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.

National Family Violence Summit in June

National Family Violence Summit in June

Migrants Centre
Community organisations, News

A national summit on family violence will be hosted by Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley in Wellington on June 7. The Summit will support the work already underway as part of the Government’s family violence reforms, which includes the introduction of the Family and Whānau Violence Legislation Bill to overhaul the Domestic Violence Act and strengthen family violence laws. Family violence is a significant and complex issue in New Zealand, with Police responding to an incident every five minutes, and costing the country over $4 billion per year, noted the ministers while annoucing the summit.

Family violence pilot helps over 24,000 people

- Integrated Safety Response -

The Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilot, which has been running in Christchurch since July 2016 and in Waikato since October 2016, has helped over 24,000 people through the development of more than 8,000 family safety plans, informed Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley.  

The ISR pilot involves core agencies and NGOs teaming up to ensure that families experiencing violence get the right support to stay safe. Through the pilot there have been 776 cases reported per month in Christchurch and 951 per month in Waikato.

Of these, between seven and 11 per cent are high risk cases which require intensive intervention involving Independent Victim Specialists and Perpetrator Outreach Services.

The ISR is expected to replace existing models of inter-agency family violence response as the Government maintains its focus on reducing family violence and protecting our most vulnerable, added the ministers. 

Regenerate Christchurch: Community puts ideas forward

Regenerate Christchurch: Community puts ideas forward
New Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki launched

New Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki launched