Nau mai haere mai

Whakatairangatia i te mana o te rangahau ā-hāpori me te mahi tahi

Community and whānau aspirations for research.

Kaiwhakahaere kōrero 

As 2024 draws to a close our team are looking forward to a few weeks of holiday time to spend with our friends and family, resting and recharging ourselves in preparation for an exciting and very busy looking 2025.

Community Research was part of the collective that supported the ‘Social Investment and Communities’ webinar with Minister Willis which explored the Government’s vision for impact through a social investment approach. Katie Bruce and Zoe Witika-Hawke facilitated this discussion about the opportunities and challenges that we see from within communities. 

Helping communities show the difference they make is why the WhatWorks website was created.  We will be continuing to develop the content of the WhatWorks website to support communities to respond tell their stories in a social investment context. 

On 19^th November our kaimahi joined the hikoi as it arrived in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.  The overwhelming scale of support across communities united in support of Te Tiriti o Waitangi made it an incredibly moving event to be part of. The positive energy of the hikoi will stay with us for a long time along with the messages of hope shared on the day for a more equitable future where all can thrive.

At the hikoi, Community Research joined with Hui E! Community Aotearoa and Volunteering NZ - Tūao Aotearoa on parliament grounds, to sign the paperwork to form a new charitable trust – Purpose Collective Trust. Under this new collective our three organisations’ will be co-locating in a shared office space in central Wellington – moving in as you read this! We look forward to welcoming guests into our shared space in 2025.

Upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi: A Vision for a Sustainable Future for All Peoples in Aotearoa - a call for unity

The hīkoi last month sent a clear message: the fight for Te Tiriti is not a fight against non-Māori. It is an invitation to work together toward a fairer, more sustainable Aotearoa. When Māori rights are upheld, the benefits ripple out—strengthening climate resilience, protecting waterways, and fostering inclusive communities where everyone can thrive. 
We can protect our environment by supporting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Make your submission to the select committee by following the link here. 
Read more about the hikoi by here.

DONT MISS IT!

Ethnic communities, sense of belonging and Te Tiriti

What is the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and what does that mean for ethnic communities who call Aotearoa home?

Join us for a thoughtful online conversation about the history of our diverse ethnic communities, the current Treaty context, and visions for the future. We will be joined by Anjum Rahman, Ganesh Ahirao (aka Ganesh Nana), and Danny Karatea-Goddard. This webinar is for everyone including people both familiar and unfamiliar with the Treaty of Waitangi. This event is proudly brought to you in collaboration with Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono.

Date: Monday, 16 December 2024, 5.30pm  - 6.45pm

Register and find out more here.  This event will be recorded. Recordings will be sent to all that have registered, or available from our website.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Celebrating Whānau Ora: Stories That Continue to Inspire

The launch of the Whānau Ora research website in 2012 was a milestone, supported by webinars showcasing innovative research, whānau success stories, and collaborative approaches. These webinars highlighted the importance of sharing knowledge, uplifting whānau wellbeing, and creating tools to support community-led solutions.

A decade later, these stories remain just as relevant, offering valuable insights into action research and Māori-led initiatives. Revisit the legacy and contribute to the ongoing journey of Whānau Ora. Explore these timeless stories and be inspired to champion community wellbeing in your own work. 
Click here 

Latest research added to the Hear from us, not about us special collection:

Refugees and mental wellbeing. A call for community approaches in Aotearoa New Zealand Authors - Tula Brannelly, Anjali Bhatia, Arezoo Zarintaj Malihi, Lucie Vanderpyl, Buster Brennan, Leo Gonzalez Perez, Fahima Saeid, Eleanor Holroyd and Nadia Charania

This paper was co-produced by a mental health special interest group as part of the Migrant and Refugee Health Research Centre at Auckland University of Technology. The paper started as a summer studentship where an undergraduate nursing student, Buster Brennan, worked alongside Tula Brannelly to look at the research about what supports mental health and wellbeing of refugees. We were thinking about how resettlement has its own stresses on top of the kinds of traumas that refugees are likely to experience through forced displacement. We looked at the research literature to find out some themes that were common to that research. The next stage of the paper was to bring those initial ideas to a special interest group where we worked on the paper to contextualise the findings in Aotearoa New Zealand. The group added the background to refugee experience, and helped to add more literature, and make a call for the responses that are acceptable to refugee communities.

Find the research here

Ethnic, former Refugee and Migrant  Tautoko Sessions
It has been a real pleasure and privilege to host the on-going Ethnic, former Refugee and Migrant Tautoko sessions this year. An opportunity for us (researchers, former refugees, and migrant peers who are passionate about research by and for ethnic communities) to connect and share with each other. Thanks to those of you who attended our final session for 2024 and joined the rich discussion about top of mind research needs, gaps and opportunities.

We look forward to collectively completing our Tikanga Whanaungatanga / Community Code, creating our WhatsApp community, developing our engagement tools and hosting the two monthly Tautoko sessions in 2025. 
Our first session will be Thursday, 20 March 2025, 11am - 12pm.

Tāhono Trust (Inclusive Aotearoa Collective) is holding an open session to motivate writing your submission against the Treaty Principles Bill. Working alongside each other, this session will be an informal, positive space to share ideas and advice as we work together on our separate submissions. They will show you how to get online and guide you through the process.

When: Zoom at 7:30 pm on Thursday, 12th December.

Link: https://events.humanitix.com/treaty-principles-bill-submission-writing-session



Webinar: Down the Rabbit Hole: What is misinformation and how to tackle it

Dr Andrew Chen, an adjunct senior research fellow at Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, will explore the pervasive world of misinformation and disinformation. Using compelling real-world examples, Dr Chen will shed light on why misinformation spreads, why we fall for it, and how it impacts our communities.

Date: Wednesday, 11 December, 3.00pm – 4.00pm
Register and find out more here

Ethnic Data Classification Standards Review update

The recent November StatsNZ quarterly update outlines the next steps for the ethnic data standards review. Due to a changing fiscal context and further discussions, the next stage of the review process has shifted to targeted engagement with government agencies, iwi-Māori, community groups, researchers, and academics. These engagements are planned to occur in stages from early to mid-2025.  Following this stage – further consultation on options is yet to be decided.

The next StatsNZ quarterly update will be provided in February 2025. If you would like to receive these updates or have questions about the next steps, you can contact the Ethnicity Standard Project team at ethnicitystandard@stats.govt.nz.

We will continue to provide updates on the progress of this review in Ngā Kete. We have also contacted StatsNZ to ensure we are part of the targeted engagements. We will reach out to see if there are activities we could undertake to support ethnic community groups and researchers to engage or contribute once more information is known

StatsNZ has recently released its new user friendly Place and Ethnic Group summary tool to make community data more accessible for us all. The data tool is based on a mix of Census 2023 and other StatsNZ surveys like the Household Labour Force Survey, and births and deaths. It covers a wide range of topics including population, work, income, education, and housing. It will be updated 6 monthly.

Ko ta mātou whakakitenga he Aotearoa e tōkeke ana, e whai kiko ana, e whakamohio mai ana e te matauranga hapori.
Our vision is a more equitable, engaged and inclusive Aotearoa informed by community knowledge.

Community Research is a registered charity funded through donations and grants. Our services are provided free of charge for the benefit of the tangata whenua, voluntary and community sector.  

If you appreciate our work please consider supporting us by making a donation today.