest workshop, where visitors learnt about pōwhiri, local history, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori language and tikanga, and caring for the environment. The workshops have proved to be very popular and have been attended by newcomers from a range of countries. As one attendee said: "New Zealand is our new home, and it is very important to become aware of the Māori culture. So today's visit is an important learning experience for us. For most of us, this is the first visit to a marae."

Contact Vesna West to find out more about the next workshop on 17 June (04 570 6786).

Twenty five young people, aged between 13 and 28 from different regions and cultures, attended the forum held in Porirua from 16- 18 April. The young people received editorial feedback on their draft resource kit for young migrants and took part in a range of leadership development activities. NZFMC Youth President said "This is just the beginning of a journey that is going to take New Zealand to new and great horizons."

The Summit is packed with events, exhibitions and performances, and as Ema Tavola, Pacific Arts Coordinator of Manukau Arts, says "Practiced, appreciated and celebrated everyday in churches and schools, at home, through language and ritual, our arts are an inextricable link to our ancestors."

The month kicks off with the Creative Careers Youth Expo, giving Pacific youth insight into successful careers in the arts. Next up is 'Lunchtime Poetry Slam Feat', with Charlie Dark (from the British Council's People in Your Neighbourhood project), in collaboration with Pacific poets from Otara. Throughout the month there will be a Creative New Zealand heritage arts fono/ hui; an Otara Niu Mural; and a Pacific Sound Stage. A 'Curating Pacific Art Forum' is set to bring together curators, academics, artists and cultural commentators for dialogue on Pacific visual arts. An Artists Floor Talk on 'Tongan Style' will highlight the art and practice of embroidery and crocheting in Tonga and Tefisi clothing.

The key dates and events are:

• 1 May - Creative Careers Youth Expo
• 4 May - Lunchtime Poetry Slam
• 7 May - Creative New Zealand Heritage Arts Fono
• 8 May - Tongan Style Artists' Floor Talk
• 15 May - Fresh Gallery Otara Niu Mural
• 21 May - Curating Pacific Art Forum
• 22 May - Pacific Sound Stage
• 29 May - Blood's Thicker Than Mud Artists' Floor Talk.

Visit the Pacific Arts Summit pages on Manukau City Council's website for more information.

Taz Mukorombindo, Canterbury Business Association and programme coordinator, explains that isolation and lack of existing networks are often key barriers for migrants to finding work. The programme aims to remove these barriers, and includes assistance in gaining industry experience and creating CVs. The scheme was launched at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology by Human Rights Commissioner Richard Tankersley and MP Nicky Wagner. The Canterbury Business Association works to support migrants and refugees to find employment, and in addition to the mentoring programme runs network meetings and multicultural events. To find out more visit their website or email the mentoring programme.

The series, which began last July, provides a casual, safe environment for people to learn about different countries. Each month a guest 'neighbour' from a focus country is featured. They share information about their country, culture, customs, and teach participants a few words in their mother tongue. The focus countries have included Iran, Korea, Macedonia, Russia, South Africa and Tonga. Community members are encouraged to pop in, bring along their lunch, have cup of tea, and learn something new. The next session, about the Philippines, will be on 27 May. You can register or find out more by contacting Settlement Support North Shore (486 8635).

Held on King Tuheitia's birthday, the celebration included seminars, panel discussions, wananga, sporting and cultural events, and a concert hosted by the king. Of particular significance was the premiere of Ahukaramu Charles Royal's orchestral piece 'Te Arikinui', dedicated to the late Māori queen, Te Atairangikaahu. The words were written by Timoti Karetu of Ngae Tuhoe- the piece was performed by Howard McGuire of Ngati Kahungungu. The university has a strong relationship with Tainui, and one in every five students studying at the university is Māori.

This step completes Phase 2 of a five phase plan. In line with Ministry of Health requirements and in response to an increasingly diverse population, CALD courses teach health practitioners how to provide services that "acknowledge the diversity of cultures and ensure services are accessible, culturally appropriate, effective and safe."

The new website also hosts links, news, a forum and electronic toolkits, and is intended to grow. They have also developed a 24-7 Waitemata Auckland Translation and Interpreting Service (WATIS) for primary and secondary care services and a range of Asian culture-specific services for the DHB. Visit CALD's new website.

The project was launched at Wesley Community Centre on 24 April. The conference involved discussion on a range of issues important to young people, such as education and community development, and the relationship between these factors and sport. The group received a $4000 grant from Fifa, the international football federation.

