Waipareira Hosts Urban Indigenous Group From Australia

Te Whanau O Waipareira welcomes a group of urban indigenous Australians to find out first-hand how we deliver services to the whanau.

On Monday, a high level delegation of aboriginal representatives from NGOs including the Ngwalla Willumbong community and members of various indigenous housing organisations across the state of Victoria will visit Whanau Centre.

The purpose - to strengthen relationships, forged in 2010, and share best practice in the areas of housing, homelessness programmes and sober up treatment programmes.

Waipareira Trust CEO John Tamihere says it will be a great learning experience for both the Trust and manuhiri arriving here next week.

“Our involvement with other community service providers around the world allows us to reflect on what Waipareira is doing and where we are going as an organisation.

“We need to ensure what we are doing is best for our whanau,” John said.

Waipareira has been developing relationships with a range of indigenous people from around the world. In 2012, a joint paper between the National Urban Maori Authority – of which Whānau Waipareira is part of - and the national Aboriginal council was presented at the 6th Word Urban Forum in Naples, Italy.

From this hui, Waipareira is happy to welcome the Ngwalla Willumbong and the Victorian indigenous housing who plan to visit New Zealand to learn more about Waipareira.

The World Urban Forum held last year was a major international event for the exchange of views and experiences on urban challenges and opportunities.

It is a gathering that is organised by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme that gives governments, non-government organisations and international organisations and institutions the opportunity to discuss the Urban Agenda.

The hui planned on Monday will further solidify lasting relationships between Waipareira and the aboriginal groups where we can develop on urban indigenous issues, challenges and developments in Australia and here in Aotearoa.

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