Happy holidays from the IACT whānau

Kia ora whānau,

Despite the drizzle, the weather is warming up and the pōhutukawa blossom is out in full. It is around this time of year we find ourselves putting down our tools, and refreshing our spirit before marching into the year ahead.

First and foremost, we are extremely grateful for all of you who continue to support Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono on our journey to build a country that is socially connected and understanding of the differences and values that we all have to bring.

To those who have volunteered their time to our kaupapa, be it through participation in our projects, attending our events, or even sharing our posts, we thank you and look forward to connecting with you all again in 2024.

From the frontline to the backline, we hold our community dear to our hearts. The lived experience and stories of everyday people from Aotearoa guide the projects that we put our energy into. The majority of our work has been developed and refined through community engagement - hearing what needs to change in our country for people to feel as though they are in a place where they belong.

Belonging for many people is to feel like they are at ‘home’. This is a feeling we can all understand, though it is important to consider how that term plays out in colonial New Zealand. In recent bids to suppress Māori culture and sovereignty, our commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and honouring tino rangatiratanga becomes critical in our mahi. Going into 2024 we hope to expand our projects that promote Te Tiriti and intercultural connection with tangata whenua.

Closing down for the summer gives us a chance to reflect on the year passed, and to gear up for the impacts and difference we want to make in 2024. There is much mahi to be done, but for now - we wish you all a safe, happy, and restorative break. 

Noho ora mai,

The Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono whānau.