Hon Jenny Salesa

Minister for Ethnic Communities

15 December 2017

Minister congratulates Ethnic Communities Development Fund grant recipients

Minister for Ethnic Communities, Hon Jenny Salesa congratulates the 71 groups receiving $520,000 from the new Ethnic Communities Development Fund.

The contestable Fund is aimed at enhancing New Zealand’s social cohesion and supporting the development of established, growing, and newly resettled ethnic communities.

The Fund supports projects that celebrate and enhance the development of Aotearoa’s ethnic communities in three broad categories: cultural events, leadership development and social cohesion.

Cultural events which received funding included a Chinese New Year themed street parade and a Brazilian Day festival.

In the leadership development category, funding will go towards training courses to build leadership capability of women from refugee backgrounds.

Among the funded projects in the social cohesion category were various initiatives aimed at building, fostering and embracing cultural diversity. This was the largest category within the Fund.

“New Zealand’s ethnic communities have talent, skills and experience that, with the support of the Fund, can contribute to an inclusive and successful Aotearoa, that welcomes diversity,” says Minister Salesa.

Funded projects must be completed during 2018. The Fund received 138 funding requests totalling about $2.6m.

“I congratulate all successful applicants from this year’s funding and look forward to seeing the results of these projects,” says Ms Salesa.

The next funding round will open in August 2018 for projects to be delivered in 2019.

Information about the Fund and a list of all the projects awarded grants is available at www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz

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