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 

I’d like to start this month’s Ngā Kete with a personal message of thanks to the Community Research whānau.  A dog walking accident unexpectedly took me out of action for two weeks and the team immediately sprung into action, enabling me to focus on recovery. I’m truly grateful to be surrounded by such capable, caring, and generous people — it reminded me just how special this kaupapa and community really is. 

As we navigate these volatile times, both globally and nationally, it was a relief to see the Treaty Principles Bill voted down in Parliament last week. Continued attacks against Te Tiriti o Waitangi continue to persist. 

As a Te Tiriti-led organisation, we are deeply concerned about the ongoing efforts to undermine the place of Te Tiriti in Aotearoa's constitutional framework. These developments challenge the progress made toward equity, and true partnership. We remain committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in all aspects of our work and standing alongside others who are protecting and promoting its place in Aotearoa.

Ngā mihi ki a koe, Lorna

Help us to help you

A key part of knowing if we are making progress towards a more equitable, engaged and inclusive Aotearoa informed by community knowledge is to gather feedback from you – our audience, those who engage with the content we share and who attend our events.

Our team have created a short survey to gather your feedback – and we look forward to receiving your thoughts on how well our mahi is resonating with you, and any areas where we might improve.

We invite you to take a few minutes to fill out our first annual survey by following this link. Thank you in advance for your time.

Invitation to join our informal Ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researchers WhatsApp Tautoko community networking platform 
We recently held our first Ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researchers online Tautoko session for 2025 and launched the WhatsApp Tautoko community networking platform. Over the next 12 months, we will pilot its usefulness and how it might best operate as a membership driven platform. This includes the potential for sub-groupings (E.g. workplace type, location or career stage) and resource and information sharing.  Please do join us to explore how a platform of this nature could be of value to 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. 

You can join here

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. If you are developing or an ally of ‘by community for community’ learnings, we value your engagement.

Ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researchers online Tautoko session held Thursday 20 March 2025

This session focused on whanaungatanga with our speedy connections segment. It also included mini-talks from:

• Ned Hardie Boyes and Bo Ning (Allen + Clarke) who spoke about their work, the free policy and research webinar series they run, and other resources on their website
• Kurt Cordice who spoke about his oral presentation at the WERO Conference in Fenbruary: Race as a floating signifier in aquatic education and research. A summary of his mini-talk is here

Kurt is also the inaugural convenor of an Ethnic Research Aotearoa postgrad community network being piloted over the next 6 months. You can read more about this initiative and express interest in being involved here 

Connect with us

Our 'Join our Community'  form consolidates and replaces our two previous registration forms. 
You can chose one or more of the following options:

• receive our monthly Ngā Kete which updates you on our activities.
• receive our panui which lets you know about events/activities we are hosting that may be of specific interest to you
• join our Researcher Network which also gives you the option to be listed on our public website Researcher Directory if you wish to
• join our Allies Network for people who are not researchers who have an interest in and support our kaupapa.

Signing up is free and helps us to connect with you, let you know about what’s going on and opportunities for you to engage with us and others in our networks.

We are very pleased to bring you the recording of the livestream event 避風港 | Tangata Tiriti, Tangata o te Kaipuke | People of the Treaty, People of the Ventnor held at Freeman’s Bay Community Hall in Tāmaki Makarau on Saturday 22 March. This event centres around the epic SS Ventnor story and shared history with Hokianga Iwi who cared for the Chinese remains (kōiwi) that floated to shore. 

The Artists Talk by JieYing Cai who has recently curated the exhibition 雙土海葬 DOUBLE BURIAL,  explores the unique relationship between Māori and Chinese through shared rituals around death, burial and afterlife. This exhibition ran from 2-28 February at the Shutter Room Gallery in Whangārei. JieYing will be telling us more about this exhibition and the artworks presented. 

The Panel kōrero presents reflections about the exhibition, be(com)ing Chinese Tangata Tiriti, whanaungatanga, shared history, and the poignant intergenerational legacy of the SS Ventnor. This session was moderated by award-winning playwright and performance poet, Nathan Joe, and features young Chinese New Zealander academics and creatives: Etienne Wain, Dr Lincoln Dam, Eda Tang. 

Closed captioning will be added by the end of April.

You can watch the recording of the livestream here.

This month we've had four new webinars added to our collection from the Critical Tiriti Analysis (CTA) Community of Practice.

If you're unfamiliar, Community Research holds a Special Collection on behalf of this rōpū which shares research and resources about CTA. CTA is a tool to help analyse policies against key elements of Te Tiriti o Waitangi - to help test and interrogate if policies are in alignment with articles of Te Tiriti. More info here on our CTA page - and thanks as always to those working in this space for sharing their mahi.

The new webinars are as follows, and are great examples of ways to embed Te Tiriti in structural parts of organisations, and of how this framework can help to guide policy - providing clear examples of where policies may be falling short of Te Tiriti or creating positive opportunities. Click on each to find out more.

