One of the most important things we have been doing is working with other government agencies to share ethnic community needs, and talk about how services could be adapted to better meet them. This is our way forward and, I will be personally meeting with senior leaders across the motu to make the case for new ways of doing things. It is early in the process but we are already getting a good response and people are listening. Watch this space.

Our team has also been involved in a number of events to mark important milestones and celebrate ethnic culture. I have shared some highlights below.

Getting better health outcomes for ethnic communities

You may know that a once-in-a-generation reform programme is under way in the health and disability sector and we have been working to influence that so that it factors in the needs of our communities.

Last Wednesday the second in a series of four national hui about the reforms took place. It was led by Minister Little, the Minister of Health. The topic was Improving equity in the health system and our own Richard Foy moderated the panel (which was made up of the minister and the three heads of the new health sector agencies).

This was an important opportunity to raise the profile of ethnic communities and our ministry so I am delighted we were there. In addition, I have written to the Chief Executives of the Ministry of Health, Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority seeking a meeting to collaborate on designing health services that meet the needs of ethnic communities.

These are the kinds of opportunities to influence we are taking. Being a full Ministry makes a real difference. We get a seat at the table which would have been much harder when we were simply part of another agency. The relationships formed prior to and during the hui have set us up well to engage with key people in the health sector in future. There is more to come and  I will keep you updated on progress.

Increasing our Police presence

Recently I was invited to speak to a groups of senior police officers in Auckland.

I talked to them about the work of our Ministry and the importance of ethnic communities to Aotearoa New Zealand.

I also spoke about some of the experiences ethnic people have had with Police and the wider justice system. Research has shown that whether a newcomer believes they belong to their host country is disproportionately impacted by their experiences with law enforcement agencies. if policing procedures feel fair and just, people have enhanced perceptions of police legitimacy.

My aim was to get decision makers thinking about things from an ethnic community perspective. 

I also spoke from the heart when I thanked everyone there for the work of the New Zealand Police. As a migrant, and someone who has travelled extensively, I know Aotearoa New Zealand's approach to law enforcement compares well with other places in the world. It is not something that people always appreciate.

We will keep working with New Zealand Police and I must thank Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo, National Partnerships Manager for helping set up this opportunity.

Celebrating Africa Day

25 May was Africa Day and we organised a special online celebration to honour this important anniversary for African communities.

It was one of many events around the country and our African communities did a fabulous job of bringing Africa Day to life.

On 25 May 1963, Africa made history with the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity, the precursor to the African Union. Since then, this day is celebrated annually across the world, including in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Our celebratory event was to highlight the great things about Africa that our communities are proud of, as well as the connections people have with that continent.

African community leaders from across New Zealand joined us over Zoom. We shared solidarity messages and some of the key speakers included Ibrahim Ali (Founder, Aotearoa Africa Foundation; Secretary, Aotearoa Africa Foundation), Evelyn Park, (President African Communities Forum (ACOFI), Ketina Chivasa (President, NZ Pan-African Broadcasting Corporation), Vivian Mavunga (President, University of Otago African Students Association) and, Morenike Oladeinde (PhD), Programme Producer and Presenter, Bold women on the move, Plains FM 96.9).

The Honourable Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities delivered her congratulatory speech via video.

A strong message from the African community leaders who spoke was the need for cooperation and unity among community organisations and leaders. We will be happy to help.

The day finished on a high as well when I got to attend an Africa Day celebration at Parliament.

Launching Indian Origin Pride New Zealand

I was delighted to join Minister Radhakrishnan for the launch of Indian Origin Pride New Zealand (IOPNZ) in Parliament's Grand Hall last month. 

IOPNZ is a charitable trust set up to empower rainbow Indians to celebrate their ethnic, cultural, sexual and gender identities collectively. It is an important reminder that diversity and inclusion goes beyond ethnicity. In Aotearoa New Zealand everyone should feel empowered to be themselves.

