Diversity

Every year at AUT University in collaboration with AuSM organised a diversity week to celebrate diversity in action in our everyday life. We live in a diverse society. Every person you meet at university or in the workplace is different. Since the day I came to New Zealand, this great diversity has impacted the way I communicate and interact with people. I find myself lucky to live in this beautiful city where people from different parts of the world come and live together in peace and harmony.

Many migrants who are living in Auckland today come from a country faced with conflicts, both internal and external. According to Statistics New Zealand, in 2013, there were almost 1 in 4 people that are 23.1 percent people living in Auckland region identified with one or more Asian ethnic groups, compared with 1 in 5 people that is 18.9 percent, in 2006. We have all heard from media sources, the majority of conflict today is happening in Asia.  Every nation is plagued with numerous problems. I am migrant myself coming from India. I know the political problems faced by the country with its neighbours. But here in New Zealand, although our homelands are at war with their neighbours, we live in peace and harmony. I have not just friends, but good friends, the friends that I can call them my best friends are from Asian countries. Even I don’t have any problems to interact with people from Pakistan. I could see true diversity here in New Zealand in regards everyday lifestyle and occupational pursuits.

Today when I look at my photo album, hard or soft version, I see great diversity, a beautiful bond and unconditional love among all the friends from around the world. While the political leaders will take a long time to solve the problems. We citizens of the nations have already overcome the problem through social equality and are living with peace together in New Zealand, far away from our homeland. I hope the world leaders can learn from the citizens of the nations and how we live our daily lives when making policies.