Dear readers, we are happy to inform that we have finished analysing the feedback on our last year’s pilot launch of Multicultural Times (MT), New Zealand’s first nation-wide multicultural newspaper. As was the case with our Christchurch-based multicultural newspaper, The Migrant Times (TMT), MT too received innumerable accolades, appreciation and love from all of you. We are also very grateful to various communities, leaders, decision-makers and organisations from across the country who have shown immense faith in the idea of MT, and TMT before that. Based on the feedback, and after a lot of introspection, we have taken two strategic decisions to ensure that we continue to lead New Zealand’s journalism landscape towards diversity and innovation, while staying true to the basic tenets of the fourth estate. 1) The future of journalism is digital. We will continue publishing MT on our various digital media platforms and will cease publication of our print version. The reach, engagement and scope of innovation in the digital space is far superior to print. The financial viability is also superior in digital, due to the trade-off between the cost of production and results achieved. A better reach, engagement, innovation and viability, will ultimately lead to better-quality journalism for our society. 2) The future of journalism is data and artificial intelligence (AI). We are exploring how to use open data and natural language generation techniques to generate quality content and narrative stories, pertaining to local issues relevant to people’s everyday lives. We are immensely excited.

Stay tuned.

Business: Over 1,000 attend Canterbury's 1st Indian Women Expo

Business: Over 1,000 attend Canterbury's 1st Indian Women Expo

Migrants Centre
Ethnic communities, Economy, Community organisations

[caption for the above picture: (from left) Nicky Wagner, Amy Adams, Archna Tandon, Surinder Tandon and Parmjeet Parmar attending the Expo]

Canterbury was put on the national map this weekend with the successful organisation of the first-ever Indian Women Expo in Christchurch. The six-hour long event, which had 47 stalls divided into nine zones, saw almost 1,000 people attending with several ministers and MPs including Amy Adams, Nicky Wagner, Parmjeet Parmar, and Ruth Dyson.

An initiative of the Canterbury Indian Women Group (CIWG) – established on March 8, the International Women Day – the Expo provided a platform to Indian women for showcasing their skills, talents, and successes in different spheres including business, art, culture, education, health and well-being.

“When we started thinking about organising such an event few months back, we never imagined we would get such an overwhelming positive response from the Indian and wider community. Chances are that it might become a regular annual affair on the Christchurch's events calendar,” said Archna Tandon, founder of CIWG and the main brain behind the Expo.

Informing about the goals of CIWG, she added, “Our vision is to help Indian women and their families maintain cultural values, promote health and well-being and collaborate to share knowledge and information for mutual support, capacity building and empowerment.”

Going by the idea of having something for everybody, the Expo's nine different zones were Beauty, Cuisine, Fashion, Home Decor, Art and Culture, Business, Education, Health and Information.

An obvious hit among these was the Henna Body Art. “This is my first time experiencing the beauty of heena. Though similar to tattooing, the patterns are quite different and pretty,” said Michelle Karmer, an American studying in the University of Canterbury.

Other attractions included - in the Fashion Zone, Punjabi juttis; in Home Decor, Rencontres Blings which specialises in scented soy candles; in Art and Culture, the Lincoln University Dance Club and Bharatnatyam Group of Christchurch; in Health Zone, Pegasus Health, Art of Living, Reiki; in Education, Ara Institute of Technology; as well as Christchurch Resettlement Services and Citizen Advice Bureau, in the Information Zone.

#ThatsUs: An Open Letter to all New Zealanders by Dame Susan Devoy, Race Relations Commissioner

#ThatsUs: An Open Letter to all New Zealanders by Dame Susan Devoy, Race Relations Commissioner
Media must play a positive role in bringing communities together: Imam Gamal of Masjid Al Noor, Christchurch

Media must play a positive role in bringing communities together: Imam Gamal of Masjid Al Noor, Christchurch