1. Engaging the non-Engaged:
Raising Awareness of Religious Diversity
in a Secular Society
New Zealand Diversity Forum
Aotea Centre, Auckland
19 August 2012
todd nachowitz
email: <tn37@waikato.ac.nz>
Dept. of Political Science & Public Policy
University of Waikato

2. How ethnically diverse are we?
2006 Census: Pop: 4,027,947
European
67.6%
New Zealander
11.1%
Maori
14.6%
Asian Pacific
9.2% 6.9%
MELAA
0.9%

3. How religiously diverse are we?
2006 Census: Pop: 4,027,947
Other:
Baha’i: 2,772 0.07%
Object
6.5% Buddhist: 52,362 1.40%
Hindu: 64,392 1.72%
Not stated
Christian 6.7% Islam: 36,072 0.96%
55.5%
Jain: 111 0.01%
Judaism: 6,858 0.18%
Sikh: 9,507 0.25%
No religion
34.6% Zoroastrian: 1,071 0.03%
Other Other religion: 1.10%
6.6%
Don’t know: 1,743 0.05%
Outside scope: 30,945 0.83%

4. Religious Diversity in New Zealand
and Future Trends
1956 2006 2026
Pop: 2,174,062 Pop: 4,027,947 Pop: 5,058,200
Christian Christian Christian
87.4% 56.0% 43.4%
Other Other
Other
44.1% 56.6%
12.6%
Religious diversity will continue to increase
along with the rise of secularity

5. With continued increases in religious diversity
there is an acute need to better educate
ourselves about the diversity around us….
cultural literacy
linguistic literacy
religious literacy
WHY?...

6. Gunman Kills 6 at a Sikh Temple Near Milwaukee
Sikh Massacre, Oak Creek, Wisconsin, USA, 5 August 2012
Although we don’t know for certain the gunman’s motives, this
was clearly a hate crime directed at the “other”
Media often plays a role in our understanding of the “other”...

7. Time magazine explains how to make arbitrary racial distinctions:
Two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Time ran an article
entitled “How to tell your friends from the Japs,” an arbitrary and
insensitive guide on how to differentiate the Japanese from the Chinese.
Source: Time Magazine, 22 December 1941

8. On 6 August 2012, a day after the shooting in a Sikh house of worship, the Chicago Tribune
ran a “Turban Primer,” a similarly insensitive guide on arbitrary religious and cultural
distinctions between, essentially, brown people from South Asia and the Middle East...
Source: Chicago Tribune, 6 August 2012
This is racial profiling, and it only serves to reinforce
existing stereotypes

9. Some obstacles to understanding:
media’s portrayal of diversity
fear of the unfamiliar
fear of being proselytised
afraid that we might do something that might offend
stigma of being interested in another faith or belief system
fear of interfaith from within our own religious cohort
… But remember that being familiar with other cultural and
religious communities gives value to our own
Hindu Mandir: Sikh Gurudwara: Islamic Masjid:
Radha-Krishna Mandir, Hamilton,
Hamilton Gurudwara
Built 2001 Ponsonby Masjid, Auckland
Built 1977
Built 1979

10. NZ Cub Scout Handbook 2001

11. NZ Cub Scout Handbook 2009

12. My point:
The more diverse society is, the greater
the need for education about diversity!
There are many types of diversity, including ethnic, cultural,
linguistic, religious, gender, age, and ability diversities...
Education should be about raising our awareness and improving our
literacy in these diversities.

13. So what can we do? Article 18: “Everyone has the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and
AT HOME:
religion. Everyone has the right to
educate ourselves. Read about practice a religion. Everyone also has
the right to not practice a religion.”
other faiths and belief systems
get acquainted with the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
read the HRC’s “Statement on
Religious Diversity”
share experiences!
invite friends of other faiths
home to share in our holiday feasts
have interfaith pot luck meals
start an interfaith book club
learn another language
expand your comfort zone!

14. AT WORK:
work on a project with a colleague
of another faith
get to know your workmates better
accept those with different beliefs
support all types of diversity in the
workplace, including gender, sexual
orientation, religious, linguistic, age,
and ability
read and share the Human Rights
Commission’s booklet entitled
“Religious Diversity in the New
Zealand Workplace”

15. IN OUR COMMUNITIES:
take friends of other faiths to your own place of worship
visit the places of worship of faiths other than your own
get involved with your local interfaith council OR start one yourself
write letters of support for other communities in times of need
organise public talks with multiple perspectives to improve religious literacy
show movies & docos that educate about diversity & the perspectives of others
organise community bus tours to visit a variety of houses of worship
engage your religious leaders on interfaith issues
organise an interfaith tree planting
involve youth!

16. Engagement also means working with our political
representatives & elected officials on diversity issues
engage in civic & political activities that foster peace
greater civic & political participation can make a difference
become familiar with the stances of your elected officials
ensure that elected officials do not advocate for policies that
endanger the rights of minority populations
communicate your opinions on policy issues to elected officials
hold your elected officials accountable to the people in your
community

17. REMEMBER:
embrace diversity!
mere tolerance of difference is not enough.
be actively engaged!

18. Engaging the non-Engaged:
Raising Awareness of Religious Diversity
in a Secular Society
New Zealand Diversity Forum
Aotea Centre, Auckland
19 August 2012
todd nachowitz
email: <tn37@waikato.ac.nz>
Dept. of Political Science & Public Policy
University of Waikato