Office of Ethnic Communities Update Flourishing ethnic diversity; thriving New Zealand What's been happeningThe Office of Ethnic Communities is government's authoritative advisor on ethnic diversity in New Zealand. Our purpose is that Ethnic Communities are strong and the benefits of ethnic diversity for New Zealand are realised. Minister's updateNamaste, Ni hao, Mabuhay, Anyoung haseyo, Salaam Alaikum, Shalom, Malo e lelei, Kia ora, Talofa lava; warm and festive greetings to all. This is the time of the year when our thoughts focus on the excitement of holidays and time with our families and loved ones. It is also a time of contemplation, of what a New Year may bring, of resolve and change, and the determination to make 2018 the best year of our lives. Director's updateTēnā koutou [Hello] This is our last newsletter for 2017. I hope this has been a rewarding year for you, your whanau [extended family] and communities. Ethnic Communities Development Fund recipients announcedThe recipients of the Ethnic Communities Development Fund for the 2018 year have been announced. A total of 71 groups received a combined total of $520,000 from the Fund. Grants were awarded for activities related to social cohesion, leadership development and cultural events. We received 138 requests for funding, totalling about $2.6 million. Welcoming Communities standard for New ZealandAround the world Kiwis are renowned for being friendly, hospitable and inclusive – qualities highlighted in a new two-year pilot programme titled Welcoming Communities. The Welcoming Communities Standard was launched on 12 December 2017. A Journey of Interethnic Mothering in AotearoaInterethnic Mothering is a topic dear to my heart academically and personally. My recently submitted Doctorial (PhD) thesis on this topic records experiences of migrant mothers in New Zealand and reveals interesting insights into their joys and challenges of parenting in an interethnic relationship. The Reeds Pen's TaleSayed Ali Karam Jawhary’s (Ali), an Afghanistan-born calligraphy artist, opened his first New Zealand solo exhibition on Friday 8 December 2017. Celebrating Persian calligraphy and the resilience of an artist from a refugee background, the exhibition, titled the Reed Pen’s Tale, was launched at the Depot Artspace in Devonport, Auckland. The exhibition features 12 distinctive Persian calligraphic works.
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