Yonas, who is leading the project, explains that the tournament aims to build relationships as well as sporting abilities. The four young men will scout for young talent in their neighbourhoods, with a focus on 14- 25 year olds from migrant and refugee communities. They hope that the project will improve access to opportunities for the target group: "They are in totally different countries and their parents don't have much support either. These new communities need support." To find out more contact Yonas.

The launch on 14 April was attended by 400 people and opened with a lion dance, a tribute to Bruce Lee, Chinese Martial Arts legend. Speakers included real estate entrepreneur, Don Ha; and Skykiwi Public Relations Manager, Ariel Zhang. Raymond Kwok, of Future Dragonz explains "We want to create an environment for young Chinese from early settler, recent migrant and international student communities to network and learn from each other... to lead New Zealand Chinese into the future.

Future Dragonz will hold a series of events throughout the year, aimed at facilitating both social and professional growth of its members. Find out more on the Future Dragonz website.

The day celebrated cultural diversity, and aimed to raise awareness of Vaisakhi cultural celebrations, which are held to mark the start of spring and the end of harvest. Vaisakhi is particularly significant for the Sikh community and is widely celebrated in the state of Punjab. A range of entertainment was featured, including Indian cultural and Bollywood dances, music, and activities for children.

Christine Murthi's group 'Dreams on Fire' won the Youth Indian Dance Competition after the 'dance off' between schools from all over Auckland. The celebration extended to local libraries, with Botany, Manukau City Centre Mangere, Manurewa, Pakuranga, and Papatoetoe branches hosting student presentations and performances on Indian festival, and the harvesting season celebrations. The AIEC Trust works to promote "educational, community and awareness activities", bringing both Indian and wider communities together.

They were co-facilitated by Brigid Ryan and Anne McKenzie. They are a response to the changing demographics of the two regions, to "take stock of emerging issues, to coordinate services and to plan for the ongoing needs of the expanding local migrant communities". The aim is to identify needs, gaps in services and suggestions for further action. The research is based on consultation with local and central government, non-government organisations, focus groups of local migrants, and census data.

The Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty report identifies a number of key priority areas: facilitating access to services; improving support to families and children; improving appreciation of diversity; encouraging healthy lifestyles; safety and security; knowledge and skills; economic well-being; positive ageing; and vibrant and optimistic youth. Priority actions identified in the Albany report are: developing a Programme of Action; working with the Multi-Agency Strategic Team; working on a strategy for a central community space/ hub; producing local resources in Chinese and Korean languages; establishing an Albany 'Newcomers Network'; pursuing a strategy to link Albany migrants with available services; promoting an established social English group; and investigating Pacific peoples views.

Both reports were launched with pōwhiri and performances by local Kapa Haka groups and entertainment from local ethnic groups. The Albany launch on 26 March featured traditional Korean music by the Southern Cross Performing Group and a Chinese children's group performance. The Tauranga launch on 16 April included Greek dance from the Aegean Islands, Macedonia and Pontos; a Korean fan dance; and an Indian/ Bangra group. Both launches were attended by Hon Tariana Turia, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment; Ann Dysart, Manager Community Relationships, Family and Community Services, Ministry of Social Development; and Joris de Bres, Race Relations Commissioner.

Events included a potluck dinner for seniors, a celebration of the diversity in Fiji organised by Luvei Viti, a morning tea organised by the Pan-Pacific and South East Asian Women's Association, and the Mabuhay Cultural Fair organised by the Wellington Mabuhay Association in the nearby Johnsonville Community Hall.

Founded in 1960, the New Zealand-Japan Society of Auckland is "a two-way bridge between two countries". Its primary goals are:

• The promotion of understanding and goodwill between the people of Japan and New Zealand.
• The study of Japanese culture, both traditional and modern.
• To establish liaisons and promote cultural exchanges with Japanese individuals, groups and institutions.
• To extend hospitality to Japanese visitors to New Zealand and provide information for members and others proposing to visit Japan.
• To do all such things as are or may be incidental or conducive to the attainment of the foregoing objects.

The Rutherford College kapa haka group gave an outstanding performance at the Race Relations Report launch, and a variety of cultural groups (including, Indian, Filipino, South African and Caribbean) performed at the Race Relations Day event, where various contributors to the work of the Waitakere Ethnic Board and community were given certificates of acknowledgment. Waitakere City Libraries also had Race Relations Day displays and organised "Earth People" clay figure making activities in a number of schools.

