Blog

This morning I joined a ZOOM with ACES Connection. The topic was healing trauma through music. Our guest speaker was Nick Larson (Lead singer and songwriter) from the band, Próxima Parada. Nick uses music to communicate his feelings and to seek clarity. His music is a conduit of his emotions, his interpretation of his lived experience and the experiences of others as he moves through his journey of healing. Through this process, he finds clarity and understanding of his emotions and life...

Thursday 13 August 2020 On Tuesday 11 August 2020 at 9.15 pm (New Zealand time), Jacinda Adern announced that 4 people from the same family living in South Auckland had tested positive for COVID. The NZ government led by Jacinda Adern placed Auckland under Alert Level 3 from 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August 2020 and the rest of NZ on Alert Level 2. Auckland is the largest city of NZ with a population of about 1.6 million. It makes up about 33% of the NZ population. Today (Thursday) a further...

Kia ora, I was born and raised in NZ and I live in Papakura which is located in South Auckland. I am a mother of four beautiful children and grandmother of three granddaughters with more to come. I am Maori (indigenous people of NZ) and whakapapa to Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa is in the Far North of the North Island of NZ A very beautiful place with beautiful beaches including Taupo Bay, the area from where my whanau (family) come from. ACE and Trauma-informed NZ is a...

There are a few people out there, Who assert their power Over me To win. It saddens me That I too Have to assert my power To be seen and heard As an EQUAL

Dame Whina Cooper ONZ DBE was a Te Rārawa leader and woman of mana, who worked for many years for the rights of Māori, especially Māori women. Born on 9 December 1895 in Pangaru, Northland, NZ and died 26 March 1994. Aotearoa means land of the long white cloud. It is used by many as another name for New Zealand Watch her speak "You can never WIN anything unless you are there to do something" Her quotes include:

Peaceful protests can work to bring people together and to raise awareness of concerns. On 13 September 1975, approximately 5000 people marched from Te Hāpua in the North Island down to Wellington. The hīkoi (march) was led by Ngāpuhi leader, Dame Whina Cooper to protest against the loss of Māori land. The hīkoi was one of the first significant protest led by Māori it inspired the rebirth of Māori culture and paved the way for future protests by Māori for Māori. It raised public awareness of...

I just watched Jonathan Haidt's Ted Talk . You need to listen to it all. His message is relevant today with all the unrest we face. Our Righteous Mind's were designed to: unite us into teams divide us against other teams and blind us from the truth. We need to step out of self-righteousness in order to see the truth. We need to embrace opposing sides and work together to find a middle ground. Just as I am half-caste, black and white can join together to create a new life. To reflect on: "If...

As a person of mixed culture, Maori and Dutch. I know that peoples of all colour can come together, can work together, can accept each other. I am evidence of that.

In the recently released final report the Education and Workforce Committee has recommended that teachers can use "physical force" on their students. They recommended that a definition of "physical force" be inserted into clause 95 (p.5). The definition of force they have provided reads, " force in relation to a student, directed toward the body of a student so as to move, or prevent, restrict, or subdue the movement of, the student's body or any part of the student's body against the...

The news just now. NZ is going to Level 1 because we have zero Covid-19 cases. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12338052 Many thanks to our Prime Minister, Jacinta Adern and our Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield

The Royal Commission of Inquiry are looking into what happened to children, young people and vulnerable adults in State and faith-based care in Aoteoroa New Zealand between the years 1950-99. They may also listen to survivor experiences before and after these dates. The inquiry is considered to be the largest in the world given its scope and terms of reference Why have an Inquiry? Many people and organisations - survivors, community leaders, iwi and Māori, the Human Rights Commission and the...

In New Zealand, we have Oranga Tamariki - Ministry FOR Children. This is what Oranga Tamariki state on their webpage: Oranga Tamariki was established on April 1, 2017. We are a Ministry dedicated to supporting any child in New Zealand whose wellbeing is at significant risk of harm now, or in the future. We also work with young people who may have offended, or are likely to offend. Our belief is that in the right environment, with the right people surrounding and nurturing them, any child...