Toesulu Brown has worked at AGGS for thirty years. Charmaine created a position for her in 1985 as a community liaison officer and a teacher of Samoan language, especially to NZ-born girls who were not fluent. Over the years Toesulu has fulfilled many roles in the school and the community, becoming a key member of the national […]
Solstice Greetings from Ranui!
December 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
To all of you, we hope you have a very happy Solstice , relaxing and celebrating with family and friends. To those of you in the northern hemisphere- keep warm, and to those in the south, like us- keep cool and rest a lot! AND Nga mihi nui o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou ki […]
Busy as bees last weekend…
November 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Saturday 14 November 9.30-3.00 A workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Earthsong residents and family members. Hilary Star Foged, one of the external trustees on the Earthsong Centre Trust, facilitated a carefully crafted and sensitive process to enable Earthsong people to examine our knowledge about the Treaty of Waitangi (both the Maori and the […]
Suffragette
November 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
We’ve just seen an outstanding, gut-wrenching film, Suffragette. If it comes your way, don’t miss it. It was shown as a fundraiser for the Auckland Women’s Centre on Sunday 15th November. It’s a profoundly important film, reminding us in the most visceral way of the hatred still shown in much of the world towards women […]
Lead by example, please…
November 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, DR Congo, France…. Being bombarded by images of the cruelty, destruction, mutilation and murder in other places can too easily leave us numb. I wake each morning, and remember to be grateful. I’m grateful for living here, in Aotearoa, where as our refugee friends say, “you can criticise the government and no one shoots you. And they […]
Towards “A Ukulele Revolution”
October 19, 2015 by 1 Comment
(from left) Joe, Bernard, Tanya and Charmaine with some of Bernard’s beautiful instruments We have an exciting new project – helping to raise funds for a ukulele-making workshop and training centre in Poutasi, on the south-east coast of Upolu, Samoa. This village was destroyed by the 2009 tsunami, partially rebuilt, and then severely damaged again by […]
Kaumatua and Tamariki at Tahuna Pa
October 19, 2015 by 1 Comment
We returned to Tahuna Pa near Waiuku recently, to have lunch with Moea Minhinnick, her daughters and mokopuna. We picked up two special kaumatua on the way: Joan Macdonald, elder of the Tamaki Treaty Network and indefatigable worker for social justice and peace, and George Flavell, Ngati Te Ata kaumatua historian and environmental kaitiaki from Waiuku. We were joined […]
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