As the year comes to an end, five activists in the diaspora reflect on the wars in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon and how it has affected them. This episode features Eva Maria, Avigail Allan, Rana Hamida, Ala Farah and Fatima Sanussi.

This week, we hear the personal reflections of 5 women who this past year have organized or participated in activism over crisis and conflict far from Aotearoa.

How has it personally affected them? What have they learned? And what comes next?

We hear from Aucklanders Fathima Sanussi and Dr Ala Farah from Sudan - where over 8 million are said to be displaced as the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the government army has continued for over a year now.

As the year comes to an end with Christmas cheer, the war in Gaza continues, as do the rallies in downtown Auckland, calling for an end to it. In this episode we talk to Israel-born Avigail Allan, Lebanon-born Eva Maria and Syrian-born Palestinian Rana Hamida, on their activism this past year.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what that is all about.

Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what it's all about.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The nail salon industry is booming but still largely unregulated. Vietnamese couple Tri Phung and Ngi Dinh are trying to challenge the status quo by turning their focus on the health and safety of both, client and their nail techs.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Musician Vallé talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about rediscovering his connection to Papua New Guinea, his music and running his barbershop alongside everything else.

WATCH A VIDEO ON THIS STORY HERE

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Christine Keller was the Head of Textiles at the Otago Polytechnic for 5 years, but things changed in 2010 when her role was made redundant. Turns out it was the perfect time to chase her aim to find sustainable alternatives to period care and started Sew On Period Care to involve the community and make reusable sanitary pads.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and sustaining food systems of the world were top of the agenda at the COP16 in Cali, Colombia. In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar was in Colombia to talk to two New Zealanders attending the world's largest biodiversity conference with the aim to bring a Kiwi perspective to some of the planet's biggest challenges.

A couple of weeks ago delegates from around the world met at what was at the world's biggest nature protection conference, the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, or simply, COP16.

New Zealand had a few representatives at the conference participating in these crucial discussions.

In this episode we feature Lisbon-born, Wellington-based Bruno Marquez, President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects and Manu Caddie, co-founder of Rua Bioscience.

While it naturally was a ten-day period dotted with a lot of music and culture, the Colombian government going all out with wanting to create an impression, the reality that was being discussed by delegates was a little less fun.

The planet faces an unprecedented crisis with habitats vanishing, and up to a million species face extinction and the lives and livelihoods of billions of people who depend on them are at threat.

The reason why being at COP16 is so critical for someone like Bruno Marquez is that landscape architecture goes well beyond aesthetics and covers nearly everything from urban settlement to biodiversity loss and social inequity - all topics that are under scrutiny here at COP16, with a focus on giving the platform to indigenous groups to secure their role in decision-making.

Manu Caddie known best for his work focussed on development for pharmaceuticals, natural health products and bio-derived composites, participated in dialogues with indigenous groups from Colombia around the push to recognize natural genetic resources and allocate funds for profits made from them, be that through biotech or pharmaceuticals.

After brutally lengthy debates, some of which ended in disarray around the lack of funding for conservation, COP16 also had some benchmark outcome - like the first ever agreement that recognises people of African descent and Indigenous Peoples as key drivers in conserving nature. 

The historic decision allows them to participate in future decisions on nature conservation and rules on the use of genetic information.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Canterbury's Polish history goes back over a century and in this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar sits down with two of the community's most active history enthusiasts to learn about how bogs became fertile vegetable gardens thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of early Polish settlers.

Polish settlers Christchurch

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Two young Sri Lankans talk to Phil Vine about a film-making voyage of discovery in their homeland - telling stories of farming hardship and investigating where our food really comes from.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Wellington this month and next, a series of public programmes mark the 50th year of the Dawn Raids. In this episode of Here Now Kadambari Raghukumar talks to artist Liana Leiataua and Pacific historian Rachel Yates Pahulu around their thoughts and experiences of events of the 70s that inform their work. 

In Wellington this month and next, a series of public programmes mark the 50th year of the Dawn Raids, as part of efforts following the formal apology issued in 2021 by former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

In this episode of Here Now Kadambari Raghukumar talks to artist Liana Leiataua and Pacific historian Rachel Yates Pohulu around their thoughts and experiences of the craickdowns of the 70s that inform their work.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week on Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar checks out some arts and culture events lined up in the capital for the next few weeks ahead.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details