Te Whanau. A Celebration Of Te Whanau O Waipareira

Cover Type: Softcover
Book Condition: As New
Jacket Condition: As New
Publisher: Te Whanua O Waipareira
Publisher Place: Henderson. NZ.
Publisher Year:
Edition: First Edition

Description: 141 pages. Book and Jacket appear to have hardly been read and are both in As new condition throughout. The only exception is a small inscription to the inside page. How Do Maori Assert Themselves Economically, Socially And Culturally In The Highly Competitive Environment Of The 21st Century Technological Revolution? Is It Possible For Traditional Social Structures To Survive In An Increasingly Urbanised World That Is Moving At An Ever-faster Pace?.

Publishers Description: How do Maori assert themselves economically, socially and culturally in the highly competitive environment of the 21st century technological revolution? Is it possible for traditional social structures to survive in an increasingly urbanized world that is moving at an ever-faster pace? How do indigenous peoples compete for their share of the opportunities and wealth that abound in a ‘developed’ society, without sacrificing the things they hold sacred? From the 1950s to the 1970s, Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand underwent what was possibly one of the most rapid urbanizations of any indigenous people in history. The migration from rural areas to the cities was accompanied by immense long-term social consequences, ranging from the fragmentation of traditional tribal and family groupings to a profound sense of dislocation from whanau, iwi, the land and even the Maori language. Statistics and social indicators showed (and continue to show) Maori disproportionately represented at the "bottom of the heap." For decades, each new government promised to address the problem and subsequently left little more than a cosmetic make-over in ‘Maori affairs.’ Successive generations of Maori were unable to speak their own language, and many had little idea of their own whakapapa or lineage. While the Government was earnestly addressing Treaty of Waitangi issues in the 1990s, a tectonic shift in thinking was taking place, with the shockwaves emanating from Waitakere City in West Auckland. What would happen if a pan-tribal, city-based whanau took responsibility for their own economic and social development, building complex, sophisticated business networks and social support systems? Was it possible to take the best of both worlds, the profit-oriented capitalist system and integrate this with caring, people-centered traditional structures? Te Whanau O Waipareira is the response to and the result of this fresh thinking. The wairua or spirit of the whanau or extended family is centered on Hoani Waititi Marae while the organization has expanded from Waitakere City, with a structure and dynamic similar to that of the World Wide Web. The outlook is inclusive and expansive instead of insular and defensive. The book you are reading about is no dry history. Rather it is the story of Waipareira, as told in their own words by the participants. The success of Waipareira is offered as a model to other organizations, not only of indigenous peoples but any group or business. If you have ever offered a comment about "what they should do" or "what we must do" to get things right, you are invited to become acquainted with Te Whanau to get a sense of the positive thinking and inspired work originating with this committed and dedicated group of people who share an exciting vision of their journey together to the future. Bronwen Christianos conceived the idea for this book after returning to New Zealand from overseas in 1997. "When I arrived back I marveled, as so many of us do, at what a wonderful country we live in. A few days later, our youth suicide rates, the highest in the western world, were released. I decided to try to do something that could help change the way that many New Zealanders see themselves and their country. "When I first visited Waipareira in 1998, I saw and felt an energy and a passion that was contagious and uplifting. I saw that the essence of this remarkable group of people was actually very simple, and that it was both transportable and applicable to any group of community of people anywhere. My lie has been changed though my involvement with the whanau. "I hope that this book may be both an encouragement to Te Whanau O Waipareira, and an inspiration to other."

ISBN: 9780473072285