December 2022

Newsletter
From the Board
Message from President Mayor Grant Smith
Kia ora and welcome. Special greetings as we enter thefestive season and look forward to welcoming in the2023 New Year.
This year has been difficult with multiple lock-down
levels but from September life started to regain somenormality. Borders were slowly reopened, face to facemeetings and trade restarted, and delegations werewelcomed back to New Zealand.
Around the world, it was great to see international
borders reopening everywhere and face to face activity
happening.
In speaking to the Business Community, Councils andLocal Government partners, along with the DiplomaticCorp, it seems more is planned for New Zealand in the2023 year.
In November we hosted our GCNZ Forum at Parliament,
which was attended by approximately 100 members

and delegates and was deemed a greatsuccess.
We acknowledged the various bilateral diplomaticanniversaries New Zealand holds with the USA, Japan,
South Korea and China. It was special to have theAssociate Minister, along with several MPs, Ambassadors
and representatives of the mentioned Embassies present.
As we look forward to 2023, which I’m sure willagain be challenging domestically, there is optimism
internationally, as Councils, Sister City Committees,
Schools and other organisations look to reconnect.
Again I wish everyone and their families a very Merry
Christmas and happy New Year, and look forward tomeeting up with as many members as possible in 2023.
Ngā mihi nui,
Mayor Grant Smith, JP, GCNZ President

Forum 2022
10 November, Wellington

GCNZ Newsletter / December 2022

GCNZ Forum feedback
Antonia Avéres, Youth Subcommittee
The GCNZ Forum last month was my firsttime attending, and it was a wonderfulexperience. I wasn’t quite sure what toexpect, and found it both enlightening,engaging, and, simply put, fun. It was great hearing
from the respective ambassadors (or equivalent) of the US,
Japan, South Korea, and China, as well as members fromaround New Zealand. Speaking in front of the attendees
for my segment of our presentation was nerve-racking
but easier than I thought it would be, and I heard great
feedback and interest in the youth subcommittee! Overall,I think the forum went brilliantly, and I can’t wait to beinvolved in more of them in the future.

Janine Jones, Hutt City Council
I recently attended the GCNZ Forum heldat Parliament Buildings in Wellington. Not
having attended this before I didn’t knowwhat to expect so It was great to sit amongst
people who have a shared passion for providing fantastic
sister cities exchange programmes.
I felt such pride in the room, saw we all have the common
goal and how we all work hard to get the best results. It wasgreat to hear more about the long standing relationships
this programme creates worldwide and the lifetime ‘family’that comes out of it, priceless. I was also very impressedwith the youth committee and the work they have done
so far and look forward to their future updates. I lookforward to next year’s Conference in Blenheim.

Caii-Michelle Baker
The Forum showed that dedication to strive
to build enduring relationships between
our countries was a priority. Listening to
our Mayors, cultural leaders, President, Vice
President, and representatives displaying hope as theefforts to work together inspired me.
I enjoyed our discussions on how do we grow andimprove the purpose and foundation of Global Cities
NZ knowing that our conversations displayed rich ideas,
striving to build together, a stronger, sustainable world
so children, youth, families, communities and our naturalenvironment. Thrive - now and in the future.

Miko Morris, Youth Subcommittee
The GCNZ 2022 conference at Parliament
was my first conference as a Youth SubCommittee member. I found it both very
insightful and a memorable experience
being able to represent the relaunch of theYouth Sub-Committee and a fantastic opportunity togain knowledge and establish close people-to-people
relations which GCNZ encourages on both personal andinternational levels.
It was a privilege to attend such a prestigious eventthat advocates for cultural and societal understandingsof people from diverse backgrounds that benefit andstrengthen relationships between people and cities. I
look forward to engaging myself more in events thatcelebrate these partnerships and engagement of people
and partnerships as I learn, grow from other people
whilst telling my story and finding my place in the world.

