Professional Documents
Culture Documents
nz 31 January 2014
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Winning Moments
raveet Singh, a Fiji Indian woman, 40, had gone for a walk in the South Auckland suburb of Old Papatoetoe, in the early evening, when a stranger wielding a bottle attacked her from behind. The attack left Mrs. Singh with fractured eye sockets, a broken nose and bruises. The mother of two had reportedly tried to seek help from one of her neighbours but the man continued to wash his car while Mrs Singh was being assaulted. Mrs. Singh said on a social network that an intoxicated man punched and physically abused her in front of more than 15 Fiji-Indians who stood and watched the entire ordeal like they were watching some show, while I screamed and yelled for help. In her account narrated on One News, Praveet Singh said that, I fell on the ground and the guy just kept hitting me. And I said please someone help me. She ran into a driveway, seeking help from a couple who were washing their car. She said the man in the driveway moved away and pushed
her back towards the man who had attacked her. The man who had been in the driveway said he did try to step in, but because he is on kidney dialysis decided to leave and alert the police. Someone save me. Thats the only thing I could think of was someone save me. Im getting beaten up and Ive got an audience. Thats what it felt like she told us at the Weekender. She set it is not about the culture but a question of mindset and attitude. She praised the role of the police in the quick relief and filing of the complaint. However, she urged the authorities to put a blanket ban on alcohol consumption in public. The New Zealand Herald quoted a man who said he was reluctant to intervene as he had thought it was a domestic assault. A 26-year-old man appeared in the Manukau District Court on Friday charged with one count of common assault and another of injuring with intent to injure, the court released him after charges were pressed against him by the police. - IWK Bureau
Jatinder catches NZD 100,000 with one hand Jatinder Singh, 23, from Te Aroha in Hamilton, took a catch hit out for a six in the 2nd ODI held in Hamilton on January 22, to win NZD100,000 in the TUI Catch A Million competition. When Corey Anderson smashed Indian pacer Ishant Sharma on to the embankment, the ball came straight to him and he grabbed it. He became the second person to win the prize after Michael Morton who won the prize in the fifth ODI against the West Indies earlier in January. In three other ODIs and two T20s against the Windies for which the competition was held, no one won the prize.
Arav Dosshi, 4 year old was chearing for Dhoni outside the bus, after the Hamilton ODI, when Dhoni surprised him. He presented the little fan with his autographed cap and a sweet message.
Prakash Rajpal
NEW ZEALAND
However, India tried to give a good challenge to the home side as Virat Kohli (78), MS Dhoni (56) and Suresh Raina (35) contributed well with the willow.
and 2 sixes in his knock. This was Kohlis 18th century in his ODI career. Kane Williamson (71), Ross Taylor (55) and New Zealands new cricketing sensation Corey Anderson (68*) contributed for the home side. Appreciating McClenaghan, New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum said, Its a captains nightmare when you have those two guys there, but the message was simple, try to find a way to get a wicket. The second ODI held in Hamilton on
January 22, was marred with rain interruptions but a more closely fought contest saw the Indian captain Dhoni taking the team to the brink of victory and getting out. India lost the second ODI against New Zealand by 15 runs via Duckworth-Lewis method and with it Team India, lost their No. 1 position in the ICC ODI rankings. New Zealand posted 271 for seven and India made 277 for nine in 41.3 overs chasing 297 for victory.
Kane Williamson (77), Ross Taylor (57) continued their top form for New Zealand. However, India tried to give a good challenge to the home side as Virat Kohli (78), MS Dhoni (56) and Suresh Raina (35) contributed well with the willow. The weak bowling attack and the missing final act has seen India come close and lose the matches from a fighting position. Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have been the only two consistent performers while the younger lot, have only performed like journeyman here. The Blackcaps are buoyed by their performance and are steadily gaining in confidence with their bowling and batting units looking well set and in form. - Vaibhav Saklani
NEW ZEALAND
In response to queries about use of Self Defence in situations where you have to defend yourself or someone else.
rime Minister John Key, on January 21, set out his decision on which parties National will consider working with following this years General Election. MMP makes it likely that every election will be a tight contest, Mr Key says. That means its also likely that following the election we will need to work collaboratively with other parties to form a stable Government. Since November 2008, National has lead a stable Government with ACT, the Mori Party and United Future. Mr Key says that given the right electoral circumstances, his preference would be to continue working with the current three partners. However, there is also a scenario where it would be possible to add the Conservative Party to this group, said Key. We also have policy differences with the Conservative Party, however it is likely that there would be enough common ground to work with them in Government. In terms of other parliamentary parties, Mr Key ruled out working with Labour, the Greens and Mana on the basis that there is insufficient common ground to achieve a stable and successful working relationship. These parties represent a far left wing agenda that we do not believe is good for New Zealand, says Mr Key. He did not rule out an alliance with Winston Peters, New Zealand First, saying a
post-election working relationship was very unlikely; however the possibility of a pre-poll alliance exists. Hon Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First didnt hold anything back and termed this as engineering election results. He said the general election should be decided by voters and not by a series of backroom deals between political parties.
The poll pundits have called Peters opposition a theatrical illusion; and concluded that it is a political necessity for the two parties to join hands.
NZ First made its position clear from the outset that it will not be part of any preelection discussions or arrangements aimed at subverting the democratic process. We thought MMP would stop the gerrymandering and old boys arrangements of the past but some political parties keep manipulating the political process for their own ends instead of trusting the voters. Mr
Peters says the time for talking about forming governments should be immediately after the election and not before. When the time comes we will take everyone into our confidence. We promise voters to keep politics and politicians accountable and act in the peoples best interests said Mr. Peters. This is no time to start jacking up the election results like some tin pot military dictatorship where the general election results always favour the generals, says Mr Peters. While the National Party in its quest to regain power is keeping its doors open, NZ First seems to be claiming political mileage with its poll rhetoric. It is quite easily understood that Winston Peters is in a win-win position with a gain in vote share and the resulting push in Parliament seats, by opposing the National party and yet having the option of joining them when it counts. The poll pundits have called Peters opposition a theatrical illusion; and concluded that it is a political necessity for the two parties to join hands. As a third term beckons John Key, so does the ghosts of the past and antiincumbency he needs all the support he can garner. The principal opposition, Labour Party, has a steady partnership with the Greens, and it is neck-and-neck with the National Party in the polls. Colin Craig will be feeling comfortable at his desk too, with an invitation from the National Party even though they may not be seen by the voter in the same pan.
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Mumbai Monologues aims to capture on the stage for audiences to experience. All set for next month, the play will also be featuring as a part of Aucklands Pride Festival. Agaram Productions, an international production house will be backing the play, as it encourages local creations to showcase New Zealands many facets. Directed by Ahi Karunaharan and Padma Akula, the play features a local cast and crew from the smaller city of sails. Auckland Pride Festival is an extended platform and Its exciting to expand South Asian Theatre work beyond All set for next month, the play will also be featuring as a part of the usual boundaries Aucklands Pride Festival. and set a new trend says Padma Akula. Immersed in live band, the play aims to bring lifelines, coexist in harmony. From industrialists, together the chaos and kaleidoscope of colors film stars, artists, teachers and clerks; its not embedded in Mumbai, celebrating cultural uncommon to fund such juxtaposition in Mumbai. diversity. The play starts from Wednesday 12th Therefore the city has many stories to tell February through to Sunday 16th at TAPAC, 100 too, including those of Nisha, Rahul and Abby. Motions Road, Western Springs. Whether it is searching for love, acceptance or Tickets are now available online on TAPACs simply chasing Bollywood, each untold story is website www.tapac.org intertwined resulting in the lifeline of Mumbai. - IWK Bureau And this is exactly the essence the play ove and attraction, glamour and fashion; the city has its own style which changes from mile to mile. For someone it could be the chance to earn a living wage, whilst for another it could bring individuals a step closer to the possible fulfillment of a nurtured dream. Its a place where individuals from drastic
rare treat, the Sri Vidiyalaya Foundation presents MOKSHA by Veshnu on 1st Feb at the Musgrove Theatre for one night only. Performing Odissi, a classical Indian dance form, the show will explore the concepts of illusion (maya) and divine play (leela) with narration by Dr Chandrabhanu that will provide a window into this sensuous and richly nuanced dance form. Veshnu, an award winning dancer originally from Singapore, has settled in New Zealand after dancing for the Bharatam Dance Company of Melbourne for a number of years and established The Sri Vidiyala Foundation dance school in Auckland last year where he teaches classical Indian dance forms of Odissi and Bharatnatyam Starting his training when most classical dancers are performing their final graduation piece, Veshnu started learning as a teenager and quickly showed promise. He went on to perform at major Singapore events and traveled to places like Switzerland, Malaysia and even New Zealand as a cultural ambassador for Indian Dance Singapore before taking the unconventional leap to go back to study with aclaimed dance gurus in India. Riding on his bicycle to his dance classes before dawn and returning home in the dark while in Chennai, Veshnu spent hours practicing under the stern gaze of his dance gurus, a grueling regime aimed to further refine his body and discipline his mind. Steeped in spiritual symbolism each pose, each hand position, each facial expression tells a rich and complex story that he sought to perfect. Praise was hard earned
and rarely given. His time in India led to being recommended as a principal dancer at the Bharatam Dance Company where he also learned Odissi under Dr Chandrabhanu. Today, in addition to his dance school, he freelances internationally as a teacher, choreographer and dancer.
MOKSHA - An Odissi Dance Performance, Sat 1st Feb 7.30pm Tickets are $30 To book call (09) 3082383 or visit www.maidment.auckland.ac.nz
elebrate Waitangi Day with live entertainment, food stalls, arts and craft markets and workshops at Barry Curtis Park on Thursday 6 February. Waitangi Day Celebrations 2014 is a free event brought to you by Auckland Council and is a great opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. Auckland Mayor Len Brown says that this is a special day, celebrating tangata whenua and who we are as Aucklanders today. Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our Mori culture set us apart in the world. Waitangi Day is a perfect time to acknowledge the history and diversity of Auckland, and of New Zealand,
he says. There will be a mihi whakatau led by mana whenua at 10am and I invite anyone interested to come and join us. With record breaking Pacific Music Award winner Aaradhna and heaps of home-grown talent like the young performers of Pao Pao Pao!, the powerhouse voice of Ria Hall and Vodafone New Zealand Music Award winner David Dallas this is a definite must-do event. Waitangi Day Celebrations, Thursday 6 February 2014 10am - 5pm, Barry Curtis Park, Flat Bush This is an alcohol-free, smoke-free and zero-waste event.
