Next generation leads way
An energetic group of young people have organised themselves into the latest community group in the city: the new Palmerston North Multicultural Youth Council.
With 38 young people on the council, ranging in age from 13 to 21, they come from 19 ethnicities with plans to host events, celebrate diversity and provide education and support.
In August, Izza Atif and friend Ranudi Dissanayake became the president and secretary of the group, running membership interviews in January.
Everyone who applied was offered a role, Atif said, with responsibilities ranging from funding, volunteers and marketing.
Atif, 19, from Pakistan, has lived in four countries and speaks three languages. She is studying international relations and political science at Massey University.
Supporting multiculturalism, to Atif, means hosting events that celebrate and educate people about different festivals.
It also means supporting young people to stay connected to their own cultures. ‘‘If you’re young, and you move away from your country, you don’t really keep a lot of your culture with you. And my hope is for people to remain connected to what is meaningful to them.’’
The group also hopes to provide practical support to peers as well.
When conducting the interviews, one member asked for help setting up a bank account, so that was the first thing they did.
‘‘[We’ll provide] personal, academic support. If you’re applying to some place well be able to help you,’’ Atif said.
The new council also aims to link peers to professional support when needed.
The new youth council works closely with the Manawatū Multicultural Council, with some event funding provided by Palmerston North City Council through the Welcoming Communities Initiative.
The group aim to run six events throughout the year. The first, Around the World, was held in February at Caccia Birch.
The second event, Night of the Moon, the Chaand Raat Festival, was held on Sunday at Square Edge.
The event celebrated Eid al-Fitr, a significant date on the Muslim calendar marking the end of Ramadan, and featured henna ‘‘tattoos’’, calligraphy and art exhibitions.
Atif said the event had a great turn out, and she had received good feedback.
While future events are still being decided, the next one is likely to be a board game and e-sport event.
Atif attributed some of her organisational skills to her time on the multicultural committee at Palmerston North Girls’ High School.
One of the problems the new council faced was they did not have any locals as members.
Atif was hoping by the end of the year they would have people interested in joining or volunteering for the group. For information on activities and events see the group’s Instagram page.