What do we mean when we talk of women's empowerment, and how might we encourage more women to feel empowered? Three wāhine toa - Danette Abraham-Tiatia, Fiona Deehan and Jane Guy - share with us their journeys and whakaaro on this topic as volunteers, business owners, life coaches and mothers of young girls.

Conversations on human rights in our country

In response to the 15 March 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks - and the livestreaming of the violence - the New Zealand and French governments and several major international tech companies established the Christchurch Call, which aims to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. What has been achieved in the two years since its establishment?

We hear firstly from Superintendent John Price, Canterbury District Commander, about the involvement of the Police in the Christchurch Call, before our longer panel discussion with Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, Anjum Rahman (Inclusive Aotearoa) and Jordan Carter (Internet NZ).

In August 2021, the New Zealand government formally apologised to the country's Pasifika communities for the Dawn Raids. These events took place in the 1970s, when police raided people's homes looking for visa overstayers, and have since been acknowledged as state-sanctioned racism (most overstayers were, in fact, from the UK or South Africa, but these groups were not targeted for deportation). Our guests bring a range of perspectives to our discussion: Melani Anae was a founding member of the Polynesian Panthers that protested the Raids, Benji Timu and Selwyn Gamble helped coordinate the 2021 petition for the apology, and Kathy Smits has long researched political apologies and situates the August 2021 apology in a broader context.

What do we mean by 'diversity in governance' and why is it a good thing? Rosanne Hawarden, Josiah Tualamali’i and Kate Reid (University of Canterbury) explain why encouraging boards of directors to recruit and retain diverse members benefits both organisations and the wider society, and talk us through suggestions for - and barriers to - achieving this ideal

What is the impact of distressing news on refugee- and migrant-background people - who are far from their home countries, and to the family and friends they left behind? Guests Zahra Hussaini and Gul Agha Alizadah, from Christchurch’s Afghan Hazara community, Osmith Vides Contreras, an international student from Colombia, and Maha Elmadani, who identifies as Palestinian, talk to us about anger, fear, impotence, guilt, as well as their need to take action in the face of such news, whether through social media, activism, community gatherings, or writing.

Ōtautahi Christchurch has had a run of public events in the past few weeks which seek to connect people to the city and to each other, including Open Christchurch, Learning Days Christchurch, Pecha Kucha and some new Gap Filler projects such as the Polite Force / Ngā Pirihimanaaki. Guests Erica Austin (Christchurch Ambassador), Ryan Reynolds (Gap Filler) and Cheryl Doig (Ako Ōtautahi / Learning City Christchurch) talk us through these events, reflecting particularly on how we might frame their 'success' or 'impact'.

Conversations on human rights in our country

How have New Zealand's COVID-19 lockdowns affected children's rights and wellbeing? Erin Gough (Office of the Children's Commissioner) and Carol Mutch (University of Auckland) introduce us to the range of experiences which children have faced during these unprecedented times, emphasising that children who were experiencing hardship before COVID are likely to have been further marginalised by the lockdowns. Erin and Carol also discuss the challenges and opportunities that disaster can bring in terms of hindering or furthering children's rights and wellbeing.

Getting involved in crafting can lead to numerous benefits for wellbeing and therapy, as explored by guests Amber Johnson (Craft Without Borders), Jane Maidment (University of Canterbury) and Rosemary Omar (Empowerment Project) in relation to the trauma of the Canterbury earthquakes and 15 March mosque attacks.

Conversations on human rights in our country

The 15 March 2019 attacks in two Christchurch mosques precipitated a huge outpouring of grief and solidarity, in Ōtautahi, elsewhere in New Zealand and around the world. How do we try and ensure this spirit of togetherness continues beyond the initial shock, once the media crews have left and the anniversaries pass? We talk with four locals engaged in grassroots initiatives which seek to build upon the aroha of the immediate post-disaster phase.

Conversations on human rights in our country

Online porn is very often aggressive, non-consensual, and shows behaviour that we would normally deem at the very least ‘unhealthy’ and at worst, illegal. If young people are viewing this porn and perceiving this behaviour as normal and/or acceptable, how are these views shaping the way they comport themselves moving forwards into their adult lives and developing relationships? Anne Heins joins Sally as co-host, and they talk with Tracy Clelland (University of Canterbury) and Jo Robertson (The Light Project) about the role of porn in young people's lives.

Conversations on human rights in our country