International Women’s Day celebration
On 8 March 2015, SGINZ Wellington co-sponsored the International Women’s Day celebration at the Newtown Festival in Wellington. SGINZ representatives have been involved in the planning committee for International Women’s Day activities as part of the Wellington Women’s Walk for Peace group (WWW4P) since 2013. WWW4P consists of a group of women and organisations including Women’s Refuge, Shanti and the Daya Trust who are committed to promoting the culture of peace. The activities are also supported by Wellington Mayor Celia Wade Brown and the British High Commissioner to New Zealand.
Representative Appointed to the Sonja Davies Peace Award Selection Panel
SGINZ representative Joycelyn Raffills has been appointed to be on the selection panel for the Sonja Davies Peace Award. The Sonja Davies Peace Award was established as a tribute to the life and work of Sonja Davies, to acknowledge her contribution to the advancement of women and her commitment to peace. The Award promotes initiatives by women that advance peace in New Zealand.
It was established by Rosemary Barrington and Rae Julian, among others, who are longtime friends of Sonja Davies. SGINZ enjoyed a close association with Sonja Davies during her lifetime and honored her with the “Gandhi King Ikeda Community Builders Award” in 2003 which was conferred by Lawrence Carter, Dean of the Martin Luther King International Chapel on Morehouse College (Martin Luther King’s alma mater), at a special ceremony in Parliament Buildings. Joycelyn says “In a way, this appointment acknowledges not only our association with Sonja Davies but also our activities for peace and women’s rights, which were close to Sonja’s heart.”
Supporting Interfaith activities
In March 2015, the Wellington Interfaith Council was invited by the Mt Cook School in Central Wellington to hold an interfaith event as part of the school’s 125 year reunion. As an active member of the Interfaith Council, SGINZ coordinated this event which included the members of the SGINZ Wellington Choir who sang beautifully delighting all who attended.