Rutherford College kapa haka rōpū supported mana whenua representative Eru Thompson to open the Human Rights Commission's launch of this year's Race Relations Report. Guests were welcomed with a haka pōwhiri, to extend respect and manaaki towards the diverse audience. The kapa haka rōpū performed waiata and haka to support speakers throughout the day, concluding with a 10 minute finale. The young people made a deep impression on all those present, who came from a variety of ethnic and community groups, the media, and local and central government. The Race Relations Report was launched in Waitakere, Wellington and Christchurch. It is now available on the Human Rights Commission's website.

Hamilton's eight day festival had a programme packed with events and activities, including:

• 'A parade of nations', showcasing traditional national dress, and music and dance from all other the world.
• An international film festival, hosted by different communities.
• Community activities, including demonstrations, film, exhibitions and food.
• The Turangawaewae Regatta, involving a convoy of war canoe races on the Waikato river.
• A 'Gathering of Cultures' family day, with arts, crafts and food stalls; and entertainment on stage.

Palmerston North City Council held the festival in association with a number of voluntary groups. Highlights from the extensive programme included:

• An opening community cultural lantern parade.
• The World Food, Craft and Music Fair.
• 'A Taste of Culture' Cuisine Show.
• 'Mosaic'- a multicultural worship service.
• Performances of 'The Bone Feeder'.

The Macleans College Intercultural Club organised an intercultural quiz, special assembly and international food festival on 24 March to celebrate Race Relations Day. The events emphasised the diverse backgrounds of the school's community. The school has been celebrating Race Relations Day for a number of years, in a range of creative and interesting ways, including performances showcasing traditional dress and flags from around the world, and music and dance. Teacher Isabelle Mouquet has shared her excellent Race Relations Day resources with teachers within and outside of the school to promote learning and discussion around race relations. The extensive resource is displayed on the Human Rights Commission's website.

Over a period of three days from March 17, the Daily News published a series of full page features, photographs and news stories recalling the start of the Taranaki Land Wars in Waitara in 1860. Stories and photos covered the opening of the exhibition at Puke Ariki, the dawn ceremony at Waitara, the signing of terms of negotiation between the Crown, Taranaki Whānui and Te Atiawa, and interviews with local people. The features were on 'The Land Wars, Waitara, Past and Present'. The series began with the statement "150 years ago today, the first shots were fired in a battle that lasted more than a decade and set the path for a young country's future. The echoes of those musket shots and war cries can still be heard in the small Taranaki town that gave birth to the struggle. Over the next three days we will examine that legacy and what it means for Waitara today and into the future." Sadly, apart from Radio New Zealand's Morning Report, there was little coverage outside Taranaki of the anniversary of this major event in our history, despite the presence of the Prime Minister, Governor General and other national figures.

This major exhibition was opened by the Prime Minister on 17 March, the 150th anniversary of the commencement of the Taranaki Land Wars in Waitara. It tells the story of the war, using historic photographs, precious objects, digital technology and poignant first hand accounts. It is an unflinching look at the harsh reality of war and colonisation in Taranaki. This is the final in a series of five exhibitions on the theme of Common Ground leading up to the anniversary.

Previous exhibitions were Takapou Whāriki, which explored family history and identity; Taranaki Whenua which looked at issues surrounding land; Taranaki Culture which celebrated the region's creativity; and Taranaki Fortunes which dealt with matters of regional economy. The current exhibition revisits all these topics of family, land, culture and economy in the light of the devastating effects of Taranaki war. There are plans to tour the exhibition to other parts of the country when it closes in August.

Hopefully all New Zealanders will have an opportunity to see Te Ahi Kā Roa, Te Ahi Kātoro, because the Land Wars are an important part of the history not only of Taranaki but also of New Zealand as a whole. This is one of the most important museum exhibitions of recent times in New Zealand, and is a tribute to the vision of Puke Ariki director Bill McNaught, his team and the organisations that have had the courage to sponsor such a challenging event.

Find out more on their website.

The small St Joseph's Primary School in Waitara was one of four schools in New Zealand that won a Mazda-sponsored Treemendous School Makeover from Project Crimson this year. Their project was to transform an out of bounds swamp at the back of the school to a native wetland. The day for the transformation was 20 March, just as the region was focused on Waitara because of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Taranaki Land Wars. School Principal Moya Christophers said she had worried that perhaps the event would be overshadowed by tensions arising from the publicity around unresolved issues such as the fate of the Waitara endowment land leases and other Treaty claims, but that instead the planting day really brought the community together.

