(Picture caption: Deputy Prime Minister Hon Carmel Sepuloni congratulates some of He Manawa Tītī Scholarship recipients.)
A cohort of 28 emerging Pacific leaders has been warmly welcomed to New Zealand for the He Manawa Tītī Scholarship Programme.
The cohort will participate in a bespoke leadership training programme that supports partner countries to build knowledge and skills.
It is one of the commitments to emerge from the New Zealand Government’s Dawn Raids apology, says Deputy Prime Minister Hon Carmel Sepuloni.
“On August 1, 2021 the New Zealand Government offered a formal apology for the 1970’s Dawn Raids, and today marks another new chapter and step along the reconciliation journey as we strengthen our ties between Aotearoa New Zealand, tangata whenua and the Pacific,” Minister Sepuloni says.
“In welcoming this cohort of emerging Pacific leaders to Aotearoa New Zealand, we’re embracing the opportunity to grow a generation of Pacific leaders that will gain the knowledge and understanding to make a difference to their communities and countries.”
Fifty years on from the Dawn Raids, the Pacific story continues to evolve, and these scholarships underline our Government’s ongoing commitment to fostering pathways and opportunities for Pacific peoples to contribute to the chapters of that story, she adds.
“As part of that story, strong and balanced leadership, across all sectors of society, is critical to the sustainable development of Pacific Island nations.
“The nations of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu, from which the emerging leaders come from, will be well-served by fruits of this scholarship programme.”
He Manawa Tītī scholarships take their name from the Māori whakatauki meaning ‘a person of great endurance,’ and aim to increase leadership knowledge and skills for emerging Pacific leaders in the public, private and voluntary sectors; and enhance public and civil society sector efficiency and effectiveness.
Minister for Pacific Peoples Hon Barbara Edmonds has heralded the new cohort as another step forward towards a more united Pacific future across New Zealand.
“Through delivering on our reconciliation commitments, we are strengthening our ties with our wider Pacific whānau and ensuring that we truly learn from our past,” Minister Edmonds says.
“This programme complements existing long-term reconciliation efforts including, the Ministry of Education’s Tulī Takes Flight scholarships offered for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Teu le Va - Dawn Raids History Community Fund.
“As our Pacific story continues to evolve, these scholarships provide an opportunity to build proud and confident Pacific leaders who can support our communities here and, in our region, to thrive.”
He Manawa Tītī scholarships form part of the goodwill gesture of reconciliation marking the New Zealand Government’s apology for the Dawn Raids.
These Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade scholarships, developed for Pacific peoples in the Pacific, complement the Ministry of Education’s Tulī Takes Flight scholarships offered for Pacific peoples in New Zealand.
The recipients, aged between 25 and 35, will be in New Zealand for just over two months for the He Manawa Tītī scholarships leadership training programme.