Now for our weekly wrap up of global politics with Dr Stephen Hoadley Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Arts. This morning:

China data collection.

Dispute between China & Iran.

U.S. domestic politics.

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The 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), presented by Visual Communications, runs online from September 24 – October 31, 2020 and features an exciting lineup of productions by Asian American & Pacific Islander artists from across the globe.

This year, “Faces of Oceania” from New Zealand, has been selected to screen at the Academy Award-Qualifying festival. Faces of Oceania, is a docu web-series that covers the stories of different Pasifika individuals who are excelling in their respective fields, aiming to showcase the Oceanic people in their most truthful light: powerful and awe-inspiring.

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Leon Smith is from Tauranga and attended Tauranga Boys College.  He went on to Church College of New Zealand before serving a mission in Arizona from 2008-2010.  Attended BYUHawaii 2012-14

He Started an online health and wellness business in Sydney Australia 2018 before migrating to the US (Utah) in January 2020 as a full time health and wellness ambassador.

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In this time youth are rising to the call of leadership. Their voices are rising above the waves to project the call of the unheard. In times where there is uncertainty we must look to one another to move forward whether that be in public, private or even in academic spaces.

One such call is the One Ocean conference, a three day event that will bring Maori and Pacific young leaders at Victoria University of  Wellington together. 

Leilani Vae’au is the President of the Pasifika Students Council of Victoria University of Wellington for 2020.

“Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.” Proverbs 11:14

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Our next guest hopes to become a part of social justice using indigenous gifts and lived experiences to spread messages of awareness, hope, change and unity.  An aspiring poet and musician using his craft as a positive voice for people who feel unheard, without positive role models to be self aware.

Joseph is an Aotearoa, New Zealand born proud fruit salad of mixed heritage consisting of Niue, Samoan, Chinese, European and Pakeha descent. Joseph believes in the the importance of ones identity and has lived experience in the power of reconnecting with ones cultural identity, indigenous models of wellbeing and practices, after living most of his life without it and recently travelling to two of his motherlands.

He has attempted to learn his mother tongue a number of times.

Furthermore Joseph has experienced and overcame in a plethora of obstacles that many people experience today which has influenced his empathetic nature. Joseph works a social worker in the health field, and he is an advocate for social justice and equity for all people no matter what ethnicity, sexuality, gender etc.

Joseph also recognises the importance of working together in unity and has supported, and been supported by a number of community initiatives with like minded visions of equity and wellbeing. Such as Tupumaiaga A Niue Trust, Hopewalk, Pride and the Black lives matter movement. More recently Joseph has become part of the BBM Motivation family and is grateful for the support they provide to the community. Joseph thanks King Cass Movement for the inspiration to pursue his art and also the Otara Kai Village and Know Your Status Community Trust for providing him a platform to present it. Joseph believes in the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” and that the same philosophy can also be applied to social justice.

Joseph is living proof that with self awareness, hardwork and ongoing love and support one can overcome any obstacle.  His vision is to inspire people to reconnect with their identity, become more self aware to strengthen mental health holisitically as a whole person.

 

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Leadership, a term that was once reserved for the older and wiser, is now a word that youth use frequently to empower and exercise their own right to lead. More and more we are seeing young people join councils, boards and lead their own movements to unite and make a change for the better. And some of these young people are doing it while they are in school or university.

As we continue with our lead up to the  general elections we are talking to different people in our community about what issues are important to them when they go to vote.

Sulu Danielle Joshua is of Tokelauan descent from West Auckland.  She is the President of Fale Niu - AUT Pacific Association and also the Northern Hub Vice President of Tauira Pasifika.

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Vaka Tautua is a community service provider that helps Pacific people who are experiencing mild to moderate mental illness to get well and integrate successfully back into their community.  

This week we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 and this year's theme is: Reimagine Wellbeing Together: He Tirohanga Anamata.

We have Les Atoni on the line and he is the team leader for Vaka Tautua’s mental health support services in Wellington.

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Dr Maryann Heather is a GP at our SouthSeas clinic who has a range of experience working in New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, American Samoa and China. Of Samoan descent, she is experienced in general medicine and emergency medicine but her main area of interest is primary care and especially Pacific health.

 Dr Heather holds medical qualifications from the University of Otago and the University of Auckland, and is a member of the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners (Pacific Chapter) and an Executive Committee Member for the Auckland Faculty, in addition to being a Senior Lecturer in Pacific Health (School of Population Health University of Auckland).

Dr Maryann Heather is on the line to talk to us about the latest with Covid19 alert levels.  Talofa Lava Dr Heather and thank you for your time.

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Twenty projects to benefit Pacific communities, young people and their families in South Auckland have received total funding of $75,100 under the second round of the Pacific Future Makers Fund. This Fund is a participatory grantmaking initiative with 10 Pacific youth established by Foundation North in 2019.

The Fund has been designed and driven by the Pacific Leaders. They created the vision for the Fund, promoted it, assessed proposals and made funding recommendations to Foundation North. 

This has enabled many Pacific applicants to access Foundation North funding for the first time - in fact, 71% of the applicants for the second round of funding were new to Foundation North.  

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Our resident Sports guru on Pacific Breakfast Ray "Razor T" Tele'a, joins us for a wrap up of sporting action from the weekend. This morning:

Mitre 10 Cup.

NZ Warriors 2020 season in review.

NRL.

Israel Adesanya. 

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