Belong Aotearoa Sector Update 24 September 2026
Kia ora e te whānau,
It feels like ‘time of the signs’ as election billboards pop up all around us (some defaced, others proudly propped up on someone's front fence). It’s a time when place and power are on full, slightly chaotic, display: vote for this person, in this place.
But place and power in the hands of some can also lead to displacement for others, and displacement takes many forms: people pushed from land, language pushed out of classrooms and courtrooms, a sense of self pushed to the margins of someone else's story about who belongs here.
This fortnight we celebrated two anniversaries that were really stories of addressing power and place. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori has just concluded, marking the redress of a language once displaced and legislated into public silence. Days earlier, we marked Suffrage Day, commemorating the moment Aotearoa granted women the vote, redress for women’s exclusion from public power. But let's also recognise that Māori women held mana and shaped decision-making long before a colonial parliament existed to ‘grant’ anyone anything, so the honest question is whose exclusion was being redressed, and whose authority, language, and power had been displaced to create it?
Displacement isn't only historical. For many migrant and refugee-background communities, it can be a daily reality: a qualification that doesn't 'apply' here, a language barrier that impacts on landing a job, a name mispronounced into something more English, a work history that counts for less than it did the week before you got on the plane. It means rebuilding a sense of home while having to prove, again and again, that you are allowed to be here. Migrant women also face both a gender pay gap and an ethnic pay gap, and Māori and Pacific women carry that same weight. We know from our own stories and experiences that power is not evenly distributed in this place.
We know the antidote to displacement, though: belonging - people in all their diversity, in place, and in power. We would love you to come and talk about it with us in person at our upcoming hui - Building Aotearoa Together: From Wellbeing to Belonging, Belong Aotearoa Annual Public Meeting. It will take place on Thursday 29 October, 2-4pm, at the Fickling Convention Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau. We’ll look at the year that has been, the year ahead, and put a real focus on wellbeing across our diverse communities, in this time of debating power and place. Bring your whānau, bring a friend, bring your best insights - we’ll bring the kai! Spaces are limited (and free), so register ASAP here.
Delighted to join Auckland Council’s “Community Impact Tāmaki Makaurau” hui last week where the power of the collective was on full display.
In an election year, when so much noise is about who belongs and who doesn't, we know the importance of spending our energy building places of belonging - simple as that. In this rather fractured time of the signs, let’s make belonging the ‘sign of the times’.
Mauri ora,
Angela Wilton
Chief Executive Officer, Belong Aotearoa
In Case You Missed It
Hot Desk in Tāmaki Makaurau (Belong Aotearoa)
Craving a change of scene and some human connection with people who are making a difference in Aotearoa? Belong Aotearoa’s Mount Albert hotdesks are just what you need!
For only $26/day + GST, enjoy a comfortable workspace with access to meeting rooms, a boardroom, commercial printer/scanner, and kitchen facilities.
Interested? Click here.
Events
Money Management Made Easy, financial management workshops
A personal and family financial management free workshops, brought to you by the Citizens Advice Bureau and Highland Park and Anchorage Park Community Houses. Limited spaces available.
When: Saturdays from 11am to 1pm.
17 October: Identify financial info, tax, and debt structure.
24 October: Insurance, retirement, shares, and KiwiSaver.
31 October: Budgeting and managing cash flow.
Where: Highland Park Community House.
Contact: (09) 534 5584, info@hpapcommunityhouses.org.nz
Overview of the Parent Resident Visa and recent changes
Join NZ Immigration on a webinar for communities wanting to know more about the criteria for the Parent Resident Visa and the recent change to how expressions of interest (EOI) are chosen.
When: Tuesday 20 October 2026, from 12pm to 1pm.
Where: Free Online on Zoom.
Register here. (Please note: This is an information-only session. No personal immigration advice will be given)
Mixit NZ Freedom art exhibition
Mixit NZ invites you to this open art exhibition, showcasing artwork created by young people exploring the meaning of freedom.
When: Saturday 26 September 2026, from 3pm to 4.30pm.
Where: Opanuku Studio, Corban Estate Art Centre.
RSVP by 15 September at info@mixit.co.nz / 021 255 7937.
