Tüi Tüi Tuituiä Race Relations in 2007 Human Rights Commission Te Kähui Tika Tangata www.hrc.co.nz Commission offiCes Tämaki Makaurau – Auckland 10th Floor, Tower Centre, Cnr Queen and Customs Streets PO Box 6751, Wellesley Street, Tämaki Makaurau Auckland 1141 Waea Telephone (09) 309 0874 Waea Whakähua Fax (09) 377 3593 Te Whanganui ä Tara – Wellington 8th Floor, Vogel Building, 8 Aitken Street PO Box 12411, Thorndon, Te Whanganui ä Tara Wellington 6144 Waea Telephone (04) 473 9981 Waea Whakähua Fax (04) 471 6759 Otautahi – Christchurch Ground Floor, KPMG at Cranmer, 34-36 Cranmer Square PO Box 1578, Otautahi Christchurch 8140 Waea Telephone (03) 379 2015 Waea Whakähua Fax (03) 353 0959 Human Rights Commission InfoLine 0800 496 877 (toll free) Language Line (an interpreting service) is available upon request TTY (teletypewriter) 0800 150 111 Fax (09) 377 3593 (Attn: InfoLine) [email protected] www.hrc.co.nz The cover artwork was produced by Shadow Factory for the Human Rights Commission’s Race Relations Day poster, titled: We all sit under the same stars. Photography: Tony Gan, Asian Magazine & Fotolia.com Design: Derek Ventling, Gang Design, www.gang.co.nz ISBN: 978-0-478-28645-8 Published in March 2008 Aotearoa New Zealand The Human Rights Commission • Facilitating the New Zealand Diversity Action and Race Relations Programme, and maintaining programme networks for issues such as interfaith cooperation, media, language The main functions of the Human Rights Commission policy and refugees under the Human Rights Act 1993 are to promote and protect human rights; to encourage the development • Organising the annual New Zealand Diversity Forum of harmonious relations; to promote equal employment • Acknowledging positive contributions to race relations opportunities; and to provide a dispute resolution service through the award of certifi cates and the publication of for complaints of discrimination on the grounds (among the awards in a widely distributed monthly e-newsletter others) of colour, race, and ethnic or national origins. • Promoting community participation in diversity events, The Act also provides for the appointment of a Race including Race Relations Day and Mäori Language Week Relations Commissioner to lead the Commission, in • Publishing an annual review of developments and conjunction with the Chief Commissioner, on matters issues in race relations relating to race relations. • Providing a disputes resolution service for complaints The Commission encourages the maintenance and about discrimination development of positive race relations through a variety of programmes, including: • Providing advocacy, research, information and education on race relations. • Promoting implementation of the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights This report is part of the Human Rights Commission’s contribution to the New Zealand Diversity Action • Building a better understanding of the human rights Programme for 2008. dimensions of the Treaty of Waitangi For further details of the programme visit: www.hrc.co.nz/diversity 2 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION | RACE RELATIONS REPORT 2007 3 Ngä Kaupapa Contents 1. Te Rangahau Whänui: Overview 5 2. Te Takapiringi: Chronology 9 3. Mahi ki te Rerekëtanga: Action on Diversity 13 4. Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Treaty of Waitangi 25 5. Kaiheke me Hunga Whakaruru: Migrants and Refugees 35 6. Te Reo: Language 43 7. Te Päpäho: Media 51 8. Hahi: Religion 59 9. Te Toi, Tikanga me Taonga Pumau: Arts, Culture and Heritage 67 10. Tikanga-a-Iwi me Törangapü: Civil and Political Rights 73 11. Whakahäweatanga: Discrimination 79 12. Nga Tika Oranga, Tika Tangata: Economic and Social Rights 87 Appendices: 1. New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights: Progress 90 2. Overview of Diversity Research 94 4 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION | RACE RELATIONS REPORT 2007 5 1. Te Rangahau Whänui Overview Whakarongo ake au ki te tangi ä te provided a solid community connection for the process. It manu nei, te mä-tui. Tüi-tüi-tuituiä. is not every year that we get the opportunity as a nation to Tuia i runga, tuia i raro, tuia i waho, comprehensively review and determine what our children should learn to equip them for life in New Zealand – the tuia i roto. Tuia te here tangata kä rongo existing curriculum has been in place for 15 years. The fi nal te Pö, kä rongo te Ao. Tüi-tüi-tuituiä te document met with multi-party and multi-sector support. whanaungatanga o te tangata. It must have something to say therefore about how we see ourselves, and how we want our children to see them- selves, in the 21st century. This year The new Curriculum is important for race relations because This is the fourth annual review of race relations published of the core principles it sets out. There are eight such by the Human Rights Commission. The reviews are intended principles. They are to underpin and inform