Michelle Gibson, Hutt Minoh House
Friendship Trust Board, Teacher
Exchange Recipient to Minoh (2016),
JET - Minoh (2018-2019)
This was my first time attending a GCNZ
Forum and what an amazing day it was! I learnt so muchand met so many amazing people.
From the four ambassadors, I gained a greater insight
into their countries and the long relationships they
have had with New Zealand, plus their future plans. On
a local community level, the main message I took away,
was reconnecting and rebuilding those connections, on apeople to people basis, but also virtually.
One of my highlights was the presentation by the YouthSubcommittee and the important work they are doing.
These young people are the future of GCNZ and have
many innovative ideas, knowledge, passion and drive.
They are of great value to the organization. I will betaking some of their ideas back to the Hutt Minoh House
Friendship Trust, to help us reconnect and extend our
special relationship with Minoh (Lower Hutt’s sister city).
I would like to thank the organisers for their hard work inproviding us with such an informative, exhilarating andfun day.

Youth Subcommittee Members

GCNZ Newsletter / December 2022

Lytton High School staff and students with the Japanese Embassy Officials and Ambassador, Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga,
GDSC committee members and Hiromi Morris

Gisborne District Sister Cities welcomesJapanese Ambassador
By Jan Calder, Gisborne District Sister Cities
Gisborne District Sister Cities had much pleasure
in welcoming to Gisborne members of the Japanese
Embassy: Ambassador Ito and 1st Secretaries Fujitaniand Ishizu, alongside GCNZ Emeritus President Hiromi
Morris on 20th and 21st September.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz and Nedine Thatcher Swann, Chief
Executive of Gisborne District Council hosted our fivevisitors to dinner at USSCOs restaurant on arrival.
Earlier in the afternoon GDSC Chair Jim Osler and thecommittee had a relaxed discussion over refreshmentswith Hiromi Morris.
Next morning Lytton High School Principal Wiremu
Elliott, along with staff and students welcomed andhosted our visitors, commencing with a pōwhiri, they
then visited and conversed with students during their
Japanese language class. The last stop on this highly

informative visit was an invitation from Wiremu Elliott torelax and chat over morning tea with staff and the GDSCcommittee. Ambassador Ito received a personal gift from
Wiremu Elliott in recognition of his 2022 visit.
All too soon it was time to say farewell to Ambassador
Ito, Hiromi Morris, and guests. Before being driven to
Whakatāne by Gisborne Tours our visitors took a whistle
stop tour to a citrus processing unit at Patutahi thendrove through very productive horticultural units tolunch at the Bushmere Arms.
All participants were at various times acknowledged fortheir input and support.
During this visit, general discussions recognised 2022 as
the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-New
Zealand Diplomatic Relations.

GDSC’s Ann and Jim Osler, Ambassador Lytton High School Japanese language classIto, Wiremu Elliott and Hiromi MorrisMayor Rehette Stoltz andAmbassador Ito

GCNZ Newsletter / December 2022

Nelson Celebrates Huangshi Relationship
By Gail Collingwood, NZ China Friendship Society (Nelson)
In celebration of NZ/Hubei week on
November 14 a video conference washeld with Hubei Municipal Government
officials as well as representatives ofthe cities which have a relationshipwith New Zealand cities and regions.
Nelson's Deputy Mayor, Rohan O'NeillStevens, was supported by Nelson
Branch members, President Barbara
Markland, Vice President Bill Findlater,and Gail Collingwood, a former board
member of Sister Cities New Zealand.
Six South Island areas have relationships
in Hubei: Nelson with Huangshi,
Christchurch with Wuhan, Westland
Districtwith
Huanggang
City,
Waimakariri with Enshi State, Hurunui
with Honghu City. All were represented and leaders
spoke of the sister city activities and events that haveoccurred over the years, and of the importance of peopleto-people relationships. Other speakers were the leaderof Hubei Province; the leader of CPAFFC;
Clare Fearnley New Zealand Ambassador toChina; Madam He Ying, Consul General inChristchurch.
The children's art work digitised and sent toWuhan was displayed as was a remembrance
wall pertaining to Rewi Alley. Rewi Alley has
been celebrated throughout NZ/Hubei
week, and Clare Hearnley also mentioned
Appo Hocton, a Nelsonian and the firstnaturalised
ChineseNew Zealander.
This 'video dialogue'
reinforced
theimportance of sister
cityrelationships
indevelopingandmaintaining ties with
China, and fulfilling theaims of NZCFS.

