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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, As we move into October, it’s been encouraging to look back on a busy and connected September for Community Research. Our team has been busy attending a range of sector conferences, strengthening relationships and sharing ideas that support our collective learning. You can read more about these events in this month’s newsletter. As an Incorporated Society we are required to maintain a register of membership to our organisation. Our members are advocates of our kaupapa and the positive change for Aotearoa that we seek to achieve through amplifying community-led research, diverse voices and and ways of knowing. Please follow this link you would like to further support Community Research by becoming a member.
The outcomes of the recent local elections have offered moments for celebration, particularly where councils have chosen to retain Māori wards. These decisions affirm a continued commitment to representation and partnership, helping ensure that local voices — especially tangata whenua voices — remain strong in shaping our collective future.
This month also marks Mental Health Awareness Week (6–12 October), with the theme Top Up Together. It’s a timely reminder that wellbeing is not something we achieve alone — it’s something we nurture together, through small daily acts of care, listening, and support. |
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The Five Ways to Wellbeing show that simple daily actions can help us stay balanced and at our best. When we care for our mental wellbeing, we’re more resilient, happier, and better able to lift up others too.
We acknowledge everyone across our networks who works tirelessly to uplift others and strengthen community wellbeing.
Ngā manaakitanga, Lorna |
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| | We're now on Instagram
In the spirit of connection and learning, we’re excited to have launched our Instagram page, with some short videos exploring perspectives on co-governance and shared leadership.
We’re excited to use this space to connect with new audiences, amplify diverse voices, and build deeper understanding across communities.
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| | Community Research Annual General Meeting
Please join us online for our Annual General Meeting to receive an update on our progress towards a more equitable, engaged and inclusive Aotearoa informed by community knowledge.
Thursday 30 October, 12 - 12.30pm
join us here
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| | Bev (Kaitūhono, Ethnic Research Engagement Lead) was privileged to attend the launch of the pilot Asian Mental Health Service for Whanganui-a-Tara.
This milestone initiative is a partnership between Asian Family services and Tu Ora Compass Health. With a growing population of Asian peoples in Whanganui-a-Tara (currently about 15%) and elsewhere in Aotearoa, this initiative provides much needed culturally responsive mental health support services. "...it’s a shared commitment to equity, ensuring Asian communities are seen, heard, and supported with care that is both culturally and linguistically appropriate. This pilot is about standing up for underserved Asian communities and making the invisible, visible.” (Dr. Kelly Feng MNZM, CEO of Asian Family Services.) |
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Moana (Kaitūhono – Research Sector Engagement and Projects Lead) attended the New Zealand Game Developers Conference (NZGDC) in September. The NZDGC is a major yearly conference with hundreds of attendees and is run almost entirely by volunteers. The gaming sector is growing rapidly in Aotearoa, and is notable in its diversity compared to many other similar sectors. As part of that diversity, the NZ sector has at its core many people and games which explore concepts from Te Ao Māori, LGBTQIA+ experiences, and more. The NZDGC often features talks which discuss diversity in the sector and how games can have positive social impact. Talks are typically made available to the public for approximately 6 months after the conference, then remain accessible to members of the New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA) beyond that. |
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Community Research is currently in discussion with the New Zealand Game Developers Association to make these social-good talks available long-term through our website, as part of our mission to amplify community research and share it with others to bring about positive change. So watch this space! |
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Community Research is proud to have teamed up with Volunteering New Zealand 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. 🎥 Eve, Madi, and Bev (Community Research) are now in post-production mode for the recorded sessions and with Volunteering New Zealand aim to make these generally available in the near future. |
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Ethnic, former Refugee and Migrant researcher Tautoko sessions
In response to the high interest in ethnic data sovereignty as a topic - we have expanded our approach to offer three sessions - each with a maximum of 35 participants.
We welcome ethnic, former refugee and migrant researchers, knowledge-makers and end-users from both public health and non-public health sectors to participate in these sessions.
We have teamed up with Annie Chiang and Prof Rachel Simon-Kumar (University of Auckland) to host a participatory research session about Ethnic Data Sovereignty. This session contributes to a study being progressed by Rachel and Annie with further details about participation, the study and what is involved available on the event registration page.
You are invited to attend ONE of the following sessions:
Friday 17th October 12-1:30pm
Monday 20th October 12-1:30pm
Friday 24th October 12-1:30pm
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Ethnic Data Sovereignty: What are the issues?
Presenters/Facilitators: Annie Chiang and Rachel Simon-Kumar ‘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. Our study aims to explore what data sovereignty might mean and look like for Asian, MELAA, ethnic, migrant and former refugee communities.
In this participatory session, we provide a background to our study and the current literature on sovereignty issues for minority and marginalised populations within European and Anglophone contexts. Following this, we invite attendees to participate in our guided questions related to data considerations within their respective spheres. Session participants can engage in a discussion on some of the more topical and concerning issues to do with data for and about ethnic communities.
What is an ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researchers online Tautoko session?
Ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researcher Tautoko sessions provide a dynamic informal space that fosters a collective sense of shared purpose with opportunities to learn from each other, share stories, experiences, research activities, methodologies, challenges, gaps and explore ideas and opportunities.