As IOPNZ Chair Shay Singh (he/him) said, "It's tough being a minority within a minority – like many of us in Aotearoa New Zealand who are Indian and part of the rainbow community. We at IOPNZ know. We have struggled in our own ways and so have our Indian families."

IOPNZ works with Indian, rainbow and governmental organisations to ensure greater inclusivity and safety for Indians who are part of the rainbow community. I would like to particularly acknowledge and applaud IOPNZ for their incredible efforts to support the Indian LGBTQI+ community in an unprecedented manner.

You can find out more about IOPNZ and their important work at https://www.iopnz.org/ 

Getting a business viewpoint

I had the privilege of hosting a group of ethnic business leaders in Auckland recently. The aim was to get their perspectives on a number of topics.

The conversation was wide-ranging and covered everything from COVID-19 and accessing government support to safety for small businesses and recent regulation.

Meeting face to face was very important. As well as hearing a variety of views I got to truly see how people were feeling, including the fatigue that comes from dealing with the economic impacts of COVID-19. We had some very frank conversations.

Having this kind of experience means I am far better placed to talk to colleagues in other agencies like MBIE and tell them how ethnic businesses are faring. All businesses have things in common but some ethnic firms have particular challenges. I see part of the Ministry's job as amplifying community voices and making sure that government decision makers understand business issues from an ethnic perspective.

We will be doing a lot more of this.

Ministry sponsors new Women in Governance Award

I am excited to be able to tell you that we are sponsoring a new award at the 2022 New Zealand Women in Governance Awards. It is the Ethnic Communities' Governance Leader category and will help shine the spotlight on the great contribution made by ethnic people in this area.

Hosted by Women on Boards New Zealand in conjunction with Governance New Zealand, the awards recognise the achievements of women and organisations who are governance leaders, directors, change-makers, and rising stars within their community and public and private sector organisations - all making a difference to achieving gender diversity on boards.

Other categories include, Rising Governance Leader and a Lifetime Achievement Award.  This year, the awards will celebrate “inspiring women around the board table who empower and uplift others to lead, question and change the status quo”. 

We will share the winner in due course.

More information about the awards can be found online.

Applications for Vaccination Uptake Fund closing soon

Applications for the Ethnic Communities COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Fund close on 21 June 2022.

This fund was set up to support initiatives that increase vaccination among ethnic communities and puts money directly into the hands of community groups and organisations. 

The funding is there for communities so please do not miss out. The fund has already supported over 80 community-led projects and provided over a $1 million in funding.

If you have a project or initiative that could help get people vaccinated it is easy to apply.

More information about the fund is available on our website.

Vote 22

This October, every region across Aotearoa New Zealand will be having local authority/council elections.

Ethnic communities make up 20 per cent of Aotearoa New Zealand's population - you have a powerful voice. It needs to be represented in our local democracies and voting in this year's local elections is a great opportunity to do this.

Te Kāhui Kaunihera ō Aotearoa Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) who represents councils across the country and Taituarā and Local Government Professionals Aotearoa have recently launched the VOTE 2022 campaign.

It will be a national conversation about creating an inclusive place for everyone in local government by encouraging more diverse people to stand for council and improving voter turn-out in local elections.

You can learn more about Vote 2022, including how to stand for election at the campaign website.

We are here to help

Our regional teams are here to help. If you have concerns, or need to get in touch with us, here is a list of our Regional Managers. We would be delighted to talk with you. 

Northern Region (upper North Island)
Nandita Mathur - 027 299 8031

Central (central and lower-North Island)
Kudakwashe Tuwe - 027 213 5972

Southern Region (South Island)
Matthew Nichols – 022 417 6783

If you prefer, you can reach us by email at info@ethniccommunities.govt.nz

Take care of yourselves, your families, loved ones and wider communities.

Ngā mihi nui

Mervin Singham
Chief Executive, Ministry for Ethnic Communities