Several hundred people of Māori, Pākehā and other descent turned out to help, including students and their families, teachers, the local fire brigade, local church groups and service groups, as well as New Plymouth Mayor Peter Tennant and local MP Jonathan Young. A pond was dug out and four boardwalks put up to allow access from one side of the wetland to the other and around 1000 native plants were planted on the day with the help of hundreds of volunteers. A restored wooden bridge was also transported to the area which now leads to a newly constructed outdoor classroom. The 183 pupil school was chosen from 94 nationwide applications to have its grounds enhanced with a native tree garden. The result is spectacular.

The guide includes practical information on finding a doctor and school, opening a bank account, assistance with learning English and information about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The book was written by Shelley Davenport, Manawatu Settlement Support coordinator, and supported by Settlement Support NZ, the Department of Labour and the Palmerston North City Council. It is available from Palmerston North libraries, information centres and Settlement Support Palmerston North (ph 356 8199).

Rotorua's first Holi festival brought together mana whenua, locals and international visitors. Whilst the festival originally intended to build relationships between local Māori and Hindu communities, the festival's scope grew wider to include people from various faiths, communities and even countries. Held at Te Papaioru Marae in the Ohinemutu Village, the day included a powhiri; affirming speeches from mana whenua and Hindu communities; a "Mehndi Moko" workshop, bringing together Mehndi and Ta Moko art forms; belly dancing; a vegetarian hangi; and traditional Holi festivities, such as dancing and pouring coloured powder and water on each other. Holi (Festival of Colours) is a traditional Indian festival, promoting a good harvest and fertility of the land. It is hoped the festival will become an annual event.

• Some 3,500 people joining the specially created Race Relations Day Facebook page.
• Publication of the Human Rights Commission's annual Race Relations Report.
• The Minister of Māori Affairs hosting a Race Relations Day reception at Orākei Marae in Auckland.
• The Minister of Ethnic Affairs hosting a government reception at Te Papa.
• The launch of Dr Edwina Pio's book on Asian and MELAA migrants, Longing and Belonging, in Wellington and Auckland.
• A full day focusing on discrimination and social justice at the international Pacific Youth and Sports Conference organised by Oceania Football in Manukau, 15-20 March.
• A workshop on the Treaty and Migrants at Auckland Regional Migrant Services.
• The launch of guides to new settlers in Christchurch and Palmerston North.
• Holi Festivals in Rotorua and Waitakere, and a Hindu Youth celebration in Manukau.
• The Hawkes Bay International Festival in Hastings, the Lakeside Multicultural Festival in Takapuna and Culture Galore in Christchurch.
• A Race Relations Day Debate organised by the Auckland University Debating Society.
• A Race Relations Day exhibition and lunchtime event in Hawera.
• A Race Relations Day cabaret in Greymouth.
• A Race Relations Day expo and launch of a Newcomers Network in Gore.
• A Multicultural Christian Choral Service in Palmerston North.
• People in Harmony concerts in Blockhouse Bay.
• Events with a local community focus in Howick, Papatoetoe, Roskill South, Dargaville, Whangarei, Johnsonville, Waiuku and Pukekohe, and information stalls in Ruatoria, Opotiki, Te Araroa and Whakatane.
• Activities and acknowledgments in many schools, councils, libraries and churches around the country.

These were:

• Tauranga Multicultural Festival, 6 March, Tauranga Multicultural Council
• U & I Soccer Fest, 6 March, Rotorua Multicultural Council
• Race Relations Day networking event, 19 March, Christchurch Multicultural Council
• Dunedin Multi-ethnic concert and world potluck buffet, 20 March, Dunedin Multicultural Council
• Hutt City Race Unity Day Festival, 20 March, Hutt Multicultural Council
• Timaru Race Relations Day Dinner, 20 March, Aoraki Multicultural Council
• Southland Multicultural Food Festival, 20 March, Invercargill, Southland Multi-Nations Council
• North Shore City Race Relations Day Dinner, 21 March, North Shore Multicultural Council
• Nelson Race Unity Day Festival, 21 March, Nelson Multicultural Council
• Indigo Festival, 21 March, Hamilton, Waikato Multicultural Council
• Upper Hutt Festival of Cultures, 27 March, Upper Hutt Multicultural Council
• Palmerston North Festival of Cultures, 27 March, Manawatu Multicultural Council
• Taranaki Multicultural Extravaganza, 27 March, New Plymouth, Taranaki Multicultural Council
• Oamaru Multicultural Concert, 27 March, Waitaki Multicultural Council
• Franklin Multicultural Festival, 28 March, Pukekohe, Counties Manukau Ethnic Council

