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Date: 14 February 2000 - 14 Feb 2000

From: Race Relations Conciliators Oral History Project

By: Laidlaw, Christopher Robert, 1943-

Reference: OHInt-0751-03

Description: New Zealand Race Relations Conciliator from 1989 to 1992. Born in Dunedin, 1943. Discusses attending school in Dunedin at Macandrew Intermediate then Kings High School. Talks about attending Otago University between 1962 and 1967 - mentions studying towards his Masters in Geography. Talks about being offered the Rhodes Scholarship and his time studying at Oxford between 1968 and 1970. Mentions his rugby career with the All Blacks. Talks about beginning work for the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1972 and being posted to Suva and then Paris. Recalls working for the International Energy Agency from 1978 to 1979 before working at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London until 1984 - mentions Sridath Ramphal. Discusses returning to New Zealand to work in the Prime Minister's Department before accepting a position as the New Zealand High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania. Discusses appointment as Race Relations Conciliator - mentions the legislative framework, the complaints proccess and the 'working style' of the Office of the Race Relations Conciliator. Describes the bicultural structure of the Office and their part in the 1990 Sesquicentennial celebrations. Recalls reactions to his appointment from certain politicians and Maori groups - mentions Jim Bolger and Winston Peters. Discusses Judy Cunningham's report on the media treatment of race relations. Talks about Maori-Pakeha relations with regard to Doug Graham. Discusses the concept of conciliation - mentions the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Talks about Matui Rata's concept of 'a nation within a nation'- discusses the importance of developing both Maori and Pakeha identities. Recalls reasons for parliamentary select committee enquiry in 1994. Discusses the difference between racism and racial prjudice Access Contact - See Oral History Librarian Interviewer(s) - Megan Hutching Accompanying material - Copies of published articles from newspapers and magazines Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-012711, OHC-012712 Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1.18 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-5443 Abstract Available - transcript(s) available. Photocopied articles includes copies of photographs of Chris Laidlaw Search dates: 1943 - 2000