Mr Pancha Narayanan, of Upper Hutt, ONZM for services to multicultural communities
Pancha Narayanan is President of the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils, overseeing its growth from 11 to 26 fully established societies across the country. He is credited with the vision and leadership of Huarahi Hou, the internationally recognised community-based approach for cultural integration and inclusion of immigrants anchored in the bicultural foundations of New Zealand. He has mobilised multicultural communities in times of crisis, from natural disasters to the COVID- 19 pandemic and the 15 March 2019 terror attack, as well as fostering days of national multicultural celebration. He is a prominent advocate for empowering and including women, youth and the rainbow community within multicultural contexts. Mr Narayanan is President of the Upper Hutt Multicultural Council, making significant contributions to enhancing social and cultural cohesion.