Venkat Raman
Auckland, June 11, 2023
World Values Day Aotearoa has announced that it will launch of 100 Days of Values in Practice campaign on July 11, 2023.
World Values Day is an annual, global event that invites individuals, communities and organisations worldwide to reflect on their values and engage in actions that promote positive change. This year, it will incorporate a 100-day journey, encouraging New Zealanders to participate in simple values-based activities.
The Campaign has been designed to enhance the conversation around the globally-recognised World Values Day, to be marked on October 19, 2023. It aims to engage and inspire New Zealanders to recognise, embrace, and celebrate the values that contribute to personal well-being and foster a more harmonious society.
About World Values Day
World Values Day is a global community that is managed by volunteers in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. It aims to promote values-driven action and inspire positive change in individuals, communities, and organisations across the world. By encouraging individuals to recognise, embrace, and celebrate shared values, World Values Day seeks to foster more harmonious societies, a more compassionate relationship with the environment, and greater personal fulfilment. The World Values Day team also works at a diplomatic level, with close ties to the Values 20 organisation which aims to promote values-driven policy within the G20.
The 100 values practices range across four categories which derive from the V20 Values covering Nature, Economy, Society and Well-being.
Participants (individuals, groups or households) will have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference and create a lasting impact in their lives and communities. The activities range from single acts of goodness to longer-term initiatives that align with the core values cherished by New Zealanders and can be accessed by all people of all ages and backgrounds.
Uniting New Zealanders
Katrina Ramage, a World Values Day Global Ambassador based in Tauranga, said that through the 100 Days of Values campaign, World Values Day Aotearoa aims to unite New Zealanders in a shared commitment to living by their values and promoting positive change.
“By amplifying the importance of values and encouraging all New Zealanders to act upon them, we believe that we can create a ripple effect that extends far beyond the 100-day period, inspiring lasting transformation in communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand,” she said.
World Values Day Aotearoa is inviting individuals, schools, community groups, businesses, and organisations to participate in this campaign, which it says will be impactful.
“By collectively embracing and celebrating shared values, we can forge a path towards a more compassionate, inclusive, and harmonious society,” Ms Ramage said.
She is joined by Kim Forrester, a Dunedin-based educator and author, who recently returned home after spending more than two decades as a global citizen living in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The V20 India Summit
Ms Forrester said that India and New Zealand have been taking small but significant steps to build stronger trade and social ties between the two countries.
India is stepping into the global ‘values’ spotlight, with International Values 20 Summit to be held in India, in conjunction with this year’s G20 events, she said.
“The people of India and New Zealand share many values and we are inviting the Indian-New Zealand community to celebrate the values that bind and unite us in July 2023. The theme of the V20 India Summit is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is One Family), which is familiar to many New Zealanders as whanaungatanga,” she said.
Members of the V20 India team are public advocates of seva (service), a value that is echoed in the concepts of volunteering and service that sit at the core of community life in New Zealand.
Ms Ramage and Ms Forrester are launching the 100 Days of Values Campaign as a part of Global Values Day this year from July 11 to October 19, 2023.
They said that the initiative aims to engage and inspire Kiwis of all backgrounds to recognise, embrace and celebrate the values that contribute to personal well-being and foster a more harmonious society.
“As the leaders of India and Aotearoa come together to explore closer ties, we are keen to ensure that our shared values remain front and centre in their dialogue. We believe that the people of India understand the healing power of values, and we are encouraging the Indian-New Zealand community to help us live those values out loud,” they said.
Strengthening Indo-Kiwi bond
What are values and how can they strengthen the bond between India and New Zealand?
Ms Forrester said that values are the behaviours and traits that we treasure most (personally, and as a society).
“Whether it is acknowledged or not, Indians and New Zealanders have a set of highly-treasured values that unite them: peacefulness, service to others, and a connection to all living beings. Research shows that when communities collectively uphold and promote core values, it can have positive effects on various aspects of community life and well-being, including social cohesion and unity, a positive collective identity, and the preservation of cultural taonga. In times of perceived social division, highlighting societal values has been shown to bridge divides, build trust and dialogue, allow factions to find common ground, and encourage positive resolutions,” she said.
The Campaign
World Values Day (19th October 2023) is an annual, global event that invites individuals, communities, and organisations worldwide to reflect on their values and engage in actions that promote positive change.
The 100-day journey encourages New Zealanders from all walks of life to participate in simple activities across four categories: Nature, Economy, Society, and Well-being.
By engaging with these 100 tasks as individuals, households, or groups, participants will have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference and create a lasting impact in their lives and communities. These activities are designed to be accessible to all, regardless of age or background, and range from single acts of goodness to longer-term initiatives that align with the core values cherished by all New Zealanders.
About Katrina Ramage
Katrina Ramage is a seasoned social entrepreneur and political strategist with a long history of facilitating positive social change.
Ms Ramage is a devoted New New Zealander and sees values as a powerful way to empower the disadvantaged and create a fairer, flourishing society.
“When we focus on values, other more limiting determinations are removed. It does not matter what school your parents could afford, or what brand of clothing you wear. Your worth lies in who you are, how you walk through the world, and what you’re prepared to do to make a positive difference,” she said.
About Kim Forrester
Ms Forrester is a well-being educator, award-winning author, and founder of Soulfuelly well-being hub. A recently-returned expatriate, she has experienced how societies around the world seek to live by similar values.
“We simply cannot flourish as individuals unless we live in thriving, values-driven societies. And no matter where in the world you are from, there are positive values that underpin our desire for personal fulfilment and greater social cohesion,” she said.
For more information, please visit www.worldvaluesday.com or follow World Values Day on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Photos of World Values Day and Katrina Ramage taken from Facebook. Photo of Kim Forrester from kimforrester.net
