Auckland Council’s Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel is expressing its arohanui, support and solidarity to the victims and survivors of the horrific terrorist attack in Christchurch on 15 March 2019.
“Our panel wants to express our condolences for those impacted by the terrible tragedy in Christchurch and we stand alongside you as you continue to grieve,” says Sunil Kaushal, the Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel Chair.
“Now is the time to come together as Kiwis and as Aucklanders. Over the past couple of days I have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support for the Muslim community. Our panel celebrates diversity and inclusiveness and I encourage all Aucklanders to continue to celebrate that – this is what makes our city so special,” he says.
“We are an extremely diverse city, with over 200 different ethnicities in Auckland. We reject Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia,” he says.
“We believe we all have a responsibility, regardless of what demographic we identify with, to condemn this behaviour in the communities that we are a part of. If a group of us is no longer safe in their place of worship, this danger applies to all of us. We all have a part to play in ensuring that this horrific event, and the hateful ideas which fed it, do not continue to hurt us.”
The role of the Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel
The Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel offers advice based on their experiences living as people from ethnic cultures, to help us improve outcomes for this community.
They will:
• identify the issues that are important to people from ethnic cultures
• provide advice on our regional strategies, policies and plans
• help us effectively engage with people from ethnic cultures
