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In this edition
- Chief Executive's foreword
- Deputy Chief Executive Update - this edition from our Fleur Murray
- Key updates:
- Prepare for emergencies
- Protect yourself and your loved ones from measles
- Our Graduates at New Zealand Police met with the Commissioner
- Explore our inter-cultural capability resource hub
- Nominate someone for a New Zealand Royal Honour
- Discover our online Community Directory
- Coming together:
- Eid al-Fitr Celebration at Parliament
- Celebrating Diversity: Highlights from 'Inspiring Stories – from COBOL to Cloud and CleanTech'
- Our Indicator Report engagement sessions
- Highlights from our Ethnic Communities Development Fund
- Meet the new panel for the Ethnic Communities Development Fund
- Supporting refugee communities across New Zealand
- Our Ethnic Communities initiatives
- Combating Hate with Aroha: The 'CHILL' Campaign
- Spotlight on other government agencies' initiatives
- Valuable resources to help fight against hate-motivated behaviour
- Change to residence criteria for NZ Super and Veteran’s Pension
Kia ora koutou and apa khabar (Hello in Malay),
Welcome to the second 2024 edition of our Ethnic Voices newsletter!
July is coming to an end, and as we look back on the first half of 2024, we hope it has been a productive and positive time for everyone.
Starting our fourth year as the Ministry for Ethnic Communities
July is always special for us as we mark our anniversary. This year, we celebrate three incredible years as the Ministry for Ethnic Communities. These years have been dedicated to creating a future where every New Zealander feels valued and empowered.
Over the past three years, we've formed connections, strengthened bonds, and amplified voices to create a genuinely inclusive New Zealand. Collaborating with our partners across the government, we've informed policies and provided crucial advice, supporting the growth and success of our Ethnic Communities.
We have funded numerous community-led initiatives through our Ethnic Communities Development Fund and gathered vital data to better understand our communities’ needs and contributions.
As we enter our fourth year, we are more committed than ever to enhancing the lives of our Ethnic Communities. We look forward to the challenges and triumphs ahead.
Advancing economic outcomes for our Ethnic Communities
July also marks the beginning of the financial year and the new funding round of $4.2 million for our Ethnic Communities Development Fund (ECDF). If you have impactful initiatives for your community and New Zealand society, we encourage you to check our website for eligibility for funding.
The ECDF is a crucial part of our economic development efforts. It supports initiatives like helping community members write CVs and find jobs. We also partner with organisations to host events like 'Inspiring Stories—from COBOL to Cloud and CleanTech', showcasing the achievements of Kiwi-Indian women in technology and the digital industry.
Our engagement initiatives with small ethnic businesses are a vital part of how we support better economic outcomes for our Ethnic Communities.
Last year, we hosted the first Ministerial Roundtable and EthnicBiz Forum, followed by the second Ministerial Roundtable this March. These events tackled essential issues like support for women-led businesses, building connections with mainstream businesses, employer support, and retail safety.
We are broadening our economic development efforts to unlock the potential of high-value ethnic businesses and their international networks.
A report by the Waitakere Ethnic Board (2021) revealed that ethnic communities contributed a significant $64 billion, to New Zealand's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This underscores the value these businesses bring and their growing role in New Zealand's socioeconomic fabric.
In October, we are excited to host our first Ethnic Xchange business symposium. This event is a significant step to promote innovation, trade, and investment.
The symposium will highlight the benefits of collaboration in maximising the contributions of high-value ethnic businesses. These businesses possess invaluable expertise in navigating international markets, particularly in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Engaging directly with our communities
Recently, I had the privilege of engaging directly with our Ethnic Communities in Christchurch and Auckland through the Ministry's Executive Leadership Team (ELT) roadshow. Our goals were to share our strategy, gather insights from community leaders, and discuss opportunities for collaboration.
Two-way communication is vital for making our work meaningful. We discussed various topics, including our achievements, ongoing efforts, areas to scale back, and new approaches to adopt. One comment from a community leader that resonated deeply with me was, "We greatly appreciate that you and your Ministry's team are talking 'with' us, not 'to' us."
