Communications with CALD communities over lockdown - insights from CLING

Throughout Alert Levels 4, 3 and 2, Community Languages Information Network Group (CLING) collated COVID-19 information produced for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities on a weekly basis.

Here is the link to CLING's observations and recommendations about communicating with CALD communities during disaster - and normalcy.

Update 8 June 2020

As we move forward from lockdown here are a few things that are of likely relevance to Canterbury's third sector organisations (TSOs).

1. Online survey about how COVID-19 has impacted TSOs around Aotearoa

The survey hopes "to shine a light on the community sector’s collective contribution to community wellbeing, to take stock of what is needed, and to shape our future."

Canterbury-specific results will be available from this survey

Survey prepared by Hui E! Community Aotearoa, Volunteering New Zealand, the Centre for Social Impact, and Philanthropy New Zealand

To complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SNXLXM3

Responses close 5pm on Friday 12 June.

2. Online survey about how COVID-19 has impacted TSOs in Canterbury

Survey prepared by SEWN

SEWN can use the information to provide feedback and advocate on behalf of the sector, and determine what additional supports might be needed.

To complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WXXK3HS.

The survey deadline is now Friday 12 June.

3. Christchurch Otautahi Draft Annual Plan

The Draft Annual Plan will soon be open for consultation. The proposed Plan may have impact on TSO resourcing.

Draft Annual Plan here

CCC news with summary of info proposed in Draft Annual Plan.

Open for consultation 12 - 29 June

4. SEWN is hosting an online discussion about the future funding needs of the sector

1-2pm on Tuesday 23 June

Register via this link

5. New Zealand Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit

The Summit had been planned to take place in Christchurch in 2021; however, as the world has changed substantially since that plan was made there will be a series of online and face to face events rather than one event. Read more here.

To be put on the list for contact or for more information, contact Matt Morris, Sustainability Advisor, University of Canterbury matt.morris@canterbury.ac.nz

Report from OVTRK Forum with Hon P Williams 4 Nov 2019

OVTRK FORUM with Hon. Poto Williams - Minister for our Sector

who was invited on 4 November 2019 to address the question:

How can we treasure our Third Sector stories as measurements of wellbeing?

The One Voice Te Reo Kotahi kaupapa was supported by Shane Te Aika leading us in a mihi whakatau to open the Forum.
The topic for the evening:

Seeing the Unseen in our Sector
Building Respect and Recognition for Third Sector Organisations

was introduced with reference to the way the wider community is supported by the statutory, commercial and Third sectors with:
            ▪ provision of services
            ▪ project work
            ▪ development of strategies and policies
It is therefore confusing to refer to our Third sector as the “community” sector.

All three sectors (the legs of the stool) support the people with lived experiences
(depicted by the seat of the stool).

Without attention to these matters, respect and recognition for Third Sector Organisations, seeing the unseen in our Sector, telling our Third Sector stories in relation to achieving greater wellbeing and demonstrating how our contribution can be measured, is diminished.

OVTRK focuses on strategy and policy for our Sector and asks that when the government (local, regional and nationwide) is developing strategy and policy they involve not only mana whenua and the commercial sector but also the relevant Third Sector Organisations along with people with the lived experiences of whatever is being decided about.

Following our 1 April Forum on Decision-Making for the Wellbeing Budget and the understanding that our Third Sector contributes to all four well-beings - environmental, cultural, economic and social – this Forum was to develop ideas for strategies and policies that will get better recognition and resourcing for our contributions including our mahi in assessing wellbeing. The questions raised about the nature of the data to be collected for such assessment at that April Forum have remained with us.

Hon. Poto Williams - Minister for our Sector was therefore invited to address the question:

How can we treasure our Third Sector stories as measurements of wellbeing?

In particular we need to address how we tell our Third Sector stories in relation to achieving greater wellbeing and how those contributions can be measured?

The Minister spoke about her role in writing the current government’s policy for our Sector in the light of the need for governments to be able to trust the Third sector.
Her notes prepared for the evening are here:

She referred to her appreciation of how grass roots groups determine what is in their own best interests and how the Third sector is of equal importance to the government sector. She noted that this government’s reviews of the Public Finance Act and the State Services Act will enable government to be more responsive to Third sector initiatives.
As Minister she is prioritising support for volunteering as she believes volunteers gain wellbeing from volunteering and that this focus will advantage Third Sector Organisations. The Minister also highlighted the limitations of the current data being collected not capturing the depth of the contribution and value of the Third Sector, which goes beyond mere statistics. We noted earlier reports highlighting this evidence from our Sector which demonstrate the extent of our mahi - Mahi Aroha and the Time Use Survey Report Around the Clock. We are pleased to learn that the Minister’s Office has let us know that that these have been obtained.

In acknowledging the Minister’s focus we trust that the extent of the contributions from, and the range of motivations for involvement in, our Sector will be expanded beyond this current focus. We look forward to further updates so that the questions we posed to the Minister for this Forum can be followed through.

