What the Evidence Says
Some of the strongest evidence for diversity and inclusion comes from the voices of everyday Kiwis.
Some New Zealanders are experiencing discrimination, stigma, and even violence. Over the last few years, Muslim New Zealanders have noticed an upsurge in alt right and white supremacist activity.
But it’s not just Kiwi Muslims who face hostility. Māori, women, people with disabilities, transgender people, and many other groups do not always experience Aotearoa New Zealand as their place to belong.
With the absence of hate crime statistics, it is difficult to know the trends on violence caused by discrimination. But there is plenty of evidence through work done by the Human Rights Commission, Statistics New Zealand, the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Mental Health Foundation, Ministry of Health, Massey University and so many others on the very real impacts of discrimination.
Why is this happening?
The causes are complex, but we do know that mainstream media and social media are key contributors.
Algorithms confirm people’s existing biases. Bots, trolls and paid disruptors spread misinformation. Sites like 4chan, 8chan, Gab and Reddit, along with the dark web, create communities based on hate, and video games and YouTube serve as recruiting tools.
“In support of media-induced Islamophobia, results show that greater news exposure is associated with both increased anger and reduced warmth toward Muslims. Additionally, the relationship between media exposure and anti-Muslim prejudice does not reliably vary with political ideology, supporting claims that it is widespread representations of Muslims in the news, rather than partisan media biases, that drives anti-Muslim prejudice.”
What kind of strategy can address these problems?
We know many people and organisations are doing excellent work on Diversity and Inclusion. There are many programmes which are making a difference, there are collaborations already in place.
A comprehensive Strategy for Belonging and Inclusion would bring a more coordinated approach across communities, creating a living, growing network across Aotearoa New Zealand, allowing individuals, organisations and regions to learn from each other. It will strengthen work already being done and highlight any gaps.
It will bring together people with shared values to create change.