PRESS RELEASE
Monday, October 30, 2006

Overwhelming Support for Communities Commission for Ethnicity, Settlement and Migration

Members of the New Zealand Federation of Ethnic Councils overwhelming supported the formation and launching of a NZFEC Communities Commission for Ethnicity, Settlement and Migration. (CCESM).

This is a key initiative from the Federation to fill the gap in New Zealand for the independent development, analysis and communication of policies. The Federations endeavour to establish this Communities Commission was fully endorsed by all the members present at the National Council meeting in New Plymouth, Taranaki over the weekend.

A number of key directional matters were endorsed unanimously, including the formation of Women’s Council led by women with authority to influence the Federation on matters affecting the well being of women in their relationships, homes, community and workplace.

The meeting also endorsed the formation of a Youth Council to be led by young people with authority to influence the Federation on matters affecting the well being of young people in their relationships, homes, community and workplace.

The members gave their full endorsement of the Human Rights Commission Religious Diversity program, Community Sector Taskforce’s Inter-faith engagement program.

Presentations were also made by New Zealand Qualification Authority on NZQA, Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research of Victoria University and AFS Inter-cultural Programmes New Zealand.

The Federation will be holding a Seminar by Dr. Paul Pederson, a leading world figure in the domain of multicultural and cross-cultural counselling, having engaged purposefully with the cultural and counselling needs of various settings and countries, including New Zealand on Thursday 9th November 2006 at 6 pm at the Betty Cambell Centre, Wellington.

The Federation has a collective reach of over 450,000 people of New Zealand.

ENDS

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