NEW ZEALAND
he NZ Indian C e n t r a l Association Womens Forum is conducting a conference on the 15th of February 2014 at Ellerslie Convention Centre. This year the theme of the conference is Colour and Spice. It is symbolic as it tries to reflect the rich, vibrant colours and the exciting and spicy food of the culture. Previously the Annual forum of Just Do It was an inspirational conference. There was a lot of interaction in the workshop and the feedback was extremely positive. From the Evaluation forms received, the underlying theme of retaining our culture and maintaining our heritage in this age of change was very strong. I am hoping this conference will show that we are all so similar with 20% differences in our beliefs and values said Ranjna Patel, chaiperson of the NZICA. We have some amazing speakers with Minister Judith Collins opening and setting the scene with her personal experiences she added. The keynote speaker is Prof. Edwina Pio,
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who will speak about her research on inter racial marriages and religious tolerance in the workplace. Followed by a panel discussions with people from interfaith and inter cultural/ racial marriages. An interactive workshop with colourful occupations derived from passion will also take place at the conference. The conference will be enlightening for the young and old, said Ranjna Patel. The perspectives of infusion of culture and religion will prove to be invaluable insight into our multicultural society we will in. For more information please email ranjna@ ethc.co.nz or visit the NZICA website - IWK Bureau
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areech Ka Khel which will be staged by one of the most famous theatre groups of Auckland : Rangmanch on the 01st and 2nd of March 2014 at the Playhouse Theatre, in 15 Glendale Road, Glen Eden, Auckland. Mareech Ka Khel is a powerful and moving play. It evolves on the story of exploitation of simple human beings, through the ages. Told in a very unique narrative form with tremendous humour. This play has a fantastic message of anti war. It is an intelligent, and intellectually stimulating play. The story revolves around Mareech- the demon turned yogi from the great Indian epic Ramayana, an Indian peasant and a beautiful girl from USA. This play has been told with an utmost wit and tremendous fervour. Rangmanchs this years play Mareech ka Khel is adapted from Arun Mukherjees Bengali play : Mareech Sangbad which is highly popular play in the theatre world of West Bengal. It is a cleverly structured, intelligent, humorous look at the changing forms of exploitation through space and time. Director Jayanta Bhaduri who has directed most of the plays produced by Rangmanch has stated in an interview that like all other Rangmanch productions, Mareech Ka Khel will also be a smashing hit. Amit sengupta is credited with the music score for the play. The play promises to be a stimulating, powerful and yet packs in lots of laughter and comic timing.
Rangmanch is an Auckland based theatre group dedicated to produce good quality Indian theatre for Auckland audience. Rangmanch has produced super hit theatre productions like : Zimmedari , Ballbhpur Ki Kahani, Dildar, Sunehre Sapne and a Gujarati play : Badtameez Dil and all the plays have earned huge appreciation from the audience. Rangmanch is the first theatre group in Auckland who started producing Indian theatre in Hindi in Auckland. For any further information and tickets please contact 278 4820 or 021445166. Also please follow Rangmanch at www.rangmanch.org.nz.
Event: Hindi Play by Rangmanch When: 1st March 2014 (Saturday) at 06.30 pm 2nd March 2014 (Sunday) at 05.30 pm. Where: Playhouse Theatre, 15 Glendale Road, Glen Eden, Auckland
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NEW ZEALAND
Shreya Bakshi
Erum, tell the readers a little about yourself and your educational background.. Ive lived most of my life in New Zealand and lived in Auckland for most of my life and done most of my schooling here. I basically studied in the eastern side of Auckland and I went to the University of Auckland and majored in primary education. I know the work that you do, but tell the readers a little about what you do I teach special needs children, at a high school. Most of these children are either verbally delayed, autistic, they have Aspergers, ADHD we usually just say that theyre on the spectrum. So, kids with special needs attend our school and I teach the senior students who are between 13 and 18 years of age. So, was teaching really your first preference for a career choice? (Laughs) No, it wasnt! I always had teaching at the back of my mind, since I was a little childthat one day I will be a teacher. But it wasnt as if Id immediately finish school and go into education. My circumstances at the time kind of took me in to teaching. And obviously my mother guided me towards it. Is she a teacher as well? Yes, she is. She is actually specialized in teaching high school and special needs kids. So Im guessing your mother inspired you to take up teaching, is it? I wont say inspiredI would say it was her encouragement, but definitely not inspiration (laughs) Give the readers a glimpse in to your day to day teaching lifesome interesting incident? Each day is a new day and no one student is the same! Even if two children have been classified as autistic, they will still be poles apart. Taking the example of autistic children, time is extremely important to them, to have a sense of control. So at any point when theres a disruption in the timetable, its extremely interesting to see their reactions because they are so different. Some will continue to stick to the timetable, some will panic. So it can sometimes be a task to regroup them; but you learn more and more on the job every day and with time get used to it. But I am sure that you might have had some particularly difficult days; how do you deal with those?
Like I said, teaching wasnt my first choice and by the end of it I wasnt even sure about whether or not I wanted to pursue it. So I took a gap month (laughs)I didnt apply for any jobs, just to figure out if I really wanted to do it or notI was leaning more towards studying further. But since the school year starts before university, I started relieving. I got some good work and went with the flow. I landed a fixed term position and now I am in a permanent role. Okay, so, how difficult or different is it to deal with special needs children, in comparison to normal children? Regardless of whether they are special needs or not, we try to treat them as normally as possible. Specifically, with our students, you need to be so much more empathetic and tolerant; I think thats key. Are schools adequately equipped to deal with special needs children, because as you said, they require more attention, empathy and tolerance. How do the lower decile schools fit in to this scenario? In higher decile schools, the parents of the
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Immigration is failing Minister pats herself on back for employers over skilled workers increased unemployment forecast
Dr Rajen Prasad
Skilled staff recruited from overseas are getting short shrift from Immigration New Zealand, says Labours immigration spokesperson Dr Rajen Prasad. The end of year Employment Survey this issue for some time. The Immigration system should be robust enough to determine where the skills shortages are and provide for permits that enable employers to recruit effectively from overseas. The same EMA survey showed that in 2013 almost 60% of employers found it difficult or very difficult to attract suitable staff and 55% thought that there would be a skill shortage in their industry.
I have constituents, both employers and employees, who have struggled with this issue for some time.
by the Employers and Manufacturer Association shows that there is a gap between the immigration system and the countrys employers over the need for skilled staff. This means that skilled staff are being sent home after a relatively short period because their visas are not being renewed. I can understand the frustration of employers when you consider the time taken to find, bring and train to New Zealand suitable workers from overseas. It makes it all the more difficult to have to let these workers go after a short period of time I have constituents, both employers and employees, who have struggled with Employers are clearly finding the immigration system difficult to deal with and the Minister of Immigration should direct his officials to address this matter urgently. Immigration needs to fully understand the problems employers are complaining about and develop a robust approach to address it, said Dr Prasad. Many countries are now competing for skilled staff and New Zealand will lose this race if our system is not responsive. The immigration system is failing employers and the knock on effect on the economy will be felt at all levels.
abours Spokesperson for Social Development, Sue Moroney said, Fewer beneficiaries is only good news if they have decent jobs to go to in response to the Ministry of Social Developments recently issued report. While child poverty and inequality continue to grow in New Zealand, Paula Bennett has the nerve to congratulate herself on a report that shows unemployment last year was higher than expected and will therefore be higher than forecast for the next nine years, says Moroney . The report shows that while unemployment was higher than expected, the numbers on benefits was lower than expected. This tells us that Government is losing on the jobs front, while forcing people off Government support. Widows have been particularly hard-hit with a 25% decrease in the Government support for them under Ms Bennetts new sanctioning regime. In some cases this has meant cutting the benefits of people who havent been able to been able to afford the travel to a training session. What makes this so called good news even harder to swallow is that the $10b decrease in forecast future welfare payments the Minister brags about is based on a crystal ball-gazing approach which saw $1.5b of this decrease come from a mistake made in last years valuation. It stands to reason that as baby-boomers move into retirement, New Zealands long-term liability for benefits will naturally decrease and will be replaced with an increased liability for superannuation. Is the Minister going to take the credit for the natural ageing process too?,
Moroney rebuked. Nationals policy of cutting people off benefits whether they have jobs or not is increasing child poverty and inequality, Moroney added. The report increased the forecast unemployment figure for 2013 so a corresponding fall in the number of people receiving Government support raises questions. Benefit figures released recently show the Government is making no headway in the number of 18-24 year olds or Maori on job seeker benefits in the last year, despite their harsh reforms. The figures also tell a story of increasing joblessness in the regions outside of Canterbury and Auckland. Moroney said, Depending on natural disasters, such as earthquakes, to reduce unemployment is not a sustainable strategy. In the Waikato Region, the number of people on the Job Seeker benefit rose by 1,134 in the last quarter alone. And that is despite the harsh approach being taken by this Government. There have been instances of people having their benefits cut because they couldnt get to a seminar 30kms away or there was a bureaucratic bungle within Work and Income - this is hardly a cause for celebration in a country that prides itself on fairness. We know that less than half of people coming of benefits each week are going into jobs. Unless the Minister can show that these 17,000 people have got decent jobs we have nothing to celebrate, says Sue Moroney There are still 35,700 more people on benefits now than there were in December 2008, backing her own Labour government policies. - IWK Bureau
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State Of The Nation Speech - David Cunliffe Best Start Labours plan to give every Kiwi kid the best start in life, starting before theyre born and moving through early childhood and into education.
kids. David Cunliffe had earlier underlined the principles NZ had fallen from and no more represented. This is a great country built on great values, compassion, resourcefulness, creativity, respect for our environment, and opportunity and fairness for all, regardless of background. What has happened to our country? From the highest living standards in the world, to sponsor a Kiwi kid for less than a dollar a day. That is the state of our nation today, Cunliffe remarked. Thats why under Labour: A full days work will cover the basics, There will be more jobs available, and wages will catchup with prices, New Zealanders will pay what is fair whether in their power bill, their tax bill, or their grocery bill; And every child in this country will have the best start in life. But we cant have good jobs and better living standards without a strong, modern economy. Thats why we will support our world-beating innovators and entrepreneurs, by rewarding research and development with tax credits. Thats why we will encourage investment away from property speculation and into our productive businesses by introducing a capital gains tax. And thats why we will to assist our primary industries to keep jobs and profits in this country. Because when raw logs, or bulk fish, or whole carcasses - rather than finished products - sail off our shores, so does most of the added value. And off with it go the good jobs and the decent wages Kiwi families deserve, and need to get ahead.
