Wellington woman Lalita Kasanji is on a mission to identify the pioneering Indian immigrants depicted in a collection of studio portraits taken on Cuba Street in the early 1900's. One of the portraits, likely taken between the 1910s and 1940s. Sometime in 1998 Te Papa Museum in Wellington acquired a collection of 4000 glass plate negatives that had been found in a cupboard in what was once the central city's Cuba Photographic studios. In this collection were about 95 images of early Indian immig...
Sep 24, 2023•14 min•Ep. 159
Floods in India claimed hundreds of lives this monsoon season, but an Indian expat in New Zealand is hoping his new invention will help bring the toll down. Produced by William Ray. Floods in India claimed hundreds of lives this monsoon season, but an Indian expat in New Zealand is hoping his new invention will help bring the toll down. Listen to the story Massey doctoral graduate Areef Shaik came to Aotearoa in 2018 and has spent much of the past five years designing a new type of lifejacket fo...
Sep 17, 2023•11 min•Ep. 158
Scientists are looking for ways to adapt salmon fisheries for climate change. In this episode we talk to UK-born Dr Jane Symonds about how to save the industry from mass fish die-offs. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar Researchers at Nelson's Cawthron Institute are working to help Marlborough's salmon industry survive the challenges of climate change. This week Voices visited the institute's fin fish breeding lab, where large tubs contain salmon that are being monitored for growth and feeding hab...
Sep 10, 2023•11 min•Ep. 157
Using natural build techniques, a group of Takaka-based social entrepreneurs are excited about getting closer to the finish line of their cohousing project in development. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar. A growing, intergenerational community is taking shape at a Takaka cohousing cluster of houses. The last few houses, including the common house, are being built in a race towards the finish line in the next few months. The ethos of the project is natural building and living in community. Golde...
Sep 03, 2023•13 min•Ep. 156
A group of South American migrants spoke out recently about allegedly misleading job contracts they signed with the Auckland construction company Buildhub as part of New Zealand's Accredited Employers Work Visa (AEWV) scheme. On Voices, Kadambari Gladding sits down for an exclusive interview with Buildhub's commercial administrator Ricardo Corona-Perez. A group of South American migrants spoke out recently about allegedly misleading job contracts they signed with the Auckland construction compan...
Aug 27, 2023•15 min•Ep. 155
Supporting their families back home in Samoa is the main drive of a group of ten young men. Some of them feature in this episode of Voices, produced by Justine Murray. FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Supporting their families back home in Samoa is the main drive of a group of ten young men who have jumped at the chance to work at Ngai Tukairangi Orchard Trust, a multi-million dollar Maori owned Kiwifruit orchards in Tauranga. Orchar...
Aug 20, 2023•12 min•Ep. 154
After a three-year absence, the most powerful images from professional photojournalists across the globe are now showing in Auckland at the World Press Photo Exhibition. RNZ's Justin Gregory speaks to the exhibition's curator Marika Cukrowski (who is visiting from Amsterdam) and one of the winning contestants, Egyptian photographer Mohamed Mahdy. After a three-year absence, the most powerful images from professional photojournalists across the globe are now showing in Auckland at the World Press...
Aug 13, 2023•15 min•Ep. 153
Timpanist Steven Logan chats with Voices about his love for classical music, growing up in the US and joining the APO seven years ago. Timpanist Steven Logan chats with Voices about his love for classical music, growing up in the US and joining the APO seven years ago. Steven's always passionate about timpani but right now he's even more excited than usual due to the arrival of some new toys - a set of timpani from the Netherlands. The timpani's roots go back to medieval infantries when it was u...
Aug 06, 2023•13 min•Ep. 152
Sheila Nguyen talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about the focus on sustainability in this FIFA Women's World Cup. United States forward Megan Rapinoe in action against Vietnam during -the FIFA World Cup match at Eden Park. The sheer scale of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 presents opportunities on several levels, particularly in driving messages of sustainability and inclusion. In this episode of Voices, FIFA WWC 2023 Head of Sustainability joins Kadambari Raghukumar to talk about what those look l...
Jul 30, 2023•13 min•Ep. 151
Yoga - when does appreciation become appropriation? In this two-part series, Voices talk to New Zealand practitioners about the commodification of ancient Indian practice. Yoga - when does appreciation become appropriation? In this two-part series, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to New Zealand practitioners about the commodification of ancient Indian practice. FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Megan Sety is a US-born yoga student and teac...
