New Zealand Youth yet to nourish freedom of culture

Mathusha Paraneetharan

Wellington, June 3, 2018

Regardless of where we live and who we associate ourselves with, the chances are that we will have opportunities to interact with a culture that is not our own.

The first impression that we have on cultures usually involves race and ethnicity.

However, culture goes beyond that.

We are all a part of various cultural groups which are developed through influential beliefs. However, the exposure to different cultures allows us to have an insight beyond our culture to develop unity through shared values.

In this way, we will develop a culture which goes beyond gender, class, religious and spiritual beliefs and much more.

No intercultural engagement

Although New Zealand is a country where the fundamental concept of cultural diversity is accepted, the freedom of culture is yet to be nourished into young minds.

The alienated views on different cultures can be created through societal influences. According to Census 2013, New Zealand has more cultures than other countries in the world. But there is still no intercultural engagement in our country.

As a student at Hutt Valley High school, I physically witness the isolation of students who do not fit into a specific culture.

For example, there is a classroom specially allocated for the exchange students at school and it is almost as if they know that is where they belong and that is a place for self-security.

But as migrants become a part of New Zealand, they should feel empowered to engage and associate themselves to feel safe and welcome here.

This does not happen overnight; it requires hearing the needs of all cultures to abolish uniformity of cultural diversity and develop unity.

Sharing interfaith values

To further develop unity, we can gather shared values from each faith and corresponding aspects of cultures such as peace, love and family and unite as one.

It is metaphorically like an omelette. We have the egg, which is the bond of all cultures; we have the ingredients such as salt, pepper and onions which represent the aspects of each and every culture; and then we have the end product, the omelette, which is the unity of all cultures through shared values.

When we achieve the ultimate goal of unity through shared values, we are open to an opportunity to relate and engage with people beyond the sub communities in our entire community.

If this big vision of uniting as one does happen with your help, we can eliminate isolation in our community.

Listening to youngsters

But as youth, when are we going to be taken seriously and be given support to visualise the future of cultural diversity for dialogue and development?

We are not asking for major changes; all we want is to take small steps to see the ideal future of cultural diversity.

This can simply be creating spaces where cultures interact. A space where people genuinely feel connected and empowered to speak their thoughts and beliefs to create awareness of the diverse cultures of New Zealand.

This can be a space where the people already mingling in the cultures of New Zealand can understand the values of other cultures and move beyond just tolerating different cultures and start engaging with them.

Understanding Maori Culture

I believe that our first step towards creating awareness of other cultures is to understand the significance of the Maori culture, which is unique to New Zealand.

Mathusha Paraneetharan is a student at the Hutt Valley High School in Lower Hutt and a Bharata Natyam student at Natraj School of Dance based in Lower Hutt. The above is an edited version of her speech at the Tenth Annual Intercultural Iftar Dinner organised by the Pearl of Islands Foundation Inc and hosted by Ministry of Ethnic Communities Undersecretary Michael Wood at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, Loaves and Fishes Hall on May 22, 2018. Her speech and pictures appearing here were sent to us by Selva Ramasami, Former President of Wellington Mutamizh Sangam.

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