NZ racism alive and well: Expert

One of the men spearheading of this weekend's meeting between gangs and the Sensible Sentencing Trust claims Maori have been "hurt subliminally" and that racism is alive and well in New Zealand.
John Wareham, a New York-based author and corporate psychologist, was born in New Zealand and is visiting his homeland this week to speak at the two-and-a-half day "Self, Race, Drugs and Justice" symposium in Hastings.
The symposium began last night, and was expected to be attended by 15 members of Black Power, 15 members of the Mongrel Mob, 10 representatives from the Sensible Sentencing Trust, and other community stakeholders.
Mr Wareham had no concerns about spending his weekend with the leaders of Hawke's Bay's gangs.
"I don't think they're going to be any more mean or nasty than business executives I've lectured to. I think they'll be very nice," he said.
All of the gang members have received a copy of Transformations - Self, Race, Drugs and Justice in New Zealand, a collection of "transformational concepts" collected by Mr Wareham.
They include excerpts from Plato, Sigmund Freud, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, William Shakespeare, Nelson Mandela, and even Osama bin Laden.
Mr Wareham said he wanted to break down the preconceived ideas people might come into the symposium with.
"The readings are designed to confuse people - we want to get some constructive confusion happening. With this sort of event, people come with prejudice and have got their minds made up.
"It's a complex little area, but I think at the end we may see some changes in attitudes."
Mr Wareham said Maori had been "hurt subliminally", through such things as "glass ceilings" in employment situations, and being seen as "a Maori" rather than as a "New Zealander."
"If you ask me, the Maori in New Zealand have been hurt subliminally and it's still going on.
"Most New Zealanders do not think that they're racist, but actually racism is alive and well here."
Society has a large role to play, according to Mr Wareham, who believes a greater understanding is needed of the causes of problems with gangs and crime.
"What society could do ... is try and have a more enlightened viewpoint of what the roots of the problem are."
Mr Wareham said many people joined gangs after society failed to meet their needs, and they ended up feeling isolated, alienated and rejected.
"People join gangs for the same reason businessmen join the Rotary Club - it gives them a sense of meaning and purpose."
Mr Wareham said it was important to try getting to the young, potential gang members at an early stage, the time when many of them suffered from not having a father in their lives, no role models and a lack of education.
"One way or another they've been actually damaged when they're growing up."
Despite this, he does not want to see the gangs closed down.
"I wouldn't like to close down the gangs, that's not the point, it's individuals in gangs applying their leadership skills in ways that are more helpful to them and everyone else."
Mr Wareham is convinced most gang members don't want their children to take the same path they've taken.
"They don't want their kids to end up like them on one level - but they will unless we stop it."