Indian Weekender
avid Cunliffe, leader of the Labour Party delivered his State of the Nation speech at the Kelston Girls college with an overflowing hall. David Cunliffe, started on a personal note recounting how proud he was of his childhood and the New Zealand he grew up in. We will build a nation of opportunity. And it all begins with our kids. Im a proud dad. I have two great boys, and like every Kiwi parent I want to give my children the best start possible. Going on to detail the Best Start, saying the start a child has in life affects all of us in the long run, and the more support we can give parents during those critical years, the better off we will all be. There is no year more critical than the first. For 59,000 families with new-born babies, will all receive a Best Start investment of $60 per week, for the first year of their childs life. The payment will go to all families with a combined income of $150,000 or less, and will give them more choices around how they juggle the pressure of work and care for their baby. Easing the pressure for modest and middle income families beyond that first year the families will get a payment of up to $60 a week continued to their childs third birthday. Also proposing to increase Free Early Childhood Education to 25 hours, up from 20. Weve already freed up $1.5 billion per
annum by dropping policies that were not as targeted as these. And we will be unashamedly asking the wealthiest few percent of income earners to contribute to giving all Kiwi kids the best start said Cunliffe. We will also expand access to early childhood centres, because free hours arent enough if you dont have a centre in your neighbourhood, or if all the rolls are full. In partnership with communities, Labour will fund the development of early childhood centres in lower income communities to ensure there are places for every kid. Emphatically responding to the applause from the audience he said that quantity is no good without quality. Criticising the National governments funding
cuts for qualified teachers in our early childhood centres. He called on the opponents to remove their financial veto, so that Sue Moroneys Paid Parental Leave bill can proceed as planned on 1 July this year. The Best Start package will ensure parents have more choices and better support so they can give their kids the opportunities they deserve. Blowing the election conch, Cunliffe encouraged the people to choose between growing inequality on the one hand, and restoring opportunity for all New Zealanders on the other. Its between a Government that has stopped listening he said for the National lead government, that is arrogant and out of touch and a new direction from a new government that will create opportunity for all, starting with our
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very parent wants to see their child reach their full potential. And we know education is a key to that success. Thats why National is investing an extra $359 million over the next four years to lift the achievement of our school students. International evidence and New Zealandbased research clearly shows that quality of teaching is the most important factor in a childs education. The next biggest influence is school leadership. The current system often leads teachers to move out of the classroom to advance their careers, meaning our children can lose the opportunity to learn from the best. So were introducing four new teaching and leadership roles in our schools Executive Principals, Expert Teachers, Lead Teachers, and Change Principals. This is the next step in Nationals education plan. Since we came into government, weve introduced National Standards so parents, teachers, and principals know how students are doing at school. Weve also built, and are continuing to build, new and better schools, and were investing more money than ever before in
education. These new teaching and leadership roles are about recognising excellent teachers and principals, keeping good teachers in the classroom, and sharing expertise across schools. People in these new roles will be paid additional allowances on top of their usual salaries in recognition of their new responsibilities. These changes draw together the best of New Zealand and the best of overseas experience. Theyre a mixture of what the profession has been telling us it needs, what the best performing countries are doing, and what international evidence and research shows works. There is still some detail to be worked through with the sector about how the new approach will work, but the first roles are expected to be appointed in 2015. Over the next few months, the Government will work with the sector unions and other key groups from the education profession to further develop and finalise details of the new approach. Ensuring every child gets a good education is one of the most important things National can do to help our kids succeed, and to build a more competitive and productive economy.
hen Nelson Mandela died, I was at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The UN flag went to halfmast and the General Assembly stopped for a rare minutes silence. The moment carried the weight of history from the UN General Assemblys very first meeting in 1946, when the elimination of apartheid was on the agenda, to 1994 when Nelson Mandela addressed the assembly as South Africas first democratically elected president. He said: We stand here today to salute the United Nations organisation and its member states for joining forces with the masses of our people in a common struggle that has brought about our emancipation and pushed back the frontiers of racism. People ask me why the UN Security Council is important. Moments like that remind us why. It reminds us that although the UN was formed in the aftermath of World War II, its mandate today covers all issues fundamental to international peace, prosperity and human progress. I recently travelled to New York to help with our bid for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2015 and 2016. I met with close to 30 ambassadors as well as people I knew from my international work before entering Parliament. I did so at the request of Foreign Minister Murray McCully because our bid is a bipartisan one. National and Labour are working together because winning a council seat is in New Zealands best interests. Its in our interests because we have a responsibility to contribute to the peace of mankind. And when it comes to preventing or resolving conflict, no more important body exists. Its in our interests to ensure regional security exists so that we can safely engage with the rest of the world. A seat on the council gives us ongoing contact with the worlds most powerful actors and economies. And its a stage upon which New Zealand can showcase that were not just clean and green, but clean, green, honest and influential.
I believe having New Zealand on the council is also important to the UN. New Zealands connection with the UN goes back to its very beginning when the first Labour Government signed us up as a founding member in 1945. The views of the five powerful permanent members must be balanced by other members of the world community. The Pacific is increasingly important in the Asian century. Our geography sees us as an important bridge between the US and China and so our views carry significant weight. Were not the puppet of any master: we are independent and honest. And we have experience in resolving conflict, including leading from the front in brokering the end to civil war in Bougainville. I remember very clearly last time New Zealand was on the UN Security Council. It was 1993-1994 and I was working in Rwanda as head of Save the Children, reuniting 3000 children with surviving family members after the genocide. In the Security Council, New Zealand took the most forceful stand against the unfolding genocide than any other country. This time around, we are competing with Turkey and Spain for two available spots. Our greatest asset is our reputation. I believe we can make a big impact. Ive seen commentators make the mistake of assuming that because New Zealand is small and isolated, well never hold much sway. Yes we might be isolated, but were not isolationist. Weve played a pretty courageous role in the world. While were united on our bid, there are also differences within Parliament. I was disappointed when Prime Minister John Key went to Sri Lanka and turned a blind eye to 40,000 un-investigated civilian deaths. I want to see New Zealand take a stronger stand on human rights than that. And well get our chance if our bid for the Security Council succeeds. Im optimistic. We stand a good chance, but gaining a two-thirds majority vote from 193 countries means putting our best foot forward together. - David Shearer MP, Labour Spokesman for Foreign Affairs and Energy
CHEF WANTED
Chef wanted for ethnic Indian restaurant. Min 5 years Exp. NZ resident or citizen.
N AT I O N A L L I S T M P
Ph: 09 278 9302 | Email: bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz Postal Address: PO Box 23136, Hunters Corner, Auckland 2025
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NEW ZEALAND
13
NEWS IN BRIEF
rom 28th January, a new team will help Prime Minister John Key run the Nationalled Government. Among the various changes, marks the return of Peter Dunne, from United Future. He will now take charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Associate Minister of Health and Associate Minister of Conservation. Mr Dunne will be a Minister outside Cabinet as he was prior to his resignation in June last year. Chris Tremain, Internal Affairs and Local Government Minister will be resigning later this week. He had previously announced his intention to retire from Parliament at the upcoming general election. The new Minister outside Cabinet will be Peseta Sam Lotu-liga, he will be appointed Minister of Pacific Island Affairs and Associate Minister of Local Government. Mr Lotu-liga is the MP for Maungakiekie and was first elected to Parliament 2008. Michael Woodhouse will be promoted to the vacancy in Cabinet, and will retain all of his
current responsibilities. Paula Bennett picks up the role of Minister of Local Government, in addition to her current portfolio responsibilities. Todd McClay will take up the role of Associate Tourism. The Governor-General will swear in the new Ministers on Tuesday 28 January, prior to Parliament getting underway for the new year. I am pleased to welcome Peter Dunne back as a Minister. We have worked together well in the past, and United Future continues to be a valued partner in government,said Key. While 2013 brought its challenges, both Peter and I start this election year looking forward, not back. Mr Key also congratulated Mr Lotu-liga on his elevation to the Ministry. The National-led Governments strong Ministerial team will continue to take New Zealand forward and deliver on what we have promised, Mr Key added.
17
-year-old pop sensation Lorde picked up two Grammy awards for her song Royals. Lorde won the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance, and together with coproducer Joel Little won Song of the Year for Royals. Ella Yelich-OConnor, more famously called Lorde broke through international charts last year with her number Royals. With the song, Lorde had become the first from New Zealand to top the Billboard chart in the US. Prime Minister John Key congratulated
Lorde on her double success at the Grammy Awards. This Grammy success underlines a fantastic year for Lorde and Joel Little. They have achieved something no other New Zealander has, says Mr Key. Lorde is a phenomenal talent and an inspiration to all young New Zealanders. At just 17 years-old she has a great future. Her success today has made us all very proud, says Mr Key.
14
Editorial
The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles
- Mahatma Gandhi
n interesting observation was made in the offices of theIndian Weekenderthis week as the editorial team got together to put this issue to bed. Discussing this weeks lead article featuring Praveet Singh Chahal, the 40-yearold woman who was brutally assaulted by a stranger while out on her daily walk in Papatoetoe, in South Auckland, one team member noted that the article was bereft of comments from community leaders. This was in stark contrast to the previous issue which featured DJ Neill Andrews making racist comments about the Indian community. That had raised the ire of several prominent members of the community and leaders. At least six community leaders voiced out strongly against Andrews diatribe, deploring the actions of the Wellington DJ and demanding further action against the offender. Praveet Singh was battered while out for a walk in broad daylight and screamed for help from several bystanders. No one helped, and one even pushed her out of his compound as she tried to seek refuge from the drunk attacker. Her battered and bruised face graced the front pages of the major newspapers in Auckland one with the headline I was screaming help me, I dont know this man. She ran towards a couple washing their car in a nearby driveway: The guy wouldnt help he kept saying to me, dont come here. I still went because I needed help. He pushed me away and started running. I ran towards the woman as well but she was running away. To make a point, we decided not to seek comments from any of the community leaders, but only publish those who responded of their own volition to express their concerns over the ugly incident watched by several residents of the street. The silence has been deafening. It matters not one iota that the majority of the bystanders were Indians who had also made New Zealand their home, just like Praveet Singh. But shouldnt someone have offered some assistance considering there were at least a dozen bystanders against a lone attacker? Ethnic and mainstream media were abuzz with reports on the attack. A quick read of articles about the attack reminded me of some Bollywood movies where a few thugs would molest and abuse
a few, while hundreds of villagers stood inn a circle and watched. What sort of people are we? Having said that, this incident raises another interesting issue of whether bystanders should risk their lives to save someone elses. Flashback to September 2008: Austin Hemmings, a Devonport father of three, stepped into a confrontation between a man and a woman in a downtown Auckland alleyway. The assailant, whod previously killed a woman in Australia, stabbed Hemmings in the chest as the woman escaped. In a report in theNew Zealand Heraldthis week, the family of Austin Hemmings, said the attack on Praveet Singh, and the subsequent inaction of the bystanders, brought back memories of the attack and loss of their beloved family member. When faced with a need to help someone, a lot of people will find it difficult to get physically involved - but at least try to do something. Phone the police, call out, run for help, but do something. Do what you are capable of, but at least try, Austins brother, Grant, said. Austins father, Dick Hemmings, 84, welcomed the chance to remind people of his son and doing the right thing. I think the fact of keeping this in the public eye will encourage people to step up to the occasion. Meantime, Praveet Singh, still nursing bruises to her face, says she has forgiven those who failed to come to her aid during the attack. I think its better to forgive and move forward. Its not good for me and its not good for them. I do hope these people realise what they did to me, and that they might react a bit directly if something like this ever happened again. About a month ago, a 77-year-old Indian woman was attacked, also in Papatoetoe, as she went out to her backyard to take clothes off the clothesline. The attacker left only when she played dead. The New Zealand Police, in an article in this newspaper, have emphasized the need for people to be prepared with strategies to be able to stave off such vicious assailants, and they are offering self-defence classes to kick start the campaign. Ugly as it may be, this incident should again serve as a reminder that violence, in any shape or form, is not OK. - Arvind Kumar
llegations of abuse and corruption in the transport sector are no longer the topics of casual discussions around the grog bowl. They are now out in the open. Thanks to the public consultations the Attorney-General and Minister for AntiCorruption, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, is holding. In the Western Division, many came forward to express their concern and disgust over alleged abuse and corruption. Public officers, councils, and even Police were said to be implicated. The Land Transport Authority got the brunt of the public wrath. One can only assume from the public submissions that abuse, corruption and poor service delivery are present in the areas highlighted. The complaints aired were not new. They have been around for many years and under past governments but no one has really addressed them in the way it should. Now, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum is doing it, and as he continues, there is no doubt he will uncover more. Why is corruption something we should all be concerned about? The insidious effects of abuse and corruption run deep and destroy individual lives, families, communities and governments. In governments where abuse and corruption are endemic, the principles of good governance, transparency and accountability are seriously compromised and can cripple efforts to deliver services. When members of the public go to a Government department or agency to make an application for a licence or permit the last thing they want is to be given the run-around. Some do not have the time nor the resources to be subjected to this kind of frustrating and sometimes humiliating experience. They quickly lose faith in the system and give up hope or they get tempted to circumvent it to get what they want. Both outcomes are unacceptable.
