ACTivate

Catherine Butchard
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  • Updated Bimonthly

A monthly show by the Christchurch branch of Amnesty International Aotearoa/New Zealand, an organisation dedicated to campaigning for human rights.

  1. 1h ago

    ACTivate - Major Aotearoa Businesses and Communities are Calling for Government Action on Online Harm

    The #NoHarmware campaign led by Amnesty International and Tāhono Trust (an organisation seeding and supporting cross-sector action across Aotearoa) is proud to release an open letter signed by businesses, media organisations, and not-for-profits across the motu calling on the government to strengthen tech accountability for online harm. The letter warns that harmful online activity – including scams, impersonation, misinformation, abuse and extremist content – is having a significant impact on communities, businesses and trust across New Zealand. The signatories are calling for an independent regulator to police the online world and demand more accountability, transparency, integrity and safety. Listen to Anjum Rahman, Tāhono Trust's founder and project lead tell us more, " ...they [the signatories] all recognise that there is a big problem here. It's impacting us, it's impacting our well-being, it's impacting the way we do business". "It really is about consumer power, community power. Even though these are global multinationals, we have seen changes in the past when communities and people are vocal about the need, and when we're vocal together." Use your Freedom! For the Action Toolkit for this campaign and to sign the letter, click HERE: https://amnesty.org.nz/no-harmware/

    28 min

  2. May 18

    ACTivate - Lost Stories of the Girmitiya - Indentured Labourers Promised a Better Future in Fiji but met with Deception, Exploitation and Displacement.

    In this episode Catherine speaks with Dylan Chand, winner of the 2025 Gary Ware Legacy Award, an Amnesty NZ award supporting people under 25 who are passionate about protecting and promoting human rights. With the support of the award, Dylan will develop and host the Girmitiya Exhibition, a project sharing the experiences of Indian indentured labourers who were taken to Fiji under the British colonial system between 1879 and 1916. Known as Girmitiya these communities played a significant role in shaping Fiji’s culture and history, yet many of their stories have remained unheard. For Dylan this project is about identity, belonging, and creating opportunities for future generations to better understand where they come from.

    29 min

  3. Apr 20

    ACTivate - Right to Learn Afghanistan Part 2

    Learn about Madrasas, the Taliban Religious Schools Radicalising Boys and Girls and Why the West isn't Doing More to Stop the Worst Women's Rights Situation in the World. Tune into Part 2 of Catherine's interview with Dr Lauryn Oates (PhD Language Literacy Education), Executive Director of the Canadian Human Rights organisation, Right to Learn. Listen to Dr Oates talk about; how poverty is severely reducing access to education for women and girls, the large-scale uptake of Taliban religious education across Afghanistan and why the West should be worried, and why there isn't more outrage and action. Read more and donate at rightolearn.ca, Use your freedom and sign Amnesty’s petition at https://amnesty.org.nz/break-the-silence/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/06/gender-apartheid-must-be-recognized-international-law/ Afghanistan: The Taliban Must Immediately Revoke the Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts - Amnesty International

    24 min

  4. Mar 16

    ACTivate - Taliban Continue their War against Women and Girls, One Canadian Charity Fights Back

    This month Catherine speaks with Dr Lauryn Oates, Executive Director of Right to Learn Afghanistan, a charity that for twenty-five years has championed education programs and made the right to education for women and girls a reality. With the Taliban in power, the current system of ‘gender apartheid’ sees girls over the age of 12 banned from education, resulting in at least 2.5 million school-aged girls out of school. Women are also banned from universities and a now-closed loophole that exempted health care training, to which many students switched their studies, has cut off training for new female nurses, doctors and midwives. Yet, Right to Learn Afghanistan continues to push back with online schools, grants and scholarships. Dr Oates (PhD Language & Literacy Education) explains there are significant risks for participants but, as the female suicide rate surges, female students tell them, "The biggest risk is having no education at all." Listen out for Part 2 of this interview next month. Read more at rightolearn.ca, Use your freedom and sign Amnesty’s petition at https://amnesty.org.nz/break-the-silence/

    27 min

  5. Feb 16

    ACTivate - Good News Alert! Historic Use of Parliamentary Rule to Usher in Modern Day Slavery Bill. How will it work?

    After years of false starts, Labour and National have teamed up to co-sponsor a bill requiring companies to investigate their supply chains for risks of forced labour. Listen to Rebekah Armstrong, Head of Advocacy and Justice at World Vision New Zealand explain why this political cooperation is momentous, how the new law will work, and the difference it will make to businesses, consumers and victims/survivors. Also, Take Action re Iran protests. Sign a petition calling on the international community to urgently act to stop further protest bloodshed in Iran: https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/end-protest-massacres-in-iran/

    25 min

  6. Jan 19

    ACTivate - The Sea is Rising in Tuvalu and Kiribati Jeopardising Fresh Water, Food, Housing and Health. The People are Facing a Difficult Choice: to Stay or Go. But Where Can They Go? The NZ Government Needs to Offer Refuge.

    This month Campaigns Manager, David Vega dicusses Amnesty Aotearoa's new report titled: “Navigating injustice: Climate displacement from the Pacific Islands of Tuvalu and Kiribati to Aotearoa New Zealand".  David outlines how existing migration pathways don’t provide well for the humanitarian needs of people seeking safety from the impacts of climate change and disasters as they’re labour-focussed, making them arbitrary and discriminatory. Amnesty Aoteroa calls on the NZ Government to establish a special rights-based humanitarian visa to allow Pacific People most impacted by climate change to move to or continue living in NZ. This matters because, as a Pacific nation we are “all in this together” – he waka eke noa.

    27 min

  7. 12/15/2025

    ACTivate - 15 Dec 2025

    ACTivate is a monthly show brought to you by the Christchurch branch of Amnesty International Aotearoa/New Zealand, an organisation dedicated to campaigning for human rights.

    30 min

  8. 11/17/2025

    ACTivate - Is Violent Online Abuse of Female Politicians Damaging Democracy? Listen to Dr Cassandra Mudgway from the University of Canterbury talk about "Polls and Trolls" and Why NZ Needs Urgent Legal Reform to Protect Women in Politics.

    It's White Ribbon Day this month and election year is looming, so what better way to stand up against violence towards women by listening to this engaging conversation on harmful online misogyny. Canterbury University’s Senior Law lecturer, Dr Cassandra Mudgway, explains how violent gender-based online abuse significantly harms female politicians. It changes the way they campaign, how they avoid speaking about publically about hot-button topics and affects the time they remain in politics. New Zealand needs a tougher response and Dr Mudgway recommends an online safety regulator with enforcement powers, regulating tech companies and codes of conduct around elections. This podcase is an action prompt to pick up a pen and write to local MPs about reforming the law.

    29 min
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About

A monthly show by the Christchurch branch of Amnesty International Aotearoa/New Zealand, an organisation dedicated to campaigning for human rights.

Information

  • Creator
    Catherine Butchard
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C)Plains Media
  • Show Website
    ACTivate