localeye passes the 5000 mark 

Visitor stats to localeye continue to climb. February recorded over 16,000 visitors. localeye has over 5,500 sites listed.
If you know of any site based in, or about, this region, please let us know and we will add it to the database.

Recent News and Events

Community Advocacy
Council appoints multicultural advisor
The Korean community in Christchurch
HP boosts computers in the community project
Supergrans
Communities on line
Redeveloped Avice Hill Craft Centre

Sites Added

St Mary's, Addington
Information on the church at Addington, services, and history.

Computers in the Community Project - Christchurch City Council
Information on the Computers in the Community project, which helps community groups gain access to computer technology and the Internet. A partnership between Molten Media Community Trust, the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Development Corporation with support from the business community.

LowDown: Citizens Advice Bureau Youth Website
Information from the Citizens Advice Bureau for young people on their rights. Includes information on consumer rights, employment, the police, tenancy, legal ages. Features a Know your Rights quiz.

Growing cultures - Multicultural Christchurch

How do we as a city manage different cultural beliefs and aspirations? What sort of support mechanisms are available for other cultures in Christchurch? As there were 43 nationalities represented at a recent citizenship ceremony, there is clearly a need to think about this issue. The last two months have seen the timely introduction of the Inter-Cultural Assembly and the appointment of a multicultural adviser. Some topics to consider:

• Language and Communication
  Various organisations such as Christchurch ESOL Community Tutor Scheme recognise the importance of migrants acquiring English language skills. Others serve to keep them in touch with their own language and culture. The News and Newspapers section of the Library web site is a popular way for migrants to find out the news in their former homelands.
• Introduction to community services
  How do we make new settlers aware of services they may benefit from? 
  Organisations such as Christchurch City Libraries offer introductory sessions and special services to migrants (there is also a New Settlers web page linking to relevant library information). 
• Cultural celebration
  Cultural festivals in local communities are another way to bring diverse groups together.  As well as providing fun and entertainment, such community gatherings convey the message that differences are a matter for celebration, not fear. If we can enjoy the food and entertainment of another culture, it may only be a small step towards cultural awareness - but it is a good starting point. A recent example was a multicultural festival in Linwood.

localeye links to Ethnic and Cultural Groups. This category links to sites such as the Online Ethnic Communities Directory, a directory of ethnic community groups and support services produced by the New Zealand Immigration Service in association with the Office of the Race Relations Conciliator. 

Buried Treasures

Spotlight on some localeye resources ... 

Special Interest Groups

Check out the section of localeye called Special Interest Groups if you are looking to learn more about organisations with unique and challenging interests and points of view.

There is the Anarchist Round Table. They are involved in setting up a number of activist and community projects in Christchurch, including the SMOG neighbourhood newspaper and the Beneficiary Action Collective (BAC). The Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa  (CAFCA) promotes an independent Aotearoa based on policies of economic, military and political self-reliance and opposes foreign alliances and control of local resources.

The MensTrust is a charitable trust working to build a culture where men are accepted, supported, and encouraged to create positive change in their lives. They aim to assist men in moving beyond the stereotypes.