Governments commitment to wipe out corruption is commendable. Dedicating a ministry for this cause shows it is serious. In addition, the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption, has been set up to investigate and prosecute corruption cases. In the past, the investigation responsibility solely rested with the Police which lacked the expertise to deal with sophisticated white collar crime. Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that affects many countries. It comes in many different forms. Corruption undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability. It attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes. Economic development is stunted because foreign direct investment is discouraged and small businesses within the country often find it impossible to overcome the start-up costs required because of corruption. The entire country should rally behind Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and his team of dedicated officers. Those with concerns or grievances should attend the rest of the transport consultation meetings and make their voices heard. This information is essential for the Government because it will help in the formulation of new policies and implementation of new systems to prevent corruption and abuse and improve service delivery. It is encouraging to see the Government listening to the people and addressing their concerns. It will raise public awareness about the destructive effects of corruption and instill a zero-tolerance attitude. - Nemani Delaibatiki is the Managing Editor of the Fiji Sun, based in Suva
Indian Weekender Volume 5 Issue 18 Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz Editor: Arvind Kumar | arvind@indianweekender.co.nz Correspondent: Vaibhav Saklani | iwk.vaibhav@gmail.com Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@ indianweekender.co.nz Design: Desaign Limited Advertising & Business Development Manager: Gaurav Gupta - M: 021 292 4519 l gaurav@indianweekender.co.nz Sales Support: Leena Pal - M: 022 015 1971 | iwk.leena@gmail.com Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan - P: 520 0922 l accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland Printed at Guardian Print, Ashburton Copyright 2010. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
COMMENTS
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Chai pe charcha
Vaibhav Saklani
elivered straight from the English, a colonial habit, chai or tea, accompanied by profound discussions is a National pastime for all age groups. Anytime of the day, any place is convenient, people can be familiar or just a passerby will do. Politics, Cricket, and Bollywood have had a stronghold on the Indian conversations and in that order too. Come election year, the conversations change strictly to politics, people on buses and rails, at the saloon and stand are all chatting up. The chaiwallahs (tea vendors) are especially abuzz with news and long drawn from their spheres of influence. Mostly very emotional and driven by their beliefs, yet some are very detailed arguments. Much like our very own politicians liplashing each other in public just to stay relevant. The buzz word in the worlds largest democracy, India, is the Aam Aadmi (common man) a party is rallying people under an umbrella to vote out the old, quagmire, corrupt parties. It is a revolution, if you may. But the common man is still sipping his tea, unflinching and doing his rounds at the nukkad (corner) discussions. There have been a parallel duels between Modi and Rahul Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Kejriwal, Kejriwal and Modi all happening at
the same time. Options are good, and the voter has a lot on his plate to chew. After being rebuked by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars recent remark where he said Modi is only capable of becoming a tea stall vendor. Ascribing the remark as showing the feudal mindset of the Congress; Modi and the BJP latched onto it and jumped onto the Aam Admi bandwagon,from which the Congress seems to be going further and further, saying even a Chaiwallah can become PM as theirs is not a dynastic setup. Modi ceased the moment in a speech saying that that is the mentality they do not like it if a Chaiwallah, walks with his head held high. Modi has given wind to the motion of Congress Mukt Bharat (Congress-free India), he is vehemently rallying people tired of the dynasty politics. In his usual oratory style of rousing and creating a hubble, he declared in a rally recently that the assembly election were a trailer for 2014. Gujarat Chief Minister and Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP Narendra Modi has consistently said people should go by his track record and commitment and not be misled. He said talking about the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that he has only formed only committees, instead of firm commitment to take the nation forward.They are naamdar, I am kaamdar [they believe in name, I believe in work], he said, attacking Rahul Gandhi on his dynastic strength. The other man who has created a place for
himself on the National scene is Arvind Kejriwal. He told NDTV, that Delhi will be repeated at the national level and the Congress party will be reduced to 10% like in Delhi. The Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader has grown much in confidence after the Delhi assembly results. Kejriwal has not shied away from his style of protesting and taking on the Union Ministers and detractors head on. However, they are still finding their feet in the formal set ups of democracy, conducting an unprofessional junta durbar, being slapped with a notice from the election commission for allegedly using common man lingo that over stepped the Election Commissions code of conduct. Rahul Gandhi, after he was named as the Congress partys campaign chief in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, shot back,many people come and fade away, so will the AAP. The party, however, did not name Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate for the polls keeping with their traditional ways of not naming a candidate before voting is held. And the constraints of coalition politics to pan out. While Rahul Gandhi tried to bludgeon both oppositions using syntax and held that, democracy cannot be ruled by a single man. Democracy is not ruled by dictate. Democracy is not ruled by one man. Democracy is ruled through empowered elected representatives. The Gandhi scion claimed that the Congress had given power to people, unleashed democratic opportunity. Citing examples of Right to
Information (RTI), the Right to Identity through Aadhaar. And stopped just short of claiming the creation of AAP when he said that the common people need to be empowered and should be included in mainstreampolitics. However he slammed the opposition and said for those who want a Congress-free India, arent aware of the history of our country mocking them as news spinners with marketing skills. While the Congress No#2 talks big on policies and empowerment, a newbie to politics and AAP leader Kumar Vishwas has had the audacity to challenge to contest from the Gandhi scions constituency Amethi. After AAP decided to go National and contest the General Elections, Kejriwal, did not rule out contesting the Lok Sabha elections himself. Though understanding his limitations (or may be not) he agreed that he is not the prime ministerial candidate of his party. Kejriwal said the AAP represents the people of the country. Our party truly represents people of India, he said. Is the Kejriwal lead AAP a faux front of the Congress to tackle the Modi wave? Is Rahul Gandhi finally been ready to take the PM candidacy? Is the Modi upsurge, just a desperate attempt to get things right by the hasty youth? When the ballot speaks in a few months time, the Chai-wallahs and Charchas of Aam Admi will have softened out. Yet the nukkad will be buzzing, watch this space for more Chai Pe Charcha all year. Slurrrp.
The dialogues need to change: Cannot overcome structural deficits by protesting their existence
Ameya Naik
3.
all it my native cynicism, but it comes as no surprise when the AAP continues to resort to popular protest even after coming to power in Delhi. With our Centre-heavy federal structure, the CM of a state has precious little power in the first place. Delhi is a doubly curious case, where the CM is in some ways truly empowered, but simultaneously faces the most central interference. Further, when it comes to law enforcement, quarrels over jurisdiction and responsibility under national, state-specific and local legislation, as also about the authority of city police vs. state police vs. other forces (RPF, GRP, CRPF, CISF, and so on), have always been par for the course. Lets focus, instead, on three lessons to learn from what is now incidental: 1. Winning the election doesnt mean things stop going wrong. The job, really, only starts after you win - when you realise you have responsibility, but nothing approaching commensurate authority. In fact, winning a State election makes you a more credible threat, which makes your job even harder! 2. Status quo powers *will* do all they can to see AAP fail to deliver on its promises, and call for Kejriwal and his cabinet to resign when it does (or risk losing moral
legitimacy). Nobody will change a law simply because Kejriwal requests it (even were it a sensible, legitimate and practical request). AAP, in turn, *will* use what leverage it has to fight this, including dharnas. They will mobilise mass support in favour of what they have promised.
2.
I am clean (and incorruptible), and I do an honest job of representing my constituents agenda, hence my proposed policy is right*. *(in the specialised sense of being the best a democracy can produce.) The point is: Do we really believe the only problem a democracy faces is a dearth of suitably noble and competent candidates? Honesty aside, there is an entire spectrum of leadership that ranges from the transformative leader (who executes empirically good policies despite majority opposition) to the faithful agent (who champions the constituencys interests as most sacred, policy implications be damned). Even granted integrity and good intentions, how is Mr. Kejriwal to squat at both ends of that continuum at once? In practice, ensuring both answerability and effectiveness is a matter of having robust institutions (not individual leaders) - or else an exceptionally homogenous constituency to represent. India historically offers neither, and has never lacked for dissension. Nehru, Patel, Gandhi - our greatest and most popular leaders still had their detractors. Heck, at times they were each others detractors! A large and heterogenous population includes spoilers and vested interests pretty much by definition. There will always be someone discontented with any given decision - and they will be swayed by neither dharnas nor opinion polls... How is their disagreement to be handled, if not by a fair process? How is the fairness and sustainability of that process to be assured, if not by institutionalisation?
This mobilisation may well be in favour of decisions we agree with strongly, but it can just as easily be for ones with which we violently disagree. On this particular incident and investigation, I may well sympathise with the AAP stance (not that they come out covered in roses). On whose control the Delhi police should fall under, I recognise that cogent arguments can be made for at least two options, if not more. On FDI in retail, Im pretty convinced protectionism is cuckoo - you need to be aligning incentives, not constructing binaries. That by way of context. Bear with me here, because *NONE* of that is the point. THE POINT IS: AAP is setting up a model of politics that promises to deliver substantive performance. Which is a great promise, but one thats set up to fail. Its based on democracy-intheory, but flies in the face of anyones experience of how a democracy actually works in the real world. AAPs promise of effective democracy is based on two syllogisms: 1. I am answerable to you, and the public authorities are answerable to me, hence they are answerable to you.
If the sole guarantee of fairness is personal probity and representativeness, we are left with a narrative that calls every candidate (i.e. other than yourself) corrupt, undemocratic or both. To an extent, this is implied in every political contest, but in India today it has swollen into the dominant electoral plank, displacing any discussions about other relevant qualities by conflating integrity with competence. This culture of delegitimising your opponent ad hominem - even when richly deserved, as no doubt it is in far too many cases - has already rendered our national legislature all but defunct. Worse, it peddles a fundamentally undemocratic citizenship - one where participation is reduced to casting the correct vote, where exit can be passed off as voice - and sets the stage for irredeemably self-assured and tautological debates. The point is: you cant address structural deficits by protesting their existence.
