In answering this question, you may be tempted to think about tripping hazards, workplace accidents or health and safety standards. But how often do you think about psychological safety? Psychological safety relates to the organisational or team climate and how safe people feel in speaking up and bringing a different perspective into the discussion.

The sacrificial story leads back to Abraham and Ishmael. Abraham was instructed in a vision to sacrifice his son Ishmael for the sake of God. In consulting with a willing Ishmael, both proceeded to make the sacrifice to obey the command of their Lord. In this selfless act of devotion they gained the Mercy of God who summoned a lamb in place of Ishmael. 

In New Zealand, we have a long list of skill shortages that need to be filled to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our growing population.bWe need more farmers (beef and dairy), arborists and market gardeners. We need construction managers, university lecturers, mechanical engineers, midwifes and nurses. We need bakers, builders, bricklayers, carpenters, joiners, mechanics and aged care workers.

A visiting British economist has laid down a wero for New Zealand employers to overcome their psychological hurdles and employ more refugees. Philippe Legrain, author of the book Immigrants: Why Your Country Needs Them as well as articles for The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal, was the key note speaker at a Breakfast held last week at Parliament hosted by the Hon Grant Robertson in association with HOST International, Multicultural New Zealand, ChangeMakers Refugee Forum  and the Human Rights Commission.

Are you looking to connect in your new community? Make friends and find a sense of belonging? Then New Zealand Newcomers Network may be perfect for you! The journey of the New Zealand Newcomers Network Initiative (NZNN) began in 2006, after a series of government funded reports found, that making friends was one of the most difficult issues new migrants to New Zealand faced, when settling into the new community.

Isolation and a lack of English are among the issues facing people of migrant and refugee background in Canterbury, according to qualitative research from the All Right? campaign. The research consisted of six two-hour long discussion groups and in-depth interviews with people from refugee and migrant communities in Christchurch. Participants came from a range of countries including Somalia, Sudan, Korea, China and Bhutan.

I write to you in the mist of your harshest criticism to date to offer and express my appreciation for what you have achieved in the past two weeks. This letter is to commend you for being true to yourself; for identifying who you are and believing in your kaupapa; for having the conscience to use your profile for causes you believe in; for standing by your decisions despite being criticised; and most importantly for furthering the understanding of Treaty based Multiculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand.

As Chair of Christchurch City Council's Multicultural Working Party, it has been privilege to lead the development of the Multicultural Strategy for the past year. This strategy is also a commitment by the Council to support and embrace the diversity of the people in Christchurch. But in order to ensure the strategy deliver, we need to develop an action plan. We need to also monitor progress on this plan to ensure its success.

From "I did not know that there was an election", to friends that followed every step. It seems to depend partly on how often people have had a chance to go back to the Netherlands. The more they have been back, the more they still feel connected with the politics. Of those who have followed it, there seems to be a huge feeling of astonishment that even in the country that we left as a country that is very liberal and very pro freedom of speech, culture, religion etc, it is possible to give a man as Geert Wilders such a following.

60 years ago Hungarians started an uprising against the communist dictatorship forced on Hungary by the Russian troops who "liberated" Hungary in the 2nd World War. The freedom fighters failed in the revolt, but ever since Hungary gained back its independence in 1989 and announced the new republic on the anniversary day of October 23, we are free to celebrate the remembrance of the unsuccessful uprising and all the victims of fighting and the reprisals afterwards.

The Kiwi workplace is unique. From the distinctive language and communication style through to the relaxed informality with the boss, the workplace environment in New Zealand can be very different from what many new migrants have experienced before.

The newly-elected President of the American Club of Christchurch shares her memories of celebrating 4th of July, the American Independence Day, and expresses concerns on the prevalent gun culture back home