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. Wen Powles - Director's updateThis is my first week at the Department of Internal Affairs and in the role of Director of the Office of Ethnic Communities. I am delighted to join the team, and look forward very much to meet and learn from all our partners in the ethnic communities sector over the coming months. Minister's UpdateI would like to wish Ramadan Mubarak to people in the Muslim community at the beginning of the month of Ramadan. This is a month of daily fasting. It is also a time of reflection, focus and practicing goodwill. Iftar meals to break the fast at the end of the day will be shared with friends, family and our wider community. The month of fasting will also be accompanied by efforts to assist those less well-off and build peace and harmony in our communities. We are fortunate to experience the practices and considerable contribution Muslim kiwis make to our communities and country. EPIC NZ Conference – Registrations now openRegistrations are now open for the Ethnic People In Commerce (EPIC) NZ Conference 2017. Spaces are limited to 300 so be in quick. Migrant happiness surveyA market research company, Cultural Connections, carried out a survey to measure the shift in migrants’ level of happiness. The survey sampled 600 migrants by asking them to respond to "How happy were you when you first arrived in New Zealand?" and "How happy are you now?” on a 10 point scale. Celebrations of cultural diversity in RotoruaThe Rotorua Multicultural Council receives Ethnic Communities Development Funding from the Office of Ethnic Communities. By making use of the contribution of volunteers and through the generosity of those who provide refreshments at low cost and venues for free, small amounts of money can go a long way when organising events to celebrate the cultural diversity of Rotorua. Sharing information to combat global tax evasionThe Government has signed up to the global automatic exchange of information (AEOI) initiative led by the OECD. We’re one of 100 countries that will automatically share some financial account information about foreign tax residents. All countries will use the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) to identify and report on financial accounts held or controlled by foreign tax residents. In My Own Words: Ahi KarunaharanKia ora! My name is Ahi and I was born in the UK and raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I am the child of Sri Lankan migrants and have spent close to fifteen years working as a professional in the arts industry as an actor, writer, director, producer and composer. Like many other sectors, the landscape of New Zealand’s arts and culture industry is rapidly changing but right now we need to step up and start stepping ahead. Shama fundraising event shinesShama Hamilton Ethnic Women’s Centre Trust organised an inspirational gala fundraising event on Saturday 29th April featuring poetry, films, and stories of resilience.
Would you like to subscribe?Keep up to date with our projects and ethnic diversity issues by subscribing to our contact list. You will receive details about stories, events and community news by email. This includes our monthly newsletter the OEC Update. |