On the Bright Side: Paenga Hihiko
Human Rights Commission
Te Kahui Tika Tangata
On the
Bright Side: Paenga Hihiko
Haratua / May 2006
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.
Te Ore Ore Marae Committee and the Masterton District
Council
For the powhiri for new citizens, May 2006. The
Marae Committee and the District Council jointly invited
people who had become New Zealand citizens to a powhiri at
Masterton’s Te Ore Ore marae on May 18. Around 40 migrants
from Zimbabwe, South Africa, England, Scotland, India,
Russia and Mexico took up the invitation to be welcomed by
the tangata whenua and councillors and introduced to the
history and culture of the district, in the first ever event
of its kind in the Wairarapa. The Wairarapa News reported
that there were a few watery eyes in the wharenui as the far
flung citizens spoke from the heart about what they had left
behind and what it meant to become kiwis. Rosie Mutsimba of
Zimbabwe said the chance to be part of the occasion meant a
lot to her family: “It was emotional. It really made us
feel like we really belong in New Zealand.”
Fairfax
Newspapers in Education
For Maori Focus month, June 2006.
Fairfax Newspapers in Education are producing four separate
eight page mini-newspapers across four levels as a school
resource in the lead-up to Matariki (June 27) and Maori
Language Week (July 24-30). The publications will cover
Toku Iwi – My Community, Matariki – The Maori New Year, Toku
Whanau – Me and My Family and Toku Whenua – My Country.
They are also promoting their existing best seller resource
Te Marae at a discount price as part of the package. For
cost details and to order email nie@fairfaxnz.co.nz . It’s
great to see one of our major private sector media groups
leading the way in promoting these two quintessential kiwi
events in the next two months. The challenge is now for
other media organisations to match or better this for the
annual Maori Language Week Awards. These awards are for a
wide range of categories including first-time entrants,
businesses, schools, media, public sector and community
groups. Other resources for Maori Language Week this year
will include a new Give it a Go: Korero Maori phrase booklet
on sport, and a range of merchandise (enquiries to
info@nzreo.org.nz and visit www.nzreo.org.nz for details of
the awards and existing products).
Wellington Regional
Chamber of Commerce
For the survey of cultural diversity
in the workplace, 2006. The Chamber of Commerce has
combined with Victoria University’s Centre for Applied
Cross-Cultural Research to survey a hundred of their members
on their responses to cultural diversity in the workplace.
The survey, which was conducted by VUW lecturer Dr Astrid
Podsiadlowski was in response to both recognised skill
shortages and apparent barriers to the employment of highly
qualified migrants. Employers of migrants were generally
very positive about them, although English language
difficulties were a deterrent for some. Encouragingly, many
employers expressed an interest in cultural awareness and
diversity management training programmes, some had already
taken measures to address cultural diversity and some had an
integrated diversity strategy. The study will provide
baseline information for future action on diversity
management. The results were published in the April edition
of the Chamber’s magazine which can be accessed at
www.wgtn-chamber.co.nz .
Petone Settlers Museum, Lower
Hutt
For the Walk With Me exhibition, June 2006. Like
other museums large and small throughout New Zealand, the
Petone Settlers Museum engages with its community as a place
for information, discussion and exchange about cultural
diversity and race relations. On World Refugee Day (20
June) they will open a new exhibition which presents aspects
of refugee experience in New Zealand. Hutt City has a
significant refugee community. Alongside the exhibition
there is a competition for intermediate and secondary school
students from throughout New Zealand on the theme of
Refugees: Telling Their Stories (entries close at the end of
term 3 in September). For full exhibition and competition
details and registration forms see the Petone Settlers
Museum’s website www.petonesettlers.org.nz . The website
also has excellent links and resources for World Refugee
Day. The exhibition runs till November.
The Fiji
Community Association of Auckland
For the Youth Forum,
May 2006. The Auckland Fiji Community held a special youth
forum on 19 May to mark Youth Week. The topic was “How do
we see ourselves as Fijians in New Zealand?” There was a
good turnout at the Oranga Community Centre in Onehunga.
Guest speaker Manukau Fiji artist Ema Tavola reflected
afterwards that “The voices that took the floor at the
Auckland Fiji Community Youth Forum were empowered and
deeply aware of their space as Fijians in contemporary New
Zealand. People talk about confusion with regards to
‘Identity’, for us, the displaced youth of the Fiji
Diaspora. I saw a room full of young people confident in
themselves to articulate their struggles and questions,
their understanding of who they are and what it means to be
them.” The Auckland Fiji community has a lively website at
www.aucklandfiji.org.nz .
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori:
Maori Language Commission
For promoting the celebration
of Matariki. Te Taura Whiri has worked with Te Papa and
others over a number of years to promote the celebration in
June of Matariki, the Maori New Year, as an iconic event for
all New Zealanders. This year promises to be bigger than
ever. Last year they produced a free bilingual booklet, Te
Whakarite Kaupapa mņ Matariki – Making Plans for
Matariki, full of information and ideas, which is still
available free from korero@tetaurawhiri.govt.nz . They have
also developed an excellent web resource at
www.matariki.net.nz . The website already includes many
events and resources for this year, from Invercargill to the
North, including the now traditional major programmes at Te
Papa and Auckland Museum and a variety of Matariki
calendars, including a free desk calendar showcasing Maori
art from Creative New Zealand (email
moerangiv@creativenz.govt.nz ).
