PRESS RELEASE

Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS)

20 August 2014

Auckland Regional Migrant Services Trust (ARMS) is ensuring that local ethnic communities are ‘election-ready’ and will have their voices heard by the key political parties prior to the upcoming General Election.

ARMS is pleased to partner with the NZ Electoral Commission to engage with Auckland’s ethnic communities about the importance of exercising their right and responsibility to vote.

Through a series of community workshops, ARMS is informing our culturally diverse communities about the democratic right to vote, what this involves, and how their members can have a say as to who should govern our country.

These NZ General Election workshops will be run with Auckland’s African, Indian, Pacific, Middle Eastern, South East Asian, Filipino and Russian communities, with language support where necessary to support their understanding of the voting process including how to enrol, how they can cast a special vote if they wish, and how the MMP system works. Unbiased information will be presented about the policies of each political party as they relate to key concerns of different ethnic communities.

Through the community election workshops, ARMS will also be gathering up the views of ethnic communities about their most pressing issues. These will be presented at a multi-ethnic forum where representatives of all the major parties will have the chance to say what their party can offer Auckland’s ethnically diverse communities. Representatives from each community will be invited to participate in this forum to get a sense of which party would be best to represent their concerns.

WHO: Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) Trust in partnership with the Electoral Commission
What: A series of workshops with ethnic communities Saturday 23 August, 1-2pm with Community, Women and Youth Leaders from Auckland’s Former Refugee Communities, in partnership with Auckland Refugee Community Coalition (ARCC) Venue: ARCC Office, 766 Sandringham Road Extn, Wesley Saturday 23 August, 11am – 1.30pm with Auckland’s Russian Community, in partnership with ‘Nash Dom’, the Russian Edu-cultural Centre. Venue: Rawene Centre, 33 Rawene Road, Birkenhead Sunday 24 August, 10.30am – 1pm with Auckland’s Indian Community, in partnership with Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust Venue: Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, 489 Dominion Road More community election workshops with other communities across Auckland are scheduled for the following week.

What: A forum with the candidates
When and where: 2-4.30 pm, September 6th at the Fickling Centre, Waikowhai Room

ENDS

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