Border Crossings is an exhibition of Whanganui artists' works, exploring cultural diversity, geographical borders, and identity and place. The artwork refers to borders between South Taranaki and Whanganui, as well as in the wider world. The title 'Border Crossings' reflects the intent to examine borders, between place and culture, and work towards crossing those 'borders'. The exhibition is timed to coincide with a Race Relations Day celebration of lunchtime entertainment at the Hawera Town Square on March 19. Local dance groups and musicians will perform, accompanied by food stalls; peace flags created at the Parihaka Peace Festival 2010 will also be displayed. The Lysaght Watt Gallery is also offering an education programme based around the theme of Border Crossings to local schools. Border Crossings will be opened by Race Relations Commissioner, Joris de Bres, on March 2. Find out more online.

Upper Riccarton Library celebrated the Lunar New Year from February 20-21, by creating a space for local communities to mark the important calendar event. On Saturday the Korean community gave performances of dancing and drumming, and on Sunday the Chinese community celebrated with Tai chi, choir and Lion dance performances. There were also songs and stories, as well as lantern making and papercraft sessions.

On Feburary 16, the library hosted a workshop run by Chinese Paper Cut Artist, Liu Jieqiong, who was awarded the title of Master of Folk Art and Craft by UNESCO. Participants made Chinese paper cuts incorporating bat, bird, and flower designs, which symbolise good luck, health, wealth and success for the New Year. Paper cutting is a traditional art in rural Chinese communities as a way of recording ancient myths and storytelling. The workshop was supported by Asia NZ Foundation and the Christchurch Arts Centre.

Upper Riccarton Library's celebrations are part of a wider Christchurch City Libraries initiative to recognise and celebrate diversity and multiculturalism in the city.

Kelsey was a finalist in the 2009 Race Unity Speech Awards. Following the awards she applied the principles she spoke about in her speech to her life at school and in her local community. Kelsey established a race unity group at Otago Girls High, where students from different cultures shared things about themselves and their lives. The group organised an international day with different types of food and cultural performances. She also spoke at a local primary school, where students had studied her speech. The students discussed different cultures and races living together.

Kelsey's speech on 'Good Neighbours Come from All Different Races and Cultures' provoked thought about harmony and conflict between neighbours, and how "each of us has to make an effort, change will not come if we don't act, if we don't stop talking past each other, if we don't stop just hearing and start actually listening, because as Henry David Thoreau once said 'things do not change; we change'."

The 2010 Race Unity Speech Awards, organised nationally in association with Race Relations Day, are coming up soon. More information is available on our website: the deadline for applications is March 8.

Gore's multicultural Race Relations Day celebration will this year also mark the establishment of the Gore Newcomers Network. As last year's event was such a success, this year's Expo aims to reach out to Gore's new community members and provide information about local services, such as the English language courses. There will be a movie and popcorn for the children. The event will be on March 18 from 7- 9pm at James Cumming Wing, Ardwick St, Gore. Contact Colleen Te Au or the Community Connection Centre for more information (03 208 8480).

The Hokinga Mai dawn ceremony, held at Canterbury Museum, marked the return home of the Mō Tātou exhibition from Te Papa. The exhibition is accompanied by Mō Kā Uri, showcasing both Ngāi Tahu taonga and contemporary work by leading Ngāi Tahu artists. It celebrates past and present Ngāi Tahu culture, with a focus on the Waitaha (Canterbury) and Tai Poutini (West Coast) regions.

The dawn opening was conducted by senior local kaumatua (tribal elders) and kaikarakia (prayer-leaders). Said Human Rights Commissioner Richard Tankersley, himself of Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe and Waitaha descent, "It was a fine acknowledgement of the arrival home of our treasures, and a great opportunity for many people from a broad spectrum of the community to join with takata whenua in celebrating our identity, our history and our place in the community."

Since the exhibition opened at Te Papa in 2006, over one million people have viewed and experienced the taonga. Now accompanied by Mō Kā Uri, it is the largest exhibition of Ngāi Tahu arts to date: "For the first time, more than 200 objects of cultural importance spanning more than 600 years of Southern Māori tradition and lifestyle will be on display."

The exhibitions will run until 20 June 2010, accompanied by a range of programmes and events.

It is a celebration of cultural diversity and a commitment to harmonious race relations. It involves cultural performances, ethnic foods and dress, and sports, art, speech and essay competitions, intranet profiles, media features, discussions, intercultural exchange, people sharing their backgrounds, migration stories and opinions.

