Race Relations Day a chance to remember the victims

9 April 2019

Leaders from Multicultural Councils around New Zealand will to meet in Christchurch on April 13 to pay tribute to the victims of the March 15 massacres that took the lives of 50 people and injured 48 others.

The meeting will be attended by leaders and representatives from: Ngai Tahu, the New Zealand Muslim Community, Christchurch City Council, New Zealand Police, office of Ethnic Communities and Victim Support among others.

“We want to offer our love and support and pay tribute to the victims, their friends and families; we want to express solidarity with the New Zealand Muslim community and create an opportunity for dialogue, conversation and review of the attacks,” says National President of Multicultural New Zealand Pancha Narayanan.

“This is a chance for us to talk about how to celebrate diversity without fear and with a new sense of security for people's safety.

“It is a forum for us to remember the out-pouring of compassion, love and empathy shown to the community, and an opportunity for us to thank the government agencies and support services for all their great work.

“Hopefully we will also have time for critical reflection on the root causes that allowed this senseless violence to occur,” he says.

Mr Narayanan says MNZ needs to consider “what role it has at this ‘critical moment’ and how it might develop in the short, medium and long-term.”

“We need to look at the structures that allow oppression and inequality to thrive and see how we can influence structural change – including getting the Government at various levels to listen and understand how marginalisation is effectively structured through social policies,” he says