The one-day Māori and Pacific Leadership Summit, held in Tauranga Moana, has brought together business leaders, youth, and innovators to chart a course for ethically and sustainably scaling enterprise across the Pacific, with a key focus on introducing resolutions to the current global economic crisis.
Josh Payne, CEO of JNP Aviation, detailed his personal mission to tackle underrepresentation within the aviation sector, seeing the summit as a gateway to strengthen networks for the Polynesian nation.
Payne was blunt about the current state of representation for Māori and Pasifika in the industry. “Māori and Pasifika are underrepresented by 8% and 11% in our industry. Combine that, that’s only 19% representation in aviation as a whole. That is embarrassing, so we’ve been looking at how we can open that up to everybody else?,” he said. “So we’ve been doing a massive drive to bring and show case and awareness to Māori and Pasifika that they can come into aviation.”
Despite global turbulence, including rising fuel prices, Payne remains resolute. “There’s always gonna be a little bit of challenges especially in aviation, especially in the worldwide issues that everybody is facing. It’s not just aviation, it’s everybody, every whānau at home. Does it slow the processes of turning aircrafts around getting people employment? No, it doesn’t. We still continue to do what we do.”
Attendee Monika Toko, from ERO, captured the determined spirit of the delegates as they confronted the challenging circumstances.
“They are listening because they do not agree that these terrifying circumstances should reach a certain level. They will be the ones to fix it,” Toko stated, reaffirming the commitment of leaders to hold onto their principles and aspirations for the future.
Te Mana Motuhake me te Kotahitanga o ngā iwi o te moananui a Kiwa.
Ko te Huinga Kaihautū Māori me Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa i tū ki Tauranga Moana, he wāhi hei whakakotahi i ngā rangatira pakihi, i ngā rangatahi, me ngā kaimahi auaha ki te whakatakoto huarahi mō te whanaketanga o ngā pakihi puta noa i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.
I kī a Matangireia Yates-Francis, he kaipakihi nō ŌRUA, ko te kaupapa matua o te hui ko te tūhono me te whakatairanga i te mātauranga.
“Kei Tauranga Moana tātou i tēnei kaupapa e kiia ko Māori and Pacific Leadership. He kaupapa e tōia mai i ngā rangatira, ngā tukanga me ōna mahi e puta ana i tō tātou ao. Ko te kaupapa matua ko te tūhono,” i kī ia. I tāpiri anō ia: “Kia Māori ki te Māori, o tātou puta ki te moana nui ā Kiwa. Te whakatairanga i te mātauranga, anō hoki ki te whāngai i ngā pūkenga rau kei a tātou i kite nei mō ngā tāngata mē rātou rawa me rātou tukanga. Hei wānanga, hei tūhono anō hoki.”
I kōrero anō a Yates-Francis mō te aronga nui ki te mana motuhake i roto i ngā wānanga.
“Ko te nuinga o ngā tino kaupapa kua kōrerotia ko tēnei mea te mana motuhake. Te Kaha ū ki tērā whai, ahakoa data mai, ahakoa data mai, ahakoa mātauranga mai, ahakoa mahi mai. Ko tērā mea te pupuri i tērā. Koia tō mātou rerekētanga mē ki ngā tōpito katoa o te motu,” i kī ia, e whakanui ana i te kaha ki te mau ki ngā kaupapa Māori, hei rerekētanga i te ao whānui.