Additionally, I had the opportunity to engage with our Kiwi-Jewish community through collaboration with the Astor Foundation and the New Zealand Jewish Council to address the recent increase in antisemitic incidents.
It is crucial we have these discussions and collectively consider how to approach this to ensure New Zealand remains a safe place for everyone calling it home.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari kē he toa takitini
This whakatauki (proverb) means that success is not due to individual effort but the collective support and contribution of many. Our Ministry's success is thanks to our valuable partnerships with the community, government, and private sector.
I invite you to explore this edition and join us in celebrating the resilience and diversity of New Zealand's Ethnic Communities.
Noho
ora mai,
Mervin Singham
Chief Executive
Ministry for Ethnic Communities
Deputy Chief Executive Update: New resources for health and emergency preparedness
A message from Fleur Murray, Deputy Chief Executive, Corporate Services
Kia ora koutou,
I hope you and your families are well and keeping warm in this cooler weather. This time of year, we often experience more illnesses spreading in the community, while bad weather can cause flooding, slips, and a range of other issues.
As our Chief Executive mentioned in his foreword, we value the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. The health and wellbeing of one segment of our society are essential to the entire population.
As our Chief Executive mentioned in his foreword, we value the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. The health and wellbeing of one segment of our society are essential to the entire population.
We want to ensure that everyone has access to the information they need to be prepared for different challenges.
One of our Ministry’s priorities is to make sure that New Zealand’s Ethnic Communities have equitable access to government services and information. We consider this carefully in our work by identifying areas where there may be gaps and developing plans to make information more accessible.
Over the past year, we have partnered with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to produce two series of videos. The first series is on the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, while the second is on how to prepare for and respond to different emergencies, such as flooding, fires, and earthquakes.
To make sure Ethnic Communities have greater access to this critical information, these videos are available in 20 languages, in addition to English. This inclusive approach aims to break down language barriers and make this information accessible to all.
For more information about these vital resources, please check the ‘Key updates’ section in this edition. I hope you all find them useful and informative. Please feel free to share them amongst your own communities and network.
Ngā mihi nui,
Fleur Murray
Key updates
Prepare for emergencies
New Zealand is more likely to experience natural disasters than most other countries.
We learnt from the Auckland flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023 that New Zealand needs to be better prepared for emergencies. So, we teamed up with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to produce this video series.
The eight videos explain how to create an emergency plan, what items you may need in an emergency and what to do when different disasters happen. They are available in 20 different languages as well as English.
Protect yourself and your loved ones from measles
Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rates have dropped in recent years and there isn’t the level of immunity needed to prevent a measles outbreak in Aotearoa. Measles is a highly contagious disease, and an outbreak could be devastating for New Zealand.
We worked in partnership with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora to produce three animated videos to raise awareness about measles. The videos explain what measles is, how to protect yourself from the disease and where to access reliable health information. They are available in 20 different languages as well as English.
Our Graduates at New Zealand Police met with the Commissioner
Our third intake of the Ethnic Communities Graduate Programme (ECGP) is thriving in their host organisations. We regularly receive outstanding feedback on how their diverse perspectives enrich these agencies' work.
Our graduates with the New Zealand Police recently had the opportunity to meet with Commissioner Andrew Coster, where they shared experiences and asked questions.
Amanda Lim, Chandan Deep Kaur, Imran Zoher, and Irfan Haizal greatly appreciated the opportunity.
Amanda Lim: Business Support Officer – National Ethnic Partnerships expressed her gratitude, saying, "I am grateful that our voices as youth are being heard and valued by our organization and leader. Our work is crucial for ethnic communities in New Zealand."
Chandan Deep Kaur: Business Support Officer – Family Harm Prevention found the session inspiring: "It was a privilege to hear the Commissioner's stories and learn about his early days in the Police. His curiosity about our work and commitment to continuous improvement is inspiring."