Jul 23, 2023•9 min•Ep. 150
Yoga - when does appreciation become appropriation? In this two-part series, Voices talk to New Zealand practitioners about the commodification of ancient Indian practice. Yoga - when does appreciation become appropriation? In this two-part series, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to New Zealand practitioners about the commodification of ancient Indian practice. FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. "What it comes down to I guess culture, India...
Jul 16, 2023•14 min•Ep. 149
Mexico and New Zealand first began bilateral relations in 1973. 50 years on, what does this connection mean to both the diaspora living here in New Zealand and the for Mexico? FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. In this Voices episode we look at the significance of celebrating 50 years of bilateral relations between Mexico and New Zealand. Mexico is one of New Zealand's most significant trading partners in the Americas and an event mark...
Jul 09, 2023•14 min•Ep. 148
Jess Karamjeet talks to Kadambari Raghukumar on finding comedy through her time in New Zealand. In this episode of Voices, UK born standup comic and screenwriter Jessica Karamjeet shares her story of coming to New Zealand and making her foray into comedy, while managing a chronic health condition. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details...
Jul 02, 2023•11 min•Ep. 147
Growing up in Germany, researcher Mirjam Schindler always had an interest in how green spaces shape the way people interact with each other and spaces around them. In this episode, she talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about the future of New Zealand's urban geography. As house intensification is on the rise and measures to increase climate resilience become critical, what does the future of green spaces in New Zealand look like? In this episode of Voices we discuss how cultural and social contexts ...
Jun 25, 2023•12 min•Ep. 146
In the events in the early 1990s after the collapse of Yugoslavia Vukan Cavor's family to fled to Aotearoa. In this Voices episode we meet Vukan about keeping up his connection to his home country of Montenegro. Vukan Cavor may have lived in New Zealand for almost thirty years, but he's still as connected as ever to his beloved country of Montenegro. He's passionate about teaching Montenegrins about their history, helping to document the suffering that took place under Serbian occupation between...
Jun 11, 2023•11 min•Ep. 145
In Xinjiang, more than a million Uyghurs and Kazakhs have been arbitrarily held in "re-education" camps. In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar speaks to people behind a new documentary based on testimony from family members of the detained and survivors of the camps. FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Across Xinjiang, the United Nations and human rights groups estimate that since 2017 more than a million Kazakhs and Uyghurs h...
May 28, 2023•16 min•Ep. 144
In this episode, we look back at the historical ties between tangata whenua and Indian settlers in New Zealand, through NZOM Professor Edwina Pio's latest research. Professor Edwina Pio's latest academic manuscript, "Aotearoa & Bharat, Māori-Indian" honours historical connections between Maori and Indians as well as more recent families that are Maori-Indian. In this episode of Voices we feature Matt Renata's family and Professor Pio, talking about how this history came to be an integral par...
May 21, 2023•13 min•Ep. 143
In this episode, composer and vocalist Briar Prastiti talks about bridging her two worlds through her music - Greece and New Zealand. Briar Prastiti is the latest Composer-in-Residence at the New Zealand School of Music-Te Kōkī for 2023. The vocalist-composer draws deeply from her Greek background and in this episode of Voices, she talks from the Lilburn Residence in Wellington, about how being Greek-Kiwi shapes her world view -- and compositions. Listen free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRa...
May 14, 2023•11 min•Ep. 142
In this episode, Labour's Ibrahim Omer talks to Kadambari Raghukumar on what the nomination to contest for Wellington Central means for him. In March this year, Ibrahim Omer - a list MP since 2020 - was selected as Labour's candidate in Wellington Central at this year's election. Arriving in New Zealand as a refugee in 2008, Ibrahim rose through the trade union movement and became first a list MP in 2020, before deciding to stand in Wellington Central. To win the nomination he had to beat a stro...
May 07, 2023•15 min•Ep. 141
In this episode, as the conflict in Sudan is driving thousands of people to cross borders, diaspora in New Zealand are trying their level best to help family members reach safety. As the conflict in Sudan drives thousands of people to cross borders, members of the diaspora in New Zealand are trying their level best to help family members reach safety. Since April 15 when fighting broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, thousands have been fleeing the cities to reach saf...
Apr 30, 2023•15 min•Ep. 140
In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to arts practitioners about the latest New Zealand on Air music fund to support pan-Asian artists and musicians in New Zealand. A new music fund from NZ on Air will soon be open to Kiwi musicians and artists of pan-Asian descent. In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to some of the arts practitioners who helped get the New Music Pan-Asian fund up and running. This conversation features Yee Yang 'Square' Lee of SquareSums&C...
