Issue 7, September 7 - September 20, 2016

This issue is dedicated to New Zealand's long and glorious democratic history. We are having local government elections all across the country and this newspaper appeals to all its readers and the wider community to exercise their democratic right to vote. Voting percentage being less than 50 per cent when there is a postal ballet is certainly not a very desirable situation.

We laud Local Govt NZ’s effort in raising awareness about this issue. Also kudos to all those who have joined their campaign!

As part of our endeavour to help the voters of Christchurch in making their democratic choice, we are publishing profiles of all candidates for the council and ward seats in this issue. [almost all as some replies are still awaited at the time of publishing)

As you might have seen on page one, another important story is the interview of Imam Gamal of Al-Noor Mosque, Christchurch. While a gist of the conversation is printed, interested readers can listen to the full interview podcast on our website.

Stories of celebrations by the Indonesian, Nepalese, Bhutanese and Indian community point to the multicultural nature of modern New Zealand.

An important development at NZ Human Rights Commission’s Diversity Forum on September 1, was the launch of the website thatsus.co.nz. Over time, it will become an important tool for sharing stories for all New Zealanders, we are sure.

A final word on the Green Party’s renewed push to engage with ethnic communities. We hope to see their updated immigration policy soon.

Gaurav