The Waimakariri district hosts art competition in lieu of unity day
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri district has celebrated unity in style.
Members of the local Iranian community joined forces with Global Locals of Waimakariri (Glow) and the Waimakariri District Council’s community team to organise an art competition.
Mayor Dan Gordon said the competition was ‘‘a truly wonderful collaboration’’.
‘‘Our district continues to grow and as a result we are honoured to welcome many new families from other parts of the world, as I do regularly at citizenship ceremonies.
‘‘Their arrival enriches our communities and provides us all with the opportunity to embrace new cultures.’’
Race Unity Day is marked in New Zealand on March 21, to coincide with Iranian New Year.
Members of the Iranian community came up with the idea of an art competition, inviting local school children to create a poster depicting what the theme ‘‘celebrating different cultures’’ meant to them.
It was the first time the Waimakariri District Council had been involved in events to coincide with Race Unity Day and community development facilitator Caroline Boswell said she was blown away by the response.
‘‘We had more than 120 entries which is pretty for the first year and is far more than we anticipated.’’
She says the competition was made possible with support from the Ministry for Ethnic Communities.
Gordon said he was impressed with the calibre of the entries.
‘‘I have to say I am extremely impressed with the calibre of work and the interesting way the brief has been interpreted, showcasing what celebrating different cultures means to them.
‘‘It is my hope that this will be the first of many for our district.’’
A prizegiving was held in the council chambers recently to celebrate the success of the competition.
Fernside School, near Rangiora, took home a special prize for the most entries.
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Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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