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 […]
Celebrating Spring: sites and sights
October 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Sites… Heirloom Organics is a wonderful seedling nursery at 951 Coatesville Road, just north of Riverhead Village, open on Fridays and Saturdays. We are especially enjoying our spring visits to choose from their very wide range of herb, flower and vegetable seedlings (including the healthiest tomato plants we’ve ever seen), all sturdy and happy, and at very reasonable prices. The […]
Invisible disability..
October 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Aio Wira held another community dinner on Sunday 11 October to raise funds for the training of deaf interpreters to complement the work of hearing signers. There are some situations which require deaf people who understand deaf culture to interpret for hearing people who, while skilled in NZ sign language, cannot always fully understand the nuances of deaf culture. […]
A new Coromandel enterprise..
October 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A highlight of our recent holiday weekend in Coromandel was going for a guided walk with Jamie Watson, a young local Maori man planning to develop a Maori tourism enterprise in the area. We met him at Driving Creek Café after our trip on the Driving Creek Railway with our friends Shila and Farida. We admire […]
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