"As Archbishop for the diocese, I do not support the placement of that sign. It should not have been put there," he said.

"A church should not be politicised this way. A church should be a safe space for everyone, a place where everyone feels welcome without being confronted with politicised material that some could find unwelcoming or offensive."

RNZ published a photograph which appears to show the message board had been vandalised.

Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson said the church did not seem to have been aware of the controversy surrounding the All Lives Matter slogan.

Patterson said she had not heard much from the community about the message.

"I haven't had any phone calls around it but I would understand and certainly appreciate why people might feel strongly about the signage."

"Lots of people have individual views on it."

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon said it would be "provocative" to post the phrase on a public noticeboard.

"The statement is politically loaded and has been used to justify ignoring racial disparities, such as the over-representation of African American communities in police shootings," Foon said.

"The phrase is therefore associated with racial division and intolerance."

"People have the right to freedom of expression. However, it is equally important for people to be thoughtful about how they express themselves, including how their expression impacts others."

Source

• Supplied David McLoughlin
  Communications Adviser, NZ Catholic Bishops
  Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa
• rnz.co.nz
• Image: rnz.co.nz Amber Craig

A Twitter user posted a photo of the slogan on social media, saying it was "pretty disgusting."

"All lives do not matter until black lives matter. All lives do not matter until brown lives matter," she wrote.

"It's not white people being shot because they're white. Learn what white privilege is. This is tone-deaf and racist."

In Auckland last week a young woman was yelled at, threatened, and told to go back to her own country after wiping out "it's okay to be white and all lives matter" that was written in chalk on the ground.

In the video of the exchange, the woman explains people only say all lives matter as a response to black lives matter and says it is a way of erasing black people.

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon has also condemned the saying, as well as the phrase "it's okay to be white."

"The phrases are known to be associated with groups who deny that racism exists or who would minimise its impact..."

"There is no place for that in New Zealand," Foon said.

Last week, three schools, Marist College in Auckland, St Andrews and Christchurch Girls' High School in Christchurch came under fire for removing Black Lives Matter posters.

The prime minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday the removal of posters is ultimately a matter for schools but said students should be encouraged to engage with the world around them on both domestic and international issues.

"I'd say that in New Zealand we'd want our young people to be engaged in the issues that are around them, including whether it's domestically or internationally. Engaged citizens, that's good for New Zealand," Ardern said.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• newshub.co.nz

Image: twitter.com

Here is the full apology, which was delivered by the Attorney-General Chris Finlayson.

Mihi
Te maunga tupuna, Taranaki
Tu mai, tu mai ra
Nga uri whakaheke
Koutou nga kaikawe o nga tohutohu
a Tohu Kakahi, a Te Whiti o Rongomai
Karanga mai, mihi mai, whakatau mai.
He ra tino nui tenei mo te Karauna
He ra tino nui tenei mo te Motu
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.

Introduction

We are at Parihaka today to participate in this historic ceremony which marks the reconciliation between Parihaka and the Crown.

This is a day when we need to look back at the history of the Crown's actions at Parihaka and acknowledge the suffering those actions have caused for generations of people at Parihaka.

This is an important part of reconciliation. But it is also a day when we look forward to a future where the vision of Parihaka is finally achieved.

For the vision of Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai was not one of protest and resistance. Theirs was a vision of self-determination, cooperation and peace.

In the past the Crown felt threatened by that vision and sought to undermine it. Today the Crown comes to Parihaka to make a contribution to the fulfilment of that vision.

Parihaka has waited a long time for this day.

When I was here a year ago to sign the compact of trust I spoke about the sense of responsibility I feel as Attorney-General for this reconciliation.

The colonial government failed to uphold the rule of law at Parihaka and I am grateful for the opportunity, as the current Attorney-General, to be able to play a part in helping right that past wrong. Continue reading

Source and Image

• E-Tangata

I get many letters and emails: some polite, many abusive or threatening. The personal attacks aren't new and I've got pretty thick skin, for a simple squash player.

But as well as the haters I also get the opposite: messages of thanks and support from people who are grateful I stood up for their right to live in peace and dignity.

They aren't powerful or famous people but their voices mean more to me than those who think it's PC gone mad to actively work at peaceful race relations.

Super Diversity isn't coming, it's already here. We are home to more than 200 ethnicities - more cultures than the UN has member states. More than one million of us were born overseas and these trends will continue.

New Zealand is one of the most ethnically diverse nations on the planet, to ignore our differences is a naïve and hopeless response to an issue the entire world is grappling with.

Race relations in our country are far from OK. A third of all complaints we receive are about racial discrimination but we know many people never bother complaining. If we aren't careful the future we leave our children will be vastly different from the peaceful New Zealand we grew up in.

It's not OK for Muslim Kiwis to be singled out, abused and discriminated against because of violent extremists. Neither is it OK to blame Jewish Kiwis for an unfolding tragedy thousands of miles away.