Webinar - CTA Community of Practice - Kia Tipu He Tipua: Evolving the Community Funding Model at Hāpai Hapori ki Te Tari Taiwhenua

In 2021, the NZ Lottery Grants Board undertook Kia Tipu He Tipua: Evolving the Community Funding Model. This work includes the development of a Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policy, moving towards outcomes decision making and the introduction of the Critical Tiriti Analysis Tool.

Webinar - CTA Community of Practice - Whakakotahitanga

Haami Harmer and Andi Crawford present this webinar discussing their use of CTA in the review of and development of new guidelines and principles required for the diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in Aotearoa (NZ).

Webinar - CTA Community of Practice - Leveraging the value of evaluation

In this community of practice hui we heard from Louise Were and Kate McKegg with their model of and use of CTA in evaluation.

Webinar - CTA Community of Practice - Unmasking Racism

This webinar looks at a CTA analysis done of a high level strategic policy at Waikato University, and explores a similar policy at Auckland University, and unpacks expressions of systemic racism. 

Our Culture, Our Pride booklets

The Ministry of Social Development, Ethnic Communities Violence Prevention (ECVP) team, in collaboration with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Shakti and Te Puna Aonui Ethnic Communities Network, has updated, redesigned, and translated the Our Culture, Our Pride: No Excuse for Abuse booklet into 10 languages: Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and English.

Our Culture, Our Pride is a resource for communities that raises awareness of different forms of Family and Sexual Violence (FVSV) that can affect ethnically diverse communities and provides information on prevention and accessing support.

ECVP is a programme dedicated to the prevention of family violence and sexual violence (FVSV) within the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).

The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI)
is a small team within the function of the Government Chief Data Steward (GCDS).

Established in 2023, CDEI is all about using data responsibly, exploring the social impacts of AI and data-driven technology, and maximising the potential of data in a fair and ethical way… A critical part of the role we play is to amplify the voices of subpopulations and advocate for an equitable and responsible innovation ecosystem. Read more here

Urban Refugees and Digital Technology: Reshaping social, political and economic networks.
Presented by Dr Charles Martin-Sheilds, German Development Institute
Friday May 9 2025, 12-1pm

Charles Martin-Shields’s recent book Urban Refugees and Digital Technology explores how technology is reshaping the ways refugees contribute to social, economic, and political networks in urban areas.

Combining original interview and survey data from refugee communities in Bogota, Nairobi, and Kuala Lumpur,  the book shows how technological change shapes the way that refugees engage with host communities socially, politically, and economically in unexpected ways. Digital technologies are creating new channels for refugees to build translocal identities, fundamentally changing the way that they interact with host communities and states.

This raises new legal and regulatory questions, as host countries and refugee support organisations grapple with laws that restrict refugees’ access to mobile phones and the internet. In turn, refugees often self-organise their digital inclusion and create internal networks of self-reliance in cities and communities of arrival. This has both theoretical and practical implications for supporting refugee communities.

Zoom link is here, Meeting ID: 913 0997 7188, Password 911559

Nōku te Ao Symposium: He reo tini, he wawata kotahi – Many voices, one goal to end mental distress discrimination.

Wednesday, May 14 2025 · 8am - 4pm FREE

Almost half of us in Aotearoa will experience mental distress in our lifetimes. Those of us with mental distress are often judged and discriminated against in communities and workplaces, as well as in Aotearoa’s institutions, legislation, services and the media.

This free event held in Tāmaki Makaurau will bring together policymakers, mental health professionals, frontline workers, social or community service providers, and lived experience advocates to take actionable steps towards ending mental distress stigma and discrimination at every level – internal, interpersonal, and institutional.

Apply for Falling Walls Aotearoa New Zealand

Which wall will your research break? Pitch your groundbreaking idea in just 3 minutes, showcasing a breakthrough that creates a positive impact on science and society.

Watch video and apply now.

Tāhono (Inclusive Aotearoa Collective) are travelling across the country for their third series of Belonging Conversations. The next trip is taking place from 4–9th May as they head down the Taranaki coast. This is a special opportunity for groups in the area to get involved and share your experiences of belonging, not-belonging, and thoughts on what you would like to see change.

Belonging Conversations are a simple, meaningful way to get to know your neighbours, and better understand the experiences of those around us. Participants will receive a koha and kai for their time.

SSIR present Data on Purpose 2025 - Reimagining the Digital Future: Harnessing AI for Social Good.
This is a free two-day virtual summit exploring the rapidly growing role of AI in social innovation. They will convene a world-class lineup of speakers and panelists to delve deeply into pressing challenges, to share cutting-edge ideas and examples, and ask tough questions about the relationship between technology and social change.

This dynamic online convening will feature a diverse range of engaging formats, including inspiring keynotes from prominent figures, real-world case studies, intimate fireside chats, and interactive sessions. They’ll also cover specific areas, such as education, climate action, business, and economics, where AI can be a powerful force for good—or may pose risks.

Register for free here

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.