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.

Community group: ISCC completes 20 years of existence

Community group: ISCC completes 20 years of existence

Migrants Centre
Ethnic communities, Community organisations, News

(caption of the above picture: the newly-elected executive committee of Christchurch's Indian Social and Cultural Club; picture credit ISCC)

The Indian Social and Cultural Club (ISCC) – a Christchurch-based social and cultural organisation, in its recently held AGM has elected a new 20-member strong executive committee to oversee the Club’s initiatives in its 20th anniversary year. Formed in 1997, the Club is known for organising the biggest Diwali festival in the South Island every year.

Amit Raut, the newly-elected Secretary of the Club informed, “The major decisions taken by the new committee pertains to updating the 20-year-old constitution of ISCC. This has been necessitated as all our events and initiatives have grown to acquire much larger scale over the last two decades. We have also decided to increase the number of our executive committee members from this year.”

Thomas Shaji Kurian, former treasurer of ISCC and now chair of the newly-formed sub-committee to oversee this year’s Diwali event added, “Also on the 2017 agenda is to work towards making the dream of an Indian community centre, a reality in Christchurch. We aim to work with the wider community – even those outside the ISCC – to achieve that.”

Meanwhile, the new committee has already started preparations for ISCC Connect – an annual gathering of ISCC members and anyone who wishes to attend, to be held sometime in the next month or so.

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