Kia ora, Talofa lava, Assalamu alaikum and Greetings,

I write to you in the mist of your harshest criticism to date to offer and express my appreciation for what you have achieved in the past two weeks. This letter is to commend you for being true to yourself; for identifying who you are and believing in your kaupapa; for having the conscience to use your profile for causes you believe in; for standing by your decisions despite being criticised; and most importantly for furthering the understanding of Treaty based Multiculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand.

I would also like to commend and acknowledge the leadership of New Zealand Rugby and the Auckland Blues in the way the “logo vs belief” issue was handled and resolved - this is a true demonstration of Multiculturalism and showed NZRU's commitment to diversity and inclusion - anyone can participate in sport irrespective of gender, race, religion, culture, political affiliation, socioeconomic status or ethnicity.

Treat based Multiculturalism might be a foreign concept to some people and even our leader struggled to understand the need for a "contentious objection clause" in your professional contract. It is the openness and flexibility that a clause like this helps give emerging ethnic communities the opportunity to succeed and contribute to our society like everyone else.

We are a new but growing country with more than 200 ethnicities in Auckland alone, an annual net migration of over 74,000 and refugee quota of 1,000 per year. This brings great opportunities; diverse networks, connections to the outside world, access to emerging export markets, richness and a unique position to lead the world and demonstrate what a true Multicultural society should be. This is what you and NZRU have demonstrated to us all and we need to learn from and apply it to other parts of our society. We don't want to fail like Europe and the USA by not being genuine and open about including others into mainstream society irrespective of their race, belief, sexual orientation, cultural background and religion.

For almost 10 years Multicultural NZ has been educating and promoting the need for politicians, central and local governments, policymakers and businesses to embrace Treaty based Multiculturalism. To help create awareness that Multiculturalism is not about religion but about identity, respect, dignity, inclusion, justice, equity and fairness for all New Zealanders while respecting the kawa of Tangata Whenua.

To you, thank you for indirectly facilitating this debate and please do remain strong. Thank you Tana Umaga for your leadership. And to NZRU, thank you for leading not only New Zealand but the world by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion - building a truly inclusive society where minorities can participate without being judged or isolated.

Nga mihi
Tayo Agunlejika
Executive Director of Multicultural New Zealand
04 916 9177

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