The question of how we might work together towards achieving a world without war is the subject of Starfishing For Peace, a new programme and podcast on OAR FM, hosted by Dunedin woman Kirsteen McLay.
The programme’s title is shared with a local group that meets monthly in the Matheson Room at Knox Church to discuss promotion of peace through projects and activities.
Ms McLay is also a co-founder of The Starfish Collective, a registered charity established in 2021 with the aim of helping refugees under the Government’s community organisation refugee sponsorship pilot.
The collective hoped to welcome two Syrian families to Dunedin under the scheme later this year.
Teaching and humanitarian work in Japan and Vietnam had sown the seeds for her Dunedin-based charitable work, she said.
"Vietnam, especially, opened my eyes to war and the long-term effects of conflicts on the culture and psyche of the people, as well as the terrible long-term environmental damage chemical warfare can cause."
Starfishing For Peace is broadcast every second Wednesday at 6pm on OAR 105.4FM and 1575AM.
Podcasts are also available on oar.org.nz, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at www.oar.org.nz.
