Inter-ethnic prejudice and discrimination were the subjects on the table at a recent online hui attended by a collective of New Zealand creatives and activists.
Organisers and participants of the hui talk to Voices about highlighting and tackling these issues via honest dialogue and reflection.
Naima Ali, community advocate Photo: Kadambari Gladding
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On the panel were the likes of Mervin Singham, Chief Executive for the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon and AUT professor, Camille Nakhid.
On a second panel were community advocates Eva Chen, Naima Ali, Nilima Venkat and linguist, Farzana Gounder.
Listen to the full Voices interview with organisers and participants of the hui:
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Nearly 100 people from around Aotearoa attended the hui, during which panellists and participants shared their personal experiences on the 'isms' that feed into intra-ethnic prejudice in New Zealand communities.
Jennifer Khan Janif, one of the organisers and a human rights activist, hopes that the hui helps bring this kind of discrimination out of closed doors, and into honest dialogues around this sort of discrimination and how communities can tackle it.
"It will get people to start reflecting on their own biases.
"I'm very optimistic about bringing change by starting to have this conversation," Jennifer says.
Human rights activist Jennifer Khan-Janif (at right) is awarded an MNZM by former governor-general Dame Patsy Reddy. Photo: Governor-General of New Zealand