Kaiwhakatere ~ Navigators update
Unity in diversity / Unidad en la diversidad
***Newsflash***
It is with huge relief that we welcome the recent announcement of the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to approve Ngāti Paoa’s request to extend the s186a legal protection for the rāhui around the island. This reinforces the rāhui laid by Ngāti Paoa in early 2021, a rāhui that in WMP’s thinking has continued unabated, even with the lapsed s186a. Thankfully lore and law are realigned. Huge thanks to Ngāti Paoa for ensuring that protection continues.
This Kaiwhakatere update is a homage to the power of diversity. The strength of embracing difference for the good of the whole is well understood, as is evidenced by the proverbs and quotes peppered throughout this update.
Mā whero, mā pango ka oti ai te mahi / with red and black the work will be complete
The WMP has always been focused on diversity. From the nine voices at the Future Search event in 2020 to the pursuit of thriving biodiversity in Waiheke’s marine environment via multiple Pipi (projects). It is a driving value of the WMP to identify the many parts of the system and enable their agency. Supporting healthy interdependence of the parts in time leads to high functioning ecosystems of people in te Taiao.
“We need diversity in thought in the world to face new challenges” Tim Berners-Lee
This is my last update as Kaiwhakatere / Navigator, with Alice McSherry stepping into this role in August, in readiness for the next phase of WMP. This next phase beginning in November 2024 is to be known as Te Puāwaitanga, embracing the blossoming of activity as the WMP matures as a movement. Te Puāwaitanga will have the Kaiwhakatere as a shared role by Ngāti Paoa and the Waiheke community. (more on that in the next E newsletter).
This newsletter includes profiles on some wonderful new people joining the WMP. We welcome Kim Collins to the WMP as Kaimahi Hapori/ Community Coordinator. Kim brings her incredible skills from years in social impact via philanthropy and her passion as a local Waihekean to truly walk a Te Tiriti path in regenerating Waiheke’s marine environment. We also welcome Marie Holdaway as a talented graphic designer. Marie brings her skills to the WMP Comms team, ensuring that marine issues and WMP efforts to address these issues are well narrated.
He rau ringa e oti ai / Many hands make light work
I was recently super privileged to visit Costa Rica. My daughter was volunteering in wildlife conservation, so while she worked, I explored the wonders of this beautiful country in Central America. The images below are just a snippet of the diversity of wildlife and thought.
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities” Stephen Covey
Chatting to the locals reminded me of how differently we humans approach caring for and being in a reciprocal relationship with the environment. Some Ticos (Costa Rica locals) were confused when I described Aotearoa’s aim to be predator free. Our interventionist conservation approach is needed because many of Aotearoa’s precious species have little to no defence to introduced predators. This is not the situation in Costa Rica, where the vast diversity of wildlife means the balance is found within the wildlife without humans. However, intervention is definitely needed in some parts of the country where human poachers prey upon laying turtles and their eggs. Many hatcheries are established to care for the turtle eggs and increase the chance of the wee (super cute) turtles making it to the ocean.
“In diversity there is beauty and strength” Maya Angelou
I am honoured to remain as part of the WMP movement as an advisor. As a systems change practitioner, I am a little addicted to the way the WMP is working. The intentional decolonising and regenerating work is so filled with hope and enables individual and collective agency for a much healthier marine environment.
Miranda Cassidy-O'Connell
Kaiwhakatere / Navigator