NZ Journalists Training
Organisation
For promoting diversity in the media, 2006.
The NZJTO is a participant in the New Zealand Diversity
Action Programme and has this year registered six of its own
diversity action projects (for details see
www.hrc.co.nz/diversity ). Executive Director Jim Tucker
has brought a strong commitment to this aspect of the JTO’s
work. This month the JTO launched a survey of journalists
including questions on diversity, and added a new diversity
section to their website at www.journalismtraining.co.nz .
Other projects for this year include the revision and
republication of Michael King’s Kawe Korero – A Guide To
Reporting Maori News, a revision of unit standards to
reflect diversity, and discussion papers on Maori and
Pacific and Asian representation in the media. The JTO will
also be hosting a forum for media practitioners on diversity
and the media as part of the New Zealand Diversity Forum on
21-22 August.
Disrupt Gallery, Auckland
For the
Matariki Fashion Show, 2006. One of the many galleries and
art spaces around New Zealand that are holding special
events for Matariki is the Disrupt Gallery at 145
Karangahape Rd in Auckland. Following on from last years
‘Nga Rangatira o te Ao’, twelve Maori fashion designers are
coming together to once again celebrate the rise of the
Maori new year. Celebrations will kick off with a live
fashion show on June 2 and the designs will continue to be
exhibited on mannequins alongside complementary large format
photographs till 4 July. The designers this year include
Margaret Wilson, Makaarita of Tribal Fibers, Yassime
Williamson, Carmel of Aotearoa House, Lorna Dixon, Shona
Tawhiao, Taryn of Blackberri, Bethany Edmunds, Tracey Lloyd
of Marama designs, Reegan Balzer, Jeanine Clarkin and Male
Designer Ali. They will also be launching a Matariki
calendar. This is one of many cultural events on K Rd
showcased and supported by the Karangahape Road Business
Association, which features the Matariki Fashion Event in
its May newsletter and on its great website at www.kroad.com
.
Dr Kathy Jackson, Auckland
For Fate, Spirits and
Curses: Mental Health and Traditional Beliefs in Some
Refugee Communities. Kathy Jackson is an experienced
teacher and cross-cultural psychologist who works as
Research Associate for the Refugees As Survivors Centre at
the national Refugee Resettlement Complex in Auckland. Her
book was launched at the Hyatt Hotel in Auckland on 5 May by
the Minister of Health. It draws on firsthand experience
and wide research to explain some of the traditional beliefs
which affect health of the body and mind within some refugee
communities from the Middle East and Africa. It is a useful
tool for health professionals who directly help refugees or
may see them in the course of practice. It’s also of
interest to the general reader, with its insights into the
beliefs, cultural issues and experiences of refugees who
settle in New Zealand. The book can be ordered from the
Refugees As Survivors Centre for $25.00 at
admin@aucklandras.org.nz .
Paddy Payne, Wellington
For
the New Zealand Interfaith Website, 2006. Wellington
company director and Baha’i community member Paddy Payne is
the driving force behind the national interfaith website
www.interfaith.org.nz . The website contains news, events,
resources and links, as well as a calendar of religious
festivals. Recent additions have been all the papers from
the third national interfaith forum in Wellington in
February, and fact sheets from the Dunedin interfaith group
on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The website will also
be carrying the new interfaith newsletter Te Korowai
Whakapono, published by the Human Rights Commission. Paddy
is an active member of the Wellington Interfaith Group, and
also helps to organise the annual interfaith Week of Prayer
for World Peace, which this year will be from 22 – 29
October. For more information about the week contact
paddyp@intergen.co.nz .
Wellington School of Medicine
and Ministry of Health
For Decades of Disparity III, May
2006. Researchers from the Wellington School of Medicine
and the Public Intelligence Unit in the Ministry of Health
have combined to produce this very challenging report on
ethnic and socio-economic inequalities in mortality in New
Zealand 1981-1999. The previous two reports have focused on
a growing disparity in life expectancy between Maori and
non-Maori over that period, and the socio-economic
determinants of this. The final report provides hard
evidence that ethnicity is a significant determinant
alongside socio-economic status, and that the experience of
racial discrimination is itself an important factor in
mortality. The report is available on the Ministry of
Health website at www.moh.govt.nz .
Te Roopu Awhina O
Wairoa Trust, Howick
For the promotion of Maori language,
history, and culture in the Howick community. The Trust is a
voluntary group based at Keall House in Howick. They
provide reo, waiata and kapa haka classes at the centre and
in local schools as well as special waioho (awakening)
courses providing an introduction to local Maori culture for
new settlers. Trust member and kaumatua of the Owairoa
Marae, Pita Turei, organises the regular hikoi Pakuranga, a
local self-drive tour in which he tells the story of
significant Maori heritage sites in the area. He started the
hikoi to mark the 75th anniversary of the marae, and has
carried on since. The Trust is currently running a series of
Matariki seminars in conjunction with Te Tuhi, Pakuranga’s
community, cultural and arts centre. Check out the details
at www.tetuhi-themark.org.nz .
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 www.hrc.co.nz .
If you
have received this email from a friend or colleague and
would like to be added to the distribution list please email
positive.contribution@hrc.co.nz with Subscribe in the
subject.
On The Bright Side is part of the Human
Rights Commission’s contribution to the NZ Diversity Action
Programme. For further details visit www.hrc.co./diversity
.
ENDS