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The CommunityNet Aotearoa monthly newsletter.
"News and views on community networking throughout Aotearoa."
The Community Internship Programme - 2009/10 Funding Round closes on 14 September at 4.00pm. The programme provides an excellent opportunity for skilled professionals to help organisations in their communities to create new and powerful networks, and to develop their careers. The programme provides grants to pay the salaries of experienced people while they temporarily leave their permanent job and help host community organisations improve their capability. Through the programme, community groups are able to employ staff with high-level skills from the public, private or community sector as an intern for three to six months at no cost to their organisation. More information about the Community Internship Programme is available on the Department of Internal Affairs website, www.dia.govt.nz or freephone 0800 824 824.
/communitycentre/news/national/cipfunding.htm
The Building Better Government Engagement Reference Group has released two documents on priorities for government action to strengthen community engagement. Following consultation on the discussion document, It's More Than Talk, which suggested options for building engagement skills and knowledge and values in the public service, the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector (OCVS) and the Reference Group collated feedback and have produced two further documents: Talkback - a summary of feedback and responses from the Reference Group; and From Talk to Action: Government Engagement with Citizens and Communities - the final report and recommendations to government. These documents can be downloaded from the OCVS website: www.ocvs.govt.nz/.
/communitycentre/news/national/govtengagement.htm
Do you, or a group that youíre involved with, have something to say to the people of New Zealand? Morningside Productions offers you the opportunity to make a documentary for television. We are looking for applications for the Open Door documentary series 9. We will be shooting the series through to October 2008. If youíre actively involved with an issue - be it social, sexual, political, family or whatever - a door is about to open again on TV3 Network Television. Open Door offers the opportunity to let people have their own say in their own way. We are looking for people with firmly held opinions and an energetic commitment to a matter that theyíre actively involved in. The key to the success of the process is having a clear idea of what you want to say. For further information, visit: www.opendoor.net.nz.
/communitycentre/news/national/opendoor.htm
Putting Partnering into Practice: Collaboration on Complex Issues – Healthy Homes. A resource about collaboration among multiple agencies working on complex issues. "Putting Partnering into Practice" presents themes, comments and experiences of collaboration from a cross-section of people working in Healthy Homes initiatives across the country. Healthy Homes is an emerging issue and a key area demonstrating collaboration between central and local government, iwi, business and communities. This resource supports this work by reflecting on the experiences and lessons to date from some of these collaborations. This resource is freely available to view and download from www.communityoutcomes.govt.nz/.
/communitycentre/news/national/partnerships.htm
St John is joining forces with the Stroke Foundation to run a National Blood Pressure Awareness Campaign, aimed at reducing the risk of stroke. The two charities will offer free blood pressure checks to the public on Saturday 12 September at around 150 community venues nationwide. Reducing blood pressure can greatly reduce the risk of stroke and is the second largest single killer in this country, and a major cause of adult disability.
/communitycentre/news/national/stjohnstroke.htm
Although the challenge of providing adequate compensation to low-wage employees may seem overwhelming, especially during a financial crisis, the fact is that non-profits and funders can consider a number of helpful options without torpedoing the budget. The article, by Blue Avocado's Jan Masaoka, outlines some steps non-profit organisations can take to support and compensate low-wage employees.
/communitycentre/news/national/lowwageworkers.htm
The results of this important annual sector remuneration survey have now been released. The key finding of the survey is the size of the pay gap between the not for profit sector and the broader employment market. The survey also shows that a significant number of staff in the sector are contracted to work less than a full-time week. When factored against overall salary levels that are notably below the broader public sector and general market, this indicates a large part of the sector is both underpaid and underemployed.
/communitycentre/news/national/remunerationsurvey.htm
Representatives from four Waikato community houses have been meeting with Community Waikato, the Department of Labour's Partnership Resource Centre and the Service and Food Workers Union to develop a Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA). The community houses are passionate about the need to develop common standards and conditions for people working for their organisations. A Multi Employer Collective Agreement is a collective process where a number of similar organisations (in this case, community houses) have a joint agreement to develop a common set of employment conditions. This helps to create consistency, common standards, and saves time and money compared to when organisations try to do it on their own. This approach is great for smaller organisations which do not have the resources that larger groups do. Working together will support the development of standards and benchmarks for employment policy throughout the sector; it will help secure better funding arrangements leading to improved service quality and security; and it will assist in achieving improved and fairer pay and conditions of employment in the sector.
/communitycentre/news/national/mecas.htm
Latest community news, events, jobs and ads are online at:www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news.
With 23 locations, 200 staff, 3,000 volunteers and 1,000 new volunteers trained each year, English Language Partners (formerly ESOL Home Tutors) is Aotearoa/New Zealand's largest organisation working with migrants and refugees. We provide a range of English language and settlement services.
http://www.englishlanguage.org.nz
Established in 1992, today Wellington Hindi School has about 65 students and 10 trained teachers, running classes in Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Newlands. The school is run by volunteers and is funded by sponsors and the community.
http://www.hindischool.wellington.net.nz/
At Home Care is a web-based community resource of information, businesses, services and products for elderly, their families and allied organisations in Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and Taranaki areas.
http://www.athomecare.co.nz
Registered charity that organises performing arts competitions annually in vocal, instrumental and speech and drama performance. These include the Sealord Aria Competition and the Nelson Market Sonata Competition.
