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Keeping you informed about community-led research - for a more inclusive and equitable Aotearoa.
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Nau mai haere mai
Whakatairangatia i te mana o te rangahau ā-hāpori me te mahi tahi
Community and whānau aspirations for research. |
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Kia ora e te whānau,
It’s been a full and energising month at Community Research. On 30 October we gathered online for our Annual General Meeting, a chance to reflect on our collective achievements, acknowledge the mahi of our kaimahi and Kaitiaki, and look ahead to the opportunities and challenges before us. We also bid farewell to Dr Katie Bruce who is stepping down from our Kaitiaki, tangata tiriti caucus and acknowledge the contribution she has made over the last two years. Ngā mihi nui to everyone who joined and contributed to these important reflections.
We’ve also continued to share our Co-Governance video series, sparking kōrero about partnership, leadership, and how we can give practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our organisations and communities. Alongside this, our team has been out and about at a range of sector events, connecting with partners and hearing directly from those driving positive change on the ground.
Finally, we encourage community researchers and change-makers to engage with the Stats NZ Census modernisation consultation. Ensuring that smaller and diverse communities remain visible in national data is vital — this is how we make sure their realities, voices, and aspirations continue to shape Aotearoa’s future.
In this edition of Ngā kete, you’ll find updates from our mahi, resources to support your work, and reflections on how we can keep strengthening our sector together.
Ngā manaakitanga, Lorna
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| | Our Annual Report 2024 - 2025
Our latest Annual Report reflects on a busy year of mahi, sharing our achievements, learnings, and the impact of our work across Aotearoa. It also highlights how the mahi of our team, those we partner with, and those that support us continues to strengthen communities and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Ngā mihi nui Madi Brokenshire for making this report look so beautiful! |
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| | Te Auaha Pito Mata Awards 2026
We are excited to announce nominations for our Te Auaha Pito Mata Awards will open very soon. Our Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate the recipients, their research projects, community research and diverse ways of knowing.
An invitation to partner with us
We’re inviting partners to stand with us in celebrating the next generation of community researchers. Supporting the Te Auaha Pito Mata Awards is a meaningful way to uplift emerging voices and the research that strengthens communities across Aotearoa.
👉 Keen to get involved?
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| | | | Care Economies Symposium
Hosted by the Well Being Economies Alliance (WEAll) and held at the beautiful Te Rau Karamū Marae, Bev and Lorna attended this inspiring day looking at ways we can centre caring, for each other and our environment, at the heart of our economies. With so many awesome people actively involved in this mahi, we came away confident that shaping a better world is possible. |
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| | | | Lighting the Academy: Biennial National Rainbow Research Conference
Last Friday, Moana (Kaitūhono - Research Sector Engagement) attended the bi-annual 'Lighting the Academy' National Rainbow Research Symposia. The vision for this one-day symposium is to create an inclusive and forward-thinking academic platform that amplifies LGBTQIA+ voices, fosters cutting-edge research, and envisions a thriving future for queer, takatāpui and trans communities. The day held over 50 presentations from over 75 different disciplines. It was a great way to connect with an array of folks doing research in queer spaces. The talks explored many areas - from the history of queer comics in Aotearoa to being queer in religious spaces. It was also a great opportunity to connect with folks about our ongoing project Queerness in Aotearoa, which is seeking to pull together research and resources which are Aotearoa-based and led by our LGBTTQIA+ communities. The next symposium is planned for 2027 in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. |
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CNA Hui25: Forward, Stronger!
Congratulations to New Zealand Council of Social Services / Community Networks Aotearoa who held a special celebration marking 50 years of service. The day was filled with both celebration and reflection — complete with plenty of cake, alongside insightful panel discussions and thoughtful kōrero about the past five decades of community action and collaboration. |
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| | Upcoming Ethnic, former Refugee and Migrant researcher Tautoko session
Wednesday, 26 November, 12noon - 1pm Join us for our last Tautoko session for 2025! The first half of this session will focus on connections and informal kōrero. The second part focuses on review of the EfRM approach including what's working well, not so well and opportunities for 2026.
Tautoko sessions provide a dynamic informal space that fosters a collective sense of shared purpose. Come along and connect with other researchers, former refugees, and migrant peers who are passionate about research by and for ethnic communities and how it can be used to support collective action and positive change. We celebrate all forms of community-led knowledge-making, whether it’s community-based mahi and mātauranga, or based within organisations, the public service, or academia. |
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| | Past Ethnic, former Refugee and Migrant researcher Tautoko sessionEthnic Data Sovereignty: What are the issues?
Thanks to everyone who participated in the adapted October Ethnic, former Refugee and Migrant researcher Tautoko sessions. These sessions contribute to a study being progressed by Annie Chiang and Prof Rachel Simon-Kumar (University of Auckland). ‘Data Sovereignty’ describes the right to decide how data relating to individuals or communities are collected, accessed, managed, interpreted, used, and reused. This concept and associated frameworks were developed by indigenous scholars to assert their right to self-determination and to respond to misuse of indigenous data. In New Zealand, there is a growing body of scholarship on Māori Data Sovereignty and Pacific Data Sovereignty. This study aims to explore what data sovereignty might mean and look like for Asian, MELAA, ethnic, migrant and former refugee communities. |
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Researcher vacancy
Hands For Impact is a charitable organisation specialising in social value and impact measurement and they are seeking an experienced and culturally responsive external researcher to provide short-term, ad hoc research support from December 2025 through to September 2026.