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 thoughts and contributions and want you to be part of our research network. |
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| | Contextualising Ethnic Minority Youth Mental Health in Aotearoa New ZealandWe are excited to bring you this webinar from the Thriving at Crossroads (T@C) research team at the University of Auckland. Tuesday 28 October 12noon-1.00pm
Presenters: Dr Roshini Peiris-John, Dr Vartika Sharma and Nikki Singh.
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 will focus on social marginalisation (and resilience) that shape and challenge the mental health of minority communities. Using the intersectionality framework, we will explore 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.
T@C is a Health Research Council-funded project exploring how varying social identities and affiliations of ethnic minority youth (including migration generation, gender diversity, religious affiliations etc.) intersect with health and wellbeing, including the impacts of racism and discrimination. |
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| | Indigenous rights and managed public land: a critical treaty analysis of parks and reserves in New ZealandRobin Quig and Els Russell
This research critically examines the extent to which the Reserves Act 1977, the primary legislative framework governing many parks and reserves, especially those associated with territorial local authorities, aligns with and upholds Indigenous Māori values and rights guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi. Using Critical Tiriti Analysis (CTA), a methodological approach developed by Indigenous Māori scholars, this study assesses the Act’s responsiveness to Te Tiriti and explore opportunities to embed Māori perspectives in public land management. |
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A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the Afghan Evacuee Resettlement Programme in Aotearoa New Zealand
Nadia Charania, Irene Zeng, Priyanka Kumar, Claudia Gaylor, Eleanor Holroyd
This study evaluated NFACT’s Afghan evacuee resettlement programme using a mixed-methods approach, including a cross-sectional survey, interviews, and focus groups with Afghan evacuees and NFACT staff.
The findings underscore the need for comprehensive, culturally sensitive, and sustainable resettlement programmes. These findings have implications for governments to strengthen support for humanitarian evacuation responses within the evolving geopolitical landscape.
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Reaffirming the significance of Pacific knowledges for Pacific health and well-being.
Pacific Health Dialog: Vol 25 No 4 (2025): A Special Edition
"A range of perspectives in this special issue directly or indirectly address the value of Pacific knowledges in health research, teaching, workforce training and knowledge dissemination. A varied set of contributions by members of the Knowledge Hub team advances insights on Pacific community experiences through a set of diverse empirical papers and contributors deploying quantitative and qualitative research methods and evaluation methods – all guided by Pacific knowledges and the philosophies of knowledge generation that underpin our people’s Indigenous ways of knowing and being." (Thomsen, Pilisi & Taylor, Editorial, p.9) |
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Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness (CEWH)
Explore the blog, panui, media releases, and local research using the Coalition's website Knowledge Hub.
Recent resources include Dr. Kathy Irwin's webinar exploring the Papatūānuku Paradigm - A Gender Analysis Tool from a Te Ao Māori Lens. This toolkit has been designed by Dr Irwin to support and strengthen the work of CEWH and the wider sector in addressing the complex issue of women’s homelessness. |
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| | The final AMRN seminar for 2025
Friday, 7 November from 12-1pm
Featuring two doctoral students from the network: 1) Jon Gaviola (PhD Student, Canterbury), “Navigating Vulnerability and Resilience: Applying Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice to Filipino Migrant Workers in New Zealand.” 2) Sandesha Perera (PhD student, UoA) - Civil Networks and the Architecture of Sri Lankan Migrant Support in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Zoom link: Meeting ID: 913 0997 7188 Passcode: 911659 |
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| | 'Te Tiriti Based Futures + Anti-Racism 2026'
Save the date: 21-26th March 2026
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| | Bridging the Gap: Media harm, the mediascape, and building better representation
An online symposium brought to you by Tāhono Media Thursday 22 October at 11.30am. Media platforms in Aotearoa New Zealand are facing a range of challenges, with under-resourced newsrooms, shifting audience habits, and closure of local independent outlets. At the same time, there is an alarming decline in public trust in media, reports of disproportionate media harm, and a clear disconnection between Aotearoa’s diverse cultural constitution and the stories we see and hear. This online media symposium brings these challenges to light and solutions. We will hear from community leaders, academics, and media practitioners over three panels on: - What is media harm and who does it impact?
- What are the issues our mediascape is facing?
- What can we do to build a stronger, more inclusive media ecosystem in Aotearoa?
Tāhono Media, is a cross-sectoral group of advocates working together to improve media representation for under-represented communities. |
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| | Broader & Beyond Under-16s Social Media Ban Online HuiInclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono, Wellington Abrahamic Council, Ethnic Research Aotearoa, and the Coalition of Ethnic Communities are pleased to invite you to this online hui, featuring Assoc. Prof. Peter Thompson from VUW School of Arts & Media on Thursday 23 October 2025, 4.30pm - 6pmThe online hui is to facilitate community engagement and conversation about how we can make social media participation safer especially for the safety, wellbeing, and protection of Rangatahi. It will also serve as an opportunity to share the impact of social media on individuals and families from some of New Zealand’s less often heard community voices. Click this link to register |
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| | Advancing Equity: Social determinants in Migrant and Refugee Health Research Symposium
The AUT Migrant and Refugee Health Research Centre (MRHRC) and the New Zealand Policy Research Institute (NZPRI) are excited to co-host a research symposium focused on advancing equity in migrant and refugee health through the lens of social determinants.
Friday 21 November 2025, AUT North Campus
Registrations are open here |
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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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