Please report incidents of discrimination or harassment, don't be embarrassed or ashamed. If you feel uncomfortable ask someone to go along with you. Unless such incidents are reported change cannot happen.
When choosing community representatives or voting for Councillors or MPs ask them what they have done for you or your community so far and what do they plan to do in the future and what is their plan of action for that. Do not waste your precious vote. Someone in PANZ should collate all this information and a an annual report should be presented to the community and to The Race Relations Commissioner to tell us how these issues are being handled.
Attached report available on www.tvnz.co.nz
A race relations report shows there is still widespread discrimination and harassment in New Zealand.
The report by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres Public says discrimination against ethnic groups, and particularly Asians, has increased in the past 12 months.
The commissioner used several surveys in compiling his report and says two-thirds of respondents nominated an ethnic group when asked who they thought was most discriminated against in New Zealand.
Examples of discrimination and harassment regularly heard by the Commission included discrimination in employment, verbal abuse (often shouted from people in cars), having water bombs and eggs thrown at them, abuse by neighbours, rubbish being tipped over the fence, damage to property and cars, bullying in schools, and harassment in the workplace.
"This type of behaviour is not carried out by the majority of New Zealanders, but it is common and everyone needs to help put a stop to it," says de Bres.
He has made five recommendations for addressing the situation:
* Encouraging people to share stories of discrimination, harassment and abuse (in the workplace, education sector, health sector and communities).
* Countering the relatively high incidence of discrimination against Asian New Zealanders, through government, businesses, school and community action.
* Ensuring the safety of international students, including effective reporting mechanisms, through the education sector, police and local government action.
* Police collection of data on racially motivated crime, as recommended by the United Nations Periodic Review of New Zealand and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
* Formally welcoming and acknowledging international students and temporary migrant workers in communities.
* Countering the relatively high incidence of discrimination against Asian New Zealanders, through government, businesses, school and community action.
* Ensuring the safety of international students, including effective reporting mechanisms, through the education sector, police and local government action.
* Police collection of data on racially motivated crime, as recommended by the United Nations Periodic Review of New Zealand and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
* Formally welcoming and acknowledging international students and temporary migrant workers in communities.
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