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.

Cinema: Japanese film festival at St Margaret’s College between 15-17 March

Cinema: Japanese film festival at St Margaret’s College between 15-17 March

Migrants Centre
Ethnic communities, Community organisations, News

- presented by Consular Office of Japan, the South Island JET-Alumni Association, the Monbukagakusho Scholarship-Alumni Association and the Japan Foundation

Free admission will give you the opportunity to see three first-rate films at the Japanese Film Festival, which begins at the Charles Luney Auditorium, St Margaret’s College, 12 Winchester Street, Merivale, on Wednesday, March 15.

Spoken in Japanese, with English subtitles, the screenings are open to people of all ages.
All screenings begin at 6.05pm with short cultural films, followed by the feature film at 6.30pm. Please come a little earlier to ensure seating. The films are:

  • Wednesday, March 15: Twilight: "Saya in Sasara", in which a woman’s husband dies in an accident but his restless spirit comes back and possesses other people, so that he can keep helping her and their newborn son.
  • Thursday, March 16: "The Letters" follows the experiences of a man in prison serving a life sentence for a crime he committed to save his brother.
  • Friday, March 17: "Pecoross’ Mother and Her Days", in which an elderly woman develops dementia and her son reluctantly puts her in a nursing home. Surrounded by idiosyncratic elderly residents, the woman’s memories gradually lead her to retrace her past.

- Hans Petrovic

Name and shame those who are engaged in exploiting recent immigrants from India, appeals Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

Name and shame those who are engaged in exploiting recent immigrants from India, appeals Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
Community radio: Namaste Nepal - a greeting from Nepal

Community radio: Namaste Nepal - a greeting from Nepal