From the 5th to the 6th of March, Te Rau Ora had the privilege of hosting Waka Hourua Hui Fono 2019 with Le Va. Hui Fono is a two-day platform that shares the learnings and successes of Waka Hourua, the National Māori and Pasifika Suicide Prevention Programme which Te Rau Ora carries out in partnership with Le Va. Topics of importance were shared by diverse presenters from whānau, community members, researchers through to representatives from the Ministry of Health.
The theme of presentations and discussions included:
- The importance of being, belonging, believing
- Being part of the solution
- Capturing the perspectives of young people
- Building community capacity
- Media: Its impact in communities
- Te Rā o Te Waka Hourua II: Second strategic research agenda for Māori and Pasifika suicide prevention
- What is the evidence telling us?
- Does policy match the reality of Māori and Pacific communities?
All attendees were engaged and participated in robust discussions about approaches to Māori and Pasifika suicide prevention and general approaches to mental health in New Zealand. The keynote speakers were Sir Mason Durie and Robyn Shearer (Deputy Director General Mental Health & Addiction, Ministry of Health).
During this year’s Hui Fono, Sir Mason Durie presented an Agenda for the Prevention of Suicide, which was adopted by the participants. This includes ten priorities:
Whanaungatanga – trusted relationships
Aukati taniwha – beating the demons
Kake wairua – lifting the spirit
Ahi kā – staying connected to past & future
Hāpori kotahitanga – community collectivity
Oranga whānau – family wellbeing and resilience
Urunga porihanga – full participation in society
Rautaki whakaora – equitable strategies & policies
Umanga ngaio – our collective expertise
Aranga mai – standing with pride and confidence
To learn more about Waka Hourua and the Agenda for the Prevention of Suicide CLICK HERE
You can see photos from the event HERE
Prior to Hui Fono, Te Rau Ora also held the National Waka Hourua Māori Suicide Prevention Research Symposium.