Discussion document 2 of 4, October 2019

The Connections! Hui brought together just over 100 ethnic community organisers and therapists to talk about sexual violence prevention and responses for ethnic communities. It was hosted by the Hon. Jenny Salesa and Shama Hamilton Ethnic Women’s Centre.

Participants who attended represented 31 different ethnicities, 7 different religious backgrounds, 4 genders and were from 13 different regional locations in New Zealand.

This paper includes summarised discussions from 11 tables, including from groups identifying as refugee, migrant, rainbow, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Indian, Filipino, Latin American, Asian and African. Each of these discussions occurred in contexts where the participants shared an aspect of
difference and had some common values, language and understandings. They include the ‘cultural shorthand’ that people sometimes use when discussing issues with other people who understand the same cultural context. Care should be taken in interpreting these discussions from a different
cultural or religious background. These notes should in no way be misrepresented to describe the full understanding or expression of a cultural or religious group about preventing sexual violence, or
responding to sexual violence within a community. They are guideposts only.

This discussion paper must be read alongside the general sexual violence prevention discussions (#6451, #6453 & #6454), which outlined values for prevention work in ethnic communities, significant issues across these communities and recommended prevention approaches. This paper highlights some of the diversity between ethnic community groups – one size does not fit all, and this paper starts to describe some of the differences in values, gaps and approaches.
One of the major implications of all discussions from the Connections! Hui was the community imperative ‘Nothing about us without us’. This document should stand as a starting place from which to have further discussion with a community. (From the Introduction). Access the website for the other papers. Record #6452