Marlborough to host 2023 GCNZ conference
By Mike Porter, Marlborough District Council
Marlborough is excited to be hosting the Global Cities
New Zealand Conference next year, and planning is wellunderway.
Mayor Nadine Taylor says she is delighted Marlboroughwould host the event in November 2023.
“With the disruption we’ve had over the past three years,
it will be a wonderful opportunity to get together, toreconnect with old friends and meet new ones,” she says.
Marlborough has a long history of sister city relationships
with the first created in 1989 with Japanese city Tendo.
That relationship was built on shared cherry exportindustries, and two years later another relationship wasformed with Otari Village in Nagano.
In 2016 Marlborough signed a sister region agreement with
Ningxia in China - a relationship focusing on economic
development in the wine industry.

Mayor Taylor is a keen advocate for sister cities andwas one of the first to travel on an early Council youth
programme, visiting for a working holiday at the ski fields
in and around Otari after leaving university.
“The benefits of sister city exchanges are varied andmany - from economic benefits to the mutual exchange ofideas and technology, alongside the cultural experience,friendships and relationships that are made when visiting
another country,” she says.
“That is what we want to build on next year - andshowcase the very best Marlborough has to offer.”
The conference is set down for 7 and 8 November 2023
and will be held at the Marlborough Events Centre. The
district looks forward to welcoming Global Cities New
Zealand members and friends then!

Save the Date
GLOBAL CITIES2023
BLENHEIM
7 & 8 NOVEMBERGCNZ Newsletter / December 2022

Rewi Alley 125th Anniversary Celebrations
By Allison J Rosanowski, Chairperson of Selwyn Sister Cities Committee
On the 21st October, the 125th Anniversary of Rewi
Alley’s birth was celebrated. For this anniversary
Chinese Ambassador Wang requested that our three
districts celebrate Rewi Alley’s contribution to thepeople of China with local school children.
The day started at the Springfield Rewi Alley Memorial
Park, Rewi Alley’s birthplace. Students from Springfield
School and Darfield High School welcomed Ambassador
Wang and Consul General Madam He. Ambassador
Wang spoke to the students about the work of Rewi
Alley in China. With students assisting he unveiled a newplaque donated by the Christchurch Chinese Consulate
General Madam He.
Lu Bao who sculpted the Springfield statue, alongwith her husband Deng Bangzhen, were special guests
throughout the day. Deng Bangzhen is a foster son ofRewi Alley. They presented Springfield School witha painting created by Bangzhen and a book of Bao’s
sculptures.
One of Rewi Alley’s greatest achievements was setting
up schools in poor rural areas where students had bothacademic learning and learnt practical skills for future
employment. The philosophy was hands and minds
together.
Darfield High School has had a Sister School relationshipwith Shandan Bailie School for 25 years . This is a school
established by Rewi Alley and now is a large Vocational
College where practical learning is combined withacademic study.
In August, students from both schools with Selwyn
Councillors, Sister Cities Committee and Springfield
Township Committee made a video for the Shandan
Bailie Vocational College’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
The celebration party, which also included members of
the Alley family, travelled to Amberley from Springfield.
Rewi Alley attended Amberley Primary School while hisfather was the Headmaster there. Hurunui Council has a
Sister City relationship with Hong Ho, an area that Rewi
Alley mobilised help to during major floods in 1931.
At the established Chinese garden Ambassador Wang,
Consulate General He along with Mayor Marie Black,planted a tree to commemorate the 125th anniversary
and 50 years of Diplomatic relations between China andNew Zealand.
The party then were welcomed at Amberley School by
the school’s kapa haka group and new entrants who had
made special decorations for the visitors. After lunch
Ambassador Wang spoke to senior students about Rewi
Alley’s contribution to China. Rewi Alley’s foster son,
Deng Bengzhen told the children of his experiences
growing up, after being adopted by Rewi Alley. The
school was presented with a painting by Bang Bengzhen
and an illustrated book of Lu Bao’s sculptures.