Working collaboratively with Ara Taiohi, the peak body for youth development, The Ara Taiohi Impact Project seeks to develop a sector-led approach to impact measurement to empower organisations to tell a clear, values-based story about youth work in Aotearoa.
The researcher will contribute across three core stages of work — mapping sector outcomes, evidencing outcomes, and supporting validation and reporting.
The role upholds academic and ethical rigour, ensuring research integrity and credibility that strengthens advocacy and shared understanding of youth work impact.
Immediate start - ongoing, ad hoc, flexible @ $50 per hour
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Modernising the Census and meeting the needs of ethnically diverse communities.
We are canvassing interest in Community Research hosting an Ethnic, former refugee and migrant researchers (EfRM) Awheawhe (workshop) session during the week beginning Monday 8 December 2025. If you are interested in attending or being kept informed about this mahi, please register here.
Join us to share whakaaro and kōrero about the modernising of the Census - strengths, challenges and opportunities - and the call for submissions by StatsNZ regarding its proposed content and data collection approach. This session is timed as a follow-on to the StatsNZ information sessions (see below) which end on 3 December. We encourage you to attend one of the StatsNZ info sessions before attending the EfRM researchers (and end-users) online Awheawhe. Submissions to StatsNZ must be provided through the web portal and close 5:00pm on Friday 19 December 2025.
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StatsNZ information sessions for census data users will cover how the Census approach is changing and its three elements: Administrative (admin) data, A new annual sample survey (Census Attribute Survey), Tailored solutions; the proposed data collection approach and content including introducing the new admin-data-first census model, census information and potential impacts for priority communities, data to be collected for the next census, and how StatsNZ can meet broader information needs.
Register for one of the below sessions: Registration form - Census Customer Information Sessions or by contacting CustomerEngagement@stats.govt.nz.
- 12 November 9:30-11:00am Wellington
- 17 November 1:00-2:30pm Auckland
- 18 November 10:00-11:30am South Auckland
- 20 November 10:00-11:30am Hamilton
- 25 November 10:00-11:30am Christchurch
- 26 November 1:00-2:30pm Dunedin
- 3 December 10:00-11:15am Online
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Contextualising Ethnic Minority Youth Mental Health in Aotearoa New Zealand
Presenters: Dr Roshini Peiris-John, Dr Vartika Sharma and Nikki Singh ( Thriving at Crossroads research team), University of Auckland.
Ethnic minority youth (i.e. those identifying with Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and African origins) make up about 20% of New Zealand’s youth population. Drawing on transdisciplinary research, this presentation focused on how social marginalisation (and resilience) shape and challenge the mental health of minority communities. Using the intersectionality framework, we explored how heterogeneity in the lived experiences of ethnic minority youth is shaped by multiple layers of (dis)advantages that impact their mental health and wellbeing. Understanding these dimensions can enable the development of culturally responsive policies and practices.
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We teamed up with Tūao Aotearoa - Volunteering New Zealand to record sessions for the Volunteering Changemakers Hui 2025. This gathering brought together leaders, advocates, and community voices to celebrate the impact of volunteering and explore how we can collectively strengthen the sector across Aotearoa. Community Research is pleased to add the following two recorded sessions to our Volunteering and mahi aroha special collection: |
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| | The social and cultural factors that impact on social service delivery and volunteering
Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley, Massey University (Opening Keynote).
Watch the recording here
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| | Mahi Aroha: Have we got the framing right?
Natalia Sexton, (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine). |
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| | Funding in Aotearoa - what does the data tell us?
Fundsorter has conducted the first comprehensive analysis of contestable grant funding available in New Zealand.
These insights can help funders and community organisations see where gaps exist. Up until now, very little public data has been available on what funding is available in New Zealand, and without good data, we can’t make good decisions.
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Bookclub
At the next WEAll book club, we will be discussing 'Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts, and the Death of Freedom' by Grace Blakeley.
Tuesday, 2 December 2025, 7pm, online, zoom. register here
The book that Naomi Klein called 'A galvanising takedown of neoliberalism's "free market" logic...' |
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Climate Change Course: Empowering Communities for Action
Get ready to make a difference with this free online climate change course, built by University of Canterbury in partnership with Christchurch City Council and Future Curious. Deepen your understanding of the various perspectives on climate change, and explore practical strategies to take meaningful action.
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time — a complex “wicked problem” that affects our communities, environment, and way of life. It can feel overwhelming, but every action counts, and there are practical steps you can take to make a meaningful difference.
In this free online course, you'll learn what's happening, why it matters, and how you can take a stand. You'll explore scientific and Indigenous perspectives on climate change, and become empowered to contribute to wider community climate action.
Now is the time to act — and this course shows you how to turn knowledge into action.
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| | Te Tiriti Based Futures + Anti-Racism 2026
HEI KANOHI MATAARA, HEI RINGA WHITI Eyes wide open , ready for action 21-26th March 2026 |
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Our vision is a more equitable, engaged and inclusive Aotearoa informed by community knowledge.
Ko ta mātou whakakitenga he Aotearoa e tōkeke ana, e whai kiko ana, e whakamohio mai ana e te matauranga hapori.
Our Commitment:
We provide our services free of charge to support tangata whenua, and the voluntary and community sectors. Community Research is a registered charity, sustained by donations and grants.
Your Support Matters:
If you value our work, please consider making a donation. Your contribution helps us continue to foster a more connected and informed Aotearoa. |
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