It's not OK for Maori New Zealanders to be racially profiled shopping at their supermarket or walking down the street. Continue reading

• Dame Susan Devoy is New Zealand's Race Relations Commissioner.

The walk will coincide with the double centenary of the first message preached by missionary Samuel Marsden.

"I have a heart for this nation and seeing unity among the people, in particular unity and forgiveness between the tribes and iwi with each other and with their European brothers and sisters," he says.

"I feel that God has asked me to walk the length of the country with a cross and two flags - one being the New Zealand flag and the other being the Tino Rangatiratanga flag, to signify the two people groups. Continue reading

Reverend Wayne Te Kaawa, the moderator of the church's Maori synod, backs the calls made last month by the Waikato-Tainui leader Tukoroirangi Morgan.

Te Kaawa says, "This is no longer a Maori versus Pakeha issue as many New Zealanders had members of their family fighting on both sides. Today many Iwi have settled their outstanding claims with the Crown and a national day would also help the country grow in maturity by recognising its past". continue reading

Bellett was the sole white kid in the Samoan culture group.

He said he had trouble persuading some people he was serious when he decided to join his Samoan friends in the group this year. The festival performance required about seven weeks of practice, 18 hours a week, but Bellett persisted.

"I've got a lot of Samoan friends. It's one of those things where you get a chance to do it at school but, once you leave, you'll never be able to do it again."

St Peter's were underdogs. But they proved the doubters wrong at last week's big event, taking out the top award at the Samoan Stage.

Source

• New Zealand Herald
• Image: New Zealand Herald

Her expertise relates to work, ethnicity and religion, primarily focussing on ethnic minorities and migrants.

Edwina has a PhD in Buddhist Psychology, a Master's degree in Psychology and a double Bachelor's degree - one in Psychology and the other in Education.

She is on the Board of the Australia New Zealand Academy of Management and is registered with the NZ Association of Counsellors.

Professor Pio has published several books including ‘Sari: Indian women at work in New Zealand', and ‘Longing and Belonging'.

Source

• EEOTrust.org.nz
• Human Rights Commission
• Image: Scoop

The General Secretary of the Fijian Teachers Association, Masika Namudu, is reported as opposing the teaching of Hindi, but declined to be interviewed when approached by Radio Australia. Continue reading

"There are events happening all around the country which are about celebration... I think there's a whole lot of New Zealanders that are celebrating."

He says that while he thinks there is "a huge racial harmony" in New Zealand, there are issues that need to be addressed.

There are people with genuine reasons for wanting to say: 'Hey look, do you understand what happened to us over the course of our history?'"

"I think it's to the credit of successive governments that they have stood up and are addressing those," he said.

There is still conflict and much to work on, he says, but Waitangi Day is a time and a place where these issues can be aired and discussed.

The Maori-Crown relationship is deteriorating in the eyes of the public. A UMR Research poll commissioned by the Human Rights Commission has found fewer than a quarter of New Zealanders agree the relationship is healthy.

The numbers have fallen for the fifth straight year.

Source

• TVNZ
• The New Zealand Herald

Mr de Bres says it is typical of New Zealand media to give plenty of coverage to controversial figures making strong statements rather than focussing on the actual story.

He says this kind of coverage harms race relations and the media need to think whether they are being responsible before repeating such a debate.

By contrast on his blog, Maui Street, Morgan Godfrey urges his readers to view the Maori TV documentary on the "Urewera Four" which he says "sets the standard for current affairs in New Zealand and on Monday night the show raised the standard - again."

"We have very clear Catholic social teaching on racism but, more broadly, as an international Church we also have learned many lessons about living with cultural diversity." Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• Maui St
• Image: Stuff.co.nz

Godfrey has expressed disappointment at the manner in which the debate was conducted

"I was, more than anything, stunned and confused with what was said last night," says Godfrey, "and, I think understandably, angry with Mark Sainsbury's unwillingness to shift the conversation towards reason, as opposed to hyperbole, misrepresentations and lies which is where Sainsbury directed the discussion."

Tuesday's programme was a follow up to a Closeup inerview on Monday night with Wikatana Popata, who said he had "had enough of Pakeha. Close Up's Facebook page went into overdrive with nearly 2000 comments on this one issue. Some were in support of Popata, but the overwhelming majority were not.

Morgan Godfrey is a Wellington-based law student and commentator on Maori politics.

Source

• Maui Street
• Image: ScreenShot TVNZ

An amendment to the Human Rights Act introduced to Parliament late last year would abolish the title, although the duties would still be done by a human rights commissioner.

The race relations commissioner has been part of the Human Rights Commission since 2002. Current Commissioner Joris de Bres, whose term ends in September, says he will oppose the change when submissions are called for.