15 years ago, Ibrahim Abdelhalim and his wife Salwa started the annual Arabic language and Qur'an competition in Christchurch. Ibrahim, current president of the Canterbury African Council and long serving member of the Canterbury Muslim Community Trust, explains that the language group aims to teach all interested children the Arabic language, and Islamic culture as a means of creating harmony between diverse religious and ethnic groups. Ibrahim believes in promoting the peace and loving nature of Islam to the younger generation.
In 2014, Dr Surinder Tandon received the insignia of a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (NZOM) for services to the community, and in the field of textile science. The award recognises a life time of service to others from a man whose personal motto is ‘service above self’.
This year we celebrate New Zealand’s 125th anniversary of women receiving the right to vote.
ChangeMakers Refugee Forum is a Wellington based, non-government organisation, representing communities from former refugee backgrounds. The organisation has many initiatives designed to live out their vision of New Zealanders from refugee backgrounds participating fully in New Zealand life.
April was another busy month at the Office of Ethnic Communities with Easter break now seeming a distant memory. I’d like to take the opportunity once again to thank the dedicated staff of the Office, and all the passionate and committed representatives of diverse ethnic communities that engage with us, to make this work possible.
The New Zealand Indian Central Association and New Zealand Chinese Association recently collaborated on an exhibition in Wellington to honour the service of Indian and Chinese New Zealanders in the First World War. The exhibition was held at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park between 25 November 2017 and 25 March 2018.
