Our Stories Our Voices Our Identities

The New Zealand Resettlement Storybook is an introductory narrative to encourage relationship building between resettled people and New Zealand society. The stories in this book recall the lived experiences of individuals from a forced migrant background, i.e., those who were forced, because of civil war and persecution, to leave their country of origin without having the choice to emigrate. These narratives are human stories of hope and resilience that give different
voices and space to tell their life stories beyond settlement. This is a sequel to the book “Beyond Refuge: Stories of Resettlement in Auckland”, published in2016 and second print in 2021. This book has been compiled by the author for the Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition (ARCC) as a part of his strategic leadership role to engage and connect with wider stakeholders, including service providers, policymakers, the media, and educational institutions, politicians, and the public. The book serves as a guide, resource, and tool to equip the audiences with resettlement knowledge. These narratives bring a greater understanding of the journeys toward smooth settlement and positive integration at local, regional, and national levels. The book captures ethnic diverse background voices that foster sustainability and help maintain the storyteller’s own cultural identities.