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The CommunityNet Aotearoa monthly newsletter.
"News and views on community networking throughout Aotearoa."
2009 has been an eventful year for the community and voluntary sector and a busy year for CommunityNet Aotearoa. We'd like to wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas and we look forward to seeing you the New Year. Nga mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou.
Please note, Panui takes a break over the holidays; the first issue of 2010 will be sent out in February.
The final paper from the Study of the NZ Non-Profit Sector has been published online. The NZ Non-Profit Sector and Government Policy examines the relationship between the non-profit sector and government, and the public policy environment in which the sector operates in Aotearoa. In particular, it explores the impact of government policy on the sector and how current issues facing the sector are linked to interactions with government.
/communitycentre/news/national/nonprofitstudy.htm
Capacity Development New Zealand (CDNZ) is a new not-for-profit organisation set up to provide capacity building services to the community sector. The CDNZ team is a group of passionate and experienced people committed to providing a model of support based on good practice from a range of perspectives including organisational development, good governance, social development, promotion of health and wellbeing and sustainable development for community organisations. CDNZ aims to work collaboratively with people, organisations and sectors to support the growth of strong, sustainable and capable teams, structures and systems.
/communitycentre/news/national/cdnzorg.htm
2008 data from Nielsen Media Research's Panorama survey shows that volunteering and donation levels were consistent between 2007 and 2008. The research was released by the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector at Volunteering NZ's Volunteering Unleashed conference this week. Based on the responses of 12,000 people, the 2008 data shows the number of people supporting the community sector in some way was stable from one year to the next. However, the range of sub-sectors and causes they supported was broader for 2008 respondents than those in 2007.
/communitycentre/news/national/nielsenreport.htm
After extensive discussion and consultation, a new national disability network has been established to provide a clear voice to government and stay proactive on the issues and challenges ahead of the disability sector. An interim management group comprising the Chairs of the NZ Federation of Vocational Support Services (VASS), National Residential Intellectual Disability Providers (NRID), Supported Living NZ (SLNZ) and the Association for Supported Employment in NZ (ASENZ), supported by the CEOs of IHC and CCS Disability Action, oversaw the project to determine the feasibility of, and support for, a single umbrella body for the disability sector. In a show of unity and support, 40 organisations contributed nearly $90,000 during the network's establishment phase.
/communitycentre/news/national/disabilitynetwork.htm
The recession has had, and will continue to have, an effect on many New Zealanders. Some will be facing redundancy, a reduction in pay, difficulty finding a job as well as the increased cost of living. Unemployment and financial hardship can often lead to stress and sometimes feelings of depression or anxiety. The Ministry of Health has published a new brochure for people who are experiencing mental health issues relating to financial stress. The brochure - Coping with Financial Stress - provides practical advice for managing stress, solving problems, and looking after family during tough economic times.
/communitycentre/news/national/financialstress.htm
The Charities Commission's vision is a strong charitable sector for New Zealand, which enjoys a high level of public trust and confidence. In consultation with members of the charitable sector, the Commission has developed a statement of the qualities that it considers contribute to making a charity efficient and effective, and best able to achieve its purposes. Charities may wish to use the statements as a ìquery toolî to help measure and develop their own effectiveness. The information sheet is available at: http://www.charities.govt.nz/news/fact_sheets/qualeff.htm.
/communitycentre/news/national/effectivecharities.htm
The Maori Affairs Committee is calling for submissions on its inquiry into the operation of the Maori Community Development Act 1962 and related issues. The Act focuses primarily on Maori welfare issues and provides for the establishment and functions of the New Zealand Maori Council, District Maori Councils, Maori Executive Committees, and the local Maori Committees. The Act also covers the appointment, roles, and powers of Maori Wardens and Community Officers. The Maori Community Development Act 1962 was put in place at a time when the Government's policy in relation to Maori was one of assimilation and integration, and the committee feels it is now timely that this Act be reviewed to reflect the changes that have taken place since that time. Submissions can be made online at http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/MakeSub or two hardcopies can be forwarded to the Maori Affairs Committee Secretariat, Bowen House, Parliament Buildings, Wellington by Friday, 12 February 2010.