everything to provide a record of the main events and developments that is taught in schools. Three of them are of particular in race relations each year, and to provide information and relevance to race relations: context for the ongoing public debate on this important issue, particularly in the lead up to Race Relations Day in The fi rst is the Treaty of Waitangi: ‘The Curriculum March. The fi rst three reviews were used last year to inform acknowledges the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the fi ve yearly consideration of New Zealand’s race rela- the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand. All tions performance by the United Nations Committee on the students have the opportunity to acquire knowledge of te Elimination of Racial Discrimination. reo Mäori me öna tikanga’. The fi rst review, Race Relations in 2004 recorded the major The second is cultural diversity: ‘The Curriculum refl ects public debate sparked by Don Brash at Orewa in January of New Zealand’s cultural diversity and values the histories that year, and the passage of the Foreshore and Seabed Act. and traditions of all its people’. It noted that the UMR Mood of the Nation report for 2004 ranked race relations as the top issue that concerned New The third is inclusion: ‘The Curriculum is non-sexist, non- Zealanders (as it had in 2002 and 2003). racist, and non-discriminatory; it ensures that students’ identities, languages, abilities and talents are recognised Over the following three years, public anxiety about race and affi rmed and that their learning needs are addressed’. relations, as recorded by the UMR Mood of the Nation report, has steadily declined from being the top issue Throughout the Curriculum students are also to be encour- of concern in 2004 to ranking third in 2005 and sixth in aged to value diversity, as found in our different cultures, 2006. In 2007, it dropped off the list of the top ten issues languages and heritages, equity, through fairness and social altogether. Instead, it topped the list of issues that New justice, community and participation for the common Zealanders were most optimistic about. good, and respect for themselves, others and human rights. The new Curriculum and the positive reactions to it are The most signifi cant development was the launch of the reassuring for the future of race relations. Somehow, in the new school Curriculum in November. The New Zealand midst of the sometimes acrimonious debates we have had Curriculum’s aspirations are long term and affi rm our about the Treaty and aspects of diversity, we have agreed values, learning competencies, our recognition of our on some very basic and very important principles. That is nation’s founding document and who we are as a diverse both encouraging and timely, because the children who Pacifi c nation. It was the culmination of three years work are already in our schools and those who will enter them and extensive consultation, involving many thousands of during the life of the new Curriculum are our most diverse people and 10,000 submissions. The school trustee system school population ever. Around 40% of New Zealand 6 school students as at 1 July 2007 were of Mäori, Pacifi c Treaty of Waitangi, diversity and inclusion as fundamental and Asian descent. The proportion for babies born in principles. The Statement on Race Relations provides an New Zealand in the year to September 2007 was even opportunity for further community discussion on race higher at 55%. These fi gures will continue to grow. relations in 2008, with an emphasis on ‘fi nding common ground’. Community commitment to diversity and inclusion The birth statistics also show that while only 10% of all continues to grow. New Zealanders identifi ed with more than one ethnic group in the 2006 census, 25% of babies had more than one TREATY OF WAITANGI ethnicity in the year ending September 2007. Two-thirds of Mäori babies and one half of Pacifi c babies belonged to The Waitangi Trust’s decision to provide free access to the multiple ethnic groups, as did a third of babies of European, Treaty grounds was a welcome development. Progress Asian and other descent. We should look ahead therefore on Treaty claim hearings and settlements continued, in the knowledge that upcoming generations will be living although two settlement agreements were challenged at diversity as well as learning about it. the Tribunal. Increased protection of Mäori cultural and heritage values in the sale process for Crown lands was Having agreed as a nation what will be in the school Cur- also positive. The adoption of the Draft Declaration on the riculum, it is opportune to consider the common ground on Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations marked race relations in the overall public domain as well. Hence a signifi cant step forward in the international recognition of the national theme for race relations in 2008, and the title the rights of indigenous peoples.