Here Now

2021 was yet another year riddled with Covid-19 lockdowns, endless queues for MIQ spots and families separated by border closures. As the year draws to an end, we look at what this year has meant for immigrants in Aotearoa.

Auckland's diversity found a new space in the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland Museum this year. Kadambari chats to the people involved in making this a dynamic, community-driven space.

Bringing Africa to Aotearoa, a film at a time - AFFNZ 2021

Two weeks after moving up from Raglan to Auckland to get busier with his music, Muroki speaks to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode, about his journey so far as a musician.

In this episode, Auckland-based pianist Ben Fernandez, speaks to Kadambari Raghukumar about his journey growing up a very musical family in Mumbai, to arriving in New Zealand to study jazz.

What was life in the Fijian town of Levuka like for two young girls from the Indo-Fijian community? Two elders reflect in a casual conversation switching effortlessly between Hindi, Fijian and English. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar

As Sudan goes through a coup and the dissolving of the transitional government, how does diaspora in Aotearoa feel as two years of hopes for democracy in their home country seem dashed? Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar

Everyday New Zealanders will soon be given the chance play a bigger role helping new refugees settle in, thanks to a new Community Organisation Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) scheme that will soon be rolled out.

Film festival programmer Vicci Ho explains why a career watching movies is harder than it seems and how she picks films to reflect a culture.

In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to the Minister for Ethnic Communities, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, along with the Green and National party spokespeople for ethnic communities - Golriz Ghahraman and Melissa Lee respectively. What is the road map ahead for refugee intakes, international students and the Royal Commission huis?

For 165,000 people waiting to become New Zealanders, the government's recent decision to fast-track visas has come just in the nick of time. But what about those who've spent years here working and studying, but still don't qualify?

Workplace Bullying - The Beat Up, Anendra Singh's debut novel, was published earlier this year. During Mental Health Awareness Week, he spoke to Kadambari Raghukumar about what more needs to be done to combat New Zealand's high rates of workplace bullying.

After her first year of being in New Zealand, Somali former refugee Fatema Mohamed, now considers started a process that could help her restore a long-lost link. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

Women's rights have come a long way in Afghanistan over the last 20 years. Will the recent Taliban takeover unravel all that hard work - and worse.

In the second part of stories from Afghanistan, Kadambari Raghukumar speaks to one Afghan waiting in Kabul for evacuation to New Zealand, and one woman who recently arrived in Auckland from Afghanistan in the first week of the Taliban's takeover.