The Hon. Tariana Turia, MP for Te Tai Hauauru, talks about Inspiring Communities |
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Last week I found out about a project that got me really excited. The project, Inspiring Communities immediately attracted my attention by a key statement: "For too long, we have looked to governments or to expert individuals for solutions when many of the answers lie with us". The project focuses on community development, with an emphasis on establishing a network of communities who want to work collaboratively. It operates an exchange which links communities together to share the way in which they have linked local resources, energy and ideas to fix local problems. In Waitakere they have ‘neat streets’, where fences have been painted, litter picked up, a jumbo bin filled, a barbeque lunch shared, and a community transformed. In Glen Innes, three Pacific churches got together and planned a programme of aerobics classes, healthy eating, health advice and fitness training. In Cannons Creek the people of Porirua united to fight the loan sharks and tackle indebtedness. The Good Cents project is working with families to reduce the rates of interest being charged to them. I remember a couple of years ago, a community garden that was created in Kea Street, here in Whanganui. While the primary outcome was to work co-operatively to grow fruit and vegetables for the community, there were many other spin-offs, including neighbours learning to trust in each other and to watch out for one another.Of course this is a concept that our families along the River have always known works. Our families at Pipiriki, Koroniti, Kaiwhaiki, Ranana, and Hiruharama have always lived together and demonstrated their pride in managing and driving their own development. Sometimes, our news is littered with stories of neighbourhoods described as ‘dysfunctional’; communities criticised, streets vilified. The Inspiring Communities project reminds me just how fantastic some of our community projects are. I’d really love to hear your stories – send me an This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or ring my office on 0800 488 742. From “Beehive Chat” Tuesday 16 December 2008 |