Te Punanga: Refugee Issues

Kia ora mai koutou katoa. Te Punanga is a refugee focus network facilitated by the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme. The network was established to facilitate and share information between former refugees, and organisations working with former refugees and their communities. It also aims to promote discussion about issues of importance to former refugees, as well as future refugees and asylum seekers. The ‘10 Steps to Strengthen Cultural Diversity’, adopted by the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme strives to:

  • Support the successful settlement of refugees and migrants.

The steps also aim to:

  • Develop a network of people and organisations supporting diversity.
  • Establish and build knowledge and web-based resources on diversity.
  • Promote dialogue and exchange between people of different views, cultures and faiths.

Te Punanga, the monthly newsletter publicises news, upcoming events, and other information. Te Punanga has moved to a new interactive format, where you can comment on articles, from April 2009. Earlier archived newsletters can also be viewed on our website. You can subscribe online.

The annual New Zealand Diversity Forum also encourages organisations to host forums on refugee and asylum seeker issues.

The Human Rights Commission is updating its 2004 status report on human rights in New Zealand, in preparation for developing the second New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights next year. A section of the status report is on the right to asylum and looks at how that right is provided for in New Zealand both in terms of asylum seekers and quota refugees. The 2004 chapter on the right to asylum is on the Human Rights Commission website.

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