/communitycentre/news/national/maoridevelopment.htm
If you are an employer it is important to understand the law relating to disciplining and dismissing staff. Good employment relations are vital for business success and for these relationships to be effective employers need to understand what they can do and how they should do it. To help get it right the Department of Labour has launched a Disciplinary Action Guide for Employers. This guide aims to help employers, particularly small business owners, to understand the law relating to disciplinary action (including dismissals), redundancy and inability to work because of illness. Separate guidelines are available for employees. Visit: http://www.ers.dol.govt.nz.
/communitycentre/news/national/disciplinaryaction.htm
Making sense of government data is set to become easier, thanks to a new web-based pilot project launched this month. The creation of http://www.data.govt.nz is part of a drive to make non-personal government data more discoverable, useable and relevant to New Zealanders. The website will act as a catalogue for all publicly-available government data, allowing users to add links to web-based government data so they can be indexed, tagged and searched by anyone wishing to find the information.
/communitycentre/news/national/datagovt.htm
The Community Development Scheme (CDS) enables communities to work together in innovative ways, to generate their own solutions to local issues and achieve sustainable community outcomes. The 2010 funding round opened on 2 November 2009 and closes on 22 March 2010. There are grants available to support 10 new projects in 10 priority territories around the country, identified after reviewing where the scheme has been available to communities since 2005 and where the projects receiving funding are located. For more information on the Community Development Scheme visit: http://www.dia.govt.nz.
/communitycentre/news/national/cds2010.htm
Important research identifying the key factors contributing to Seniornet's effectiveness in meeting the learning needs of older people in new technology has now been completed and a report published. The report - 'Improving Our Understanding of the Older Person's Needs in Learning New Technology' - is the first research project funded by Lottery Community Sector Research Fund. The project enabled Seniornet to test the proposition that older people prefer, and are better able to learn new technology, through 'older people helping older people'. The research also details why the Seniornet model is effective from the perspective of its users and people knowledgeable about the Seniornet service. To read the final report, go to: http://www.seniornet.org.nz/researchreport.asp.
/communitycentre/news/national/seniornetresearch.htm
Public submissions are now being invited on the Inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Maori. The purpose of the inquiry is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the actions of the tobacco industry to promote tobacco use amongst Maori, and the impact of tobacco use on the health of the Maori population, and the wider economic, social, cultural and developmental impacts that arise from such health effects and tobacco use more generally. The closing date for submissions is Friday, 29 January 2010.
/communitycentre/news/national/tobaccoinquiry.htm
Not-for-profit organisations are becoming increasingly concerned about finance and fundraising, according to a nationwide survey by international accounting firm Grant Thornton. Financing the organisation was identified by 72% of survey respondents as one of the three most significant issues they faced during these challenging economic times, with 47% saying that fundraising was also a key area of concern. Both these figures were up significantly from the last survey two years ago and the highest since the survey first started in 2003.
/communitycentre/news/national/thorntonsurvey.htm
A real depth of compassion and aroha is needed in our society if we are to meet the future needs of families and whanau living with dementia/mate wareware. This is the key message of a new New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) report on future services for dementia. Just and compassionate responses to the increasing number of people living with dementia will require changes to existing structures and services to recognise their particular needs. The report - Working Together We Can Respond to Dementia: future directions for services - underlines the vital role of spirituality and a relational understanding of care and support in dementia care. Kaumatua spiritual support and chaplaincy are recommended as essential ingredients for core services. Other recommendations include taking a community development approach to service development that could include models of intergenerational housing. To read the report visit: http://www.nzccss.org.nz/site/page.php?page_id=122.
/communitycentre/news/national/dementiareport.htm
The Quiksilver ISA World Juniors Surfing Championship needs approximately 200 volunteers to help operate the contest in Auckland from 20 - 28 January 2010. Volunteers' help is essential in the day-to-day duties required to run both the surf contest and general hosting activities. Over 200 of the world's best young surfers will be competing for the under 18's title of World Champion at N.Z's infamous surf spot Piha. A range of volunteer roles are available, including: surf contest operators, language specific team liaisons, catering and hospitality hosts, security officers, infrastructure assistants, drivers, VIP chaperones and many more.
/communitycentre/news/national/surfingvolunteers.htm
Increased funding for New Zealand's community groups will result from the merger of two of the country's leading charitable trusts - The Lion Foundation and Perry Foundation. As of 1 January 2010, the two trusts will merge their operations, under The Lion Foundation name, operating 261 gaming venues across the country. The efficiency gains achieved by merging the two organisations will allow more funds to be returned to New Zealand communities and their causes.
/communitycentre/news/national/lionperry.htm
A new voluntary scheme called payroll giving will be available from 7 January 2010. It's an easy way for employees to support a good cause. Employers can choose whether to set up a payroll giving scheme in their workplace, and employees can choose whether they want to participate. Payroll giving enables donations to go directly from a person's pay to a chosen community organisation. The scheme will be administered through the PAYE tax system, so people whose employers sign up for the scheme will receive the tax benefits of their donations each payday, without having to present donation receipts or wait to claim at the end of a tax year. Information packs have been distributed to employers during November and further guidance is available on the Inland Revenue and the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector websites.
/communitycentre/news/national/payegiving.htm
The most recent interview on 'Collaborative Voices' - the show about community and voluntary sector issues broadcast throughout the Access Radio network - is now available online. In this interview, Michael Woodcock interviews Brenda Pilott, National Secretary of the Public Service Association, about the PSA's work in the sector and some of the critical issues facing our sector at the moment. The Collaborative Voices programme is an initiative of the New Zealand Council of Social Services (NZCOSS) and New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (NZFVWO), as a way of informing the sector about topical issues. To listen visit: http://www.accessradio.org.nz/collaborative_voices.html.
/communitycentre/news/national/collaborativevoices.htm
The Ministry of Women's Affairs is seeking applications from non-government organisations to participate in the official New Zealand Government Delegation to the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2010. Our representative will be advising on New Zealand's progress on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The Ministry is looking to support the participation of one NGO representative as part of the New Zealand Delegation for 2010. Decisions regarding the inclusion of NGOs in the New Zealand Delegation are made by the responsible Minister and cleared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the New Zealand Government's lead adviser and negotiator on foreign and trade policy, and diplomatic and consular issues. Applications close on Monday, 14 December.
/communitycentre/news/national/ngorep.htm
Latest community news, events, jobs and ads are online at:www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news.
Capacity Development New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation set up to provide capacity building services to the community sector. The CDNZ team is committed to providing a model of support based on good practice from a range of perspectives including organisational development, good governance, social development, promotion of health and wellbeing and sustainable development for community organisations.
http://www.cdnz.org/
The New Zealand Continence Association is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping people with bowel and bladder incontinence. The Association provides professional and public education and promotes research into incontinence and related problems to improve genitourinary health.
http://www.continence.org.nz/
FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program. Answer questions on a variety of subjects and for every correct answer, FreeRice donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.
http://www.freerice.com/
K.E.E.A. is a registered charity providing information and support to families and health professionals on bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis), daytime wetting and soiling (encopresis).
http://www.keea.org.nz
The Ministry of Social Development offers a number of different services for seniors. This is a comprehensive resource to describe these services and provide you with appropriate contact information.
http://www.seniors.msd.govt.nz
Confidential, audio, digital dictation and transcription services. Friendly, flexible and affordable. Great discounts and special rates for all, especially students and non-profit organisations.
http://www.audiotranscriptionservices.co.nz
The Asian Network Incorporated (TANI) provides an ongoing network to assist Asian communities in Auckland through information sharing, training opportunities, and submissions to central and local government.
http://www.asiannetwork.org.nz/
data.govt.nz is a directory of publicly-available New Zealand government datasets. The site is a pilot and will be reviewed in June 2010. During the pilot we'll be adding features, refining presentation and automating the behind-the-scenes processes.
http://data.govt.nz/
Migrant Action Trust (MAT) is a non-profit charitable trust supporting migrants from their arrival to employment, and from assimilation to integration.
http://migrantactiontrust.org.nz/
Local online business directory. Find what you are looking for online and on gopher. List your organisation or business for free - it's all about getting found by your audience.
http://www.gopher.co.nz
The Movember Foundation is a global not-for-profit, charitable organisation which runs the men's health initiative, Movember. Each year, we are responsible for the appearance of moustaches on thousands of men's faces across the globe, with the aim of raising vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.
http://nz.movemberfoundation.com/
Hauora.com is a national Maori health workforce development organisation. Hauora provides a range of services including advocacy, policy analysis and advice, Maori workforce business and strategic planning, back-office support, workforce events management and mentoring.
http://www.hauora.com/
Auckland Disability Law is a free community legal service in the Auckland region helping disabled people access legal services. We work with Community Law services, other legal professionals, and community organisations to get the best outcome for disabled people.
