The government has launched a package of measures aimed at strengthening social cohesion across communities and sectors in Aotearoa, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, said.
The minister made the announcement while hosting the annual Diwali celebration in Parliament on October 27.
The social cohesion package delivers on the specific recommendations of the Royal Commission of Enquiry into the Christchurch Mosque attacks, the minister said.
“It includes a shared understanding of the definition of what social cohesion means for us here in New Zealand, what actions we can take to strengthen it collectively and how we measure progress as well,” she added.
A community fund to support initiatives at the community level that drive cohesion was also launched.
The long-term goal was to create a society where “everyone can feel a sense of belonging, where everyone is respected, where everyone can participate fully, and where we have trust in one another and public institutions as well,” Radhakrishnan observed.
The establishment of the Ministry of Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities had provided a “strong voice that’s able to influence change at the top levels of the public service and in terms of influencing the government policy and legislative agenda in ways that will lift the wellbeing of our communities and in ways that champion inclusion,” the minister noted.
The event marked a long-standing tradition that began in 2004 when former Labour PM Helen Clarke hosted the first Diwali celebration in Parliament.
Radhakrishnan recalled telling the Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during his recent visit to NZ, that the Kiwi Indian community, which represented five per cent of the NZ population, “are our greatest asset when it comes to strengthening the relationship between the two countries.”
She called Jaishankar’s visit “significant” as it was the first by an Indian foreign minister in about two decades. “It is also significant that two of my ministerial colleagues, our Minister for Trade and Agriculture Damien O’Connor and our Food Safety Minister Meka Whaitiri visited India as well,” Radhakrishnan said.
Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan spoke next.
She said it was especially significant that Diwali was celebrated in the historic venue of the NZ Parliament. “We in India consider Parliament the epitome of democracy. Both our countries are democracies, and India is the largest democracy in the world today.”
It was heartening to see that Diwali was welcomed across communities and celebrated by city councils across NZ, she said.
“The diversity of New Zealand and the diversity of India have a lot in common. We are both very welcoming communities. And the diversity itself is part of our identity,” the high commissioner said.
She made a special mention of the White Shipping Agreement signed between the two countries, which aimed at ensuring maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. Many MOUs, partnerships and cultural exchanges were in the offing, the high commissioner said.
Narendra Bhana, New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA) president, highlighted the plight of Indian businesses that were victims of spiralling crime and ram raids.
Member of Parliament Vanushi Walters was the co-master of ceremony for the event, which was attended by dignitaries who included former Governor General Anand Satyanand, parliamentarians Marja Lubeck, Ingrid Leary, Greg O Connor, Immigration Minister Michael Wood , as well as the Honorary Consul of India in Auckland , Bhav Dhillon .
The event was marked by classical Indian dance performances by students from Wellington-based dance schools, while a live band entertained the audience. The guests picked up boxes of Diwali sweets on their way out.
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