According to a recent newsletter from Te Puna Aonui, their work on sexual violence workforce capability frameworks for government and non-government agencies requires input from our local communities, specific groups representing victim-survivors, and families. Their Interdepartmental Executive Board has conducted a literature review that identified themes that will inform a series of hui they are planning to conduct in May and June 2023. These discussions will purposely include "tangata whenua and with input from Pacific peoples, disabled people, LGBTQIA+, older people, ethnic, migrant, and refugee communities, and children and young people. ... To ensure people with the appropriate voices, skills and expertise attend the hui series, engagement with sector stakeholders have been initiated through ongoing discussions with Te Ohaakii a Hine – National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together (https://toah-nnest.org.nz/) and Te Puna Aonui is reaching out to the communities engaging in the implementation of Te Aorerekura [National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence]."
To assure that the discussions are kept in the proper context for encouraging openness and diverse voices, Te Puna Aonui is calling this a wānanga. Accordingly, this series of gatherings will ideally be about "engaging in the process of sharing and reflecting upon current understandings that leads to decision-making for future success and the creation of new knowledge."
Five on-site wānanga will be held:
- Whangārei 8 May,
- Auckland 22 May,
- Christchurch 6 June,
- Dunedin 8 June, and
- Palmerston North 19 June.
A sixth hui will run virtually online. For more information, send an email to: [email protected]
Te Puna Aonui is a collective of ten government agencies, an Interdepartmental Executive Board (https://tepunaaonui.govt.nz/about-us/our-people/), and a business unit. The Tangata Whenua Ministerial Advisory Group (https://tepunaaonui.govt.nz/about-us/ministerial-advisory-group/) was appointed in June 2022 to provide independent advice on the implementation of Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. Originally coined as The Joint Venture in 2018, the organisation led the effort to improve a whole-of-government approach to family violence and sexual violence. In 2022, the Joint Venture became Te Puna Aonui, an Interdepartmental Executive Board under the Public Service Act 2020.
Te Puna Aonui includes:
- Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga Whara - Accident Compensation Corporation
- Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections
- Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga - Ministry of Education
- Manatū Hauora - Ministry of Health
- Tāhū o te Ture - Ministry of Justice
- Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora - Ministry of Social Development
- Ngā Pirihimana O Aotearoa - New Zealand Police
- Te Kawa Mataaho - Public Service Commission
- Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children
- Te Puni Kōkiri - Ministry of Māori Development
There are 4 associate agencies of the Joint Venture:
- Te Tari O Te Pirimia Me Te Komiti Matau - Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Manatū Wāhine - Ministry for Women
- Te Manatū mō Ngā Iwi o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa - Ministry of Pacific Peoples
- Te Tari Mātāwaka - Ministry for Ethnic Communities
To read more articles from The Circular (March-April 2023) issue 640, click on the tag below.