Hauora kotahitanga – Maori health experiences as models for co-operative co-existence between indigenous and non-indigenous people: The complexities for Maori in creating health and disability organisations based on their traditional knowledge and practices, when the institutions and systems they are dealing with for health developments are non-Maori, are part of the broader phenomenon of contemporary indigenous knowledge based developments. 

This thesis examines the relationships forming between the worlds of Maori and non-Maori peoples through hauora Maori. The purpose of this study is to examine Maori experiences of the development and delivery of indigenous knowledge based hauora Maori models, and to consider these experiences conceptually as models for kotahitanga (co-operative co-existence) between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.  

Social exclusion leads to widening gaps between society’s most well-resourced members and its least. This social divide is social injustice, and contributes to social discord and community dissatisfaction. The active inclusion of children, families and staff from a diversity of backgrounds, with a diversity of skills and abilities creates an environment that is rich and dynamic, and reflects the reality of our world.

Our integrated child and family-centred approach is based on evidence that delivering integrated, connected services and embedding these services into mainstream settings provides higher quality support, leading to improved outcomes for children and families. Services that can provide well-coordinated support that is part of a sustainable community life will also be more convenient and efficient for families.

SDN Children’s Services here.

The 2012 ReachOut.com National Survey revealed some striking facts about young people accessing the service: 24 per cent of ReachOut.com users identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or questioning, and 1.3 per cent of these also indicated they were transgender, intersex or gender diverse; 86 per cent of these young people were experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, compared to 9 per cent of the wider youth population.

ReachOut.com is there to support these young people, connect them to peers and link them to resources and specialist LGBTI services that can help them work through difficulties around sexuality, gender diversity and intersex.