Human Rights Commission
Te Kahui Tika Tangata
On the Bright Side: Paenga Hihiko
October/Whiringa a Nuku 2005
Kia ora. Anei te mihi ö te Kaihautu Whakawhanaunga ä Iwi, mo ngä mahi nui, mahi whakamana i te tangata i roto i ngä
kaupapa Whakawhanaunga ä Iwi i Aotearoa. Here are this month’s acknowledgments from the Race Relations Commissioner for
positive contributions to race relations in New Zealand.
A Very Kiwi Diwali
“A very Kiwi Diwali” was the front page message in the Aucklander, the NZ Herald’s community publication of 12 October.
It featured a full page image of an Indian dancer beside a carved Maori figure, and information about Diwali activities
in Auckland, Waitakere and Manukau cities, the Mahatma Gandhi Centre and elsewhere. Diwali is now a major public
festival on the calendar in Auckland and Wellington, where it is jointly organised by the Asia New Zealand Foundation
and the respective City Councils. It is also celebrated throughout New Zealand by the Indian community as well as in
many schools. The Waitakere festival, organised by the Waitakere Ethnic Board and attended by 15,000 people, especially
reflected the diverse public participation, with Maori, Pacific and other Asian cultural performances as part of the
programme. Attendances in Wellington and Auckland were estimated at 35,000 and 65,000 respectively. The Indian community
paper, Indian Newslink, published a 92 page free Diwali special crammed full of information, Diwali greetings and Diwali
sales and bargains. This month’s special acknowledgments go to Asia NZ, the Wellington and Auckland City Councils, the
Waitakere Ethnic Board, the Aucklander and Indian Newslink.
Wairua Consulting Ltd
For the Aotearoa Ethnic Network Mailing List. This electronic mailing list has been set up to provide a way for members
of ethnic communities around the country to talk to each other, and for those involved in delivering Government or NGO
services to get in touch with these communities for consultation and to provide information. The list is open to
everyone involved or interested in migrant and refugee issues in Aotearoa - New Zealand. Information and joining
instructions are at www.edemocracy.co.nz/aen. Wairua Consulting is a partner in the NZ Diversity Action Programme.
Hulaaga Vagahau Niue Fono Motu Conference Committee
For Hulaaga Vagahau Niue 2005. This celebration of the Niuean language was held at Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Porirua City
from 3-6 October. It was an opportunity for teachers, community educators, learners, parents and policy makers to get
together to talk about future directions for revitalising and preserving the Niuean language in New Zealand. The
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs launched a language resource kit with CD Rom and booklets which has been developed by
Auckland’s Niu Development Inc as part of the Government’s pilot Niue language recovery programme. The programme seeks
to address the alarming decline in Niuean language use in New Zealand, with less than 20% of Niueans speaking the
language fluently. There were calls at the conference for a Niuean Language Commission on the model of the Maori
Language Commission. The resource kit will be available on request to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs,
www.minpac.govt.nz.
Wellington ESOL Home Tutor Service
For Close Your Eyes, Lullabies from Around the World. From Aotearoa’s Hine e Hine to China’s The Moon is Bright and
everything in between, this is a fabulous compilation that will be music to the ears not just of tired infants and their
parents but also of anyone wanting to hear the archetypal formulas for relaxation and sleep from many different
cultures. The packaging is also great, with stories and photos of all the Wellington singers who recorded their own
traditional lullabies. Check this one out for Christmas, or for your kindy, early childhood centre or school. Children
are bound to respond to (and want to learn) these very diverse melodies. It was launched to a receptive audience at the
Wellington Town Hall on 11 October and is available from wgtn@esolht.org.nz.
Gail Thomas and Leanne McKenzie
For My Home Now: Migrants and refugees to New Zealand tell their stories. This very readable book of 47 stories written
by or with migrants and refugees from all parts of the globe was launched at Auckland’s Migrant Resource Centre on 29
September. The stories have been edited by Gail Thomas and Leanne McKenzie and published by Cape Catley. Media
commentator Russell Brown recently documented the history of migrants being asked how they find New Zealand almost as
soon as they step off the boat, and you’ll find the answer here. However, beneath the enthusiasm that all have for their
new homeland there are undercurrents of the difficulties encountered in settling, finding work, making friends and
finding acceptance. It is an excellent resource which will both move and inform you about the amazing diversity of
people that now call New Zealand home, and the circumstances that brought them here.