Apr 23, 2023•12 min•Ep. 139
Each year, hundreds of high school students compete in New Zealand's Race Unity Speech Awards. For many past winners, the awards have been a career springboard. In this episode of Voices, three past winners talk about how the awards help young Kiwis find their voices. "There are many race-related issues New Zealand still needs to address and the Race Unity Speeches are one small part of that journey we need to be undertaking" - Māori cultural advocate Aperahama Hurihanganui. Aperahama Hurihangan...
Apr 16, 2023•12 min•Ep. 138
In this episode of Voices, Filmmaker Hweling Ow talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about her latest play "Not Woman Enough" directed by Sananda Chatterjee. Malaysia-born Hweiling Ow is best known for her horror films that've got millions of hits online, and last week she turned her eye to theatre with Not Woman Enough which was directed by Sananda Chatterjee and presented by Proudly Asian Theatre (PAT). The story revolves around three Asian women going through three distinct chapters of their lives, ...
Apr 02, 2023•11 min•Ep. 137
Nowroz Ali first spoke to Voices from Kabul in 2021, while he waited for one of the evacuation flights operated by New Zealand Defence Force. In this episode Kadambari Raghukumar catches up with him, a year and a half after he arrived in NZ. Nowroz Ali Atayee was a former interpreter for NZDF and when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, along with hundreds of others, Nowroz was waiting in limbo to leave the country on one of New Zealand's mercy flights. Kadambari Raghukumar spoke t...
Mar 26, 2023•13 min•Ep. 136
The forgotten community of Banaba who were displaced from their homes to the Pacific island of Rabi in 1945, are seeking justice and restoration of their island. Banaba was all but destroyed by over 80 years of phosphate mining by British Phosphate Company (BPC) of which New Zealand was part of. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar. In this episode of Voices, we meet with a delegation of Banaban people including elders, who travelled from their Pacific island of Rabi to attend a recent climate march...
Mar 19, 2023•13 min•Ep. 135
In this Voices episode, we're talking to volunteers coming together to help the Hawkes Bay's community back on its feet again after Cyclone Gabrielle. A month on from Cyclone Gabrielle ripping through the north Island, volunteers in Hawkes Bay are busy doing whatever they can to chip in and help the community there back on its feet again. In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to some of them on the ground - Tui Kanthavong, Rizwana Latiff of the Hawkes Bay Multicultural society an...
Mar 12, 2023•13 min•Ep. 134
Professor Bruce Glavovic talks to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode about natural disasters and why not just a scientific, but a social science perspective is crucial if we are going to adapt and be prepared for more turbulent climate in the years to come. In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle and the flooding in February, we talk to policy adviser and professor Bruce Glavovic about his global career in critical disaster studies. South Africa-born Glavovic is an advocate for the importance of...
Mar 05, 2023•10 min•Ep. 133
In this episode, we hear about how a Massey University electronics engineer took his love for robotics to school students in Rotorua. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar. Kartikay Lal came to New Zealand as a 15-year-old with a pre-existing obsession for all things mechanical - picking them apart, fixing them and learning how things work really. That became a love for robotics when he discovered electronics as a student. In this Voices episode, we speak to him about this journey that's seen him hel...
Feb 26, 2023•11 min•Ep. 132
How do te reo Maori words find their way in to children's speech in New Zealand and what context do they signify? In a With a new Marsden research grant, two linguists plan to investigate this. Dr Andreea Calude of Waikato University was born in Romania, is a polyglot and a linguist. She has long been fascinated with te reo Maori and in her latest research, along with Dr Hemi Whaanga of Massey University, she looks at the significance of te reo loan words into New Zealand English in the world of...
Feb 19, 2023•13 min•Ep. 131
Gaia Dell'Arriccia left the south of France to research seabirds on Auckland's coastal islands. When Kadambari Raghukumar visits, it's peak breeding season and the Italy-born scientist is busy gathering data about the birds' lives. In this episode of Voices, Gaia tells how life a long way from the Med has been going. Gaia Dell'Arriccia left the south of France to research seabirds on Auckland's coastal islands. When Kadambari Raghukumar visits, it's peak breeding season and the Italy-born scient...
Feb 12, 2023•14 min•Ep. 130
