Human Rights Commission - On the Bright Side
Human Rights Commission Te Kahui Tika Tangata On the Bright Side March Poutu te Rangi 2004
Kia ora. Here are this month's acknowledgments from the Race Relations Commissioner for positive contributions to race
relations in New Zealand.
Maori Television
For the launch of New Zealand's first national indigenous television channel. Sunday 28 March 2004. To be held at the
station's base in Newmarket, Auckland, the launch comes 30 years after the first bid to beam te reo and tikanga Màori
into New Zealand's living rooms through television. The launch will be celebrated by more than 600 invited guests and
general public at a dawn ceremony, powhiri and unveiling and broadcast live on Màori Television. Maori Television's
website is at http://www.maoritelevision.com
The New Zealand Herald
For balanced reporting of the "Race Debate". The Herald dedicated three weekend supplements to Pakeha and Maori
perspectives on the current debate, and on possible solutions, all covering a wide range of views. It was informative
and balanced reporting at its best.
St Joseph's Catholic School, Dunedin
For a great Race Relations Day banner. At a Race Relations Day event in the Dunedin Town Hall on 20 March, organised by
the Dunedin Ethnic Council, the Dunedin City Council and the Dunedin United Nations Association, school banners for Race
Relations Day were displayed. The St Joseph's banner had tan and brown hands, people of many ethnicities, and the simple
message "Treat all people with tika, pono and aroha" - respect, honesty and friendship. The Otago Daily Times ran a
special background feature on migrant New Zealanders in Dunedin, and the Mayor of Dunedin and the Race Relations
Commissioner were among the guests. Media, schools, churches, local councils and ethnic councils marked the event
throughout New Zealand.
Room 9, Ilam Primary School, Christchurch
For learning Maori greetings and introductions. The class was nominated for an acknowledgment by the grandmother of one
of the pupils. Dylan rang her one day and said, "Granny, would you like to hear my mihi? All our class have learnt a
mihi." His grandmother was very keen to hear Dylan's mihi and thought it sounded awesome. Sonya Mullen, Room 9's
teacher, said her class have been concentrating on greetings and introductions this term as they hope to visit a marae
later in the year. She has been really impressed with how well the children have done and thinks that this is partly
because they can see the purpose for what they have been learning. Sonya said it is good when there are Maori children
in the class who can speak Te Reo and help the others with learning and pronunciation. Jean Voon, Auckland
For the design of the 2004 Race Relations Day poster, Take a Walk in Someone Else's Shoes. Jean, formerly from Malaysia,
came to the former Race Relations Office when she was in her final year at Unitec studying graphic design. She offered
free design work, as race relations was a passion of hers and she could include it in her portfolio. She redesigned the
Secondary Schools Cross Cultural Exchange Project publicity, "its all about walking in someone else's shoes for a
while". The result was a new name - CultureX, exchange, experience, expand..... and a fresh new image with the shoe
poster that she has since again adapted for the very popular 2004 Race Relations Day poster. She has finished her degree
and is now working as a freelance graphic artist and web designer. She can be contacted at jeanvoon@yahoo.com
Auckland Regional Migrant Resource Centre
For a successful first year of operation. On 21 March 2003, a new "One-stop shop" was established in Auckland to assist
new and long term migrants with the support of the New Zealand Immigration Service, Auckland City Council and Manukau
City Council. The Centre will hold its first anniversary celebration on the 26th of March to celebrate the huge success
achieved. Currently, ARMRC employs 19 staff and several volunteers.
Between them they represent more than 14 ethnicities and speak over 30 languages. The Centre averages a 1000 visitors a
month and has registered approximately 2000 clients belonging to 70 ethnicities during this one year. While the majority
of the clients came from Central Auckland, there have been clients from as far as Wellington and Christchurch who have
contacted the Centre via email or by telephone. Visit their website at http://www.arms-mrc.govt.nz .
Mere Lomaloma Elliott
For the Pasifika Festival 2004. Mere worked with the Auckland City Council and a vast team of voluntary workers to
organise this year's festival at Western Springs Park, the biggest and most successful yet. Pasifika exploded into life
in 1993 and has now become the foremost Pacific cultural festival in the world. It was initially attended by 30,000
people, and now somewhere over 150,000 people and hundreds of performers from all over the Pacific attend.
