Luke Qin JP has taken on the role of White Ribbon Ambassador, a decision spurred by his previous experiences and the desire to help make real change in our society.

White Ribbon is a campaign that educates men about non-violent attitudes towards women. The campaign aims to end family violence, the seriousness of which is indicated by the 118,921 incidents which police investigated in 2016. Ambassadors are a key way in which the White Ribbon Campaign challenges the behaviour of abusive men and builds support and visibility for non-violence.This year, White Ribbon will continue to increase the number of Work Place Accreditations and expand the White Ribbon Youth Ambassador Programme which brings businesses and young people on board to fight domestic violence.

“White Ribbon welcomes Luke as a White Ribbon Ambassador,’ says Rob McCann, White Ribbon Manager. “Luke is passionate about helping to spread the White Ribbon kaupapa, especially within the New Zealand Chinese community, and we are delighted to have him join the team. White Ribbon Ambassadors work hard to change the attitudes and behaviours that underpin the violence in our society and we are so grateful for the time and energy they devote to preventing violence.”

Luke currently serves as President of the Wellington Chinese Association, National Executive member of the New Zealand Chinese Association, Honorary Treasurer and Standing Committee member of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Board Advisor for Sister Cities New Zealand, Committee member of Hutt Multicultural Council, and Wellington City Ambassador. He is a Board Director of Transparency International New Zealand, chairing its Affiliations committee and serving as a member of its Financial Integrity System Assessment and Anti-Money Laundering working groups. Luke is also a member of the Institute of Directors, Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network, Friends of Waiwhetu Stream, and Rotary Club of Wellington, Luke was awarded a long service medal by the New Zealand Fire Service as a volunteer firefighter and successfully completed the Sky Tower Stair Challenge in 2018 to raise funds for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.

“I am honoured to be nominated as a White Ribbon Ambassador and really appreciate the announcement of my role during the Chinese New Year period. Family violence is often swept under the carpet within my culture and some tamariki were exposed to it at a young age to varying degrees, including myself. I hope to help promote the kaupapa of the White Ribbon movement especially within the New Zealand Chinese community, and encourage others to do the same, by supporting the annual campaign, encouraging victims to speak out, challenging abusive behaviours & attitudes, and helping offenders to seek help in order to break the cycle of violence, to provide a caring and violence-free environment for our tamariki to grow up in.

I also hope to learn and grow as an individual with the White Ribbon movement, and act as a role model for my son and the rangatahi in the community to demonstrate compassion and responsibility in everyday life, to become caring and respectable men.”

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