There are festivals and events in towns like Invercargill, Gore, Oamaru, Timaru, Greymouth, Blenheim, Nelson, Hawera, Waitara, Hastings, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Hamilton, Waiuku, Pukekohe, Dargaville, and Whangarei as well as the metropolitan centres.

If you are organising something in your community or workplace, let us know. You can also order a free Race Relations Day poster from nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz to promote the day. Also available are copies of the New Zealand Statement on Race Relations.

The Human Rights Commission will launch its annual review of race relations on 11 March in Auckland, in advance of Race Relations Day. It will be available on the Commission's website, or you can order a hard copy from nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz .

March 21 recalls the tragic loss of life at Sharpeville in South Africa in 1960, and is dedicated by the United Nations to the achievement of the goals of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Form of Racial Discrimination. New Zealand signed the Convention in 1966 and ratified it 1972 after establishing the Office of the Race Relations Conciliator.

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre, when South African police mowed down 69 unarmed people and injured 180 others who refused to carry the hated dompas identity document that was meant only for indigenous Africans.

The newly formed Pan Africanist Congress had called on Africans to leave their pass books at home that day, go to the nearest police station and demand to be arrested for not carrying the dompas. Every indigenous African male above the age of 16 had to carry the dompas on his person day and night and produce it on demand by the police. Failure to produce, forgetting the pass at home, or not having the right stamp, meant arbitrary arrest and jail.

When the police in Sharpeville saw the masses marching towards them, they panicked and opened fire, killing the 69 and injuring hundreds. There was an international outcry. In the aftermath of the massacre, following the declaration of a state of emergency on 30 March 1960, thousands of blacks were arrested throughout the country. In April 1960, the Nationalist Party (NP) government, under the premiership of apartheid architect Hendrik Verwoerd, banned the PAC and ANC, forcing the two movements to go underground and eventually into exile.

Today, 21 March is celebrated in South Africa as Human Rights Day, and is a public holiday. The ANC-led government chose Sharpeville as the venue to launch South Africa's new Constitution, signed by its first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, on 8 May 1996.

In 2001, the government marked 21 March by unveiling the Sharpeville human rights memorial on the site outside the police station where the 69 men, women and children were shot - most of them in the back. Their names are all displayed on the memorial plaque.

Professor Paul Morris is Victoria University's Programme Director for Religious Studies and his appointment is significant, as this is New Zealand's first UNESCO Chair award. In his position as the UNESCO chair, he will engage in and publish research on religious change in New Zealand and the Pacific; foster links between scholars in the region; and engage with governments on the impact of religious and cultural change. Professor Morris has also been strongly involved in the NZ Diversity Action Programme and wrote the National Statement on Religious Diversity. The appointment will be formally announced at the 7^th National Interfaith Forum in Christchurch this weekend.

Andrew Corrêa, who is a composer, arranger and jazz musician based in West Auckland, is organising a Blockhouse Bay celebration with a view to uniting people from diverse cultures and 'bringing the community together with music on Race Relations Day.' There will be two shows, in which around 100 amateur musicians and dancers will perform a variety of cultural musical items that celebrate New Zealand's rich diversity. Proceeds will be donated to local initiatives promoting unity.

The concerts are sponsored by the Blockhouse Bay Community Centre, and the two shows will run at 4pm and 8pm at the Blockhouse Bay Community Centre. Please email Andrew Correa to make a reservation.

Hamilton's eight day festival kicks off with a fashion show and parade of international and traditional costume on March 14, and closes with a ceremony to mark Race Relations Day on March 21. The festival programme is extensive and includes a film festival showcasing international cinema with hosts from origin countries; dance and music performances; arts, crafts and international food; community activities at the Waikato Refugee and Migrant Centre; and a convoy of waka ama canoe races.

[caption id="attachment_4880" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Indigo Festival"][/caption]

The goals of the festival are to:

• Educate people about the diverse cultures within Hamilton
• Celebrate the richness and colour of cultures in Hamilton
• Communicate and strengthen understanding between all cultures.

The event is supported by the Hamilton Community Arts Council, Hamilton City Council and the Department of Internal Affairs. You can find out more information on the Indigo website.

The Mixing Room is a product of collaboration between Te Papa and 70 refugee background young people from diverse communities, including Afghani, Bhutanese, Burmese, Burundian, Cambodian, Colombian, Congolese, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Iranian, Kosovar-Albanian, Rwanadan, Somali, Sudanese, Tamil, and Vietnamese. The exhibition presents the young people's stories in a range of creative mediums, including art, short film, poetry, performance, screen-printing, cast glass and digital story-telling. It was underpinned by the 'capacity building' approach, whereby the young people were able to tell their stories in their own way and upskill themselves in the process.

