Here Now

Musician Vallé talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about rediscovering his connection to Papua New Guinea, his music and running his barbershop alongside everything else. WATCH A VIDEO ON THIS STORY HEREGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Christine Keller was the Head of Textiles at the Otago Polytechnic for 5 years, but things changed in 2010 when her role was made redundant. Turns out it was the perfect time to chase her aim to find sustainable alternatives to period care and started Sew On Period Care to involve the community and make reusable sanitary pads. Karthic SS chats to her in this episode. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and sustaining food systems of the world were top of the agenda at the COP16 in Cali, Colombia. In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar was in Colombia to talk to two New Zealanders attending the world's largest biodiversity conference with the aim to bring a Kiwi perspective to some of the planet's biggest challenges. A couple of weeks ago delegates from around the world met at what was at the world's biggest nature protection conference, the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, or simply, COP16.New Zealand had a few representatives at the conference participating in these crucial discussions.In this episode we feature Lisbon-born, Wellington-based Bruno Marquez, President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects and Manu Caddie, co-founder of Rua Bioscience. While it naturally was a ten-day period dotted with a lot of music and culture, the Colombian government going all out with wanting to create an impression, the reality that was being discussed by delegates was a little less fun.The planet faces an unprecedented crisis with habitats vanishing, and up to a million species face extinction and the lives and livelihoods of billions of people who depend on them are at threat.The reason why being at COP16 is so critical for someone like Bruno Marquez is that landscape architecture goes well beyond aesthetics and covers nearly everything from urban settlement to biodiversity loss and social inequity - all topics that are under scrutiny here at COP16, with a focus on giving the platform to indigenous groups to secure their role in decision-making.Manu Caddie known best for his work focussed on development for pharmaceuticals, natural health products and bio-derived composites, participated in dialogues with indigenous groups from Colombia around the push to recognize natural genetic resources and allocate funds for profits made from them, be that through biotech or pharmaceuticals.After brutally lengthy debates, some of which ended in disarray around the lack of funding for conservation, COP16 also had some benchmark outcome - like the first ever agreement that recognises people of African descent and Indigenous Peoples as key drivers in conserving nature. The historic decision allows them to participate in future decisions on nature conservation and rules on the use of genetic information.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Canterbury's Polish history goes back over a century and in this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar sits down with two of the community's most active history enthusiasts to learn about how bogs became fertile vegetable gardens thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of early Polish settlers.Polish settlers ChristchurchGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Two young Sri Lankans talk to Phil Vine about a film-making voyage of discovery in their homeland - telling stories of farming hardship and investigating where our food really comes from.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Wellington this month and next, a series of public programmes mark the 50th year of the Dawn Raids. In this episode of Here Now Kadambari Raghukumar talks to artist Liana Leiataua and Pacific historian Rachel Yates Pahulu around their thoughts and experiences of events of the 70s that inform their work. In Wellington this month and next, a series of public programmes mark the 50th year of the Dawn Raids, as part of efforts following the formal apology issued in 2021 by former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.In this episode of Here Now Kadambari Raghukumar talks to artist Liana Leiataua and Pacific historian Rachel Yates Pohulu around their thoughts and experiences of the craickdowns of the 70s that inform their work.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week on Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar checks out some arts and culture events lined up in the capital for the next few weeks ahead. The podcast features chats with musicians performing at Wellington Jazz Festival - Alda Rezende and Seth Boy; and Abhi Chinniah about her photography on display in the NZ Portrait Gallery.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

What's a New Zealand citizenship ceremony really like? For hundreds of new citizens each year, this is a long-awaited milestone event - one of which producer Ruwani Pereira attends in this episode, alongside would-be Kiwis about to forge their future on New Zealand soil. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A hundred years ago Haining and Frederick Streets in central Wellington were the heart of the capital's Chinese quarter. Today, all but a few fragments are gone. Wellington Chinese Historian Lynette Shum takes producer William Ray on a tour of the Wellington's long lost Chinatown.A hundred years ago Haining and Frederick Streets in central Wellington were the heart of the capital's Chinese quarter. Today, all but a few fragments are gone. Wellington Chinese Historian Lynette Shum takes producer William Ray on a tour of the Wellington's long lost Chinatown.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As the cost of living hits home, what practical, money-saving tips can we learn from some of New Zealand's diverse cultures? In this cross-over episode with RNZ's money saving podcast, Thrift, Katy Gosset joins a cooking class at Canterbury's Refugee Resettlement and Resources Centre. A cross-over episode with RNZ's money saving podcast, Thrift. For more cost-cutting tips follow and listen to Thrift: www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/thriftGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Canterbury-based botanists Dr Julie Barcelona and Pieter Pelser met in the US in the mid 2000s and it was their shared love for plants in tropical jungles that brought them together. What ensued has been years of botanical discovery and adventure - and some peculiar romantic gestures. WATCH A VIDEO ON THIS STORYCanterbury-based botanists Dr Julie Barcelona and Pieter Pelser met in the US and in the mid 2000s and it was a love, or obsession really for plants of tropical jungles that really brought them together – what ensued has been years of shared discoveries and adventures, and some peculiar romantic gestures.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Leandro Vasquez of Abada Capoeira Auckland joins Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode to talk about celebrating the sense of community, art and camaraderie born out of this art. WATCH A SHORT VIDEO ON THIS EPISODE At a stadium in Auckland, close to a hundred people including a large number from the Brazilian community, have gathered to celebrate a Batizado, a graduation of sorts, of new capoeiristas. Maestros and instructors from Australia are here too, and coloured belts are being awarded to visibly excited capoeiristas. For Rio de Janiero born Leandro Vasquez, this is the big day he's been helping organize for his capoeira school, Abada Capoeira, which he's been involved with for over a year as an instructor. He talks to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode about how this cultural treasure from his home country is becoming popular all the way here in New Zealand. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