http://www.aucklanddisabilitylaw.org.nz/
The Disabled Surfer's Association of New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation giving people of any disability the chance to experience a safe surfing and beach experience.
http://www.disabledsurfers.co.nz/
Te Hotu Manawa Maori delivers heart health services "by Maori for Maori", providing solutions tailored to meet the needs of Maori. In doing so, Te Hotu Manawa Maori reinforces the principles and values of both tikanga and kaupapa Maori imperatives.
http://www.tehotumanawa.org.nz/
Te Reo Marama has been dedicated, on behalf of the Tupeka-Auahi Kore community and the wider Maori community, to tobacco resistance. Its main role is to advocate evidence-based positions on tobacco-related issues at a local, national and international level.
http://www.tereomarama.co.nz/
Regional Maori Public Health Provider that works to empower and support Maori to challenge and develop healthy public policy that reinforces healthy lifestyles and encourages role modeling with integrity. Hapai Te Hauora Tapui co-ordinates and delivers a range of health promotion messages and events in the Auckland area.
http://www.hapai.co.nz/
Providing an efficient, friendly conduit to gain fire evacuation compliance to a level approved by New Zealand Fire Service and often required by the ACC Audit Guidelines. Nova can design, implement and help maintain evacuation schemes, and can also conduct trial evacuations and wardens' training. Community groups qualify for a free, no obligations on-site consultation.
http://www.fire-evacuation.co.nz
The Peace Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation actively involved in creating a more peaceful society. The Foundation promotes peaceful relationships among people of all ages, at all levels, through education, research and action.
http://www.peace.net.nz/
ENACT is a youth website dedicated to peace issues, in Aotearoa and in the world as a whole. It is aimed at young people as a forum for voicing opinions and finding out about all things peace-related.
http://www.enact.org.nz/
The social report uses a set of statistical indicators to monitor trends across 10 "domains", or areas of people's lives. Together these domains provide a picture at a national, regional and territorial authority level. The report examines how people are faring in New Zealand, how this has changed over time, and varies for different groups in the population.
http://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz/
Interactionz is a charitable trust committed to providing facilitation services to people with disabilities and their families, enabling them to connect with their communities and live the life they choose, a life which is meaningful and satisfying to them.
http://www.interactionz.org.nz
Wellington Malayalee Association Inc. represents the Kerala community in the Greater Wellington Region. Based on ìservant leadershipî, the association works to preserve and nurture the special culture heritage and language of the Indian state of Kerala by means of social and cultural activities.
http://wellingtonmalayalees.org.nz
The New Zealand Muslim Association (NZMA) is a registered charitable organisation that looks after three Muslim religious centres in Blockhouse Bay, Ponsonby and Ranui. Prayers are performed at the centres in addition to regular programmes for children (Madarsa), youth and women.
http://www.nzma.net.nz
You'll find these and more links at:www.community.net.nz/links.
These Events are coming up in the next few weeks. Find details at: www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/events.
These Training events are coming up in the next few weeks. Find details at: www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/training.
Next time you wake up feeling disoriented and wondering where you are, check your phone.
While everyone keeps talking about Twitter and Facebook something else has been quietly going on behind the scenes. One of the most important changes starting to affect almost everything we do today can be summed up in one word: location.
These days it's all about where you are:
Where did I take that photo? What route did I cycle today? Where am I now? What shops or services are available near me? Is anyone nearby who's using the same services as me? Where is the bus and when will it arrive at my stop? Where is that huge deforestation project going on? Where are the migrant birds stopping on their route North? Where is the fishing fleet right now? Where's the parcel I ordered online? Where did I park the car?
For the most part these location services depend on GPS.
For about the last 20 years a number of US and other satellites have been orbiting the Earth. Those satellites know exactly where they are and exactly what the time is. They continuously send out this information.
With a suitable receiver, you can tune into these signals, and find out to within 5 or 10 metres where you are on the Earth's surface.
Until recently you had to have a specialised GPS receiver. Now however we are increasingly finding GPS receivers in cell phones, cameras, sports watches, in-car navigation, and other devices.
What's more, many of these devices can interact with websites, or Web services, such as Google Maps.
When I snap a photo with my iPhone, it automatically embeds GPS coordinates into the photo.
If I call up Google Maps while I'm walking the dogs, a marker on the map zeroes in on my position, and I can use my iPhone to give me directions to where I want to go.
I can use an application on my iPhone to track where I've been walking, running, or cycling, send that information to a web page, and give me statistics like speed and distance as well.