- Disclaimer: I recognise that what Im arguing for is super-ambitious, and I know the change has to start somewhere - maybe it can only start small. I also recognise there may be those who, when setting out on such a path, would prefer to misrepresent the scale of their ambition - the better to avoid early opposition. Especially when it comes to the AAP, I will readily concede that its too early to judge; if they can gain real power in national elections, they may actually be able to enact some of those policies theyve promised.
Ameya is a psychologist and lawyer by training, and currently studies at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy. He blogs at: kianayema.blogspot.com
16
INDIA
ithin hours of assuming the office of Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal started working with a very small team of only 6 ministers. They had already decided not to take red-beacon cars, big bungalows or security guards. The ministerial portfolios were thoughtfully divided among the seven of them-though none of them had any experience to run the office in the given capacities. Kejriwal kept Home, Finance, Vigilance, Services and Planning & Power to himself. His close associate 41 year Manish Sisodia defeated Nakul Bhardwaj of BJP by 11,478 votes. Sisodia who was a journalist by profession holds Education, Urban Development, P.W.D., Local Bodies, Revenue and Land & Building departments. 49 year old Girish Soni defeated Kailash Sankla of BJP by 1,100 votes. Soni who was a Social Activist has been entrusted with Employment, Development, Labour and S.C. /S.T. departments. Big time BJP leader Arti Mehra lost to Somnath Bharti by 7,772 votes -the 39 year old alumnus of IIT Delhi also holds Law Degree. He is the new Law Minister. He has also been assigned Tourism, Administrative Reforms and Art & Culture departments. Satyendra Jain defeated BJPs Shyam Lal Garg by more than 7,000 votes. The 49 year old architect by profession has been assigned Health, Industries and Gurudwara Elections departments. 34 year old Saurabh Bhardwaj who is an engineer by profession and also has Law degree holds Transport, Environment, Elections, General Administration and Food & Supply departments. He had beaten Ajay Kumar Malhotra of BJP; the son of senior BJP leader, V.K. Malhotra by 13,000 votes. The only woman and the youngest minister Rakhi Birla worked as journalist with a T.V. Channel. She crushed Raj Kumar Chauhan of Congress by 10,585 votes. The 26 year old Rakhi is now Women & Child Development Minister. She also holds Social Welfare and Languages departments. Initially, it was felt that AAP made lofty promises in their election manifesto but they had done a good homework and started working on their election promises as soon as they assumed office. Their major works so far include the following: AAP has allowed 20,000 litres of free water every month to all metered households from 1st January 2014. Rs.1 crore compensation for the family of the slain 48 year old Delhi Police constable Vinod Kumar was announced by Kejriwal. Kumar had died in an attack by bootleggers on 27th December 2013. AAP had announced in their manifesto that any police official dying on duty would be suitably compensated. Power tariff was cut by 50% for those who consume up to 400 units. As per the slabs announced, those who consume up to 200 units, will pay Rs. 1.95 and those who consume between 200-400 units will pay Rs. 2.90 per unit with effect from 1st January 2014. AAP Government has issued orders to release 5,500 Inter-state permits to autorickshaws to ply between Delhi and any
AAP has touched a chord with the common people with its people-friendly policies. After many decades of tug of war between two premier national political parties Congress and BJP to gain power, AAP has entered the Indian political scenario with a bang.
Shri Lal Bahadur Shashtri), Meera Sanyal (CEO, RBS), Remo Fernades (Singer & Musician), G.R. Gopinath (Founder of Air Deccan), H.S. Phoolka ( Senior Advocate of 1984 riots), Alka Lamba (Ex NSUI President) and the most recent Ashutosh (Chief Editor IBN 7). The most important aspect behind the rise of AAP is that they are not the prisoners of a particular image. They are not afraid that their government will lose power. AAP promises to give an honest, clean and transparent governance to Delhi and this is their chance to prove their worth. It requires ample of courage, conviction and fortitude to do what one says. AAP has made an impressive start by challenging and prevailing over the conventional and eminent political scions but it still remains to be seen how well and how far do they live up to the expectations. The vision of Swaraj that Kejriwal shared in his book has still to find an echo in the hearts of Indians but he must never compromise on the high standards and values that he has banked on till now as in the words of Abraham Lincoln: I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.
area within the National Capital Region (NCR). 1500 more permits will be issued after the settlement of the court cases. C.A.G. to audit Delhis 3 power distribution firms- Tata Power, BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna shortly. Chief Minister Kejriwal has ordered to build 45 new night shelters to give protection to the poor in Delhi at the earliest. AAP has declared that they want to make Janlokpal very powerful in Delhi. Lokayukta will have the authority to investigate corruption cases against all public officials including the Chief Minister. Stern actions will be taken against all those who are found guilty of graft. AP has set up an anti-corruption hotline 1031 or +911127357169 to report abuse of power in Delhi government departments. People can directly get advice on the corruption incidents on this number throughout the day. Delhi residents can also report sudden power cuts on +91 9223166166 by sending SMS. As a part of their anti-corruption policy, AAP has also asked people to report demands of capitation fee at the time of
admission in private schools in Delhi to the Education Minister Manish Sisodia on the number +91 11 27352525. It is commendable that in such a short time, AAP has successfully gained vote of confidence in the legislative assembly. Also their partys M.S. Dhir beat Jagdish Mukhi of BJP to be the speaker of the Legislative Assembly. Now the next and the closest test of AAP will be in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections in near future. AAP has touched a chord with the common people with its people-friendly policies. After many decades of tug of war between two premier national political parties Congress and BJP to gain power, AAP has entered the Indian political scenario with a bang. It has raised peoples imagination, hopes or aspirations. In a country where politics was considered to be the game of only high & mighty, AAP gives a hope that simple common people with good principles can also join politics. Many illustrious personalities have already made a bee-line to join AAP. Some of them are Kanubhai Kalsaria (Gujarats former MLA from BJP), Mallika Sarabhai (Classical Dancer and the daughter of famous scientist Vikram Sarabhai), Sameer Nair (Former CEO, Star TV), Pawan Munjal (CEO Hero Motocorp.), Adarsh Shashtri (Grandson of
INDIA
17
Kejriwals sit-in-protest, called to demand suspensions of errant Delhi policemen, had earned him several criticisms.
officials met me in afternoon. Informed me abt threat. Asked me not to disclose it to media. Den (then) dey (they) themselves went and told media, Kejriwal tweeted rebuking the central governments alleged tactics. By announcing this, havent police made me vulnerable. Now anyone can attack and it wud be said that Bhatkals men did it.Is delhi police so foolish or r they playing politics? At whose instance?I am not afraid of my life. As i said, i strongly believe in God. Will not take any security.I wud urge police to stop playing politics. Rather than giving security to me, let them deploy these men for aam aadmis security, he said. Amongst growing calls to check this foolhardy way of running the government Kejriwal has been labeled as running an anarchist government.
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INDIA
omp, pageantry and patriotic fervour were in the air, as the Indian Republic celebrated its 65th Republic Day across the country with flag hoisting ceremonies, military parades, cultural extravaganzas and pledges to work for a better India. At 9.9 degrees Celsius, it was the coldest Republic Day in a decade. The fog was a deterrent, in the morning, yet thousands of people, from all age groups turned up, flocking to the Rajpath boulevard to celebrate Natinal pride emphatically. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the chief guest at the event, keenly witnessed the Republic Day parade. Dressed in a dark suit and sporting a striped yellow and black tie, Abe arrived at the saluting base on the Rajpath boulevard along with President Pranab Mukherjee, and was welcomed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He was introduced to the three service chiefs and other dignitaries before taking his place to Mukherjees right on the saluting dias. The Presidents Bodyguard thereafter formed up, the tricolour was unfurled and the national anthem played before the general officer commanding of Delhi area, Lt Gen Subroto Mitra, rolled down the Rajpath to signal the start of the parade. The celebrations were peaceful barring a minor bomb blast triggered by militants near the residence of Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. Indias commercial capital Mumbai witnessed a dazzling Republic Day celebration, with a colourful parade at a new location -- the picturesque Marine
Drive. In Kolkata, West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan unfurled the tricolour and took the salute at a colourful march-past by security forces and students. The simmering tensions over the Telangana issue did nothing to dampen the Republic Day spirit in Andhra Pradesh. Besides the official functions, all political parties marked Clockwise from top left: Rajpath comes alive with the dare devil stunts of motorbike riders of Border Security Force, during the 65 Republic Day Parade-2014, in New Delhi; The Punjab the day in their own way. Regiment marching contingent passes through the Rajpath during the 65th Republic Day Parade Punjab Chief Minister Parkash 2014, in New Delhi on January 26, 2014 Singh Badal used the occasion in Ludhiana to demand a redrafting of life in the Kashmir Valley. Security had been national flag in Jaipur here and witnessed a parade the constitution, saying the powers of the states had mounted throughout Srinagar, where private and and colourful cultural shows. been eroded over the years by successive central public transport remained suspended because of The day passed off peacefully in Jammu and governments. a separatist-called shutdown. Parades and flag Kashmir amid heightened security measures. Republic Day was celebrated across Tamil hoisting ceremonies were also held peacefully in Governor N.N. Vohra hoisted the national flag Nadu, with Governor K. Rosaiah presiding over other district towns of Jammu region and also the in Jammu while Rural Development Minister the main event at the Marina beach in Chennai. Kashmir Valley. Ali Muhammad Sagar did the same in Srinagar. Republic Day was celebrated with enthusiasm A strike called by separatists, however, affected in Rajasthan. Governor Margaret Alva unfurled the
aes, Yuvraj and Vidya Balan among those honored with prestigious Padma awards. Tennis star Leander Paes, badminton coach Pullela Gopichand, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, fashion designer Wendell Rodricks, actors Vidya Balan and Kamal Haasan and late Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma were among the recipients of Padma awards announced on Saturday by the President of India. Paes and Gopichand were selected for the prestigious Padma Bhushan while Yuvraj Singh and Vidya Balan got Padma Shri. Late Justice Verma got Padma Bhushan. President Pranab Mukherjee has approved conferment of 127 Padma Awards including one duo case (counted as one) as per the list. The list comprises two Padma Vibhushan, 24 Padma Bhushan and 101 Padma Shri Awardees. A total of 27 of the Awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs and Posthumous Awardees. Padma Awards, the countrys highest civilian awards, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. The awards are
conferred by the President of India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan sometime around March/ April.
