Transcript
Welcoming participants, the Porirua mayor Mike Tana said it was only logical for Porirua to host the gathering as a quarter of the city is made up people with Pacific heritage.
The event was the brainchild of community leader Tofilau Kerupi Tavita who welcomed New Zealand's Prime Minister as 'the father of the nation'.
To the audience Bill English jested that he was used to being a palagi father to a Pasifika family as among his own wife and children he was the only non-Samoan.
On a serious note about a father's place in the household Mr English said, "Strength is not about fear".
The Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Grainne Moss spoke about the vulnerability of Pasifika families.
"Vulnerability comes from all range of sources and I think every family and every child, and every human being at some point will feel vulnerable. The issue is, how do we build the networks, the communities, the resilience to be able to cope with adversity, trouble, uncertainty."
Another speaker, Rugby legend La'auli Sir Michael Jones was strong on community empowerment.
"We have a saying in the Pacific community, that 'fofo o le alamea' which means 'we have the solutions' and I think it's all about identifying and acknowledging we have the solutions in our community and we need to take charge and take the lead, and own it."
But there was one key issue he pressed.
"Domestic violence is a big part of the kaupapa tonight and we really have to man up, own it and do whatever it is that we have to do to ensure that our wahine, our wives, our partners, our girlfriends - the ladies in our community are honoured and respected and that we all be part of ensuring that it's not part of who we are and our culture."
That culture was explored in 20 workshops exploring different aspects of what being a Pacific man is about. The gathering's project manager Samson Samasoni explained.
"With particular focus on risk factors in terms of family violence, family stress and the things that might lead to it but it was really a deep sort of analysis of different components of what being a Pacific male is."
Mr Samasoni said the target for the gathering was a thousand people attending each day but acknowledges this may not have been realistic with the short notice.
He says they had about 700 people through on each of the days but he says more than 4000 people have signed up via Facebook to support the ongoing pledge agreed at the end of the gathering.
"A pledge was issued to the men who were present and those signed up, to take this further, to not let the event be an end on its own."
He said the pledge aims to support and empower role models to keep providing positive impact and influence on the men that surround them.
He said the aim is to grow this social movement and influence more Pacific men around the country.
"We had people from Auckland, the greater Wellington region, Manawatu, Christchurch who were present, even someone flew in from Australia who was so taken by the whole thing. So plans are already under way to host one of these gatherings in Christchurch."
Mr Samasoni said this and smaller gatherings in the lower North Island are planned before the end of the year. Beyond this a larger event in Auckland is a goal with the possibility of an annual gathering on the horizon.
