Transcript
Organiser Dickie Humphries spoke at the opening of the Te Rerenga Manu fono
"This fono is not for the faint hearted, it is not for the boring, it is not for the tired, or the dusty. It is for the crazy ones, it is for you. It is for the mischievous of mind and the compassionate of heart. This fono is a weaving of conversations and confrontations that will make us laugh, they make us cry, and may make us angry. In this gathering the arts will raise a mirror to our reality and provoke a collective response. The speakers and panellists will help us make sense of that through their insights and their stories.
The Te Rerenga Manu fono features a variety of small group and panel discussions interspersed with thought provoking dramatic performances.
It is being delivered by the Emerging Pasifika Leaders Steering Group, which is funded by Auckland Council's Southern Initiative.
Stephanie Tautolo, who heads up the group, says there are ongoing barriers to Pacific people realising their full potential.
She says the event is a rallying call to motivate Pacific people towards being part of economic and social change in their own communities and sectors.
“I think in the first instance, the normal historical history that we've had in Aotearoa New Zealand is that we are migrants. And our families came here to give us a great education and that is wonderful however in our communities, particularly in south Auckland, there is an overrepresentation of things that hold us back. Access to alcohol, access to tobacco, access to fast foods.”
By the end of the conference, Ms Tautolo says her group wants to come up with something by Pacific for Pacific.
“Today is one of those days that we want to be able to unravel those sort of mysteries by having cross conversations between the different sectors and bring something together that is driven designed & developed by Pacific.”
The Auckland Councillor for Manukau Efeso Collins says he holds a firm belief that gifted Pacific people can do so much more.
“We really want to do something good with the Southern Initiative. TSI, their role, is to make sure we get an uplift of social and economic outcomes for South Auckland, for Manukau. So we have got those people here who can really shake things, who can shake the trees a little bit and make sure that there is way forward for our young people.”
Mr Collins says Pacific people have something unique to offer the nation and now is the time.
“It is really important that our people feel that they can come completely to whatever they are doing, that’s all of their culture, all of their family, all of their beliefs can come into their roles and hopefully they will be saying look there is a way we can facilitate a way to bring all of ourselves into our communities.”
Stella Muller is an entrepreneur and business owner who says she envisages a better future for Pacific people.
“And I think that we have got to change the narrative. Whilst there is value in talking about our migration story, and value talking about our struggles, I am just all for redefining and recreating what our future looks like.”
Ms Muller says she learned a lot from her father, who as a first generation migrant, moved from the islands to New Zealand and started his business from scratch.
“What have we got in front of us? We have got our ideas that is an example of taking an idea and we have got to get better at getting those ideas and manifesting them into reality. That is why I feel strongly about being in business. I am actually second generation business cos my dad was the first generation businessman, couldn't speak any English, didn't finished primary school yet he knew and he believed in this idea of buying a business with our family's life savings.”
Te Rerenga Manu translates as the 'flight of the birds' .
Fono organisers hope to get more Pacific people flying with a clear purpose in mind for business, work and ultimately their communities.
