Become a Tauiwi Tautoko volunteer
Learn how to have better, safer and more productive conversations online around Māori, refugees, NZ history and Tiriti
ActionStation believes in a compassionate, just, inclusive, diverse and thriving Aotearoa New Zealand. But institutional and interpersonal racism is undermining this vision.
In 2018, complaints of racism to the Human Rights Commission hit a five year high while complaints about racism in schools emerged from a Children’s Commissioner study involving 1,700 children. Most media coverage of Māori reinforces racist attitudes and 1 in 3 Māori face racialised online abuse.
ActionStation has made a real commitment to running campaigns that tackle racism and strengthen and honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Tauiwi Tautoko project plays a key role in that commitment.
From August to October 2018 we trained and supported 20 Tauiwi (non-Māori) volunteers in a pilot project to interact with people online (Facebook, Stuff) for 1 hr per week to listen, engage and discuss to find common ground with the goal of educating, supporting and encouraging people to develop more caring, thoughtful and educated responses to Māori people, culture and language.
In 2019, we are expanding our volunteer network of Tauiwi who take effective action as Treaty partners (or allies) and we are widening the project to include supporting and challenging hate directed at people seeking refuge, and people from refugee backgrounds.
Here’s where you come in
Tauiwi Tautoko is an 10 week program that weaves together online training and in-person hui (gatherings) to provide you with the tools, community and courage to participate in online conversations about race with evidence-based listening and messaging techniques.
Specifically, you will be trained and supported to:
- Facilitate more informed, and courageous conversations about race, refugees, NZ history and the Treaty;
- Challenge racial stereotypes and racism;
- Defend human rights.
The programme will run twice this year in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It starts with a full-day training and ends with a half day hui. Weekly webinars are provided throughout the course of the programme for ongoing learning and community support.
There is no fee to participate, though volunteers will contribute approximately 1–2 hours work per week in addition to the training hui, adding up to approximately 25–40 hours over 10 weeks.
“Tauiwi Tautoko has given me so much hope by seeing from real practical work that with small acts of compassion we can overcome the hate.”
— Amy (2018 participant)
If you are interested in learning how to be a more effective Treaty partner or haumi (ally), and in doing so finding a community of like-minded people to share the work with please apply now.
Feel free to share this info with friends you think might be interested in participating. If you have any questions, please email them to ann@actionstation.org.nz