http://www.npac.co.nz
Alcohol Action NZ is a new national group in New Zealand responding to the excessive presence of alcohol and the enormous social, medical and personal damage alcohol misuse is inflicting on our society. It involves people from a range of health and medical services, social services, police, councils, churches, iwi, schools and other groups.
http://www.alcoholaction.co.nz/
Sonet is a free New Zealand social network targeting kiwis, or people who have an association with New Zealand. It has several thousand members and the membership base is constantly increasing. It is a great tool for helping community organisations get their message out.
http://www.sonet.co.nz
JobStart is a non-profit specialist entry-level job placement programme formed by the JobStart Charitable Trust in Christchurch. We source and supply motivated school leavers for entry-level positions in all industries, provide mentoring and support over the young persons’ first year of employment and put together relevant study plans to complement their in-house training.
http://www.jobstart.org.nz
Kai Xin Xing Dong is a bilingual website that aims to reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental illness in NZís Chinese communities, creating inclusive communities for Chinese people whose lives have been affected by mental illness. We provide information on New Zealand mental health services and organisations that provide Chinese language services, and information to help you support people close to you who live with, and have been affected by, mental illness.
http://www.kaixinxingdong.org.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.
Internet filtering in New Zealand is on its way. Here's what you should know.
There are people in New Zealand who choose to view pictures of children being sexually abused. Sometimes they obtain these pictures over the Internet.
These pictures are repugnant and illegal. Blocking websites that enable them to be viewed or traded is part of an international campaign to prevent the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Each time anyone anywhere in the world accesses one of those images, the child depicted is victimised again.
The Department of Internal Affairs was funded in this year's budget to operate the filtering system, which is being made available voluntarily to Internet service providers (ISPs).
The filter will focus solely on websites offering clearly objectionable images of child sexual abuse, which is a serious offence for anyone in New Zealand to access, but will not apply to email, file sharing, or other channels that use the Internet.
The list of filtered websites will not be made public, for fairly obvious reasons.
If a member of the public comes across a Web site they feel should be blocked, they will be able to report it. A Code of Practice to guide which sites should be blocked is being developed. An independent group will also oversee everything.
Some commentators have aired concerns about this new filtering system. Questions they have raised include:
Our Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are able to join or leave the filtering scheme as they wish: it is voluntary.
Whether you agree with the filtering or not, you should ask your ISP whether they are participating in the scheme so that you can be fully informed about the services you are receiving.
This filtering is a new feature on our Internet landscape. If you use the Internet you should inform yourself more fully about what is planned and how it will work. Here are some sources to consult:
If you want people to participate in your programmes, include details on your website of what's involved.
I walk our two dogs most days around Mt Victoria in Wellington. It's distressing to see discarded fast food wrappers, cigarette butts, paper cups, bottles broken and intact, drink cans, french fries and chicken bones, and all the other detritus that clings to the sides of this beautiful hill.
The Council's clean-up guys do a good job near the rubbish bins, but the spread, frequency and quantity of rubbish defeat even them.
On occasion I pick up some of the bottles but cleaning up Mt Vic could easily be a full-time job and we're out there for a walk.
When I came across a website designed to help clean up New Zealand, I saw a chance to participate in a bigger cleanup.
The site included a prominent sign-up form encouraging me to get involved. It told me that "Taking part is easy". But it didn't tell me what's involved.
Other areas of the site told me where cleanups take place, that schools and other groups can sign up, that there are sponsors. Every page sported sign-up forms.
What I could not find, anywhere, was what a cleanup is, how it works, what happens, or what I'm committing myself to.
Do I just head out the door one day and pick up rubbish? How long do I spend? Am I committed to doing this every day for the week, every month, every year? Questions fizzed through my brain, but there were no answers to be found on the website.
I made my way to the website for the parent organisation, but found no answers there either. Accordingly I haven't signed up. I'll probably just continue occasionally picking up odd pieces of litter on our walks.
Visit your own website and try to look at it with 'fresh' eyes. Or even better, enlist the help of a neighbour or friend who doesn't know much or anything about your work.
What questions does a new visitor have about your programme? Does your website answer those questions?
Printing books and pamphlets can cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. You have to choose carefully what to say in printed material. On the web, space is virtually infinite and free. Take as much space as you need to fully inform your visitors about your programmes.
Find out what people really want to know that may prevent them from signing up with you, then answer those questions on your website.
If you find the 'wrong' people sign up, then tell visitors what characteristics and qualities you're looking for. Give them a quiz to help them self-select.
Use photos, text, diagrams, even video to show people what your programme is and what it does. Allay fears and concerns. Provide information. Explain.
"How our programme works" is a great title for a page on your site.
Panui tips contributed by Miraz Jordan, http://knowit.co.nz
Past Website tips are all available on CommunityNet Aotearoa.
In August 2009 there were 60,989 visits (July 50,343).
Last month, 43 new community items were published.
Send in your free community notice or advertisement at:
www.community.net.nz/about/submit.
There were 9,731 files downloaded (July: 9,315). The most popular file download in August was the Sample Board Policies section of the Governance and Management How-to Guide (896 downloads). In August this was also the Sample Board Policies section of the Governance and Management How-to Guide (897 downloads).
Find 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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Panui and CommunityNet Aotearoa are guided by an Advisory Group drawn from community organisations and are published by Department of Internal Affairs, PO Box 805, Wellington. Phone: 04 4957200. Email: information@community.net.nz.
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