Introduction
Ngā mihi and welcome to the rōpu of approximately 90 voices selected to attend the Ngā Puāwai o Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Future Search Wānanga. You will be joining a diverse group of people with knowledge and experience from nine perspectives: tangata whenua, rangatahi, locals, fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, wairua tapu, land, knowledge holders and Government agencies.
Future Search is an action-planning meeting format that is used worldwide to help diverse voices discover what they hold in common. For Ngā Puāwai o Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe it is an opportunity for dialogue about the state of Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe and together to imagine a desired future that we can start working towards right away for protection and restoration of its mauri.
For this Future Search wānanga to be a success, it is important for participants to be present for all parts of the 3 days. Like a planting cycle where you sow and later reap, the Future Search sessions are designed to build off each other – leading to the action planning on Day 3.
We appreciate your willingness to bring your wisdom and experience to the Future Search wānanga and your time commitment from 9.00am on Thursday 28 September to 3.00pm on Saturday 30 September 2023. We are making every effort to ensure that your investment of time is well spent.
The Programme
Find below the link to the programme in printable form. This will be updated as we progress planning and finalise the details.
Please note that it is important for participants to be present for all parts of the 3 days. Like a planting cycle where you sow and later reap, the Future Search sessions are designed to build off each other – leading to the action planning on Day 3.
Ngā mihi!
Updated 11 September 2023
Your Future Search Co-Facilitators
Lisa McNab
Tēnā koutou katoa Tēnei he mokopuna i ahu mai i ngā iwi e rima o Muriwhenua, o roto i Te Hiku o Te Ika. I whānau mai au i roto a Kaitāia, ko Te Paatu tōku kainga noho. I mārena ahau i tētahi tāne nō Kōtirana (Scotland). Tokotoru ngā tāmariki, tokorima ngā mokopuna.
Being brought up at Tauroa by my grandparents has instilled in me a passion for preserving the natural beauty of Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhe and safeguarding its future. I am dedicated to advocating for and on behalf of whānau to ensure that a pathway is secured to enable this to happen. The environment, a delicate web of interconnected ecosystems that sustains life on our planet, faces unprecedented challenges in the 21st century. As human activities have grown in scale and complexity, so too have the impacts on Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhe. Our actions have led to water pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss, threatening the foundations of Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhe as we know it. Amidst these daunting challenges, a local movement for environmental stewardship has emerged. whānau from all walks of life, united by a shared concern for our rohe, have begun to work tirelessly to conserve and protect our natural heritage: Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhe, the Toheroa, whēnua, Te Wairoa, to name a few. This movement, the Ahipara Takiwā, of which I am a proud marae, hapū and whānau member, recognises nature's intrinsic value and its critical role in supporting our well-being. Acknowledging our differences is necessary, but what is more important is how we work hand in hand to preserve the beauty and diversity of Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhe for generations to come.
Kia tū kotahi ai tātou, hei kaitiaki, hei pou tangata, kia tika, kia rere pai te huarahi, kia whakaū ai te Mauri o Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhe.
Miranda Cassidy-O'Connell, BA, MSc (Resource Management)
Miranda has extensive experience in creating conditions that enable diverse voices to reach common ground. Over 30 years, Miranda has worked with multiple stakeholders spanning policy analysis, project management, collaboration training, facilitation, and large group planning. She has particular experience in Māori rights and interests in environmental issues, including fisheries and coastal management.
Miranda has worked for iwi, not-for-profit, government and private sectors and is currently director of her own consulting company, FOLKUS Ltd. Miranda holds a BA (Sociology), a MSc (Hons) in Resource Management and qualifications in neuro linguistic programming and regenerative development. She aims to continually learn ways of enabling and inspiring people to work together to build a sustainable society.
Miranda trained as a Future Search facilitator in the USA in 1995 and is an active member of the global Future Search Network. She has co-facilitated three Future Search events in Aotearoa New Zealand, all focused on environmental kaupapa. She is convinced of the transformative capacity of a diverse group of people committed to a clear outcome. Everybody improving whole systems is the tagline of the Future Search methodology and is an approach wholly suited to regenerating the mauri of Te Oneroa a Tōhe.
