1352 days ago

Poll: Who would you vote for as New Zealander of the year?

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

The New Zealander of the the Year finalists are Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Farid Ahmed and Ranjna Patel.

The awards honour extraordinary Kiwis who inspire, give hope and lead.

Wiles is a microbiologist and science communicator from Auckland.

When Covid-19 first hit New Zealand, Dr Siouxsie Wiles rose to the challenge, said Miriama Kamo, Te Koruru – patron of the awards.

"... she's stood tall to speak to hundreds of millions globally," Kamo said.

"Her work helped us all to see beyond the fear and complexity of the pandemic, to understand not only what was happening, but also how we could, and can continue to, collectively respond."

Ahmed is the Muslim community leader who became an icon of forgiveness following the March 15 terror attacks in Christchurch.

After losing his wife in the attacks, Ahmed demonstratred how faith and love could
provide a pathway to navigate deep grief.

Awarded an international peace prize for his ongoing work, he published Husna's Story in March last year, donating all royalties to St John Ambulance.

The third finalist, Ranjna Patel, is the Tamaki Health director and a domestic violence social entrepreneur.

When Patel was asked to offer guidance around family violence in in the south Asian community, she identified a crucial missing step in family violence intervention – engaging offenders in their own rehabilitation.

In 2014, she established the first Gandhi Nivas home for perpetrators in Otahuhu, providing innovative early intervention and prevention services for Kiwi men.

A study undertaken by Massey University looked at men five years before entering Gandhi Nivas and after, and found 60% of men did not re-offend.

The annual Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards are in their 12th year.

The six winners will be announced in Auckland on March 31.

*Please put NFP if you do not want your comments used by Stuff.

Who would you vote for as New Zealander of the year?
  • 65.7% Dr Siouxsie Wiles
    65.7% Complete
  • 17.6% Ranjna Patel
    17.6% Complete
  • 16.7% Farid Ahmed
    16.7% Complete
102 votes
More messages from your neighbours
19 hours ago

Riddle Me This: Can You Out-Smart Yesterday’s Champ?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

How can the number four be half of five?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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2 days ago

Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.

This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
.
Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.

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Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
  • 84.3% Yes
    84.3% Complete
  • 14.2% No
    14.2% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1396 votes
1 day ago

What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.

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