One colleague used GPS to help track his partner via her iPhone while she was on a lonely long distance bike ride.
He had her permission to login to her account and use a piece of software to report the position of her iPhone at any given time. Since she was cycling on isolated country roads, and was alone, it gave her some sense of security, because her partner could always know where she was. You can read the whole story in the article called Find My (Wife's) iPhone.
The 'Little Buddy' GPS device (US$100) will even allow you to track where your child is at all times, as explained in the article Little Buddy Child Tracker Makes Spying on Your Kids Easy.
Location is the new big thing. Check your cellphone, sports watch, and camera. Do they do GPS?
The easier you make it for people to attend your events, the more people will join in. Use Google Maps to give potential attendees a great map, that may even include directions and a street-level view of the location.
Are you running an event soon? Make sure you have information about it on your website. And make sure that information includes a map.
Did you know that you can embed Google Maps on your own website for free? It's easy to do. Here's how.
Go to http://maps.google.com and look up the address for your event.
For example: 1 The Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand.
1 The Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand
The Google Map will display what it thinks is the correct address.
Use the Map and Satellite buttons at the top of the displayed map to find the view that best suits your purpose.
In some places, such as Wellington, New Zealand satellite view gives a real-world view showing buildings, gardens, streets, cars. It's an actual photo, taken by a satellite within the last few years.
In other places a Map view, showing lines for streets may be more suitable.
Make sure the address is in the centre of the map. You can do this by dragging round on the map and double-clicking to zoom in.
At the top right-hand corner of the Google map is a link labelled 'Link'.
In my example I copied this code: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1+The+Terrace,+Wellington,+New+Zealand&sll=-41.279032,174.773362&sspn=0.007563,0.010815&g=1+The+Terrace,+Wellington,+New+Zealand&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1+The+Terrace,+Wellington,+6011,+New+Zealand&ll=-41.279008,174.77613&spn=0.003781,0.005407&t=h&z=17.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1+The+Terrace,+Wellington,+New+Zealand&sll=-41.279032,174.773362&sspn=0.007563,0.010815&g=1+The+Terrace,+Wellington,+New+Zealand&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1+The+Terrace,+Wellington,+6011,+New+Zealand&ll=-41.279008,174.77613&spn=0.003781,0.005407&t=h&z=17
It's long, but it works, and all you have to do is paste it into an email for another person to click on.
Note: putting such a long 'word' into this Panui Tip or on a web page will cause problems because it's so long. We've broken it up over several lines so you can still see what it looks like without it messing up our newsletter. Normally things this long are hidden away behind the scenes.
The second link that Google Maps gives you is called 'Paste HTML to embed in website'. It provides code you can just copy and paste into the HTML that makes a web page. When the web page is displayed it will include an interactive map.
Visitors will be able to click on the map, zoom in, scroll around, call up Street View, if it's available, and generally work with the map.
In my example, I was given a long chunk of code.
You can see an example of this kind of map embedded in a web page at runspotrun.info/australasia/2009/lyall-bay-beach.
That web page talks about Lyall Bay beach in Wellington. At the end of the page is a map that shows you where the beach is. A visitor to the web page can zoom in and out, and switch between different views of the location.
Google Maps handle that side of things. All I had to do was put the code they gave me into my web page.
Copy and Paste is so easy to do and the map is so useful for people who may be attending your event that really there's no reason not to do it. The easier you can make it for people to attend events, and the more information you can give them beforehand, the better attended your events should be.
And don't just think that everybody knows where your location is — they may be new to the district, or perhaps English is not their first language. It only takes a minute to find and use a Google Map location. Just do it.
Panui tips contributed by Miraz Jordan, http://knowit.co.nz .
Past Website tips are all available on CommunityNet Aotearoa.
In November 2009 there were 59,858 visits (October 60,803).
Last month, 76 new community items were published.
Send in your free community notice or advertisement at:
www.community.net.nz/about/submit.
There were 9,250 files downloaded (October: 9,130). The most popular file download in November was the Sample Board Policies section of the Governance and Management How-to Guide (851 downloads). In October this was also the Sample Board Policies section of the Governance and Management How-to Guide (810 downloads).
Find quarterly CommunityNet statistics at:www.community.net.nz/about/website/statistics.htm.
Remember: please forward the complete Panui to others who'll find it useful.
Nick Stanley, Web Content Writer.
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