Simon Drapers November update
First up, if you haven’t spotted it, I’d like to draw your attention to our new website. By reading this article you’re viewing a page of it right now; once you’ve finished, I encourage you to explore the site further.
The purpose of our refreshed website is to have it better reflect the dynamic nature of the work we do and make it more appealing to a broader audience. In particular, we wanted to better highlight some of our fantastic opportunities to help young people build knowledge and confidence about Asia. We think it’s met the brief nicely; have a look and see what you think.
For my part, it’s nice to be back home after a whirlwind programme in Malaysia and the Philippines. The trip was about reconnecting with some of the Foundation’s partners and supporters, continuing to articulate the New Zealand perspective on the region, and getting an update on current affairs. My programme was just one of a number of Foundation activities over the past month aimed at deepening people-to-people connections.
Track II provides insights into ASEAN perceptions of NZ
I travelled to Kuala Lumpur in late October to lead a Foundation Track II delegation that participated in the 11th ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand trilateral dialogue.
Delegates at the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand trilateral dialogue in Kuala Lumpur
The trilateral dialogue was a great opportunity to get a range of different perspectives on what is top-of-mind across ASEAN at the moment.
Most telling were thoughts from our ASEAN colleagues regarding New Zealand and Australia’s roles and identity in the region, where our interests converge or contrast, and what that means for our wider engagement.
As part of our efforts to grow the next generation of Track II participants, our delegation to Kuala Lumpur included two young New Zealanders — Leadership Network member Sarah Novak and Tom Nicholls, currently a postgraduate student at China’s Fudan University.
It was fantastic to have both Sarah and Tom with us and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future. Keep an eye on our website for articles from them.
Philippines visit shows NZ out of date perception of country
After Malaysia, I flew to the Philippines to meet with some of our contacts in Manila. The Philippines is one of the Foundation’s priority countries, reflecting the country’s growing importance to New Zealand.
Simon Draper and Dr James To meet with New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Stachan (far left) and dean of Ateneo School of Government Ronald Mendoza
Despite the Philippines still facing significant challenges around poverty and income inequality, the level of development and sophistication I saw in Manila was impressive. It is at odds with the image many New Zealanders might hold of the Philippines; an image arguably still stuck in the 1980s (Read my Stuff column commenting on this topic).
The visit to Manila also gave me the chance to catch up with our Philippine-based honorary adviser Mr Bill Luz and other key contacts in business, the media and academia.
Entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia share ideas about sustainability with NZ counterparts
We recently hosted eight outstanding sustainability entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia as part of our ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative entrepreneurship programme, which we deliver on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Michael Sly Worm farms ResizedImageWzg2MSw1NzRd
This visit certainly achieved the initiative’s aims of deepening connections between New Zealand and Southeast Asia. During their stay, the entrepreneurs travelled to Auckland, Queenstown and Wellington and swapped notes with Kiwi counterparts about how their businesses are tackling environmental issues and innovating in response to climate change. They visited several New Zealand businesses known for their sustainability practices.
One of the group, Pattraporn (Dao) Yamla-or from Thailand, was among the featured speakers at the Aotearoa Social Enterprise Forum. The group capped off their visit by participating in our Leadership Network Sustainability Hui.
Diwali festivals a beacon of light
As a founding sponsor, we joined in the celebration of the Diwali Festivals in Auckland and Wellington as part of our continuing efforts to grow New Zealanders’ awareness and knowledge of the cultures and peoples of Asia.
Men in colourful traditional Indian outfits dancing on stage
It was wonderful to see tens of thousands of New Zealanders come to these ‘Festival of Lights’ and experience the vibrant Indian culture.
As I said in my speech at the opening ceremonies, attending Diwali reminded me what the festival is all about — the triumph of light over dark. With some of what we currently see going on around the world, it’s good to be reminded that light can triumph over dark. However, this triumph, doesn’t happen by chance. As I have said many times, New Zealand is not really a lucky country – it is a country that has made its luck through hard and brave decisions over decades. All of us have a part to play to make our ‘luck’ again.
On that note, congratulations to the lucky winner of our Diwali competition, Anand Ram. Anand won a trip for two, with four night's accommodation, to the home of Bollywood, Mumbai.
(If you’re in Wellington, be sure to head along to the Japan Festival on Saturday 24 November.)
Foundation welcomes new arts director
Finally, I'd like to welcome aboard our new arts director Craig Cooper to the Asia New Zealand Foundation team. We have also instituted a number of changes to the arts programme following a review that included discussions with key stakeholders in the arts community. If you're in the arts sector, I encourage you to have a look at the new arts pages of our website. You can find out more about the arts programme changes and about Craig here.
Happy Diwali!
Simon Draper
