Nau mai, haere mai

Welcome back to our catch-up newsletter, where you can find all of the latest updates from Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono. We hope this pānui finds you well in the fresh first days of the Māori new year. Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori!

Noho ora mai from the IACT whānau

Projects & Constellations

Bridging Cultures

Just over a week ago, we held our first Bridging Cultures hui in Pōneke, and despite postponements and location changes, we had an amazing group of people that came out and spent their Saturday in kōrero and community engagement.

Bridging cultures is our latest project focused on enabling social cohesion and bridging the gap between Pacific, ethnic and Māori communities. The day is about connecting, sharing, storytelling, and towards the end, building action points for improving community connections.

We had great feedback from the day, which has resulted in a rōpu group facilitated by IACT to take their conversations and action points forward into their community. A big mihi and thank you to everyone that came out!

Keen to get involved?

We have upcoming Bridging Cultures hui planned for all over Aotearoa! Our next sessions are on July 29th in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, and August 12th in Papakura. If you would like more information or a registration link then please reach out to [email protected] 

Coalition for Better Digital Policy

Next week we are holding a face-to-face hui to discuss the scope and future of the Coalition for Better Digital Policy (CBDP), one of our most recent constellations.

CBDP emerged in partnership with Tohatoha and Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, with an aim to address digital policy issues as they arise and raise public awareness around the drivers and impacts of online harm. Digital policy topics arise often, and issues can range from content moderation to data safety and the regulation of AI.

Our goal for this event is to scope what such a coalition might look like, and develop a mission statement, set of values, action plan, and terms of reference.

There are still some spots left on our registration list, so if you or someone you know has either experience/interest in technology regulation or has experienced receiving online harm send us a message at [email protected] 

Te Tiriti Workshops

Last week we held a Te Tiriti workshop for the Centre for Asian and Ethnic Minority Health Research and Evaluation (CAHRE). Drawing from co-lead Gareth Jone’s experience as a Te Tiriti educator, alongside material from our Bridging Cultures workshops, this session looked at Te Tiriti o Waitangi in light of contemporary multi-ethnic diversity and considers what Te Tiriti-led multicultural futures might look like.

It was a great day. We are always grateful for the opportunity to share our Te Tiriti workshops with groups, as accurate education of the treaty plays a pivotal role in moving towards a more inclusive and understanding Aotearoa!

If your organisation is interested in a Te Tiriti workshop, we encourage you to reach out to us at [email protected] for more information.

Last call for responses to our National Strategy Plan

We are nearly finished compiling the responses to our National Strategy Plan, and our next step is to turn this document into an accessible and comprehensive report for community enrichment.

This strategy highlights the processes and practices we have found from our research that can help projects similar to ours facilitate a kaupapa that is inclusive and honouring Te Tiriti. Our strategy outlines what we want to achieve, with eight elements that we think are essential in fulfilling our goal to establish inclusive communities. We are asking other groups to respond to these eight steps, to see where there is space and crowding within our sphere, and to reflect on what could be done better.

The cut-off date for responses is Monday, July 24th. If your organisation or community group wants to be a part of this mahi, please fill out the form below. Kia ora!

News, Events and Resources

Connect and Kōrero Report

Ministry of Youth Development - New Zealand, University of Auckland, and the Innovation Unit ANZ have released Connect & Kōrero - Innovating to amplify refugee and ethnic migrant youth voice in Aotearoa New Zealand policy.

We are really grateful to have been a part of this mahi as the implementation team, alongside the crew at Black Creatives Aotearoa. It is so special to be working alongside refugee and ethnic rangatahi in Aotearoa, and we cherish last year's workshops to this day!

Motu Research Report

Motu Research has just released a new research-based and action-oriented guide to help communities and organisations run their own just transition processes in response to challenges like climate change, rapid technological change, employment changes in regions and the transition to renewable energy.

The guide offers practical ideas, methods, and tools enabling communities to come together to solve problems in ways that work better for everyone. It draws on tikanga and mātauranga Māori and includes brief case studies of transitions led by iwi, hapū and Māori communities as well as other communities around Aotearoa.

IACT is featured in the report as a case study on the work we did with Ngāti Toa and Te Reo o Ngā Tāngata in late 2021. Together, we held a ‘Porirua Citizens’ Assembly’ - coming together to consider and map out a local climate response using a Te Tiriti-based Climate Assembly.

You can read more in the report below:

Gareth Jones Kōrero

If you’re after something to listen to, check out this great kōrero about the implications of misinformation held between Ngāti Toa’s Helmut Modlik, and our co-lead Gareth Jones. This video and the rest of his kōrero series will be available on streaming platforms soon 👍️ 

Understanding the Safer Online Services and Media Platforms Consultation

Last week, Anjum was part of a webinar panel with Kate Hannah and Jo Roberts, which was hosted by the Kaiwhakahaere at New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, Charlotte Moore.

The panel addressed the proposed reforms of the Safer Online Services and Media Platforms developed by the DIA, focusing on why these regulations are important for people working in family violence and sexual violence.

You can watch or listen below:

Radio New Zealand’s Undercurrent

And if that isn’t enough content for you, RNZ is dropping a new podcast / 7-part audio documentary on Thursday, July 20th - keep an ear out for a familiar expert!

And that’s it for now. Thank you for reading, being a part of our cause, and being an awesome person! You can find us on our socials below: