Tautoko Session - Ethnic, former refugee and migrant researches

We are pleased to invite you to our next Ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researchers online Tautoko session on Thursday 17 July 2025, 12noon-1pm.  

Our July gathering has a primary focus on making connections and informal kōrero and includes informal 5-minute mini-talks. We will also provide an update on the Community Research mahi/work we are doing in the ethnic, former refugee and migrant space and discuss potential topics as a focus for our September gathering. 

Come along and connect with other researchers, former refugees, and migrant peers who are passionate about research by and for ethnic communities and how it can be used to support collective action and positive change. 

What is an ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researchers online Tautoko session?  

Ethnic, former refugee, and migrant researcher Tautoko sessions provide a dynamic informal space that fosters a collective sense of shared purpose with opportunities to learn from each other, share stories, experiences, research activities, methodologies, challenges, gaps and explore ideas and opportunities.  

We celebrate all forms of community-led knowledge-making, whether it's community-based mahi and mātauranga, or based within organisations, the public service, or academia. If you are developing or an ally of 'by community for community' learnings, we value your thoughts and contributions and want you to be part of our research network.   

Tautoko sessions: 

• are an informal unrecorded safe space for connection, sharing and kōrero 

• a space where we recognise our diverse lived experiences, privilege the voices of those who are heard less often (including former refugee and ethnic migrant voices), and acknowledge the distinction and context differences between forced and voluntary migration 

• are guided by and contributed to by Tautoko session participants 

• prioritise informal kōrero and connection for some sessions and more formal specific topic focused kōrero at others. 

After piloting these sessions in 2023 and establishing the format jointly with Tautoko session participants in 2024 - we are really pleased to further evolve this space in 2025. This year, alongside the two-monthly Tautoko sessions, we will set-up and pilot the usefulness of a WhatsApp-based networking platform and associated resources for connection and collaboration.  

As we continue this journey together, we can harness the power of collective action and connect to realise the potential it holds for advancing research that address the needs and aspirations of ethnic, refugee and migrant communities in Aotearoa. 

Facilitator: Bev Tso Hong | Kaitūhono, Ethnic Research Engagement Lead, Community Research