For many years, Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing their homes in Myanmar to find refuge here in New Zealand. Rashid Ansorali is one of them. He tells Liz Garton about his journey and why he now helps organise events that bring the Auckland Rohingya community together.Rashid Ansorali arrived in New Zealand as a teenager, fresh from fleeing his home in Myanmar. He's now secretary of the Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation and one of his roles is to help run events to bring the community together.In this episode of Here Now, Liz Garton joins Rashid at an Eid celebration and discovers why these types of events are so important.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Drawing from her Zimbabwean background, mental health nurse Sandra Szvenyika talks about navigating a career in her new adopted home.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

From being a cultural producer and advocate, to a doctoral candidate- Makanaka Tuve has been a bit of an icon in Auckland's African diaspora for several years now. In this third part of the series, she chats about what that journey's been like. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Social constructs, race and identity are topics that are perpetually on Dr Camille Nakhid's radar and in this episode of Here Now, she chats about her lengthy career in New Zealand with research and activism for minority communities. As an indigenous Trinidadian with Lebanese, African and Indian roots, AUT's Dr Camille Nakhid has been a leading voice in studies on Aotearoa's multiculturalism and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and constructs of identity and indigeneity.In this second of our four-part series, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to Camille talks about championing the cause for Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) through her research and activism.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In part one of four conversations, four black women in New Zealand share their experiences of carving out careers for themselves in New Zealand to becoming leaders in their own fields - from medicine to mental health. In this four part series of conversations, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to four black women in Aotearoa New Zealand about their experiences across different lines of work from medicine to activism and academics. Dr Carolyn Providence was born on the tiny Caribbean island of St Vincent with a population of roughly 100,000 people. Her pursuit of a career in medicine took her around the region, to the UK and the US before she finally arrived on the shores of New Zealand about ten years ago.Carolyn was recruited as an International Medical Graduate from the UK, but the journey of settling into New Zealand wasn't an easy ride. After many years of reconciling those struggles, she joins Here Now in this epsidode to talk about what life has been like as a woman of colour moving to New Zealand to carve out a career in medicine.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Nalini Singh is a best-selling author of a very particular genre - paranormal romance - and she's now finding a creative reset in writing murder mysteries set in New Zealand. It's been quite the adventure for Nalini Singh who decided to give up a career in law in the early 2000s to become a romance writer, with what's now a worldwide cult-like following.Fiji-born Auckland-based Nalini Singh is a best-selling author of complex paranormal romances set in deep shadowy worlds, supernatural love stories set in times of Armageddon, rife all at once with Archangels, telepaths and dark beings that change form.Her first book Desert Warrior released in 2003 and since then her novels have made it to the New York Times and the USA Today bestsellers lists and some them can be found in about 20 languages. Nalini is now branching out into murder mysteries set in New Zealand's rural landscapes and her first thriller, Quiet in Her Bones, was a finalist in the Ngaio Marsh awards in 2022. In this episode of Here Now, she chats with Kadambari Raghukumar on finding her creative reset through going between writing romance and mysteries. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Bringing the best of Pan African cinema to New Zealand each year, the African Film Festival returns this month. From 18 to 26 July at Auckland's Capitol Cinema, the African Film Festival New Zealand deep dives into cinema from across the continent. Boubacar Coulibaly has been part of the team for the past nine years and joins Here Now in this episode to talk about his favourite picks and why the festival is crucial for telling stories reflecting the complexity of the continent.Some of the films to watch out for this festival are Mali 70, directed by Marcus Schmidt, Sira by Appolline Traore of Burkina Faso, and African Glory that tells the story about one of the world's least known historical accounts that was referred to as the "forbidden story" - a kingdom from ancient Mali whose people navigated the new world before Christopher Columbus.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Zurkhaneh - an ancient Persian system of athletics combines martial arts, music, strength and spiritual devotion and is picking up serious momentum in Canterbury. Zurkhaneh translates to "house of strength" in Persian and is a system of exercise based on combat using equipment that mimic weapons from centuries ago - from wooden clubs and maces, to shields and strips of metal that mimic the bow. But beyond strength and agility, at the center of Zurkhaneh is the practice of spiritual devotion and humility.The art is said to date back over 2000 years ago to the Persian-Roman war that went on for nearly 600 years, making it a necessity to train men in combat to ensure generations ahead were prepared for war. In New Zealand, thanks to a group of enthusiasts in Canterbury, Zurkhaneh is thriving and growing in popularity.Amin Daneshwar, Esmail Fathi and Hossein Faraji spoke to Here Now is this episode. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details