19 June, 2021

NZ Chinese Association (NZCA) 78th Annual Conference

Xiaoyan Mu

NZCA 78th Annual Conference 2021 was held on Saturday 19th June and Sunday 20th June 2021 in Wellington.

Linus Chin, Leo Li, and Xiaoyan Mu represented OSCA and attended the meeting.

The meeting was run in a format that created the opportunity to review the year by celebrating the great work done in NZCA and start thinking about the future direction.

• Focus of the first day – reports from subcommittees and branches. Amazing work has been done by various subcommittees, including the younger groups, such as YLD, LDC, and the Future Dragonz. The energy and creativity of the young people and their way to make things happen are truly incredible. At the same time, it shows how important it is for the younger generation to thrive with the guidance, encouragement, and support from the older generations. This resembles the value we hold as Chinese: to be like a family to support and care for each other.
• Focus of the second day – Workshop: to connect, learn, and develop, for a better future of NZCA and the Chinese community. The workshop was facilitated by Wendy Lau from Auckland branch. It was very well organised and fit for purpose. Through group discussion and presentation, it was a journey to explore where we were from, where we are, and where we are going. Discussions were made about our history and heritage, the current new situation, and what direction we want to head in. Also discussed were topics such as our voice, our value, and way of communication. Through the discussions, it was realised our values in fact haven’t been clearly articulated.

The meeting was an occasion to connect with the national association and other branches. It was also a great opportunity to learn and get inspiration for what we can do in our branch.