The original idea for the event came from the South Pacific Islands Development Association (SPINDA), a core group of
Pacific Island Consuls, the Pacific Islands Chambers of Commerce, TVNZ, Telecom, a group of companies and Auckland City
Council.
Pasifika attracts people from throughout the Auckland Region and New Zealand, and even internationally (tourists from
Europe and USA plan their itinerary around the Pasifika Festival so that they are able to attend). For more information
about the festival, visit the Auckland City Council website at: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/events/pasifika/default.asp
J Oliver Lee and Associates, Auckland
For the annual St Patrick's Day Ireland publication. This magazine insert into the Sunday Star Times is an annual
promotion of Ireland, the Irish in New Zealand and events around the country for St Patrick's Day. At least one in five
New Zealanders can claim some Irish ancestry, and the Irish have become the masters of celebrating their culture and
national origins around the world. New Zealand now has major St Patrick's Day festivals and parades in Auckland and
Wellington, and the event is celebrated throughout the rest of New Zealand. Other ethnic groups can learn a lot from the
Irish! See their website at http://www.ireland.co.nz/ for the full range of activities.
The Korean Society of New Zealand
For the Korea Day Festival, Glenfield, Auckland, March 6 2004. The Auckland crowds were out in force for the Korea Day
Festival held at the North Shore Events Centre on March 6. A day of Korean food, merchandise and cultural performances
was the Auckland Korean Association's way of sharing their national day with the local community. At the opening
ceremony, the Association presented the New Zealand Red Cross with a $5000 cheque for flood victims in the central North
Island. In Christchurch Korean Society members also showed their commitment to their new homeland on their national day
(March 1) with a beach clean up between Spencer Park and Bottle Lake Forest. Society President Steve Kim said "It's a
chance for us to give something back". Their website is at www.nzkorea.org .
Ghanaian Association of New Zealand
For the Ghana National Day Festival, Auckland, March 7 2004. The New Zealand Ghana Association celebrated Ghana's
national day with the local community at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall in Auckland on March 7. Prominent among the
guests were Paul Holmes and Bill Francis of NewstalkZB and the The Radio Network, with whom the Association has
developed a positive relationship, and the Prime Minister and local MP, Helen Clark. Music was provided by the Auckland
African and Latin percussion band Gahu, with Ghanaian vocalist Yaw Boateng. Gahu's New Zealand drummer Bud Hooper
released a new CD on Ghanaian drumming at the festival. For more on Gahu, visit www.gahu.co.nz .
Carla van Zon
For the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, Wellington, 2004. This has to be one of New Zealand's foremost
multicultural events, when a wide range of indigenous talent is showcased alongside performers from all corners of the
globe. New Zealand Maori, Pakeha, Pasifika, and Chinese artists performed with the best in the world. Wellington was
abuzz throughout March as a truly cosmopolitan cultural centre.
Japan Association of Auckland
For the Japan Day festival at the ASB Stadium, Kohimarama, Auckland, in November 2003. This is yet another annual event
that is gathering growing community support in Auckland. Despite showers and coolish weather, the stadium was packed to
watch dances, marshal arts displays, cultural displays and to cruise the food and bargain stalls. The day's theme was
"Dance Together". The Japan Association of Auckland has been going since 1960 to promote goodwill and understanding
between the people of Japan and New Zealand. Associated with them is a popular Auckland Japanese dance group called
Haere Mai. There is now a substantial Japanese community throughout New Zealand, reflected in the growth of Japan
Societies in 14 centres. For more information see www.nzjapan.org http://www.nzjapan.org/ .
For news about race relations visit the Human Rights Commission website ( http://www.hrc.co.nz/ ). Recent topics include Current Issues in Race Relations, the report of the Waitangi Tribunal on the foreshore and
seabed, new research on perceptions of discrimination and Race Relations Day.
Previous editions can be found at http://www.hrc.co.nz/index.php?p=13789#3.