Notable winners:
Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra Shri B.K.S. Iyengar, O t h e r s - Yo g a , Maharashtra Padma Bhushan Begum Parveen Sultana, Art - Classical Singing, Maharashtra Shri Kamala Haasan, Art-Cinema, Tamil Nadu Ms. Anita Desai, Literature and Education, Delhi Shri Ruskin Bond, Literature and Education, Uttarakhand, Shri Pullela Gopichand, Sports Badminton, Andhra Pradesh Shri Leander Paes, Sports - Tennis, Maharashtra Late Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma, Public Affairs, Uttar Pradesh
Clockwise from top left: Kamala Haasan, Ruskin Bond, Vidya Balan, Leander Paes, Yuvraj Singh, Begum Parveen Sultana
Padma Shri Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik, Art - Sand Artist, Orissa Shri Paresh Rawal, Art - Cinema and Theatre, Maharashtra Shri Santosh Sivan, Art - Film, Tamil Nadu
Ms. Vidya Balan, Art-Cinema, Maharashtra Prof. Ashok Chakradhar, Literature and Education, Delhi Ms. Anjum Chopra, Sports - Cricket, Delhi Shri Yuvraj Singh, Sports - Cricket, Haryana For the full list of awardees refer to the following link: http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease. aspx?relid=79881 - IWK Bureau
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Sansthan thanks every body for the support & service rendered till date and looks forward for the continued support
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r Chandra B h a n u Satpathy, born on the 14th of January,1948, in Cuttack Odisha, India, is a prolific writer, philanthropist and a world renowned devotee of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. For his outstanding contribution in the field of philanthropy and literature, he has been conferred with D Litt(Honoris de Causa) by Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Ll.D by Berhampur University and Vachaspati by Rashtriya Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Tirupati. He is a multilingual writer in English, Hindi and his mother tongue Odia. Dr. Satpathy received a Post-Graduate degree in Political Science from Delhi University in 1970 and joined the Indian Police Service in 1972 having served in a college in Delhi for two years as a lecturer. He retired at the rank of Director General of Police from the state of U.P. After retirement, he has undertaken the mission of propagating the philosophy and divine role of Shirdi Sai Babas all over the world in various ways. So far, he has been instrumental in the construction of over two hundred temples in India and other countries, the creation of more than sixty charitable and other trusts in the name
INDIA ABROAD
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The Indian community in the US celebrated Indias 65th Republic Day with Ambassador S. Jaishankar unfurling the national flag at a colourful function at the Indian embassy here on a bright and sunny but chilly day. After hoisting the flag in front of the embassy overlooking a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Jaishankar read out President Pranab Mukherjees address to the nation. About 200 members of the community joined the celebrations including singing of the national anthem and a short cultural programme. In his message of congratulations and best wishes in the warm spirit of friendship and partnership President Barack Obama has said: Our partnership has always been guided by our shared values and interests. Describing India as a country on the move, US Secretary of State John Kerry said, The real magic of India lies as much in its promising future as it does in its rich heritage. Similar flag hoisting ceremonies were also held at Indias Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the Indian consulates in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Houston.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Warsaw
Braving a freezing minus 10 degrees Celsius temperature, the Indian community in Poland celebrated Indias 65th Republic Day here with great fervour. Indias Ambassador to Poland Monika Kapil Mohta unfurled the Tricolour and read excerpts from President Pranab Mukherjees address to the nation. Each one of you is also an ambassador of India in Poland whether you are doing business here or you are teaching Indian studies in Polish institutions. Your day-to-day interaction with Polish people matters the most. With your work and with your cultured behaviour, we have got a good profile of India throughout Poland, the envoy said.
Seol
of Indian origin (PIOs) and friends of India attended the ceremony. About 150 students from three Indian schools sang the national anthem and patriotic songs followed by a cultural performance by students of the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre here. Several charitable organisations, under the umbrella of the Indian Cultural Forum, distributed food rations, clothes and medical help to the victims affected by the recent floods in various suburbs of Jakarta. The day was also celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour at the Indian consulates in Bali and Medan.
Jakarta
The Indian community in Indonesia celebrated the 65th Republic Day with Ambassador Gurjit Singh unfurling the tricolour at a colourful function, complete with songs, dance and food, at the Indian embassy here Sunday. Nearly 400 members of the Indian community, persons
Ljubljana
The Embassy of India in Slovenia is holding a Days of India in Slovenia festival from 1830 January 2014. The event included music concerts, photo exhibition, Indian film shows, seminars on Mahatma Gandhi and laying a wreath at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia.
Seoul
Sub-zero temperatures did not prevent the Indian community in South Korea from celebrating the 65th Republic Day at the Indian embassy and at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) here Sunday. Ambassador Vishnu Prakash unfurled
recent state visit to India would not only enhance bilateral ties, but also contribute to the prosperity of the regions. Shim highlighted Indias role as a factor of peace and stability in the world, and the growing support for Indias candidature as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
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SPORTS
Auckland ODI proved to be a celebration for the cricket crazy Indian diaspora
ndia pulled off a dramatic last ball tie against New Zealand in the third One-day International here Saturday to stay alive in the five-match series. While the cricket was happening on the field, there was celebration all day long, in the stands. Every wicket, boundary, single and even an extra was celebrated depending on the occasion and importance of the instance. The cricket frenzy took over Auckland on the day. Eden Park and the surrounding suburbs were struggling with parking problems and volunteers tried their best to direct the movement of traffic and people to avoid any chaos. The Indian community in true blue spirit turned up to cheer up both the home team and the visitors, although it was hard to say which one was which. Ross Taylor tweeted after the game, What a game. Awesome crowd and at times I thought I was playing in Mumbai after the noise the Kiwi Indians were making. It was only complimentary that the stars on the field responded to such a fantastic turnout by providing an equally thrilling game. A last ball tied encounter. India, chasing 315, looked down and out at 184 for six in the 36th over before a 85-run stand between Ravichandran Ashwin (65) and Ravindra Jadeja (66 not out) brought them back in the game. Ashwin departed but Jadeja took the game to the last over where India needed 18 runs for their fist win of the tour. The visitors managed 17, denying New Zealand a famous series win after they came out on top in the first two games. The stadium was packed with Indian supporters. Giving the visiting team the feel of playing at home, cheering every single and extra as the tail-enders made a match of it. All-rounder Corey Anderson (5-63), who came handy with the bat at Napier and Hamilton, almost turned from hero to zero at Eden Park. Anderson did not fire with the bat this time but took his team on the brink of victory with a maiden-five wicket haul. He, however, faltered in the 50th over of Indias innings, conceding two wides, two fours and six which Jadeja hit off the penultimate ball. India, now needing a couple for the last ball, could only pick a single after Jadeja played a full delivery to the man at mid-off. Ashwin and captain Dhoni (50) too played a part in enforcing the draw. Dhoni fell after scoring his third consecutive fifty of the series. Aswhin departed to make it 269 for seven, his team needing another 46 off 31 balls. Earlier, Opener Martin Guptill (111 off 129 balls) and Kane Williamson (65) had guided New Zealand to 314 after Dhoni opted to chase once again. Spinners Ashwin (1-47) and Jadeja (247) were the most economical of the Indian bowlers. Barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-48), the Indian speedsters proved expensive. India were in a sorry state from which Jadeja and Ashwin brought back the team and remained in the reckoning in the 5-match series, since New Zealand played the third ODI after winning the first two. - IWK Bureau
The stadium was packed with Indian supporters. Giving the visiting team the feel of playing at home, cheering every single and extra as the tailenders made a match of it.
FEATURES
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aishnav Parivar NZ Inc., popularly known as VPNZ, celebrated its 9th Kite Festival on 18th January 2014 at the Avondale Racecourse, Avondale. This is the only Kite Festival of its kind celebrated in New Zealand. Huge crowd of people of all age groups from various communities enjoyed the festival in perfect weather for kite flying. Apart from kite flying, there were many other activities at the festival including Drawing & Colour Competition, Face Painting, Bollywood Dances, Fun Rides, Kids Story-Telling, etc. Health awareness campaign was also introduced first time with Diabetes NZ and Chiropractic information centres. People enjoyed the taste of delicious food, sugarcane juice, ice cream and ice gola. Kite and threads were specially imported from India and were on sale at the festival. The Kite Festival Raffle Draw was a special attraction at the festival as 12 attractive prizes were given away to the lucky winners. Manhar Patel, the President and Kite Festival Coordinator for VPNZ said that the feedback from all around was excellent and festival was a grand success. This was an outcome of hard work of VPNZ Committee members & volunteers for 6 months and precise planning. VPNZ appreciates the support from all the event partners, sponsors, media partners, food stall owners, volunteers, Auckland Council, Avondale Jockey Club and many others who were involved with the festival directly and indirectly. Next year, it will be 10th Kite Festival and VPNZ hopes to celebrate it at a bigger scale.
Kite and threads were specially imported from India and were on sale at the festival. The Kite Festival Raffle Draw was a special attraction at the festival as 12 attractive prizes were given away to the lucky winners.
Participating Organizations were: Lion Foundation, Global Financial Services Limited, Eco Travels, Radio Tarana, Indian Weekender, Kuk Punjabi, Harvey Communications (2 Degree Henderson), AB Internationals, Punjas, Ashon Ventures, Ecolife Lighting, Hell Pizzas Albany, John Adrew Ford, Roops Takeaway, Kiwi Plastic Packaging Ltd. , Reliance Ventilation Systems Limited, Diabetes NZ, Auckland Council, Avondale Jockey Club, Auckland Libraries.. Big thanks to all.
This includes a curry a naan, rice & glass of house wine or soft drink
5.30 pm to 10.30 pm
Open all days
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FEATURES
watched the dense forest trees blur as the car flew along the twists and turns of some back road through the Kaurilands, and queasiness crept into my stomach. It wasnt the nausea of car sickness but a creeping anxiety for what lay ahead: my very first residential meditation retreat. I tried to rely on my meditation practice focusing on the emotional sensations manifesting in my stomach, watching them move and change, disappear and reappear. But as we got nearer and nearer to the retreat centre, my mind struggled for control and kept butting in with a tidal wave of questions, stories, fantasies, and worries about heading into the unknown. All of these excited and apprehensive thoughts had been working their way into my psyche over the months that had passed since I had decided to sign up for the retreat. It was in this state that I stood at the drive way watching the sign board, Silent Retreatants ONLY Beyond This Point. The silence didnt begin until that evening, after Id filled out the necessary paperwork, and gotten settled in my sparse yet sufficient room. Though refraining from talk was a comfort to me, I immediately recognized its weight. Speaking was another distraction that I was to do without for the coming four days, just as I had put down and disconnected from the distractions of my phone, my books, and any other entertainment that I might normally turn to. That first evening I settled into bed with a considerable amount of unease, particularly since I no longer had any way of telling the time, and could no longer keep my usual careful eye on the future. With all diversions removed, I was already experiencing far more of myself, my thoughts, my neuroses than I had ever cared to. The days ahead were going to be a long one. Every day followed the same schedule. Wake up bells were rung at 5:45am, followed by another series of bells at 6:15 calling everyone to the first sitting meditation of the day. From there, alternating between 30 to 45 minute sitting and walking periods, taking breaks for meals, one session of yoga, and a Dharma lecture in the evening. I was used to sitting for about 15 minutes a day, with a 30 to 45 minute sit once a week in a Yoga class. And here I was thrown into approximately six hours of sitting meditation per day. The effects of such a big change were swift. If my normal meditation practice was deconstructing old neural pathways and creating new ones with hammer and chisel, here I found the bulldozer, the steam roller, the wrecking ball.
