Working with Ethnic Communities

Working with culturally diverse ethnic communities is made easier if individuals and organizations amongst new settlers, and the host society, can find each other.

Consequently, the Centre for Citizenship Education and partners in the Diversity Action Programme are working to identify and draw attention to significant sources

• for new settlers - in the Directory for Citizenship Education
• about ethnic organizations - in the Directory on Cultural Diversity.

The Centre for Citizenship Education (CCE) and other partners in the Diversity Action Programme offer information sources to help people find their own Diversity Pathways - development in this multi part publications project are in design to assist for this and some years ahead.

Objective
The initial publication supports national and local settlement strategies, and integrates the work of a number of prospective partners. It is for

• the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme, facilitated by the NZ Race Relations Commissioner
• migrant resource service networks coming into force in the 2004-05 and next financial year as anticipated by the New Zealand Settlement Strategy
• selected intermediaries, particularly the 20 priority migrant resource personnel working in local government areas and those who should assist them and their clients
• social studies in the New Zealand curriculum, and the teachers, students, parents and communities touched by its potential for teaching about cultural diversity
• informing migrant resource service personnel, community relations, advice bureaux and other relevant units in and around local government
• Parliamentarians, Mayors, senior management, e-government specialists, School of Government and others whose work includes outreach of central government resources to bear on local responses to migrant settlement needs
• Maori, Pacific and ethnic organizations - and others seeking to foster cultural diversity in New Zealand
• education at a number of formal and continuing levels, including social studies and English as a second language
• the wider public, who are curious about cultural diversity in New Zealand and want to connect with their local cultural communities

Consultations are being held on additions to this and development of subsequent publications with prospective participants by representatives of the Centre for Citizenship Education.