The New Zealand Police team shared their appreciation for our graduates, stating: "We are grateful for the contributions these four staff members have made since joining us last August."
The ECGP seeks to improve ethnic diversity across the public Service by providing skilled graduates from Aotearoa New Zealand’s ethnic communities with a meaningful first employment opportunity.
We are proud of our graduates and their valuable contributions. We are also thankful for the efforts of different host agencies to make our graduates experience constructive and meaningful.
Explore our inter-cultural capability resource hub
Being inter-cultural capable means behaving in a way that respects someone else's mana and cultural background.
We have created an online hub to support public service, organisations, and communities in building their intercultural capability, understanding and skill set.
The hub includes the following tools and resources:
- Introduction to inter-cultural capability eLearning
- Inter-cultural capability tools from other government agencies
- Translation guidance
- Information about Interpreting Services in the New Zealand Public Sector
- Greetings in different languages
Nominate someone for a New Zealand Royal Honour
We would like to see more ethnic people being recognised for the impact they have had on their communities, regions, or New Zealand.
The Royal Honours recognise individuals for their outstanding service and achievements. The Governor General announces them in the Royal New Zealand Honours list on New Year's Day and the King's Birthday.
Our new guidelines, 'How to write a nomination for a New Zealand Royal Honour', provide tips and advice to help people nominate someone for an award.
The guidelines are designed to help more people understand the process and recognise more ethnic people for their contributions.
Remember, your nomination can make a difference. Anyone can nominate someone for an award. The person's contribution must be significant and have had a positive impact on others. See our guide 'How to write a nomination for a New Zealand Royal Honour' for more details.
Her Excellency the Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro with Vanisha Dhiru receiving her MNZM for services to community and gender rights.
Discover our online Community Directory
Do you want to connect with an ethnic community organisation or find a support service?
Our Community Directory includes more than 200 organisations which are working to support New Zealand’s Ethnic Communities. These include community associations, cultural centres, education trusts and news organisations, among others.
If your organisation would like to be included in the directory, please email info@ethniccommunities.govt.nz
Coming together
Eid al-Fitr Celebration at Parliament
On 29 April 2024, we organised the Eid al-Fitr celebration at Parliament, marking the end of Ramadan. This event, hosted by Minister Melissa Lee, highlighted the government's commitment to diversity and the contributions of New Zealand's Muslim communities.
Performances featured poetry by Khadro Mohamed and Nasheed by children from the Lower Hutt Muslimah community. Minister Lee honoured the performers with gifts, celebrating their contributions.
Celebrating Diversity: Highlights from 'Inspiring Stories – from COBOL to Cloud and CleanTech'
On 23 May 2024, during New Zealand TechWeek, we hosted the 'Inspiring Stories – from COBOL to Cloud and CleanTech' event in collaboration with the New Zealand Centre for Digital Connections with India.
With 60 participants, including professionals and students, the event underscored our commitment to diversity and innovation. Berlinda Chin, the Ministry's Chief Advisor, opened the event, emphasising our focus on improving economic outcomes for Ethnic Communities.
Co-moderators Lalita Kasanji and Sunit Prakash highlighted the Centre's mission to support newcomers and connect businesses to new markets.
Our Indicator Report engagement sessions
We have been developing an Indicator Report to improve access to data and insights about Ethnic Communities. This report is the first of its kind. Upon completion, this report brings together, in one place, the available evidence on how Ethnic Communities are doing in New Zealand.
Our aim is to strengthen the evidence base across the public sector so that Ethnic Communities are visible in evidence-based policy development, government investment, and service delivery interventions.
Over the last couple of months, our Analytics, Monitoring and Evaluation team engaged with researchers and community peak bodies to provide context to the data.
Further engagements with Ethnic Communities will occur before the report is published in late 2024.
Caption: Photo from the Indicator Report engagement session in Wellington, moderated by Professor Dr Edwina Pio.
