29 May 2020

Nau mai, haere mai

Eid Mubarak to our Muslim brothers and sisters. It has been heartening to hear from the many young people of Aotearoa taking to social media to speak openly about their unwavering love for families, friends, faith and community. Such positive messages of unity in the most trying of times. 

But things are slowly changing and opening up. On Monday 25 May, Cabinet agreed to changes for Alert level 2 gathering restrictions. Starting at 12pm today, Friday 29 May, all gatherings can have a maximum of 100 people. This includes weddings, funerals and religious services. You can find more information on the Unite against COVID-19 website.

Congratulations to Ondre Hapuku-Lambert from Karamu High School in Hawkes Bay. Ondre was the winner of the Office of Ethnic Communities Tohu Whetumatarau Award for Vision at the Race Unity Speech Awards. He talked about the importance of teaching children to be positive and peaceful to all people. The Office was pleased to support the award, which recognises a speaker who helps us envision Aotearoa’s future as a multicultural society founded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Videos of all speakers are available at the Race Unity Aotearoa YouTube page. 

As this month draws to a close so does my tenure as Acting Director for the Office of Ethnic Communities. The mahi (work) is real, it is inspiring, and I feel enriched for the experience. My thanks to you for your aroha (love) and dedication to community, and for trying to make Aotearoa a much better place for all of us. The new Executive Director, Anusha Guler, starts on Tuesday 2 June. She brings a wealth of experience, having led multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse teams throughout her roles in New Zealand and South Africa. Please reach out to her, connect, and share tea and your kōrero (story).

I wish you all the very best.

Mauri ora

Caroline Bridgland
Acting Director, Office of Ethnic Communities

Community work during COVID-19

During this extraordinary time, community-based organisations and groups are working tirelessly to identify and meet the needs of New Zealand’s diverse ethnic communities. We have seen the community embrace new and dynamic ways of doing things and adapting to the “new normal”. Below is a small snapshot of some of this awesome work.

Essential food services including food parcels, hot meals and iftar packs were distributed by many groups. This includes the New Zealand Sikh Society, the Pakistan Association of New Zealand, Multicultural Tauranga, Ekta New Zealand, the Multicultural Association of Hawke's Bay, the Muslim Association of Canterbury, and the Linwood Islamic Centre.

Many groups shared trustworthy and relevant information into their communities using a range of tools including newsletters, Zoom calls, and WeChat. This includes the Pakuranga Chinese Association, Indo Kiwi United Trust, Manawatu Refugee Resettlement Forum, Migrant Connections Taranaki, United Afghan Association of Canterbury, and the Christchurch Korean Society working alongside the Auckland Korean Student’s Association.

There have been so many other creative initiatives that have arisen in light of COVID-19. For example, the New Zealand Jewish Community Assistance Group made phone calls to vulnerable people in their community, helped with grocery shopping, and picked up and delivered medications. Belong Aotearoa quickly adapted to operating virtually to continue to provide services and support to newcomers, migrants and refugees. The Chinese Culture Association provided Zoom technical support and training for Chinese elderly groups who want to stay connected with others during the lock-down.

These groups are just the tip of the iceberg and there are many others we have not had space to name. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has and continues to, provide support for their communities.

Contact tracing

Fast and effective contact tracing is an important way to help stop any further spread of COVID-19 in our communities. It is important that the close contacts of anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 can be identified and contacted. Keeping a record of where you went, when, and who you met will help health services to carry out contact tracing if needed.

There are different ways of keeping track of your movements. This includes keeping a paper diary or list of where you went and when or using the Government NZ COVID Tracer app – which is like a digital diary. You can download the COVID Tracer app through the app store on your smartphone. If you do not have a smartphone, you can still register online to share your latest contact information with the Ministry of Health.

The personal information and contact details you choose to register through the app are provided to the National Close Contact Service (NCCS) so health officials can quickly get in touch if you are identified as a close contact of someone who has COVID-19. Any other information you provide is stored securely on your phone and is automatically deleted after 31 days.

More information about keeping track of your movements and why this is important.

COVID-19 information updates

• Recent changes were made to the Immigration Act 2009. These will enable the government to amend visa conditions or extend visas of groups of people for varying periods of time. The changes will enable our immigration system to be flexible and responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic, and any other future emergencies. The Minister of Immigration is clear that the Government does not intend to use the powers in this Act to take away any existing visa rights. You can find more information on the Immigration New Zealand website.
   

• The Government has established a $1M hardship fund for international students. This is to address urgent temporary needs arising from changes to their personal circumstances as a result of COVID-19. Education providers, community groups and other organisations that work with international students are eligible to apply for funding. The grants are not made directly to students or their agents. Eligible organisations will receive a one-off grant of up to $20,000. For more information about the fund and how to apply visit the Education New Zealand website.
   

• The Government has announced that New Zealand residents and citizens who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 will be able to apply for support payments for 12 weeks. For support, migrant workers and non-residents should currently contact their local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.
   

• Children and young people returned to early learning services and schools on Monday 18 May 2020. It is crucial for parents to keep reminding their children of the important hygiene routines and reminding them to play it safe. The Ministry of Education has more information, including a checklist in 27 languages to help parents talk to their children.
   

• A factsheet about life at Alert Level 2 is available in 23 languages on the translation page of the COVID-19 website. Our team has also made these factsheets into short videos in a range of languages. These are available on our website. We also have audio recordings available if you would like to play these recordings in your organisation or business.

Quick links

• The Report on Gender, Māori and Ethnic Diversity on State Sector Boards and Committees for 2019 was released this week. This is a joint report between the Office and the Ministry for Women. It is the first time that ethnic diversity information has been included in this report, and while it indicates there is still a way to go, it is great to have this baseline data to work from.
   
• Charities Services has created a COVID-19 hub on its website. Registered charities can find information and resources to help them at this time. Charities Services also released a webinar on COVID-19’s impacts on the charitable sector and have a bi-monthly newsletter you can sign up for regular updates.
   
• This Community Sector COVID-19 impact survey, run by a number of umbrella organisations in the charitable sector, aims to build a clear picture of the contribution the sector is making to the COVID-19 response. This data can also inform decision making in the recovery phase. The survey closes at 5pm on Friday, 12 June.
   
• Racism is not OK. Not now, not ever. If you or someone you know believe you have been discriminated against, please inform the Human Rights Commission using the form on its website. The Commission will use this information to see if it can help you, and as a record for its human rights advocacy work. You can also report incidents to Police by calling 105 or by using the online 105 form.  Call 111 in an emergency.