Tūi Tūi Tuituiā

Young people take the lead at Diversity Forum

Each year, the New Zealand Diversity Forum provides a valuable opportunity for organisations to meet together to share ideas and good practice in the areas of race relations, human rights and cultural diversity. The 2013 Forum, held in Wellington, covered topics such as religion and the media, inequalities in health and criminal justice, diversity in government, leisure and sport, addressing family violence, supporting newcomers, and rangatiratanga and human rights.

Principal partners in the forum were the Commission, the NZ Police, the NZ National Commission for UNESCO, and the MSD Settling In Programme.

For the first time, Islam Awareness Week was launched in conjunction with the Diversity Forum. The launch, attended by the Mayor of Wellington, MPs, ambassadors and guests, marked the start of a week of activities organised by the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) to increase awareness of Islamic beliefs, values and practices. Harmony Awards, which recognise efforts to build strong relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, were given to several recipients including Joris de Bres, former Race Relations Commissioner and Keith Locke, former Member of Parliament.

A highlight of the Diversity Forum was an inspiring presentation by sixty young people from across the country who participated in the National Youth Forum on Cultural Diversity. Speaking passionately about their own experiences as young New Zealanders, they called on national decision makers to take action on several priority areas including:

1. 
   reducing poverty
   
2. 
   ensuring better outcomes in health and education
   
3. 
   upholding the right to culture
   
4. 
   eliminating discrimination
   
5. 
   increasing political awareness amongst young people.
   

Outstanding contributions recognised at Diversity Awards

Nine organisations making an outstanding contribution to promoting cultural diversity and harmonious race relations were recognised at the New Zealand Diversity Awards.

Award recipients for 2013 included:

1. 
   Araiteuru Marae for providing support to kaumātua, kuia and whānau and promoting intercultural dialogue and co-operation in Dunedin
   
2. 
   Community and Public Health (a division of the Canterbury District Health Board) for efforts to ensure earthquake and recovery related information successfully reached culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
   
3. 
   ETHKICK13 Committee for hosting football tournaments bringing together ethnic communities in Palmerston North
   
4. 
   New Zealand Catholic Bishops Committee For Interfaith Relations for promoting interfaith relations and fostering collaborations with believers of other world religions in Aotearoa New Zealand
   
5. 
   New Zealand Federation Of Historical Societies for the promotion of the histories of ethnic groups and enabling various communities to share their heritage and history
   
6. 
   Refugee Trauma Recovery for providing counselling and advocacy services for refugees who have experienced torture and trauma, as well as creative events for refugee families and the wider community
   
7. 
   Te Roopu Awhina O Wairoa Trust for nurturing community teaching of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, hauora, and traditional arts and crafts
   
8. 
   The Peace Foundation for promoting peaceful conflict resolution and mediation in schools and families
   
9. 
   Voice Arts Trust for delivering innovative and creative community development projects through theatre and film.
   

Dreams for the future shared on Race Relations Day

New Zealanders shared their dreams for the future of Aotearoa New Zealand during this year’s Race Relations Day commemorations.

Race Relations Day, held each year on 21 March, is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In Aotearoa New Zealand it has become a key date in the calendar for recognising and celebrating cultural diversity and taking a stand against racism and racial inequality. This year’s theme was My Dream for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Commission recorded 57 separate community events taking place in the days around Race Relations Day. Events included multicultural festivals, food and music events, concerts, symposiums and panel discussions, displays at libraries and museums, street art, sporting tournaments, and friendship events between different ethnic societies and faith groups. In addition, many schools participated through special assemblies, multicultural dress or food days and classroom activities.

Throughout the celebrations, people were encouraged to share their dream for the future of Aotearoa New Zealand, reflecting on the values underpinning that dream. 1357 ‘dreams’ were gathered, analysed and used in the Human Rights Commission’s submission to the Constitutional Review.

Naomi’s dream: “I want to live amid a diversity of sight, sound and colour”

This is the hope of Naomi Kumar, the winner of the Race Unity Speech Contest 2013.

2013 was the thirteenth year of the Race Unity Speech Contest which offers senior high school students the opportunity to share their views on racial harmony in Aotearoa New ZealandThe contest is organised by the New Zealand Baha’i Community and supported by the New Zealand Police, the Office of Ethnic Affairs and the Human Rights Commission.

This year students were invited to reflect on the theme for Race Relations Day 2013 and speak about “My dream for Aotearoa New Zealand”.

One hundred and thirty-five students entered with heats held in 12 regions across New Zealand and included speeches delivered in te reo Māori and English.

Naomi, a 17-year-old student at Hillcrest High School, Hamilton, spoke about her dreams for a more inclusive Aotearoa, a place where "difference need not be feared, but embraced".

''In the future I envision we are not defined by our ethnicity. We are enriched by it, certainly. But it is never a measure of our value as individuals. We are instead defined by our responsibilities to this world as persons, by our shared convictions and dreams of happiness, and how well we can work together to achieve that.''

You can view Naomi’s winning speech at: www.hrc.co.nz/race-relations/race-relations-day-2013/race-unity-speech-awards-2013.