Photo: Supplied
Half a dozen Asian New Zealanders have been recognised for their contributions to the country in the New Year Honours list released today.
The husband-wife duo of Dr Mohammad Arif Saeid and Dr Fahima Saeid head the list who are both recognised for services to the refugee community in New Zealand.
While Arif has been named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Fahima has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit on the honours list.
The couple arrived in New Zealand in 2001 from Afghanistan as refugees and co-founded New Settlers and Family Community Trust (NFACT) in 2019.
Earlier in 2004, Arif co-founded Refugee Council of New Zealand leading efforts to advocate for asylum seekers' rights, influence government policies, and provide legal and social support.
He was key in expanding community support programmes for Refugees as Survivors New Zealand, founding initiatives including Road Code training and youth programmes for refugees, and culturally tailored mental health support.
Arif has also been recognised for his efforts with New Zealand youth and has been a driving force behind the Refugee Youth Action Network, working to ensure access to employment, sports and mentorship programmes.
Together with Fahima, Arif provided assistance following the 15 March 2019 Christchurch terror attack and during the influx of Afghani refugees escaping the Taliban in 2021.
Dr Fahima Saeid and Dr Mohammad Arif Saeid were recognised for services to the refugee community in New Zealand. Photo: Supplied
Fahima, who became the chief executive of NFACT in 2020, has organised numerous functions and programmes, including running "Triple P" parenting seminars and organising wellness retreats for women and youth at locations outside of Auckland.
Arguing the government can do much more to support long term refugees' successful resettlement, Fahima calls for a shift from short-term support to long-term settlement investment.
"Another issue is improving employment pathways and recognition of skills," Fahima said.
"This issue is very personal for us as we came as trained and experienced medical doctors to New Zealand about 24 years ago with much to offer. But unfortunately, our qualification was not recognised, and we had to go through lots of training and university studies, and change of career to be able to secure some decent jobs.
"Not much has been done in this space since, and we still see many refugees have remained under-employed or unemployed despite strong qualifications and experience."
Arif agrees with his wife noting prioritising training, skills development and work readiness early ensures significant long-tern returns.
"[This] recognition reflects not only my own efforts, but also the resilience, strength, and contributions of refugee communities themselves," Arif said.
Ravinder Singh Powar has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo: Supplied
Like Fahima, an Indian New Zealander Ravinder Singh Powar has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year's New Year Honours list.
Powar who has been recognised for services to ethnic communities of New Zealand, was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of New Zealand's first Sikh Gurudwara which opened in 1977 in Hamilton.
He has served the New Zealand Sikh Society in various capacities over the years and has been the president of the Waikato Multicultural Council since 2011.
He has held several positions with the Country Section New Zealand Indian Association since 1977 and has worked with Massey University's religion department to compile information and holy scriptures on Sikhism.
Calling it a "privilege" to have worked with multiple community organisations over the last 45 years, Powar called on government agencies to encourage their staff to undergo cultural competence training to better serve the multicultural communities of New Zealand.
Summing up the list are three Indian New Zealanders who have been awarded the King's Service Medal for their services to ethnic and Indian communities of New Zealand. These include Gurpreet Kaur, Mohan Durlabh Mistry and Harjinder Singh Basiala.
Kaur received it for promoting Punjabi culture and serving the south and east Auckland communities.
She has been a member of the Punjabi Cultural Association and the Indian Central Association since 2003.
She organised the Women's Traditional Games for a decade, runs weekly meditation classes for women and spearheaded the Papatoetoe Pool's Aqua Aerobics sessions, encouraging Punjabi women of all ages to learn basic swimming skills.
She has hosted domestic violence workshops to share information about what assistance is available in the community, has hosted annual Pink Ribbon Luncheon events, and assisted with the New Zealand Sikh Games.
Mohan Durlabh Mistry has been awarded the King's Service Medal for their services to ethnic and Indian communities of New Zealand. Photo: Supplied
Meanwhile, Mistry has been dedicated to the Wellington Indian Association since 1987.
He has been a representative for the Multicultural Council Wellington since 1990 and is currently its vice president.
Calling for establishment of a national anti-racism reporting body, Mistry says this is necessary as racism often goes unreported or unresolved.
"Many highly qualified Indians worked below their skill levels. Government can provide paid bridging roles. Social organizations can provide professional nurturing by involving industry leaders," said Mistry.
For protecting vulnerable migrant workers against exploitation, the Wellington community leader called for protection of migrant workers who report abuse.
Government funded immigration legal advise should also be looked at, Mistry noted.
Harjinder Singh Basiala was recognised for his services to the Punjabi community of New Zealand. Photo: Supplied
Last on the list, Basiala was recognised for his services to the Punjabi community of New Zealand.
He has dedicated more than 30 years to promoting the Punjabi language and culture in New Zealand through his contributions to journalism, literature and community service.
In 2009 he founded the Punjabi Herald, New Zealand's first online Punjabi language newspaper and an essential source of information for the Punjabi community.
As a qualified interpreter he has translated various government policies, including the Ministry of Health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has voluntarily supported the New Zealand Sikh Games since its debut in 2019, composing and distributing a Punjabi history magazine, providing children with Punjabi alphabet materials and releasing a commemorative stamp.
He initiated the launch of Punjabi Language Week in 2020 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
Calling caring for ageing parents a central cultural and moral duty for the Indian community, Basiala urged the government to come up with a more compassionate solution than the recently introduced Parent Resident Visa.
"This could include a sole carer or gravity policy pathway to permanent residency for these specific cases. This is not about opening the floodgates. It is about addressing a limited but meaningful need, reducing unnecessary cycles of uncertainty, and recognising the cultural importance of filial duty," said Basiala.
"A stable, humane policy supports stronger families, which strengthens New Zealand as a whole."