For the first time I saw; for the first time I heard. I watched the worries plaguing my brain drop one by one as I came to the simple realization that every single one was out of my control. Resistance to the mental, physical, and emotional discomfort began dropping away into a surrender that brought more insight than any other experience Ive known. Because I could really only interact with myself, I could truly see the relationship I had within, as clearly as if I were examining a relationship between two of my friends. I saw my dysfunctional inner life, my lack of self-worth, a heart rooted with a sense of insufficiency. It was painful to look at, but
the long periods of sitting took their toll on my muscles and joints, and walking all alone in the woods, sans music, was a refreshing movement meditation. Id get completely caught up, broken out of my trance only by the bells ringing for the next sit, and Id have to quickly rush back and put my shawl and game face back on. It was like the opening scene of The Sound of Music, but considerably quieter. Eccentricities aside, the profundity of my retreat experience was striking. In examining my initial reservations and fear, I saw that I had perceived that coming to retreat would mean being trapped with my negative thoughts for four days.
to escape from the self-created mental torture chamber in which I had thrown myself. That was really the turning point of the retreat when my resistance fell away and was replaced with an unshakeable freedom. And the best part? After returning to civilisation slapping on makeup in the morning, getting distracted by text messages, sliding back in to the tiny collection of victories and losses that is daily life that freedom is still there. Even outside of the special retreat conditions, I still know that the mud has settled and the water is clear. Every day, every sit, every breath, and every moment are greeted as another opportunity for consciousness, for
Enough. These few words are enough. If not these words, this breath. If not this breath, this sitting here. This opening to the life We have refused Again and again Until now. Until now.
Lines by David Whyte
it made me see the importance of regularly offering love & compassion towards my soul and body. As I incorporated it into my practice over time, I noticed my confidence and esteem growing, comfort and happiness with myself in the present moment becoming less and less intangible. Each day was chock-full of insight and revelation So when I needed a break from the intensity, I would take a bush walk up into the gorgeous, forested hills, gently allowing my thoughts to rise and pass away. A surprising number of Yoda quotes kept flitting in, but my mind would settle on the Whitman line: Why are there trees I never walk under but large and melodious thoughts descend upon me? Accustomed to regular physical activity, wakefulness, and to start again. Totally worth it. Interested readers can choose their pick. They can either visit the Anahata Yoga Retreat is located in beautiful Golden Bay, New Zealand, in the northwest part of the South Island or the Balanced Living Centre located at 81A Pleasant Rd, Titirangi, Auckland.
EDUCATION SPECIAL
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he Indian educational systems current inability to provide students with the necessary skills is pushing students towards gaining education outside of India. The continuous growth of the Indian economy is subsequently increasing the demand for skilled graduates. The Indian government has set an ambitious target of up-skilling 500 million people by 2022 to meet the growing industry needs for skilled graduates, however, to do so the Indian education sector needs to improve and is currently working towards the target. The issue however, is, that it will take about a decade to achieve its target. This is where the New Zealand educational sector comes in. India is New Zealands second-largest, and fastest-growing, market for international students. While more than 11,300 fee-paying students studied in New Zealand in 2012, there are also opportunities for New Zealand institutions to provide programmes and services inside India. The New Zealand educational sector has been able to take advantage of the increasing numbers of Indian students going abroad to study. Based on the statistics provided by Education New Zealand, the number of Indian students has gone up from 2,600 in 2006 to 12,358 in 2011, this means that more than 5% of Indias international student population is currently studying in New Zealand. India and New Zealand share a successful bureaucratic relationship, but to be able to further open up the New Zealand educational market to Indian students, it is essential that New Zealand establish similarly successful relationships with the
Market brief
The outlook for continued growth in India is positive. Indias changing demographics, including a growing middle class, government reform, and increased government and private investment are critical factors influencing New Zealands opportunities. India is a very important market for New Zealands education sector. With its growing middle class and increased government and private education investment, the outlook is
The demand for education across all sectors from early childhood to university level is expected to continue to exceed supply for at least another decade. These factors create opportunities for foreign education providers inside and outside India. New Zealands government-to-government relationship with India is strong, putting our education providers in a good position to capitalise on those opportunities. However creating relationships with Indias private and corporate sector will be essential to achieving success
Future markets
The number of Indian tertiary students going overseas to study rose 350% between 2000 and 2011 (from 58,091 to 203,338). In 2011, more than 200,000 Indian students studied overseas, with over half of those going to the United States. International student numbers are expected to remain high as Indian students continue to demand a quality education, and Indias industry continues to seek skilled graduates. - IWK Bureau
Student numbers
New Lynn, Auckland Level 3 3055 Great North Road New Lynn Phone: (09) 827 3612
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EDUCATION SPECIAL
EDUCATION SPECIAL
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EDUCATION SPECIAL
ts widely accepted that the early childhood years are the most influential. It is the time when the brain forges trillions of connections between cells; preparing the foundations for lifelong learning. A qualified early childhood teacher is not a child minder but a professional, intentional educator; specifically trained to care and educate children in this critical window of time. They have a solid knowledge of child development and their practice is informed by theory. Those who choose to study a professional early childhood program learn about the development of the whole child, thus they understand which learning experiences to introduce at a developmentally appropriate time. They discover that learning in the early years is best initiated by the child and guided by the teacher. They are taught to practice observing the interests of the children and extending on their learning by asking questions and promoting related experiences. Student teachers are required to familiarise themselves with a wide range of literature and resources. Topics often include learning through play, managing challenging behaviours and inclusive practice. Programs which have a strong practical component enable students to immediately connect the theory theyre learning to their teaching. Required reflections help them to develop an
Being qualified enhances employability. According to the governments newly-released Occupation Outlook report (http://www. dol.govt.nz/publications/lmr/occupationaloutlook/pdfs/Early-childhood-teachers.pdf), 87% percent of early childhood graduates were in employment within one year of completing a bachelors degree. Early childhood teaching is a hugely rewarding career and with qualified teachers, childrens learning and development can be nurtured to their full potential. New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) has specialised in providing outstanding early childhood teacher education for over 30 years. Our most recent NZQA external evaluation and review returned the highest possible rating of Highly Confident. Our students can study from any location in New Zealand through our online learning environment, NZTC Online. We offer a range of programs to suit every type of learner. Graduates of our Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) and Graduate Diploma of Teaching (ECE) programs are eligible to apply for teacher registration. If youre interested in starting your professional early childhood journey, call us today on (09) 520 4000 or email enrolments@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz.
awareness of why theyre doing what theyre doing. A teachers knowledge of Te Whriki, New Zealands early childhood curriculum framework, helps to uphold a level of quality across early childhood centres. It can help teachers to identify their aims and assess if they are adequately responding to childrens needs, as well as ensuring continuity between an early childhood centre and primary school. By completing a New Zealand-recognised
qualification, teachers can apply for registration which joins them to a body of professional teachers. Registration indicates to center owners, colleagues and the community that a teacher has completed a satisfactory qualification and fulfils the criteria of a safe and competent teacher. Registered teachers pledge allegiance to the sectors Code of Ethics, and have to maintain a practicing certificate every three years, which ensures relevancy of professional knowledge.
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Four guiding values have been proposed as a result of the brand audit: Quality Education, Individual Focus, Supportive Environment, and Real World Success.
a quality education which will serve them well and give them choices in the future, says Shane Ball, Marketing Manager at AIS. The new branding is crisp, clean, and contemporary, featuring the red and black colours which have always been associated with the Institute but with a splash of orange to differentiate from a Canterbury identity. The traditional academic logo has been modernised and the name simplified to clearly identify the institution and its location. St Helens Campus now bears the name paying homage to the propertys previous incarnation as St Helens Maternity Hospital. A photo shoot was conducted and resulted in a new and more intimate approach to the institutions photography, revealing a commitment to the Individual Focus value. We have emerged refreshed and rejuvenated from the rebrand and are looking forward to taking on the challenges facing us in 2014 with a renewed sense of self confidence.
www.AIS.ac.nz
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EDUCATION SPECIAL
he International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) has been voted New Zealands Leading Travel Training Institution in the Travel Digest Travel Industry Awards 2013. What makes this award such an honour is that it is voted for by members of the industry, says ITCs Marketing Director Claire Huxley. We have such a strong focus on making sure our graduates are genuinely prepared for work in travel, tourism and airlines, and this award acknowledges that we are getting it right. Travel Digest also lists ITCs achievement of Category One status in the NZQA EER audit (the highest education rating) and its membership of internationally recognised quality brand Quality Education as contributing factors to its success. Its important to us that our quality is made visible through NZQA audits and through our connections with associations like Quality
Education, says Claire. Its critical that our students have confidence in us, and it inspires all of us at the college to keep contributing to this industry that we love. ITCs students certainly reap the benefits of the colleges strong industry reputation. Numerous opportunities to explore the industry first hand through trips and hands-on work experience and job placements all add to the colleges high job placement rate. This is an industry where the strength of your contacts is crucial. Our students constantly make us proud by showing employers their commitment and passion for this sector. And employers repay that by providing employment and training opportunities for our students. We are grateful to Travel Digest for running these awards that showcase the best of our industry, and we would like to thank the people and organisations who voted for us.
well. The graduation certificates to the 40 graduates were presented by Mr Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Mr Gurdeep Dhillon , Chief Executive Officer; NITT. Mr Kulbir Singh, Managing Director , NITT ; welcomed distinguished guests who attended this significant event and advised that in May 2013, after the External Evaluation Review of the Institute conducted by NZQA , NITT has very proudly achieved the status of the NZQA Category 1 Provider. The Report by NZQA stipulates that NITT is Highly Confident in the Educational performance and Confident in the ability in Self-Assessment. The Institute is bringing in new Qualifications in Agriculture and also expanding the Business Courses to level 7 in near future. Mr Sukhjinder Singh was adjudged the Best Student of the year from Business Level 6.Mr Ravi Sharma was adjudged the Best Student of the year from Business level 5. The Academic Excellence award was presented to Mt Navjot Singh Sran from Level 5 and Mr Naveen Kaushik from level 6. Here are some of the key features, which attract students to study at NITT? The first and obvious reason is the quality of the programmes available at NITT. The owners and staff have a commitment based on years of experience in education industry. NITT Friendly staff members are ready to take extra care for students to help them settle in a new environment. The campus of NITT is conveniently located in the largest city, Auckland at one of its premier and upcoming business hub of Manukau City. Our USP Our unique qualifications incorporate Work Integrated Learning (Work Placement/ Internship) as part of the course. The work placement aspect is compulsory at level 6. Students value the commercial business skills they learn for industry and gain confidence in communicating with those in business and improve their business English language skills. This is also the reason for high employment rates of NITT graduates. Our Multi Country Presence NITT has a branch in Australia under the name Australian Institute of Technical Training & Australian National College in Melbourne.
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We will open the world of knowledge for you... Studying at NITT: Internationally recognised and respected Diploma courses Quality of programmes available Conveniently located in the educational & multicultural hub of Manukau Centre 3 days of instructions per week A pathway for higher studies
National Diploma in Business Administration Level 5 National Diploma in Business - Marketing Level 5 National Diploma in Business - Accounting Level 5 National Diploma in Business Level 6 National Diploma in Business Level 5 & Level 6 (2 Years)
www.nitt.ac.nz
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ENTERTAINMENT
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The event was a star-studded affair with biggies like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Rekha, Karisma Kapoor, Amrita Rao, Aditi Rao Hydari, Soha Ali Khan and Neha Dhupia, all gracing the event.
