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Complacency will kill our multicultural spirit

Phil Goff – 

Last fortnight I spoke at the launch of a report by Multicultural New Zealand entitled ‘Our Multicultural Future.’

The Report, based on 34 workshops on the topic, was put together by former Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

It is designed to be a starting point for developing a national action plan for multiculturalism and multilingualism.

Ethnic conflicts

While we enjoy a peaceful and largely harmonious community in New Zealand, we should not be complacent about structural and personal racism that exist in some areas.

When we look around the world, we can see conflict caused by divisions based on ethnicity, religion and other differences within and between communities.

It is really important that we create the conditions in our own country that foster a tolerant, respectful, harmonious and peaceful community.

From a largely mono-cultural country, we have developed a bicultural relationship with Maori as the first people to settle in our country.  Over the last 40 years we have developed an increasingly multicultural community.

We have been able to celebrate different cultures and ethnicity for the richness that diversity can bring.

Diverse electorate

The Mt Roskill electorate I represent is today 45% European, 39% Asian, 15% Pasifika and 6% Maori, with more than 100 other different ethnicities.

In our schools in Mt Roskill, we see an even more predominant multiculturalism.

About 36% of our children are Asian, 27% Pasifika, 22% European and 8% Maori.

They and children from other ethnicities grow up playing, studying and working together.  They embrace multiculturalism as a normal part of life.

However, as ‘Our Multicultural Future’ highlights, there is a lot we need to do to ensure the best future for all our people.

Some recommendations

Among other things it recommends that we (a) guarantee the language, culture and place in our society of the Tangata Whenua (b) encourage all people to preserve and pass on the language and culture of their forebears (c) ensure that our education system promotes our cultural diversity (d) establish a national languages policy to encourage people to be fluent in a second language (e) ensure that all can participate and be represented in the decision-making process at every level and (f) help new migrants to settle quickly in their adopted country, such as assisting with language and job search.

It is an important agenda.  If we do it well, we will ensure that New Zealand stands out as the world’s most successful multicultural country.

Phil Goff is former Foreign Affairs, Trade and Justice Minister and has been Member of Parliament for almost 35 years. Elected from Mt Roskill, he is today Labour Party’s Spokesperson for Ethnic Affairs and Auckland Issues. 

 

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