Racism subject of action week

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 32

Racism subject of action week

Racism in New Zealand will be the theme of this year’s Christian Action Week. The week (June 27 to July 4) will be marked by seminars, films, leaflets, and pilgrimages all focusing on racial discrimination. Sponsored by the Christian World Service and the Catholic Commission on Evangelisation, Justice, and Development and organised on behalf of the National Council of Churches and-the Catholic Church, it reflects the concern of church leaders with the problem. Both the National Council of Churches and the Commis- . sion have introduced programmes on race relations with the Rev. Bob Scott employed full-time by the' council to co-ordinate activi- ' ties. A brochure distributed by the N.C.C. to advertise the action week said that as a result of the Springbok tour and the possible boycott of the Commonwealth Games.

many New Zealanders had realised that.racism was a reality which must be dealt with. The ./brochure quoted statistics to demonstrate the existence of racism in New Zealand. In 1967, 71 per cent of those convicted for offences “against good order” were Maori. . . ' “Such, offences . include obscene. language and disorderly behaviour, and prosecution is at the discretion of "the police,” the brochure said. In 1976, more than 67 per cent of Maori school-leavers left with no qualifications compared with 28.5 per cent of pakeha school-leavers. Sixty-four per cent of Maoris and Pacific Islanders .worked in unskilled jobs, and 38 per cent of pakehas, while fewer than 5 petcent of Polynesians held professional jobs compared with 15 per cent of pakehas.