Nau mai, haere mai

Tēnā koutou katoa. Welcome back to our catch-up pānui, where you can find all of the latest updates from Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono.

This month’s newsletter is covering some of the things that have been missed over the past few months, as 2023 has flown by for the team here at IACT. With the nurturing of new programmes, the expansion of our team, and the development of our kaupapa - it has been a busy year of growth and putting our projects in a row!

The crew got together last week in Nelson to deliver our final Bridging Cultures hui for the year, and spent much of the time outside of the event strategising in excitement for 2024. We have great ideas for how we can expand our work to reach a wider audience, and involve more of the community in our practical movements.

Thank you all for your support, participation, and encouragement over the year.

Noho ora mai from the IACT whānau

Projects & Constellations

Bridging Cultures Updates

Last week we held our last Bridging Cultures hui of the year in Whakatū, Nelson.

Since the inception of the project in July we have held 7 events across Aotearoa - from Papakura in Auckland to Ngā Hau e Wha Marae in Christchurch.

The turnout and response that we have had to this programme over the past months has been massive, and we are so grateful for the participation, vulnerability, and aroha that was brought to all our hui.

Seeing the community connections that are established on the day of these sessions, and seeing them grow over time through our rōpū system has been very fulfilling to the hearts of kaupapa of our team. We wouldn’t have been able to bring this programme to life without the support of our funders, so we have to give a shout out to:

• Rātā Foundation (Blenheim, Nelson);

• Tindall Foundation (Papakura, Te Teko, Christchurch);

• Trust Waikato (Papakura, Te Teko, Christchurch);

• TODD Foundation (Papakura, Te Teko, Christchurch);

• Foundation North (Papakura, Te Teko, Christchurch);

• MSD Social Cohesion Fund (Wellington, Hamilton)

We have had a lot of interest in the programme going into 2024, and while we have a couple of locations already organised, we are currently seeking funding to expand the project further across Aotearoa. The programme can be tailored to serve the needs of your community, and if you are interested in supporting or collaborating with us for next year then please get in touch.

Media as Allies Updates

Our Media as Allies group has been busy developing an action plan for 2024, which aims to include the hosting of a community/media symposium. The intention behind this hui is to platform various minority community voices around how their stories are represented in the media. The event will then workshop on solutions as to how we can improve the fairness of reporting within our current media systems.

We also have several other pieces of work on-the-go at the moment, so keep your eyes peeled for some content before the end of 2023!

The group is looking to expand its core membership, so if you would like to know more about what is required or have an expression of interest, then please contact [email protected].

Te Tiriti Workshops

2023 marked the start of IACT’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshops, and we are proud of the energy that we have received in utu from the organisations we have worked with so far.

The content and length of our workshops are tailored to the needs of those we work with, and it has been an honour to walk alongside the journeys of those that are seeking a stronger understanding and commitment to Te Tiriti. Below is a snap of Atarau and Gareth leading one of the YWCA rōpū in Tāmaki Makaurau earlier this month.

A big mihi to YWCA, English Language Partners, University of Auckland, and ChangeMakers Resettlement Forum for their partnerships thus far. We have workshops lined up for 2024, and we are keen to work with other organisations that are interested in our services. If you want to find out more, you can find more information here or contact us directly.

SASS Updates

Last month the SASS group were blessed to reconnect in person, as they gathered in advance of a 2-night workshopping retreat at Castaways Resort.

After months of Zoom meetings off the back of the Voices from the Frontlines not-white paper, it was a relief to get back into each other’s presence and workshop an action plan going forward. A main topic of the retreat was around how Te Tiriti o Waitangi can be applied and promoted to ethnic communities, guided by facilitation from the lovely Arama Mataira.

The group has produced an exciting action plan, with a focus on reaching out to communities that are working to change systems – as well as a resource available for you all soon.

We are very grateful to be able to tie off 2023 in such a beautiful space, and we are energized for our mahi coming into 2024. A big thank you to Weave – Working Together for supporting our work, and for your belief in our capacity to make Systems Change possible.

If anyone would like to learn more about the SASS group or our report from earlier this year, some of the team were interviewed by Canada’s The Tamarack Institute, which you can watch below.

News, Events and Resources

Un/Real Presentation

Anjum is presenting ‘Un/Real: Whakakotikoti - Responding to Online Warfare’ in Tauranga next Wednesday.

This lecture addresses the tools, strategies and impacts of harm happening online, from disinformation to generative AI. Anjum also poses solutions on how to tackle the global issue, beginning at a local level.

The event is now sold out, however keep an eye on our socials for a video recording in the coming week.

Embracing Change - the future of our pānui

In 2024 we would like to maximise the potential of our newsletter for collaboration and sharing the voices and stories of community members and community leaders.

Making the most of this will take form in several different ways, from guest op-eds, to interviews, to a cultural inclusivity event promotion section. We have some names in mind - however if you are interested in featuring in next year’s pānui then feel free to reach out in advance.

Embracing Change - introducing our updated website

Our logo wasn’t the only thing that got an uplift in 2023… We have also just launched our updated website refresh!

A visual and structural refresh has been long overdue for the digital home of our organisation, and balancing this with the importance of good accessibility has been crucial for us. We are pretty happy with how it has turned out, so if you’d like a more up-to-date understanding of what IACT is up to, take a minute to have a look through below.

The Movement for Open Culture Aotearoa (MOCA) launch

In October we attended the launch event for @movementforopencultureaotearoa in Kirikiriroa.

The Movement for Open Culture Aotearoa (MOCA) was launched out of the @momentumwaikato Waikato Intercultural Fund, which was established to address issues of community connectedness. Intercultural inclusivity and belonging is at the heart of our kaupapa.

We are honoured to be one of the first recipients of the initiative's grants, and are grateful to continue our mahi in building bridges between different cultures. We wouldn’t be able to do the work we do if it were not for entities such as MOCA, so please go follow their cause, and if you have the means then donate through purchasing one of their styling keep-cups 💞

Waikato Wellbeing Project’s ‘Lots of Little Fires’ Video Series

Lots of Little Fires is a video series by the Waikato Wellbeing Project which shares the stories from within our community, people whose mahi contributes to building a better society for today and for the future.

We want to share their work as the stories they have pulled together are truly touching. Highly recommended watching!

You can view the inspiring story of Raahui Pookeka below, and find the rest of the video series catalogue here.

And that’s it for now.

Collaboration is the name of the game here at IACT (which you will see in some of the changes coming soon), so if you or your organisation have any ideas for programmes that would make Aotearoa a more inclusive country, we would love to work alongside you.

Thank you for reading, being a part of our cause, and being an awesome person! You can find us on our socials below: