This article was originally published in eMessenger in September 2017.
I attended the SSPA (Social Service Providers Aotearoa) conference this week and I was one of the many people representing Methodist organisations there. There were representatives from Lifewise, Vahefonua, Palmerston North Social Services, Wesley Community Action, Christchurch Methodist Mission & the Methodist Alliance. And there was also Wesley Talaimanu, from the Pasifika providers network Fonua Ola, who is a member of the Papakura Parish, so I think we should claim him too.
One of the takeaways from the conference for me was the voices of children and it is interesting to note that 24% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population is under 18 years – that is 1.1 million children and young people. And 85,000 Kiwi kids live in households that go without nine or more of the things they need. The seventeen things that households are going without are in the box below:
And kids that go into care often suffer the most as they are taken away from the people that they are closely connected with. Oranga Tamariki has set up VOYCE Whakarongo Mai (Voice of the Young and Care Experienced – Listen to me) which provides an independent voice from children and young people to the care system. Check out some of the stories of young people in care here https://www.voyce.org.nz/stories
And if those young people left you in any doubt about how clear children see the world, check out this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfrK4Ef2FFU It is really clear that children recognise injustice and inequality when they see and experience it.
And there are many Methodists who are working in this space – they are providing better care for vulnerable children, they are speaking out about injustice and equality, they are offering a better hope for the future, and they are bringing about change. Change in a good way –like spring.
Spring is a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be. I returned to the office to find spring had sprung with blossom covering the tree and it reminded me that spring is the hope of warmth returning, of longer days, of more energy. And this is the hope that Methodists are offering their clients – the hope of a better tomorrow. A tomorrow that is warm and safe, where there is enough food, and people treat each other with respect and dignity and they can flourish.
The Methodist Alliance Forum is coming up on 3rd & 4th November in Christchurch. This is our very first forum and we are starting with a powhiri at Rehua Marae. Rehua has a long history with Methodism which you can read about here: http://rehuamarae.co.nz/history/ There will be visits to various projects that the Christchurch Methodist Mission are involved with including community led development projects, social housing, aged care, and early childhood education. The Forum will also have presentations on the work Alliance members are doing and a key note address from Paul Dalziel, a wellbeing economist. It is shaping up to be a great two days and we would love to see you there, so contact me for registration details on Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
If your parish is not yet a member of the Methodist Alliance, you may want to come along and learn and see what it is all about. If so, just complete the attached registration form for non-members and return it to me by email or you could even post it.
Carol Barron, Methodist Alliance National Coordinator Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
P O Box 5416, Papanui, Christchurch 8542
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