Dear Mr Peters, let Friday be the day that changed your politics

New Zealand and New Zealanders should and must always come first. But please broaden the definition of whom you consider a New Zealander, and how you define New Zealand values. Because you might believe that I don’t adhere to New Zealand values, and that I don’t belong here. But believe you me, I, like you, only have the best intentions for New Zealand. Today, you said in the Parliament that Friday was the "day everything changed in our country". Please let Friday be the day that changed your politics, Sir.

Over a cuppaMulticultural TimesMarch 19, 2019Comment

Dear Jacinda and Simon, banning guns is critical, but bridge-building starts in schools

One way to do that is for Ministry of Education to direct schools to start celebrating all major religious festivals in our schools. Religious and community leaders, as well as interfaith societies can do school visits and educate the pupils on what every religion teaches - love for all, and what is the significance of a particular festival. Local governments across the country can also help facilitate that.

Over a cuppaMulticultural TimesMarch 18, 2019Comment

Crusaders – at least change your name and optics now!

“..what about the optics? Last year's Santa parade in Riccarton had a Monster truck flying a white-supremacist flag. Even the local rugby club is named Crusaders. And all of us know the history of Crusades. Optics do matter in a society, don't you think?”

Over a cuppaMulticultural TimesMarch 16, 2019Comment

-- Let’s just all pray together --

The PM has called it “one of the darkest days in New Zealand’s history”. She also called it “an extraordinary act of unprecedented violence”. We are calling it a terrorist act, as per the New Zealand Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 No 34 (as at 01 March 2017), Public Act 5, which defines a terrorist act as one “carried out for the purpose of advancing an ideological, political, or religious cause, and with the following intention: to induce terror in a civilian population...”.

Over a cuppaMulticultural TimesMarch 15, 2019Comment

Editor's note: Exciting times ahead!

We are happy to inform that we have finished analysing the feedback on our last year’s pilot launch of Multicultural Times (MT), New Zealand’s first nation-wide multicultural newspaper. As was the case with our Christchurch-based multicultural newspaper, The Migrant Times (TMT), MT too received innumerable accolades, appreciation and love from all of you.

Over a cuppaMulticultural TimesMarch 5, 2019Comment

Is Multicultural Times not for Pākehā/ Kiwis of European descent?

Since our launch on August 1, we have received numerous messages from across the country. Mostly congratulatory, but with one concern. As one reader very graciously wrote, “Congratulations and I wish your endeavour every and sustained success!”. “But do note”, the reader goes on to add, “New Zealander’s of UK decent are [also] a cultural group in New Zealand! Your (Kiwi) representation of cultural groups – does not include this very sizeable and influential group at all levels in society.

Over a cuppaMulticultural TimesAugust 15, 2018Comment

New Zealand is changing. So should the business of story-telling.

To be published every alternate Wednesday, this newspaper aims to be your definitive guide to all things ethnic and multicultural in New Zealand. At last count, Aotearoa had 213 ethnic groups calling it home. Unfortunately though, inspite of all the good intentions of average Kiwis, and efforts put in by government, ethnic communities in New Zealand still feel "alienated", "left out", or "voiceless".

Over a cuppaMulticultural TimesAugust 1, 201854 Ponsonby RoadComment

Over a cup of tea

Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." And never before in history, have newspapers faced such a crisis as they are facing now. With the advent of internet and gross commercialisation of journalism, someone somewhere missed the point. While critics are calling the mainstream media "simply stenographers to power", journalists themselves are facing something more than a moral dilemma. The thin line that once existed between perception and reality, editorial and advertisement, truth and half-truths, and news and views, is sadly diminishing. That's why 'Newzzit - news as it is' is being launched.

Over a cuppanewzzitAugust 8, 2013Comment