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.

Profile: Prisoners Aid (PARS) - reducing reoffending through community support

Profile: Prisoners Aid (PARS) - reducing reoffending through community support

Migrants Centre
The Third Sector

www.prisonersaidnz.org.nz

call on (03) 3719183 or email at officeadmin@prisonersaidnz.org.nz

The Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society of Canterbury Inc. (aka PARS or Prisoners Aid) - funded primarily by the Department of Corrections - provides reintegration support service to prisoners and their whanau in an effort to reduce recidivism and break the cycle of crime and incarceration in families. Since 2014, they have been also working to resettle and rehabilitate Kiwis in Christchurch whose visas have been revoked by the Australian Government under an amendment of the section 501 of their Migration Act, which provides for mandatory cancellation of visas for any foreign national sentenced to at least one year's jail, or those convicted of sex offences against children. "During this time, 83 Kiwis have been resettled by us in Christchurch. But this deportation must stop. I hope the New Zealand Government challenges the selection of whom the Australians are deporting. At our end, we want the landlords and Housing New Zealand to be more accommodating when we look for housing for these people. They are basically refugees," noted Murphy.

"I feel like PARS is standing at a bottom of a cliff and a deportee is getting thrown over. We catch him/her, but then another deportee is thrown over. We quickly pass on the deportee to someone else and we make the catch. This keeps on happening and before you know it, there are a whole bunch of agencies that are getting really good at passing on deportees just like we are getting good at catching them but no one ever asks who is throwing the deportees over the cliff in the first place. And what about all the children and grandchildren still standing at the top of cliff." - Helen Murphy

Profile: Restorative Justice Services Otautahi Christchurch - - provide opportunities for reconciliation for victims of crime, offenders and the community

Profile: Restorative Justice Services Otautahi Christchurch - - provide opportunities for reconciliation for victims of crime, offenders and the community
Discussion: Eighth Annual Regional Refugee Forum

Discussion: Eighth Annual Regional Refugee Forum