For the Fijian-Indian community in Auckland, traditions are important. They re gathering as they would in Fiji to celebrate the Hindu festival of Navaratri.
But 142 years have passed since their ancestors were taken to Fiji to work on sugar plantations and some traditions have changed. The music has evolved over time, religious practices, weddings have evolved over time. While we ve maintained Indian roots, there has been a Pacific flavour that has gone into it, says Krish Naidu, president of the Fiji Girmit Foundation New Zealand.
Over the last century there have been four coups in Fiji spurred by tensions between ethnic Fijians and Indian Fijians.
”I’m in talks with Multicultural Aoraki. I want to bring rangatahi [young people] together and work through it.” She hopes to have the inaugural meeting in the next few months and engage people in conversation about race relations. Nora said her race unity speech came from a different angle to the other contestants. “I had a different take because I was an Irish immigrant when we moved here when I was seven. “I looked like a New Zealander and was accepted. I am seen to be more Kiwi than that of a third generation Pakistani-New Zealander who was born in, and grew up in Wellington, paid taxes for years and never left the country. ”
Press Release – New Zealand Police
Be the change, don’t sit back and wait for the Government to fix race relations in Aotearoa, was the message from Lucia-Tui Bernards, a Year 12 student from Tawa College who today won this year’s Race Unity Speech Awards.
In an inspiring and heartfelt speech, Lucia-Tui called for all secondary schools to have a race relations strategy, as well as a race relations youth council to ensure the voices of ethnic minorities are heard.
Race relations youth ambassadors would suggest policies to decision-makers and government agencies from a youth perspective.
Chief judge NZ Police Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha says Lucia-Tui’s speech was fantastic.
Be the change, don't sit back and wait for the Government to fix race relations in Aotearoa, was the message from Lucia-Tui Bernards, a Year 12 student.
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