On Wednesday, 25 September 2024, we held another successful Executive Leadership Team (ELT) roadshow in Wellington. Over 40 Ethnic Community leaders attended to learn more about our key priorities and upcoming initiatives.
Following previous successful roadshows in Christchurch and Auckland, this event provided a valuable platform for direct engagement between the Ministry and New Zealand's growing Ethnic Communities.
As New Zealand's ethnic population continues to grow, their contributions to the country's social and economic fabric are increasingly vital.
Our Chief Executive, Mervin Singham, highlighted the importance of these roadshows.
"Engaging directly with our communities is essential to ensuring that the Ministry's work reflects the priorities and aspirations of the people we serve.
"These roadshows provide an invaluable platform for exchanging ideas, building connections, and working together for the benefit of all New Zealanders," says Mervin.
During the Wellington session, the ELT shared updates on the Ministry's progress, recent organisational changes, and its commitment to delivering impactful, system-wide outcomes. The ELT also introduced the Ministry's four major workstreams—referred to as the 'four big rocks'—that will drive its focus in the coming months:
- Ethnic Xchange Symposium is dedicated to unlocking the full potential of ethnic businesses for the benefit of New Zealand.
- Ethnic Communities Indicators Report is aiming to improve access to data on ethnic communities. This will strengthen the evidence base across the public sector by highlighting their needs and contributions.
- Security and resilience programme that addresses concerns within Ethnic Communities while supporting them in building their resilience and strength.
- Regional Initiative for Ethnic Community Empowerment (RIECE). This initiative is designed to address unique regional issues and serve as vehicles for engagement on priority matters.
The roadshow provided an open, interactive forum where community leaders shared their perspectives, raised questions, and offered feedback on how the Ministry could better meet their needs.
Key topics included security and resilience, cross-community collaboration, employment, ethnic representation on boards, and social cohesion.
We received positive feedback from community leaders about the Ministry’s new strategic approach to addressing community issues.
We thank all the leaders who participated for their valuable time and ideas. We look forward to continuing our work together to build a more inclusive and prosperous New Zealand.
