The journals were commissioned by the CAPEs as part of their schools’ programme, which aims to positively impact the education of New Zealand students by providing resources with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

“We have a range of other education programmes, including training workshops, a website with curated tools and resources on the region, and international mobility programmes for students and teachers,” says Professor Siah Hwee Ang, director of the Southeast Asia CAPE. “These programmes are collectively helping to build a workforce that is engaged with and knowledgeable of our important Asia-Pacific neighbours.”

Young New Zealanders aged 5-14 submitted 408 stories, poems, and artworks about real or imagined connections to a language, place, culture, or event from Latin America or Southeast Asia, with 117 submissions being chosen for publication in the journals.

The University’s School of Languages and Cultures coordinated a team of experts to translate the written pieces into the languages of Latin America, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand—creating publications in Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Bahasa Indonesian, Balinese, Burmese, Khmer, Lao, Malay, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, te reo Māori, Tetum, and Vietnamese as well as English.

Dr Matthew O’Meagher, director of the Latin America CAPE, says, “We commissioned the Latin American journal to inspire school children to connect with and gain understanding and knowledge of the countries of Latin America.  We want them to celebrate the regions’ cultural and linguistic diversity. They created incredible stories and art around complex themes such as mixed intercultural identities and memories of other cultures and landscapes.”

The National Library of New Zealand also assisted with the journal project by hosting teacher workshops and providing free access to books about Latin America and Southeast Asia to inspire young writers and artists to make submissions. They have also provided resources to teachers to maximise their use of the journals.

Toitoi is a quarterly journal that celebrates the creative spirit of young New Zealanders. It publishes material with an original and authentic voice that other young people can connect to and be inspired by and that reflects the cultures and experiences of life in New Zealand.

Free copies of the journals will be sent to every public library and school in New Zealand in February 2020. Visit www.toitoi.nz for more information or email Charlotte Gibbs at editor@toitoi.nz.