PĀNUI
NEWS
Te Wāi-Ora Rōpū
(Alcohol Harm Reduction Social Change Group)
12 / 06 / 2025
The Te Wāi-ora rōpū recently gathered in Otara at Te Whare Pupu Tahitanga, one of the Māori Wardens’ wharenui for our annual wānanga. Te Wāi-ora is a nationwide community social movement. Te Wā-i-ora unites five organisations with the shared goal of reducing alcohol related harm and creating positive change in Māori communities nationally.
Community-Focused Approaches
Our recent meeting was an opportunity for us to connect, reflect on our mahi, celebrate our achievements, and plan the way forward in the space of alcohol harm reduction. Our collective involves 5 organisations including; Hāpai Te Hauora, E Tipu E Rea, Te Rūnanga O Toa Rangatira, He Waka Tapu, Communities against Alcohol Harm and Ngāti Hine Health Trust, and it was inspiring to share our different approaches to community-led, culturally grounded efforts that honour whānau, hapū, and iwi. Our ongoing collaboration demonstrates the enduring power of cultural identity and community agency to drive meaningful, sustainable change.
Two members of our marketing team also had the honour to lead a workshop focusing on community engagement and digital storytelling. The goal was to empower the rōpū members to amplify their voices, share their mahi, and create momentum and strengthen the collective efforts. We also emphasised that our approaches needed to positive, whole health informed and incorporate the different needs of whānau across Aotearoa.
Next Steps
As we move forward into the next phase of our project with Te Wāi-Ora we are building out the capacity for each of the colaborating groups to report on some success stories, some whakaaro around the issues and challenges that whānau are facing in thier areas and to share any pānui that applies to thier mahi in this space.
We recognise that thier are vast differences in the "frontline" mahi we all do, so building out a digital story telling element to this kaupapa is neccesary for us to learn from eachother.
Additionally we are building the resource to share each organisations services, kaimahi, and access to their services. Making a single point of access for whānau across aotearoa to find resources, services and news relating to the overarching kaupapa of alcohol harm reduction in New Zealand.
"Nā tō rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi"
"With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive"
