Anjum Rahman of Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono to speak in Whanganui

Anjum Rahman is the founder and leader of Inclusive Aoteatroa Collective Tāhono, which has a "conversation" in Whanganui on Wednesday. Photo / Supplied

A woman who was a spokeswoman for the Muslim community in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings is coming to Whanganui to talk about inclusion.

Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono will hold a conversation led by Anjum Rahman who was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019 for her services to ethnic communities and women.

The conversation, which will be held on Wednesday from 11.30pm to 1pm in the Whanganui District Council building, is one of 64 being held nationwide.

The Whanganui organiser is Nicola Patrick, who found the talks through social media and volunteered to host one. She enlisted Whanganui district councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay and Ngā Tai o Te Awa's Alaska Dobbs, hoping to involve the rainbow community.

The 90-minute conversation is open to anybody. The topic is what it means to feel you belong here, what might prevent you feeling that and what needs to change to make you feel included.

The organisation has a online survey, asking the same questions.

Patrick is hoping people from minority groups will come along.

"We know that they suffer more than people in the dominant parts of our society."

The privately-funded Inclusive Aotearoa project started in February and finishes in September.

Information from the conversations will be used to develop a strategy which will be implemented by a network of people and groups.

*To RSVP phone Nicola Patrick on 027 871 6459 or email nicola@nicolapatrick.com.