Boy and Water Buffalo with Dr Richard Bullen of the Universityof Canterbury

The previous day a Symposium in Christchurchcelebrated Rewi Alley’s achievements and contributions
over 60 years to the Chinese people.
On Rewi’s actual birthday, the 2nd of December, the three
Sister Cities Committees, Consul General Madam Heand local members of the Alley family were invited toview artefacts from the Rewi Alley Canterbury Museum
collection and letters from the MacMillian Brown
library. Dr Richard Bullen, Associate Professor of Arts
at Canterbury Museum, a Rewi Alley scholar shared his
expertise. Those attending were privileged to see an
original of the Boy and Water Buffalo scroll which has
not been displayed by Canterbury Museum since the1950s.
The day concluded with a reception hosted byMadam He which included many outstanding culturalperformances.
In late February 2023, Selwyn Sister Cities Committee
will unveil a plaque alongside the five gingko trees
planted in Springfield to celebrate fifty years of
Diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand.

GCNZ Newsletter / December 2022

Shared Lunch a huge Success
By Gail Collingwood, NZ China Friendship Society (Nelson)
Over fifty people turned up for the Nelson NZCFS
shared lunch with the Chinese Association held at theNMIT Library Learning Centre on Sunday 27 November.
President Barbara Markland said the day was a “roaringsuccess and achieved everything we wanted”. The foodtable was laden with a fantastic range of dishes mostly
made by the attendees. Among the favourites wereFrank’s youtiao, Jane’s Xinjiang cold noodles (liang pi)
and Barbara’s barbecued pork dish (cha shao) which
disappeared in a flash.
President Barbara Markland welcomed everyone andsaid she was delighted that have this opportunity to mix
socially with our local Chinese community. Laurie Shawn
spoke on behalf of the Chinese Association expressing
his pleasure that we could get together and enjoy eachother’s company.
Dr Julie Bytheway, Head of Department – Learner Servicesfor NMIT also welcomed everyone to NMIT in the spirit ofthe values of Te Pukenga (the new umbrella organisations
for Polytechnics and Institutes of Technology) which
includes fostering community engagement. The NMIT
library was an excellent venue for the shared lunch andthe wonderful support from the NMIT team of Julie, Yuka,

Caesey and Mariana was hugely appreciated. Julie also
blessed the food in Te Reo. NMIT have offered the useof this excellent facility for future events and as a way
to reach-out to Chinese students as their numbers startto grow again post-COVID. NMIT’s support is greatlyappreciated.
One of our invited guests was Birte Becker-Steel, thenewly appointed Welcoming Communities Officerfor TDC. Birte said that this was an excellent event for
creating understanding and tolerance and she is hopefulthat similar events can be held regularly. She is looking
at the possibility of holding a shared lunch in Richmondaround Chinese New Year.
The room was full of chatter and excitement as everyone
found people they knew and talked with people they weremeeting for the first time. It was a real family occasion
with many children enjoying games and activities
provided by NMIT. It was also a great opportunity formany to practise conversing in English and Mandarin andlanguage was no barrier.
This was the first time that such an event has been heldwith the Chinese Association and promises to be the firstof many.

President Barbara Markland speaking (centre) with Dr Julie Bytheway (left)and Laurie Lu and Birte Becker-Steel (right)

Attendees enjoy the delicious food on offer at the shared lunch.

PO Box 965, Palmerston North 4440, New Zealand
Sarah Ma - National Administrator 0224272036
admin@globalcities.org.nz | globalcities.org.nz