1. International Women’s Day and Month

A LIVELY WOMEN’S DISCUSSION “Level Up –Let’s change the World” (scheduled for International Women’s Day, but postponed because of Covid Lockdown) was an intergenerational discussion chaired with skill and empathy by Miriama Kamo.  It made an inspiring – and challenging- 7.30am start to the day on Wednesday 17 March at the Civic Club.  A diverse […]

2. The Media…

On  8 March, on Maori Television, Moana Maniapoto devoted her whole programme (Te Ao with Moana) to interviews with 12 Maori women on the subject, ” Speaking rights on the  Marae”.  There were many different views  about women speaking on the marae.  Acknowledgements were given to the late Whaia McClutchie, Merata Mita and Eva Rickard.  […]

3. Other Women’s Events This Month.

ALBA – an Octagenarian cyclist ALBA, the Auckland Lesbian Business Association, had as its guest speaker on Wednesday 10th March a very special woman – Jill Lundmark, who has, for the last 13 years, until Covid Lockdowns stopped her, taken her bicycle and gone overseas for 3 months of every year, exploring new places each […]

5. Poroporoaki for Ama

We heard this week that Māori activist Miriama Rauhihi Ness, known to many friends as Ama, had died , a month  after becoming ill at Waitangi.  She was farewelled by a packed congregation of Māori, Pasifika and Pākehā friends and supporters at Tipene Funerals on  Wednesday 17 March in the evening, and by family at […]

Happy PRIDE Month!

There are lots of exciting events in Tāmaki Makaurau during Pride month.. …we started with the SameSameButDifferent Writers’ Festival The SSBD Literary Festival is the only LGBTQI  Festival of its kind in Australasia- a celebration of Aotearoa’s LGBTQI writing talent.  This is its sixth year- it was founded in 2016 by Peter Wells, who, sadly, […]

A Feast of Films…

There are two exceptional films on at present in Tāmaki Makaurau – both made in Aotearoa.   Rūrangi– written by Cole Meyer, produced with Oliver Page and directed by Max Currie: “one of the most beautifully drawn evocations of romance I’ve seen..” and “a ground-breaking production from New Zealand” are two of the media comments. […]

Wrangling with Racism

Although many Pakeha people in Aotearoa have become more aware of the racism we’ve inherited and continue to perpetuate, and more inclined to call it out, we still have a long way to go. A few recent examples- and the reactions to them: Racism in Parliament: Trevor Mallard, speaker of the House, made a blunder […]

Trumped! Now Biden- Our Time…

  The last four years have made the USA feel like a foreign country, to us – our wonderful ex-wwoofing friends have been stuck in an alien land run by a psychopath, egging on the sad and the bad to acts of intimidation and violence, and destroying many of the bonds of friendship and solidarity […]