[caption id="attachment_4878" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Freedom banner made at Christchurch workshop."][/caption]

Following initial consultation with community leaders, a youth forum was held. This confirmed the exhibition's concept: 'Optimism in a new land', with the three themes of Challenge, Connection and Freedom. Subsequently, a Youth Reference Group was established in Wellington comprising 10 young people. The group has helped with choosing material for the exhibition and provided feedback to the development team, ensuring the project is defined by young people. Next, a set of 12 professional tutorial workshops were held with young people in the six main refugee settlement areas: Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch. Young people from refugee backgrounds were employed to rally other young refugees to attend the workshops.

A taste of what is to be included in the exhibition can be viewed on the new Mixing Room blog. You can also watch the music video 'Belong' on Youtube. The end product, the multimedia 'Mixing Room' exhibition will open at Te Papa on April 10 and will run for three years in the community gallery.

Tirimoana Primary School ran a two week programme in which children were encouraged to share their culture with their classmates. The celebration included sharing cultural taonga, talking about what they represent and their significance to respective cultures. The project also engaged parents and family, with a very successful shared lunch of food from different countries: the theme was 'something of your own culture or your favourite food.' Tirimoana means 'View of the sea' and the school is located in Te Atatatu South, Waitakere. It has a roll of almost 600 students. The school encourages the celebration of diversity every day with values such as 'Tolerance and Respect'.

Following the dawn service and hikoi to Mauao, Te Runanga o Ngaiterangi and Creative Tauranga are hosting an event to celebrate Māori arts and culture at Whareroa Marae Reserve. There will be breakfast food stalls and people can participate in interactive art workstations that explore contemporary and traditional Māori arts while listening to a line up of local bands and musicians. They can experiment with different types of art, including sculpture, carving and painting. The day kicks off at 9am.

The festival, held on Matakana Island on January 16, combined top music acts with a focus on Māori health. The festival, the first of its kind on the island, attracted 2,000 people. Te Awanui Hauora Trust spent over a year organising the event, which catered to all age groups, with a kaumatua section and dancing for elders, a rock concert, and activities for children. Musical talent included Katchafire, Herbs Unplugged, P-Money and Stan Walker, winner of Australian Idol 2009. The alcohol, smoke and drug-free event had food, art and craft stalls, and participants were encouraged to bring a picnic.

Te Awanui Hauora was established in 2003 to provide health services to Matakana and Rangiwaea islands. It provides a range of health, advocacy, and advisory services and won the 2009 Poutiri Trust Provider of the Year Award. The award recognised the quality of the trust's service provision and its commitment to the Māori model of health: taha whanau, tinana, hinengaro, and wairua.

The Waikato Museum is hosting a panel discussion and forum to mark Waitangi Day. The forum is entitled 'Te Tiriti Tatou Tatou: the Treaty for all', and it aims to present diverse views on the topic by featuring speakers from a range of communities. The speakers come from New Zealand, Japan, Zimbabwe and Hawaii, and also from different sectors, including health, research and academia.

They are:

• Sandra Morrison, Chairperson and Associate Dean of the School of Māori Development at the University of Waikato
• Dr Ingrid Huygens, research advisor and Treaty educator
• Saburo Omura, PhD scholar researching how Asian migrants view the Treaty
• Fungai Mhlanga, health promoter at the Waikato Migrant Centre
• Minoaka Kapuaahiwalani-Fitzsimmons, alcohol and drug counsellor form Pacific Peoples Addiction Services.

The panel discussion and forum is on 28 January, from 6- 8pm at the Waikato Museum. You can RSVP by calling (07) 838 6606.

The year of the Tiger, which symbolises courage, begins on February 14, 2010 and will be celebrated in Auckland with a festival and market day. Auckland has a strong Chinese community, with over 100,000 Chinese people now living in the city. The festival has attracted large crowds for the past twenty years, and this year's programme is packed with entertainment. Performers include a 20-person dragon dance troupe, acrobats and artists as well as traditional and contemporary Chinese musicians. The day will be opened by Prime Minister John Key, and those attending will also be able to sample Chinese delicacies and dishes from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and other Asian countries.

The Auckland Chinese Community Centre began as the Auckland Chinese Hall around 1960, and became the Community Centre in 1975. It has a branch in Mangere and another in the city centre; it coordinates events and provides a recreational space for the Chinese community in the area. The Chinese New Year festival will be held on Saturday 13 February at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane, from 9.30am- 4pm.