OVTRK Forum with Minister Poto Williams 7.30pm 4 Nov. at ECan

One Voice Te Reo Kotahi (OVTRK) open Forum

Monday 4 November 7.30 - 9pm at ECAN

********************

Seeing the Unseen in our Sector

Building Respect and Recognition for Third Sector Organisations

An evening with Hon. Poto Williams - Minister for our Sector

For us and our children after us   Mō tātou ā mō kā uri ā muri ake nei

Ngāi Tahu whakatauki

at Environment Canterbury Council Chambers

(easy access from Bus exchange, car park access off St Asaph St)

********************

The Minister has been invited to address the question:

How can we treasure our Third Sector stories as measurements of wellbeing?

Our Third Sector contributes to all four well-beings – environmental, cultural, economic and social.Bring your ideas about what strategies and policies are needed to get better recognition and resourcing for our contributions including our mahi in assessing wellbeing. We are particularly interested in

• How do we tell our Third Sector stories in relation to achieving greater wellbeing?
• How can our contribution be measured?

Background:

As you may know One Voice Te Reo Kotahi (OVTRK) speaks from, not for the Third Sector.

• OVTRK provides a Register of Third Sector Organisations (TSOs) interested in working with others in greater Christchurch according to the OVTRK Tiriti–based kaupapa and upholding environmental, cultural, social and economic wellbeing.
• These TSOs may be organised around a common interest, identity, issue or place.
• OVTRK promotes the valuing of TSOs and seeks for them to be heard in deliberations on strategy and policy, complementing statutory and commercial voices.
• OVTRK is calling for a review of administrative support to further the contribution of TSOs’ wealth of experience, collective expertise and established, ever-expanding networks.

For more information, including about previous Forums, one of which the previous Minister Hon. Peeni Henare addressed in June 2018, see below.

Report from 2019 Forum

OVTRK Forum on 1st April 2019 on

Decision-Making for the Wellbeing Budget Report

- from Adie Gray's presentation and from the four discussion groups

The One Voice Te Reo Kotahi kaupapa was supported by Mananui Ramsden leading us in a mihi whakatau to open the Forum.

Adie Gray, Statistics NZ Maori Partnership and Design Lead, then gave an overview of links between the work of Statistics NZ, Treasury's Living Standards and the capitals model of stocks and flows, which is also used by the Conference of European Statisticians. She also spoke of close links between Statistics NZ and the CDHB Wellbeing Index work noting there is a rich source of data for decision-making.

She then addressed the topic of Challenging tokenism towards Decision-Making for the Wellbeing Budget noting that wellbeing is about identity. The question was posed: Who has the right to represent others?

The cards used for feedback in the consultation by StatisticsNZ asked people to respond to the question What matters to you? Here are people's comments.

Generalising from such feedback from an individual or even a collection of individuals, each of whom has their own unique context means that aggregation of responses is at best fraught......

The importance of naming was highlighted - for example, when a child's name is changed by a teacher who is not proficient in the mother tongue of the child.

These issues gave much food for thought for the discussions which followed Adie's presentation.

Adie emphasised that she would share with OVTRK the links from the Stats NZ work to date as soon as they were available.

Those links are now available:

• the webpage and first draft suite of indicators that will populate the IANZ website in June, now signed off by the Government Statistician: https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators-and-snapshots/indicators-aotearoa-new-zealand-nga-tutohu-aotearoa/.
• the findings from the engagement report: https://www.stats.govt.nz/reports/indicators-aotearoa-new-zealand-nga-tutohu-aotearoa-key-findings-from-consultation-and-engagement

The engagement report includes some interesting insights from the Te Ao Maori reviewer and appraisers, which will drive a lot of the work and direction in the next phase on which Adie is working. We note from that Report that:

Incorporating wellbeing from te ao Māori perspectives is seen as vital for Indicators Aotearoa NZ. This will enhance the relevance and richness of the indicator set for Aotearoa New Zealand. The idea of wellbeing is an intrinsic and fundamental part of te ao Māori. A range of frameworks define wellbeing outcomes from a te ao Māori viewpoint and capture the essence of wellbeing in a holistic manner.

We understand that Stats NZ is committed to further developing the set of indicators to incorporate concepts of wellbeing from a te ao Māori perspective. This development process will be led by te ao Māori in partnership with Stats NZ.

OVTRK looks forward to getting further feedback on this development.

The 66 participants then broke into four discussion groups - economic, environment, cultural and social.

While acknowledging the connections between them, these four groups were chosen in anticipation of the Local Government Act being amended to restore those four wellbeings to the Act's primary purpose.

Here are some notes we have received from those discussion groups:

Economic - convened by Christine Dann

Environment - convened by Colleen Philip

Cultural - convened by Rina Singh

Social - convened by Liz Hawes

The verbal feedback on the night emphasised connections between the 4 wellbeings and similarities with all cultures upholding Aroha ki te Takata. Co-designing the process, not just the outcomes, the central role of mana whenua and of understanding the past as we move to the future were highlighted along with the recognition of "nothing about whanau in their environment without whanau in their environment". A paradigm shift was seen to be vital so these synergies and connections, interdependencies and relationships can be enacted.

In closing the Forum, Mananui reflected on the aroha and understanding of ecological values of participants and called on the need to feed this knowledge to the world, noting how the wisdom of minds outside the institutions leads to discussions which are really rich.

We look forward to the conversations continuing and will really appreciate any further feedback - send to <tsovoices@gmail.com>. We suggest this general topic of WELLBEING AND DECISION-MAKING deserves another local Forum...... ideas welcome!

Kia kaha!
The OVTRK team