Left column: Stills from top down Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, The Lunchbox, Raanjhanaa, Kai Po Che
Right column: Farhan Akhtar & Deepika Padukune, Ritesh Batra (Director The Lunchbox; Omprakash Mehra, Vaani Kapoor, Shilpa Shukla
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ENTERTAINMENT
Akanksha Mehra
1) Abhishek Bachchan and Rohan Sippy
The actor-director duo who have worked in a number of films together studied in the same boarding school at Aiglon College, Switzerland. Sippy mentioned in an interview to The Times of India that Bachchan was five years younger to him which limited the interaction between them. Nonetheless, they became close once they returned to Mumbai and worked together in films like Kuch Naa Kaho and Bluffmaster. Interestingly, their fathers, Amitabh Bachchan and Ramesh Sippy worked together in the legendary blockbuster Sholay. Seems like they are continuing the legacy of family friendship. Rohan Sippy and Abhishek Bachchan Picture Courtesy: NDTV.com
called Just Mohobbat, Ranbir used to visit her on the sets frequently. However, the two broke up quite early and Avantika went on to date Imran Khan. Other prominent celebrities from the same school include Aamir Khan, Hritik Roshan, John Abraham and Varun Dhawan. Avantika with husband Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor with a family member. Picture Courtesy: Fashioncirqle.con and Stuffkit.com
Naveli made it to the pages of Bollywood when Navya posted pictures with Aryan on a social networking website. The two star kids are studying together in Londons Sevenoaks School. They were clicked together during a school trip. SRKs daughter Suhana might also join them in coming years. Navya Naveli is the eldest daughter of Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Nikhil Nanda. They also have a son, Agastya. Navya Naveli and Aryan Khan pose during a school trip. Picture Courtesy: Bollywoodmantra.com
that their respective sons Anshul Ambani and Ahan Shetty used to study in the same school, Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai. In fact, the two shared a common interest in rock music and represented their school at numerous inter-school competitions. Their parents are very encouraging and have created a mini auditorium at the Ambani residence. While Anshul is a drummer, Ahan is the lead vocalist. Anshul Ambani and Ahan Shetty Picture Courtesy: The Times of India
It seems your friendship with co-actor Arjun Kapoor has gone beyond your reel life. Arjun is one of my closed friends. My friendship with Arjun has reached an honest level; it has gone beyond the work we do. Which actor inspires you? More than inspirations, there were influences. I grew up watching Hindi films and films in general.
I love films. I looked up to actors, idolized them the reason I wanted to become and actor, not anywhere else, but mainstream Hindi films. What are your upcoming projects? I have just started shooting for Kill Dil. It is a major deal for me to be able to share screen space with one of my childhood idols Govindaji. I have been inspired by him. I loved him as I was
ENTERTAINMENT
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Bollywood Diary
ANR leaves film-world misty eyed
housands bid tearful adieu to Telugu cinema icon Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who died aged 89, plunging the Telugu film industry into gloom. His last rites were performed in Hyderabad with state honours. In the presence of eminent film personalities, politicians and fans, Raos sons and grandsons together lit the funeral pyre amid chanting of vedic hymns by pundits and gun salute by the police at Annapurna Studios. Raos two sons, including popular actor Nagarjuna, three daughters and other family members broke down during the cremation. As a mark of respect to the legendary actor, policemen reversed their arms and later fired three rounds in the air. The buglers sounded The Last Post. Actor-turned-politician Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi, Sridevi, Tabu, Junior NTR, Venkatesh, Rajasekhar, famous filmmakers Dasari
Narayana Rao and D. Ramanaidu were among key film personalities who attended the last rites. On a call given by MAA, the Telugu film industry remained shut Thursday as a mark of respect to the legendary actor.
alman Khan, attended a kite flying festival with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, said god would decide who is the best man to become the prime minister. The chief minister hosted a typical Gujarati lunch in which the Bollywood hero savoured the winter speciality Undhiya and other delicacies of the state at his Gandhinagar residence. Salman, who was here to promote his upcoming film Jai Ho, spent the afternoon with Bharatiya Janata Partys prime ministerial candidate Modi at the festival. On his personal opinion about Modi, Salman said: Today, I met Modiji for the first time. I hope we meet often. Modi is a great man and he is doing great for his state
egastar Amitabh Bachchan lent support to the Indian premiere of Anant Singhs Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom about former South African president Nelson Mandela, whom he remembers as a kind person. Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom features Idris Elba in the title role and Naomie Harris as his wife Winnie. Its premiere was held here Wednesday in the presence of two of the movies actors, Atandwa Kani and Terry Pheto. The 71-year-old also recollected his experience of performing in South Africa over two decades back. Mandela the movie produced by
dear friend Anant Singh from South Africa, and he and his team solely responsible through the kindness of Mr. Mandela to give us the permission to bring the very first Concert to South Africa at a time when Apartheid was just on its way out, Amitabh posted on his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com.
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EVENTS
WHATSOn
MOKSHA - An Odissi Dance Performance The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - Impact Pro Wrestling
Price includes three-course meal and complimentary drink. When: Fri 13th Feb 7:00pm Where: Degree, 204 Quay St, Auckland Admission: On request More info: To book call 021 513 717
2014
Sri Vidiyalaya Foundation presents MOKSHA by Veshnu. The show will explore the concepts of illusion (maya) and divine play (leela) with narration by Dr Chandrabhanu that will provide a window into this sensuous and richly nuanced dance form.
When: Sat 1st Feb 6.30pm-9:00pm Where: Lynfield Recreation Centre Admission: $15. To book call
When: Sat 1st Feb 7.30pm Where: Maidment Thetre Admission: $30. To book call (09)
Bring all the family to celebrate the Year of the Horse at Aucklands 15th annual Lantern Festival. Highlights include a lanternonly night at Albert Park on Thursday 13 February, where the magical hand-made creations can be enjoyed in a more relaxed environment, and the spectacular fireworks finale on Sunday night.
Where: Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar School, 16 Howe St, Auckland Admission: $50 ( VIP ) $40 & $25 available at Yogi Ji Food mart- Mt Roskill, Lotus Foreign Exchange- Westfield St Lukes & New Lynn More info: For Tickets & more info contact Basant Madhur on 626 2646 / 021 035 7954 & Deepak Madhur on : 8274151/ 021-02643739
When: Fri 14th 16th Feb 5:00-10:30pm Where: Albert Park, Princes St, Auckland Admission: Free More info: www.asianz.org.nz
www.fofh.co.nz
Friday 21st Feb 2014 Manukau Golf Club 12.30 Shotgun Start
Thanks to major Sponsor McDonalds Auckland Major Sponsor
Golf Registration Contact: Daven Naidu 021929247 Dr Ajay Kumar 0211175070 Rob Crompton 0212234653 Entries close 14th Feb 2014
presents another highly intelligent, humorous and mind stimulating Hindi play
Auckland
(09)3021012
The Entry fee includes: Green Fees, Prizes, TShirt, Dinner and a Drink 100% charity, all funds collected goes towards medical missions to Fiji Be in a draw for a Fiji Airways flight to Fiji with each golf entry (conditions apply)
ENTERTAINMENT
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Presents
Pehla Nasha
Ek aur bhar
In celebration of Valentines day we bring you a night of romance, entertainment, dinner, dance & LOVE!
3 Course Dinner by India Gate Dinner and Dance with Shriram Iyer (Melbourne) & other local artists Feburary 14th, Friday 7:00 pm Onwards India Gate Restaurant 380 Manukau road, Epsom __________________________
For
Shriram Iyer
Over 400 Live Concerts Globally Signed on by 50/50 Global Muzik (USA) Warner Music Group One Popular Studio Album and Two Hit Singles
Tickets and more info contact Shivani Arora on 0800 INDIAGATE(463424) / 021870012 or Meena Iyer on 09 274 4649
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ENTERTAINMENT
Color Run arrives in Auckland: Healthiness, Happiness, Individuality and Giving back
friendly celebration at the Finish Festival, including mass color throws, DJs, dance-offs and food stalls. Color Runners can enter as individuals or teams of four or more and entry fees include an official white event T-shirt and sweat band, a temporary tattoo and a color powder packet for use at the Finish Festival party. For those who want to clean up before they head home after the event there is even a special Cleaning Zone. Official partners of The Color Run New Zealand, helping to make the event an experience to remember, were ZM, Resene, Telecom, New Balance and Hydr8. The New Zealand chapter finds Luke Hannan, the National Manager and Josie Tapper for the success of the first chapter of The Color Run. Photo Credits: Wilkie Productions. Dates and locations for the Color Run events are as follows: Christchurch, Canterbury Agricultural Park, 23 February 2014 Wellington, Trentham Memorial Park, 30 March 2014 About The Color Run: Founded in January, 2012 by Travis Snyder, as an event to promote healthiness and happiness by bringing the community together to participate in the Happiest 5k on the Planet. We are the original paint race and have created a completely new genre of running events that continues to grow exponentially. The Color Run has hosted more than 170 events in 30+ countries in 2013.
he International phenomenon, a celebration of humanity and healthy living, the Color Run, the happiest 5km on the planet took place in New Zealand for the first time. The event held on the 26th of January at the Pukekohe Race Course, saw thousands in attendance. A crowd of almost 9,000 Color Runners - all dressed in white running gear completed the 5km course around Pukekohe Racecourse, being showered with pink, blue, yellow and green colored powder. At the end of the 5km course, runners enjoyed the Finish Festival alongside kiwi singer Jamie McDell and The Color Run mascot The Runicorn, where music and a familyfriendly atmosphere provided the background for the stunning mass group throws of even more colored powder. Almost 3,000kg of color was used across the day. The Color Run - an exciting and unique 5km fun run experience with a colorful twist - has been a massive hit in cities like London, Sydney and New York and will visit Wellington and Christchurch later this summer. Inspired by paint parties and the Holi Festival, the Color Run sees runners looking like theyve been struck by a rainbow after having been doused with a different brightly colored powder. While the 5k event is all about having fun, the focus is on promoting a healthy lifestyle and improving health and wellness. More than half the participants are first-time 5k runners. It is an event for all fitness levels, ages and backgrounds. The rounds of laughter, and continuous excitement, surrounding the event gives a tremendous ambience. The Color Run keeping with its tag line, The Happiest 5k on the planet,
was created after seeing the expressions of pure joy from participants. Color Runners vary in demographics and reasons for running. With no winners or official times, The Color Run caters to everyone first time
runners to seasoned athletes. Some Color Runners participate as a celebration and capstone of their healthy living accomplishments, while others participate for reasons unique to them. At the end of the course there is an epic, family
RECIPE
Rubys Kitchen
By Ruby Dhillon
Method Heat butter in a deep pan. Stir ginger, garlic paste. Add all the above ingredients with a glass of water. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft. You can add some more water if the mixture is thick. Blend the mixture with the hand blender into a smooth puree and strain the soup into a deep pen and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until one boil. Serve hot with chopped coriander. Tip: Carrots are high in vitamins and essential minerals like beta carotene which greatly aids vision and over all balanced growth and ageing.
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