Highlights from our Ethnic Communities Development Fund
Meet the new panel for the Ethnic Communities Development Fund
Our Ethnic Communities Development Fund (ECDF) offers $4.2 million annually to support projects aligned with the Ministry’s strategic priorities. These initiatives aim to empower ethnic communities, enhance skills, celebrate culture, and encourage active societal participation.
After an extensive selection process, five new members have joined Gurdeep Talwar on the ECDF Panel. This panel, composed of external members from diverse ethnic backgrounds, plays a crucial role in reviewing applications and providing funding recommendations to the Ministry.
The new members are Richard Leong, Ogonna Nweke, Edwina Pio (ONZM), Daniel Tulloch, and Anwar-ul Ghani.
Find out more about our new panel members on our website.
We are excited to have a diverse and experienced group on the ECDF Panel to guide the distribution of funds and support the growth and success of New Zealand’s ethnic communities.
Supporting refugee communities across New Zealand
In celebration of World Refugee Day on June 20, we highlighted initiatives funded by the ECDF to empower and integrate refugees across New Zealand, fostering inclusive, resilient communities.
We shed light on four impactful projects:
- Strengthening Resettlement Communities Beyond Borders
- Empowering Refugee Youth in Smaller Regions
- Positive Parenting Programme
- Drive-Free Project
These projects demonstrate our commitment to empowering refugee communities and helping them thrive in New Zealand.
Find out more about these inspiring initiatives on our website.
Our Ethnic Communities initiatives
Combating hate with Aroha: The 'CHILL' campaign
On 24 June, we were delighted to join the launch of the 'CHILL' campaign—Challenge Islamophobic Language and Loathing—by the Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ).
This initiative aims to tackle gendered Islamophobia and highlights the significant contributions of Kiwi Muslim women in sports, research, education, wellbeing, and more.
CHILL features inspiring videos showcasing the achievements of several Kiwi Muslim women.
Our ECDF's support of the IWCNZ's ELEVATE programme helped build the capabilities of the IWCNZ working group, bringing this campaign to life.
The CHILL campaign is funded by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Watch videos and find out more about those inspiring Kiwi Muslim women at www.justchill.org.nz
Spotlight on other government agencies' initiatives
Change to residence criteria for NZ Super and Veteran's Pension
The new residence criteria for getting New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) and Veteran’s Pension affect people who turn 65 from 1 July 2024.
The number of years people need to have lived in New Zealand since turning 20 is gradually increasing from 10 to 20 years, based on their date of birth. This still needs to include five years from age 50.
People may still be able to meet the residence criteria using the NZ Realm countries and/or a country that has a social security agreement with New Zealand. These are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Malta, the Netherlands, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
The criteria are different for people using time spent living in the NZ Realm and for people who are recognised as a refugee or protected person.
People who turned 65 before 1 July 2024 aren’t affected. The changes are due to a law passed in 2021.
Go to workandincome.govt.nz/nzsupercriteria for:
- information about the change and the other criteria for NZ Super and Veteran’s Pension
- a step-by-step guide for finding out if you can get NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension.
Valuable resources to help fight against hate-motivated behaviour
Help raise awareness about the impact of hate and support those affected. Valuable resources to understand, report, and find support are available at www.standingtogether.govt.nz.
These resources, developed by the New Zealand Police and partners like the Department of Internal Affairs, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission, Netsafe, Crime Stoppers, Manaaki Tāngata —Victim Support Aotearoa New Zealand, and CERT NZ, aim to combat hate.
Don’t miss the mini-documentary series featuring five diverse individuals sharing their stories and reasons to unite against prejudice.
Leaflets are available in multiple languages and accessible formats at www.standingtogether.govt.nz.
To report crimes or seek support, go to https://www.police.govt.nz/advice.../advic.../hate-motivated-crime.
Your involvement is key to our shared mission of making New Zealand a place where everyone feels valued, heard, and safe.
Stay up to date and connect with us!
Check our website and social media below.
Contact Us
You can reach out to us by email at info@ethniccommunities.govt.nz.
Take care of yourselves, your families, loved ones and wider communities.
Ngā mihi nui,
Ministry for Ethnic Communities
