He ira tangata. He ira rongomaiwhiti tāu (Our differences make us unique, and we all have things in common).

The work of InCommon is guided by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of Aotearoa, New Zealand. We strive to develop and nurture honourable and respectful relationships with Māori as the Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa.

The above whakataukī captures the very essence of us as a people. Whakapapa is our identity and is unique to those who carry the lineage of our tīpuna (ancestors) and through our tīpuna we are bound with the threads of Aroha (love), Whakapono (belief) me Te Rangimarie (peace), to remind us all to hold fast to what we do have in common.

- Liz Kereru, Ngai Tūāhuriri, InCommon Advisory Group member

InCommon is a campaign developed in response to the Christchurch Mosque attacks in the spirit of wairuatanga*. The Campaign, which is a collaborative project of individuals, community groups, local and central government, was launched in Christchurch in April 2021 by Ngai Tūāhuriri and Mayor Lianne Dalziel.
InCommon was originally conceived and remains largely driven by Pākehā and Tauiwi. This is because we see racism in Aotearoa New Zealand in all its forms and epitomised by the mosque attacks on March 15, 2019, as a problem which is largely the responsibility of Pākehā, as Tangata Tiriti, to challenge and change.

Incommon is the vessel that has committed itself to bring all walks of life together on common ground no matter what that looks like and that is why I believe in this kaupapa and support it whole heartedly.

- Liz Kereru, Ngai Tūāhuriri, InCommon Advisory Group member

InCommon builds on the premise that connection across diverse groups leads to more social inclusion and less racist behaviours. Racism and prejudice come in many forms and therefore there are many approaches and interventions required. This cannot be the work of one group, or one community alone, it requires us to work together, collaborate, and share ideas.

The kaupapa of InCommon resonates with me on a professional level because it aligns with one of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities’ priorities (which we heard from consultations with ethnic communities). That is, promoting the value of diversity and improving the inclusion of ethnic communities in wider society. On a personal level, the InCommon campaign speaks to my lived experience of racism and discrimination in Aotearoa by highlighting the positive outcomes that are possible through forming genuine connections with people that may not look or sound the same as myself and the true benefits this can lead to.

- Eileen Yee, Ministry for Ethnic Communities, InCommon Working Group member

Our focus is to support people described as the ‘silent majority’** (Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce research report, 2015) to begin their journey towards embracing diversity. Developing an ability to connect with others is the first step towards a more inclusive society. Inclusion enables well-connected individuals, which leads to thriving workplaces and communities – less discrimination, less crime and less racism. InCommon encourages people to think about and connect with those from different cultural, ethnic and faith backgrounds. It celebrates both diversity and inclusiveness; our differences make us unique, and we’ve all got things in common.

Our vision: Find commonalities, explore differences.

Our values:

- Making connections

- Fostering manaakitanga

- Inspiring curiosity

- Grounded in wairuatanga

- Nurturing whanaungatanga

Read more about OUR EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH
Read more about OUR PEOPLE

*Wairuatanga relates to spirituality and the right to freedom of religion and belief.
**The ‘silent majority’ refers to a group of the population from the majority ethnic and cultural group (New Zealand European/Pākehā) who have neutral or positive leaning attitudes to people from different ethnic, cultural or religious backgrounds, but are passive or inactive in their behavior, which means they do not interact with people different from themselves in a way that is welcoming or supports people from other backgrounds to feel like they belong in Aotearoa New Zealand.