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Kia ora
Whether you’re into sport or not, how great was it seeing people from all over the world coming together at the Olympics? Athletes from across the globe, with diverse backgrounds, cultures and languages, uniting over what they have in common – a shared desire to do their best at the highest level. Or, as the Olympic motto puts it, be Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger).
As you may know, InCommon has been created to highlight that even though we may think we’re different – there are things that bring us all together – we have much more in common than we think.
In this edition, we outline what we've been up to, share some super easy ways to support the InCommon kaupapa, and premiere a video featuring Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Tyrone Smith discussing what they have in common (while making pizza!).
He ira tangata. He ira rongomaiwhiti tāu.
Arohanui,
The team at InCommon (you can read about us here!)
OUR MAYOR & TYRONE SMITH EXPLORE WHAT'S INCOMMON
We made this video to showcase all the things that Lianne Dalziel and Whãnau Ora Navigator (and InCommon poster child) Tyrone Smith have in common.
Not only will you learn what they like on and off their pizza, but you'll also learn what our mayor's Karaoke song of choice is...
What’s your karaoke go to?
WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO
There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes at InCommon over the last couple of months.
We’ve held 5 events throughout the city, including at the University of Canterbury, and advanced our shared kaupapa with the great team of the Christchurch Invitation (www.mahiatearoha.nz) at their Town Hall event.
Check out the photos below for a glimpse of what we’ve been up to and all the things we have in common.
OLDEST CHILD?
InCommon’s events bring people together who may at first seem like they don’t have much in common.
Did you know that in many cultures, the oldest children are assigned special responsibilities in the whānau that their siblings don’t have? If parents pass away, for example, the oldest child becomes the authority in the family and, no matter how old, younger siblings are expected to follow their advice.
SHOES OFF INSIDE?
A visit to the University of Canterbury highlighted how many Kiwis have in common when it comes to shoes!
It seems a lot of Kiwis, whether born in Aotearoa New Zealand or not, remove their footwear before entering a house. Dirty shoes are not the only reason why it's customary to do this in many cultures of the world.
Religions such as Islam and Hinduism regard the feet as unclean and worshippers are required to remove shoes before entering mosques, temples and homes.
Throughout Asia, no shoes are allowed inside houses and there are often indoor slippers provided for guests. But in other western cultures, requiring guests to remove shoes feels like a demand for a level of intimacy that some people don’t want to share, or they feel uncomfortable showing their bare feet or socks to people they don’t know well.
Our customs around footwear are wonderfully diverse but also, are some of the things that we have in common!
SHARING STORIES OF FRIENDSHIP
Starting off as neighbours, their relationship turned into so much more after the mosques tragedy.
Nibal says….
Sal is a true friend who has stood beside me unconditionally, especially through the tragedy of 15 March 2019, when we lost my brother-in-law and mother-in-law. Sal made our tragedy her own, she made her home our home, and showed us kindness and support in what was the most difficult time of my life.
Because of this, our bonds of friendship are even stronger now. Sal, I am so grateful for you -- thank you for being a family for me when my own family is mostly overseas. Our friendship lives deep in my heart.
Sal says…
I met my lovely neighbour Nibal a few years ago when she invited a group of neighbours for a morning tea and provided the most delicious food! Food is an interest we both share and it brought us together lots in the early days.
When the mosque tragedy happened, I was broken-hearted for Nibal and her family. All I could do was just try to be there for her, whenever she needed me, but I knew that even that may not be enough to heal the deep sorrow in her family’s life.
Our friendship has grown since then and we really enjoy going for walks, catching up with other mutual friends and chatting over a cuppa. She is such a warm, funny, generous person, a fabulous mum to two wonderful girls and a friend who I know is there for me. I am so lucky and grateful to have her living next door.
MATARIKI
We loved learning more about Matariki this year, reflecting on the differences and similarities in cultural and religious traditions illuminated by the night skies.
Matariki is known by different names around the world, from ‘Makali‘I’ or ‘eyes of royalty' in Hawaii, Kirttika meaning ‘the cutters’ in India, and ‘Subaru’ understood as ‘unity’ in Japan. There are many more! Isn’t it amazing how one-star cluster can have so many names? While each has different meanings, what they share is a link to observances based on the lunar calendar.
Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, Matariki is related to Maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar which signals the Māori New Year. That got us thinking about the connections across cultural boundaries and religious traditions that follow the lunar calendar (such as Chinese, Hebrew, Hindu and Muslim). A similarity we noticed was the importance of celebrations that honoured those that have passed and the coming together of family.
Chaitra Navratri practised in India focuses on cleaning, fasting and reflection. Sharing kai is important at observances such as the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, a time of introspection and rejoicing – celebrated with apples and honey! And Eid al-Adha – a Muslim holiday where kai is shared not only with family, friends and neighbours, but also the poor and needy.
Despite our differing beliefs, we stand in awe of the stars and the moon that call to us during these special occasions to reflect, renew and enjoy all traditions that give our lives meaning.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
We'd love your help to encourage others towards new friendships.
To make it easy to share our message you can also download posters, email signatures and social media tiles from our website. We reckon the posters would look great printed out at your workplace!
We're currently working on an online quiz and look forward to sharing this with you later this year.
THANK YOU!
On behalf of the team at InCommon, thank you so much for being on this journey with us. Your support means the world.
Mā te wā
