The Waitakere Multicultural Council hosted a multicultural workshop on Wednesday 29 April 2015 to discuss the ways New Zealand can be made more friendly and welcoming to the new communities. The subject of the workshop was to address the possibilities and barriers to form a peaceful and striving community in Auckland.
The workshop was facilitated by former Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres, who is also an honorary advisor to Multicultural New Zealand. The people present for the workshop belonged to different work backgrounds, different ethnicities living in New Zealand for a long time.
The people at the workshop were divided into different groups to discuss three topics namely:
a. The key to a successful multicultural society are?
b. The barriers to a multicultural society? and
c. What new solutions can be taken to make New Zealand more multicultural and welcoming
The larger group was broken up into smaller subgroups and members exchanged ideas and brainstormed speaking from their previous experiences and the vision that they have for this country. Of the key points that were put forward the concept of ‘Ubuntu’ derived from African culture was placed on the table that means ‘humane-ness’ and also expands to looking out for one another.
Other main feature of the event was about the topic of getting rid of close mindedness, being open to new opportunities and accepting change to be a part of life, respecting other cultures and their norms, standing for each other and the barriers discussed were like stubbornness, superiority complex of individuals or groups, narrow thinking, self centeredness etc.
The workshop started with light refreshments for all present there then with group discussions and then putting the contributions of individual groups to everyone present there by the individual group conveners.
Multicultural New Zealand’s agenda was to discuss with normal people as part of a project to develop a widely accepted strategic agenda for a multicultural and multilingual New Zealand.The project was funded by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, the discussion document will provide the basis for a second round of discussion to generate actions that will overcome the obstacles and achieve the vision of a multicultural New Zealand.