Community Voices is our new webinar series where we invite people to kōrero with us on belonging and inclusion related topics. It’s about amplifying the voices and views/whakaaro of different communities from across the motu. 

Our first five webinars for 2022 are on the topic of  What’s Your Tūrangawaewae? where we gather a group of people from the community to share the stories of their tūrangawaewae.

Before the webinar each guest was given the following questions to reflect on:

1. What is your Tūrangawaewae?
2. Does this (or a similar concept) concept exist in your culture?
3. What words, icons, images or objects do you use to describe your tūrangawaewae?
4. What can we do to ensure everyone in Aotearoa NZ can find and talk about their tūrangawaewae, their place of belonging?

A big mihi to our voices from the community:

• Mandy Patmore is a freelance artist and the Director of Kākano Youth Arts Collective.  She has worked in the arts industry for the last 20 years; as Arts Educator, Project Manager, and as an Environmental Arts Coordinator for Auckland Council.  She has created and project managed numerous large scale artworks, including what is thought to be Auckland’s largest community mural, involving over 1000 members of the public, and also designed the Piha Domain Footbridge, which aims to educate the public about the decline of our native long finned eel.  Mandy is based at Corban Estate Arts Centre, where she manages all aspects of Kākano; a unique and special visual arts initiative which works with some of west Auckland most vulnerable young people.  In 2020 she was awarded a NZer of the Year Local Hero medal for this work, which is having a transformative effect on not only the lives of many young people, but the wider community as a whole.
• Marie Ysabel Landingin: Marie is a ‘third culture kid’ born in Manila, raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, and based in Kirikiriroa. She is committed to creating a future where everyone has access to the opportunities they need to thrive. Marie does this as an urban planner delivering transport infrastructure, as the Project Lead for the Rangatahi Leadership Opportunities Database with Multiethnic Young Leaders NZ, and by delivering NZ’s first Womxn of Colour Conference with Authenticity Aotearoa. 
• Dr Evangelia Papoutsaki is an engaged global citizen with a passion for social justice, a social change communication scholar, editor, published author and educator, and a dedicated mentor to young women, agents of change and emerging researchers. She is the former Unesco Chair for Freedom of Expression PNG and has a background in international development with a focus in the Asia Pacific region. She has worked extensively with migrant groups in recording their oral histories and communicative ecologies and she is currently co-facilitating “Kuumba”, a mentoring program for young agents of change in Aotearoa. Evangelia is co-leading the international Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI) and engages in mapping the communicative ecologies of small island communities in the region.
• Baruch Ter Wal: Baruch is a strategic advisor, mentor and storyteller whose clients include leading New Zealand start-ups, NGOs, Iwi ventures and corporates. His core strength is the ability to work with and deeply understand people regardless of their personality, culture and professional background. He has served as a Chief Customer Officer, VP of Product, GM of R&D, CEO of an NGO, and Managing Director of a UX/design agency which he co-founded.