The centre's innovative project aims to improve both the physical and mental health of refugees arriving in New Zealand through teaching them gardening skills for the NZ climate. With a focus on planting and growing vegetables, 'Gardening for Health' also aims to provide new arrivals at the Mangere Centre with a sense of empowerment through working towards a level of self-sufficiency and 'putting down roots'. The project has been incorporated into the already established health programme at the Centre, and is part of the 'Let's Beat Diabetes' programme. As well as physical benefits, working in the garden provides "much-needed therapeutic time." It is a joint effort between Refugees as Survivors, Counties Manukau District Health Board and the New Zealand Red Cross.

The NetherlaNZ Foundation is hosting the international Anne Frank exhibition which will travel for two years in New Zealand, from Whangarei to Invercargill to educate New Zealanders about the Holocaust. Based on the diary of Anne Frank, which has been translated into 65 languages, the exhibition opens at Te Papa on Feburary 10. It brings together both personal and world contexts and includes over 200 photographs of the Frank family, quotes from Anne's diary, and historical information about the Holocaust. It also includes a documentary of interviews with New Zealand survivors of the Holocaust, as well as a 'virtual Wailing Wall' to which children can text their feelings. Prime Minister John Key, who will be opening the launch, states "No one who sees this exhibition and walks through this 'house with a story' could ever forget what racial hatred can do to a society." The exhibition's itinerary is available online.

English Language Partners NZ is commemorating both Race Relations Day and International Languages Day with their poster 'Your mother tongue is a treasure- use it every day!' The poster will be published in 17 languages: Arabic, Burmese, English, Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Māori, Punjabi, Russian, Samoan, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. International Languages Day falls on February 21 and has been observed since 2000 with the intention of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity, and multilingualism. The day is also intended to "inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue", which fits well with the sentiment of Race Relations Day on March 21.

The Royal Tigers beat the Pakistan Sevens in the Christchurch Multicultural Council Global 7s Cricket Tournament finals, battled out last Sunday. The tournament was open to players from all cultures and began on January 10. The 14 teams represented a range of communities living in Christchurch, including Afghani, Indian, Kiwi, Nepalese, Pakistani and Sri Lankan. Eight teams played in the semifinals on January 17. While rain delayed play, the games began at 3pm with enthusiastic support from families, local communities and spectators. The tournament was supported by the Christchurch City Council, Smileville Dental and Stirling Sports, with councillor David Cox awarding prizes on the Sunday evening.

Whakanuia 2010 will be held to celebrate Waitangi Day at Whakarewarewa, the thermal village in Rotorua. The day will include cultural workshops, including ones focused on native tree planting, language, music, history and traditions, storytelling and films. There will also be interactive arts and crafts, entertainment, food stalls, and health and wellbeing information. Whakanuia means 'to acknowledge, to promote, to celebrate', and the day is intended to bring together tangata whenua and other locals "to celebrate the diversity of other ethnic groups living in Rotorua". It is a chance for Rotorua residents to learn more about each other's cultural backgrounds; each year the event will celebrate another culture alongside Māori heritage. Last year the focus was on Pacific peoples, this year it is on cultures from Asia, including the Middle East and Far East. Whakanuia 2010 will kick off at 10am.

The Tauranga community can celebrate Waitangi Day in a range of ways this year, starting with a dawn service and 6am hikoi to the top of Mauao (Mt Maunganui). A karakia, followed by an inter-denomination church service will take place at the summit. Others involved and also acknowledged are Whareroa Marae Committee, Environment Bay of Plenty, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Tauranga Māori Wardens Association, Ngai Kaihoe o Takitimu Waka and Tauranga Church Community. The Race Relations Commissioner will be taking part in the Mauao dawn service and further celebrations in Tauranga on the day.

The competition and subsequent exhibition were held to celebrate Human Rights Day (December 10) and artists created their works on the theme of 'Realising Your Rights'. In order to gain an understanding of human rights and the articles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 25 entrants from both the adult and young person categories attended a seminar facilitated by Keren Martin, of the Taku Manawa programme, and Julie Watson, an Advisor at the Human Rights Commission. Many of the artists shaped their entries around the various articles of the Declaration.

The pointillist work of Barry Downes, who won the adult section, depicted rings symbolising different ethnicities. The exhibition and prizegiving were held at the King's Theatre in Kawakawa, with the community both voting on the winners and supporting the event.