Belong Aotearoa Sector Update 20 November 2025

Written By China Gonzalez

Kia ora e te whānau,

A common thread for me over recent weeks has been how we reconnect to things that anchor us across generations. Over the weekend, I went to the Lenny Kravitz concert with my 16-year-old Kenyan-Kiwi daughter. From knowing nothing about him, she walked out a Lenny Kravitz convert. Standing in a full stadium, singing “We’ve got to let love rule,” it felt like a profound intergenerational moment, and a reminder that our shared hopes for a better world are things we pass on, intentionally or not.

The next day, downtown Tāmaki Makaurau was alive with a parade of nations, where Indigenous communities from across the world gathered for the World Indigenous Conference. The cross-generational collective energy felt powerful.

Over the last two weeks, through AGMs and events I’ve attended, I’ve picked up the same vibe. At the Asylum Seekers Support Trust AGM, it was inspiring to hear the team speak to an increasingly difficult global landscape. With asylum policies tightening across the UK and Europe, their commitment to support in Aotearoa underscores how essential collaborative impact is.

The same was true at the Tangata Tiriti - Treaty People AGM, where their work in bringing Te Tiriti education to migrant and refugee-background communities continues to build vital bridges that nurture belonging and uphold our commitments as diverse tauiwi to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

And the two Refugee Alliance hui, in Wellington and Auckland, are fast approaching, as is the Advancing Equity: Social Determinants in Migrant and Refugee Health Research Symposium. Yet more examples of coming together to bring about collective change.

It was also moving to celebrate our own Malu Malo-Fuiava graduate from the Leadership NZ programme recently, her two-year-old daughter running to join her as she walked across the stage.

Last week, we also took time to farewell Tsehainesh Hibtit, who has been part of our Safari whānau since the very beginning and who spoke so warmly at our 20th anniversary event in October. As she prepares to join her daughters in Australia, her journey mirrors that moment with my own daughter and Malu’s with her little girl: a reminder of the intergenerational threads woven throughout our communities, the pull of family, the legacy of women who sustain our organisations, and the hopes we hand to the next generation.

Photo of Safari leaders at Tsehainesh’s farewell on Friday. Tsehainesh is the one in the red floral dress.

Whether in AGMs, pōwhiri, or packed concerts, there is something profoundly energising about these collective, intergenerational moments. In a time of global uncertainty, these connections spark the hope we all need.

Ngā mihi,

Angela Wilton

Chief Executive Officer, Belong Aotearoa

In Case You Missed It

Job Opportunity: Volunteer Treasurer role (Tangata Tiriti - Treaty People)

  • Join the Committee that governs their incorporated society.

  • If you or someone you know has accounting experience and a couple of hours a month to support a great cause, please get in touch via the link below.

  • This is a governance role and does not include the day-to-day bookkeeping work.

  • Read more here.

Designing Social Justice Education for Community Interpreters (PHD research project by Agustina Marianacci)

  • Are you 18+?

  • Worked with interpreters before?

  • Do you speak any of these languages: Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, Samoan, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Persian (Farsi), Korean or Filipino (Tagalog)?

  • Then, please support Augustina’s project, where the goal is to create social justice training for the many interpreters working in this country.

  • Interested, then click here.

New seasonal work visas launch soon (Immigration New Zealand)

  • A Global Workforce Seasonal Visa can be granted for up to three years if applicants have an employment agreement for one season for the first year.

  • A Peak Seasonal Visa can be granted for up to seven months.

  • To learn more, click here.

 

Events

Wellness Through Art (Citizens’ Advice Bureau)

  • Free Fun Workshop – all materials provided.

  • Choose your activity:

    • Diamond Art with Cat (ten spaces available).

    • Card Making and Stand-Up Calendars with Debbie (10 spaces available).

  • When: Friday 21 November, from 10am to 12pm.

  • Where: Pakuranga Library.

  • To register, email settlement.pakuranga@cab.org.nz or text: 022 308 9337.

Advancing Equity: Social Determinants in Migrant and Refugee Health Research Symposium (Migrant and Refugee Health Research Centre and New Zealand Policy Research Institute)

  • Hear from researchers, policy-makers and post-graduate students.

  • Learn about grassroots, community-led initiatives improving migrant and refugee health outcomes.

  • When: Friday 21 November, from 8am to 5pm.

  • Where: AUT North Campus.

  • Register here.

Understanding Finance In New Zealand (Host International)

  • FREE community workshop to learn:

    • Banking Basics

    • Know Your Consumer Rights and Protections

    • Operating an Account

    • Scams and Frauds.

  • When: Thursday 27 November, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

  • Where: Online via zoom.

  • Register here.

Refugee Alliance Hui 2025 (The Refugee Alliance)

  • Join Alliance members, refugee-led organisations, MPs, and sector partners for a day of advocacy, collaboration, and strategic engagement.

  • When: Wellington on 25 November, Auckland on 28 November 2025.

  • Where: Victoria University Law Faculty (Wellington); Fickling Convention Centre (Auckland).

  • To register, click here.

Community/Non-profit Organisations Networking Session in South and East Auckland (Citizen Advice Bureau Pakuranga)

  • Join this networking session to share ideas, collaborate and raise awareness on the work you do in the community.

  • When: Tuesday 2 December, from 2pm to 3pm.

  • Where: Te Tuhi, 21 Williams Rd, Pakuranga.

  • Five-minute speaking slots available.

  • Refreshments provided.

  • To register, email Vani Kapoor at settlement.pakuranga@cab.org.nz

 

Media

The IPSOS New Zealand Issues Monitor

  • IPSOS NZ Issues Monitor October 2025 notes race relations/racism has returned to being a top 10 issue.

  • Read more here.

A Dive into the Numbers: Here's NZ's Migration Data Without Political Spin (Stuff)

  • More than 72,000 New Zealand citizens departed long-term, while the number of returning Kiwis remains below pre-COVID levels, reflecting a significant shift in population movement patterns.

  • Read more here.

For nine years, she asked doctors for answers; now the mother-of-three is dying (Stuff)

  • Nine years, dozens of GP visits and still, no answers. By the time Dawt Cenhrang’s cancer was found, it was too late. Now she wants the system to listen.

  • Read more here.

One Million Permanent Humanitarian Visas: Calls for Change as Milestone Nears (SBS Australia)

  • Australia is set to issue its one millionth permanent humanitarian visa since the end of World War II, marking 80 years of contributions to refugee resettlement.

  • Read the full story here.

Britain announces ‘most significant’ change to asylum rules in years, setting Europe’s longest route to settlement  (CNN)

  • Britain to announce ‘most significant’ change to asylum rules in years, setting Europe’s longest route to settlement.

  • Read the full story here.

Do you have news you would like to share in our fortnightly Sector Update? Simply email your update to: sectorupdates@belong.org.nz.



Ngā mihi,

Belong Aotearoa Team

China Gonzalez
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