The Peace Circle for women free programme
This is a supportive and transformative free programme for women designed to build connections, strengthen conflict resolution and peacemaking skills, break cycles of conflict, and foster empathy and emotional wellbeing. Run by Creators of Peace and Counselling Services Centre (Ngā Whakahaumarutanga o te Hauora).
When:
Friday 2 October 2026, from 6pm to 9pm (Bring a plate).
Saturday 3 October 2026, from 9am to 5pm.
Sunday 4 October 2026, from 9am to 5pm.
Where: Counseling Services Centre, Papatoetoe.
Learn more here. (Spaces are limited to 10 participants)
Making Most of Your Money Workshop, run by HOST NZ in collaboration with DLA Piper and Westpac
This workshop will explore ways to track income and expenses, plan for regular costs, save for future goals, and make informed financial decisions in everyday life.
When: Thursday 24 September 2026, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
Where: Free Online on Microsoft Teams.
Learn more, register here. (*Registration is essential as spaces are limited. Receive a certificate of attendance after the workshop when registered)
Meet the Candidates of West Auckland organized by the Waitakere Ethnic Board
This pre-election meet-and-greet allows community members to connect with major party candidates ahead of the 7 November election. Attendees can ask questions, raise priorities, and engage directly with potential representatives.
When: Friday 2 October 2026, from 6pm to 8pm.
Where: ZEAL Henderson.
Register here. (Please RSVP by Friday 30 September 2026)
Job Interview Prep Free Job Search Workshops
Join Migrant Action Trust for a series of interactive and practical free workshops designed to help you navigate job hunting.
When: Friday 25 September 2026, from 10am to 12pm.
Where: Rakiraki Room, Wesley Community Centre.
Learn more here.
Personal Branding & Networking Free Job Search Workshops
Join Migrant Action Trust for a series of interactive and practical free workshops designed to help you navigate job hunting.
When: Friday 2 October 2026, from 10am to 12pm.
Where: Rakiraki Room, Wesley Community Centre.
Learn more here.
Between Worlds, event by CAYAD (Community Action on Youth and Drugs)
This event provides a safe, non-judgmental space for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds (aged 18-30) to share experiences, discuss wellbeing, and connect around Aotearoa's alcohol and drug culture to foster healthier communities.
When: Saturday 3 October 2026, from 11am to 3pm.
Where: Corban Estate Arts Centre, Henderson.
Register here.
Free Digital Skills and AI Workshop Series, run by Women Entrepreneurship Centre
This hands-on programme will help you turn technology into a practical advantage for your business, career and everyday life.
When: Every Saturday for eight weeks. Starting on Saturday 17 October 2026, from 10am to 12.30pm.
Where: Rakiraki Room, Wesley Community Centre.
Register here.
Media
ACT and NZ First pitch tighter immigration controls, others warn against anti-immigration policies
With ACT and New Zealand First pitching tighter controls on immigration, National, Labour and the Greens are warning against populist anti-immigration policies.
Read more here.
Citizenship can cost more than a passport
A permanent resident’s reluctance to become a citizen does not necessarily mean a reluctance to become a “real” New Zealander.
Read more here.
The colonial blind spot at the heart of global refugee law
A refugee convention that doesn’t recognise the forced migration of Indigenous peoples, like Māori in NZ, is part of a global pattern of persecution.
Read more here.
My plan to cut the number of long-term refugees by half
Host countries that allow those in ‘protracted displacement’ to work boost their economies and improve refugees’ ability to resettle or return home, writes Barham Salih, the new UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Read more here.
Migrant bus drivers' rally disrupted by confrontation in Auckland
'A rally seeking changes to residency requirements was disrupted as speakers called for an end to racist rhetoric.
Read more here.
Foreign students helping slow recovery of migration to New Zealand
New Zealand had a net migration gain of more than 5000 in July, with foreign students a big factor.
Read more here.
More than 900 Americans have overstayed their visa in last three years
Americans top the list of people who have overstayed their visa in the last three years.
Read more here.
More than 1500 apply for new skilled migrant visa in first two weeks
mmigration minister Erica Stanford said the government would review the green list of straight to residence roles, such as doctors and engineers, as New Zealanders are struggling to get jobs in that category.
Read more here.
How New Zealand’s invisible Indian pioneers became a vital part of national identity
Early Indian Voices of Aotearoa: Auckland Production Celebrates Century of Indian Resilience and Identity in New Zealand.
Read more 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 Tea
