Thank you to everyone who participated in our three hui in the past year for refugee-background and ethnic-migrant-background researchers and evaluators. We hope to continue this support of these communities. Our fourth hui will be 15 November 2022. We are very proud of our new collaboration with the Aotearoa Migrant Research Network who we are working with for this four hui. Please check out eNews to register. Join our eNews here.
We have also began an enquiry into how we can resource our mahi in this space. If you would like to support us, please contact Gauri Nandedkar.
Earlier this year we sent out a survey to find out how Community Research can continue to support the work that these researchers do in their communities. The survey showed there is a strong and growing need for researchers from these communities to connect, share and advocate for collective action. An overwhelming number of survey participants (nearly 90%) said that they would like to continue meeting in informal sessions online – at least quarterly. Participants also requested online hui with themes such as diversity and inclusion, racism and discrimination, social justice and health and education. The survey results clearly demonstrate that connecting researchers and evaluators to each other and finding ways to support research and evaluation activities remains a top priority.
At our hui on 19 July 2022, we asked researchers what they wanted next. A clear theme was the need for research methodologies and spaces that reflect non-extractive research. This includes seeing participants as equal contributors to a project; and creating research spaces where communities can lead and produce their own stories; and recognising the lived experience and aspirations of researchers from migrant or refugee backgrounds. We also acknowledge that you cannot lump these two community groups into one. Each has their own aspirations. Each community has villages within them that hold and cherish different knowledges, all the way to Aotearoa.
Community Research would like to recognise ChangeMakers and the incredible mahi they continue to do in the community. Our Special Collection of refugee- and migrant-background community research is rich and continues to grow thanks to Batool and the team.
We would also like to recognise the work of Dr Irene Ayallo and Susan Elliott in the curation of our special collection of research for refugee and migrant background communities. This is a living collection which needs to continue to grow. To be part of this collective action, email Gauri Nandedkar on research@communityresearch.org.nz And you can view the webinar that launched this very special collection here.
We cannot do this alone and we are coming to the end of our resources. If you would like to partner with us, please email Janie Walker manager@communityresearch.org.nz