Calls to establish interfaith commissioner in NZ

The establishment of such a role is one of several policies needed to strengthen social cohesion in this country, Multicultural New Zealand (MNZ) stated. This request was made several days before the Bondi Beach terrorist attack which left 15 innocent people dead and many injured.

An independent commissioner would provide national leadership on religious matters and facilitate interfaith dialogue and mediate tensions, the multicultural organisation said.

The commissioner would also provide unbiased advice to Government on emerging religious issues independent of ethnicity, counter misinformation and extremism, and safeguard religious freedom, while maintaining social stability.

Another function for the commissioner would be integrating national initiatives into a long‑term cohesion strategy.

MNZ also stressed the importance of separating ethnicity and religion in Government policy.

“Ethnicity and religion are distinct domains. Policy must address cultural identity, religious diversity and interfaith issues separately and appropriately,” MNZ stated.

MNZ has also raised concerns that current Government policies and funding arrangements have unintentionally created unnecessary competition among community groups. Instead of fostering collaboration, funding scarcity and short‑term cycles are forcing organisations to compete for limited resources.

At a gathering of community leaders in Auckland on December 6, MNZ president Pancha Narayanan said Government funding for communities has not kept pace with the rapidly changing demographics across Aotearoa. 

“Many regions now have larger and more diverse populations, yet their funding levels remain largely unchanged. This has left communities under‑resourced and unable to meet increasing needs. This competitive environment weakens cohesion, erodes trust and undermines long‑term collective well-being,” he said.

MNZ also stated that the Government must treat multicultural associations, interfaith networks, youth groups and community organisations as partners in decision‑making, noting that cohesion succeeds where communities lead, not where decisions are imposed.

FULL STORY

MNZ warns of growing challenges as Social Cohesion is strained (By Venkat Raman/Indian Newslink)