New Zealand Police
For A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity. The increasing religious diversity of New Zealanders prompted the
Police to produce this guide for their operational staff on the variety of major religions they will encounter in their
work and the way these beliefs may impact on policing methods and police effectiveness. It also contains the UN
Declaration on the Elimination of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. The booklet was officially
launched at an interfaith event at Christchurch Cathedral on 12 October, with parallel launches in Auckland and
Wellington. The booklet can be downloaded at
http://www.police.govt.nz/resources/2005/religious-diversity/religious-diversity.pdf and the summaries of different
religions will be useful to a wider audience.
Ethnic Voice New Zealand (Inc)
For the Voice of Ethnic Youth forum, Orakei marae, 15 October 2005. Around 100 young people (Maori, Pakeha, Pacific,
Asian, African and more) sacrificed a warm sunny day in Auckland on 15 October to discuss the challenges faced by
“ethnic youth”. The forum was organised by Ethnic Voice New Zealand, and hosted by Ngati Whatua, with guest speakers
Pita Sharples, Co-Leader of the Maori Party, Joris de Bres, Race Relations Commissioner and Sandra Alofivae, member of
the Families Commission. Various groups of young people made presentations that had been developed in preparatory
meetings, and participants identified challenges and solutions in relation to family expectations, racism,
discrimination, language and identity. The forum will be a platform for further development of networks and activities
focused on diversity and youth. For more information on Ethnic Voice visit www.ethnicvoice.co.nz.
VUW Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research
For New Zealand Identities: Departures and Destinations. The Victoria University Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural
Research is committed to developing a nation-wide inter-disciplinary network of researchers concerned with issues of
cultural diversity and inter-cultural communication. They already have over 50 associates in five universities, three
polytechnics as well as other research organisations, and this book, edited by James Liu, Tim McReanor, Tracey McIntosh
and Teresa Teaiwa, represents the work of some of their associates who were brought together by the Centre in a three
day wananga last year. The book looks at the issue of New Zealand identity from a wide range of viewpoints and in a wide
range of contexts, and has plenty of food for thought. It is published by Victoria University Press and was launched at
Parliament by Shane Jones, Parekura Horomia, Sir Graham Latimer and the authors on 18 October. For more on the Centre
visit www.vuw.ac.nz/cacr.
Auckland YWCA
For the YWCA Future Leaders Programme. This leadership programme is for young women who have potential in leadership but
who are unlikely to succeed without support and resources. The programme provides them with mentoring for a period of up
to five years starting at year 10 (age 14) and continuing until they complete their first year of higher education. The
mentors are all successful businesswomen. Currently there are 70 students and 70 mentors from 9 schools within the
Auckland area. The most recent intake was a group of new immigrant young women who had been in New Zealand for less than
three years. The programme hopes to have two intakes of young immigrant women per annum (as funding permits). The
programme currently has young women of 15 different ethnicities. For more information visit www.futureleaders.org.nz.
Auckland City Council
For Ethnic Communities and the Media Forum: A Belonging Initiative. This forum brought together over 50 local
representatives of the “mainstream” media (including the NZ Herald and Radio NZ), ethnic media and members of local
ethnic communities. The objectives were to foster understanding between the media and ethnic communities and to find
ways in which to cooperate so there is more accurate portrayal in the media. Paul Spoonley and Ward Friesen gave a
presentation on the media and ethnic communities, a media panel discussed how communities can be heard by the media, and
a community panel discussed how the media can access stories from the community. Contact details were exchanged, and
possible follow up action discussed, including journalism training scholarships and media training for community
spokespeople.
If you would like to nominate a person or an organisation for acknowledgment please email
positive.contribution@hrc.co.nz with the details.
For information about race relations visit the Human Rights Commission website http://www.hrc.co.nz. Keynote papers from the recent New Zealand Diversity Forum at Te Papa are available at http://www.hrc.co.nz/forum. Also now available in hard copy are limited numbers of the Commission’s review, Race Relations in 2004, as well as the
Commission’s 2004-05 Annual Report and the 2005-06 Statement of Intent.