Tēnā tātou e hoa mā, ngā mihi ki a koutou.

It is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week coming up on 11-17 September, and I would encourage you all to learn some new kupu (words) and put them into practice during the week and beyond. Check out our NCWNZ social media, we will be acknowledging this special week.

In fact, our Communications Team are in overdrive at the moment. This time of the year is always so busy for NCWNZ, especially in an election year. Yet this is also the time when we make Impact, with a capital “I”. Some of the things that the Comms team is trying to tell the world about:

• The launch of the Gender Attitudes Survey, coming soon.
• Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and NCWNZ’s commitment to this kaupapa (purpose).
• Suffrage Day on 19 September – the 130th Anniversary (“Are we there yet?” – ah, not quite…).
• Policy Questions that NCWNZ Action Hubs think are the most urgent for political parties who want to be in government, along with the answers political parties have provided. (See the press release and download the answers here: https://www.ncwnz.org.nz/surveyresults.)
• The Education Action Hub’s report on Consent Education in Schools. (See the Circular article about this initiative and download the report here: https://www.ncwnz.org.nz/teaching_consent_education_in_aotearoa_nz)
• The International Action Hub’s webinar on Feminist Foreign Policy on 13 September (be in quick for your ticket at https://events.humanitix.com/political-panel-feminist-foreign-policy)

Planning for the online AGM on Saturday 23 September at 10 am is progressing well. The papers are now available through the Members Hub of the NCWNZ website – remember you need to be a financial member and have a login for the website to access these papers and to vote. The financial review is in its final stages and we will get the reviewed financial statements to members very soon.

In amongst all this, the background work of the organisation continues. The Board has multiple projects they are working on, as are Action Hubs, as are Branches. Ka mau te wehi (awesome work)! At the same time, please take care as volunteers to look after yourselves and the other volunteers you work with. Sometimes our passion raises our expectations of ourselves and others to unrealistic levels. In the words of our former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, “let’s be kind”.

Ka kite anō (see you again),

Suzanne

To read more articles from The Circular (July-August 2023) issue 642, click on the tag below.