Public forum to focus on a more inclusive New Zealand
IGPS director Dr Michael Macaulay says an upcoming public forum will call for new approaches and fresh perspectives on inclusivity in New Zealand.
The following op-ed piece is from the Institute of Governance and Policy Studies director Dr Michael Macaulay, and highlights an upcoming public forum that will focus on some of the issues he raises.
With a long and proud tradition of egalitarianism, biculturalism and giving everybody a fair go, inclusivity isn't something many New Zealanders tend to worry about.
Yet time and again we hear about different people being excluded in a variety of ways: excluded from housing; excluded from education; excluded, even, from the digital world.
The sad fact is that a number of different individuals and groups all across the country feel excluded, not simply from various public goods and services but from society itself.
It is this broader sense of disconnection and social isolation that the notion of inclusivity must address.
Of course, many people are doing so – there is no end of community groups, civil society organisations and academic researchers addressing many of these issues from a variety of angles.
Inclusivity is also directly developed by numerous government agencies, both central and local, but such a multiplicity of approaches is both a strength and a weakness. What is missing, arguably, is a more holistic view.
We will always need people to work with and advocate for particular groups, but what is also needed is to look for the commonalities in the issues that they face.
A more inclusive New Zealand
There are a number of events coming up in the next few months that broadly call for new approaches and fresh perspectives on inclusivity.
Among them is 'A More Inclusive New Zealand', a free public forum which is being held at Te Papa on 27 July.
This event will bring people from all over New Zealand to share experiences and to craft conversations around youth, family, the elderly, health, crime, housing, education and much more. It is designed to practice what it preaches and to include as many voices as possible, so is free and open to everybody.
New Zealanders are without question a compassionate people, and many feel a great deal of empathy for those who feel excluded from society on whatever level.
What is needed are ways to harness that natural empathy so that nobody feels omitted, and there can be few more noble aspirations at this time than to make New Zealand inclusive for all.
Download the A More Inclusive New Zealand Forum - Information Flyerpdf266KB.