Taloha ni, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ni sa bula vinaka, Namaste, Kia orana koutou katoatoa, Ia Orana, Gud de tru olgeta, Talofa, Kia ora tatau and Warm Pacific Greetings to you all this morning.

Hutia te rito o te harakeke
Kei hea te komako
He aha te mea nui i te ao?
Maku e kî atu
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata e.

If you pluck the heart of the flax
Where will the bell bird feed?
It was once asked of me
What is the greatest treasure in this world?
It is people, it is people, it is people.

It gives me great pleasure to launch the research report Mahi Aroha: Mâori Perspectives on Volunteering and Cultural Obligations.
The key concepts from Tikanga Mâori and Mâori culture that underpin Mahi Aroha are:
Hau (life essence), aroha (love, sympathy, compassion), Mana (dignity, integrity, authority), whanaungatanga (family connectedness), manaakitanga (care or caring for), ahi Kaa (duty to one's turangawaewae), and Kaitiakitanga (guardianship, support).

As to the whakatauki that embraces this report, we all know that volunteering in Aotearoa, New Zealand is dependent on people, so it is wonderful to see you all here today.

I am sure that you know the important role that volunteers play in New Zealand, and many of you will have experience either directly or indirectly with volunteering.

Volunteers make a huge contribution to our society in almost every sphere of activity – from sport, recreation, arts, culture, and heritage to emergency and social services, health, education, conservation and the environment.

Volunteering is a fundamental act of citizenship and philanthropy in our society.

Volunteering builds strong, sustainable and connected communities.
Volunteering builds social capital – the glue that binds our communities, our culture, our identity.

By caring for others and contributing to change, volunteers improve the lives of other people while at the same time enhancing their own lives.

Volunteers come from all walks of life, representing all ages, demographics and cultures, volunteering for many different reasons.

We know that volunteering is particularly important for Mâori.

The 2001 Census data showed that Mâori were more likely than non-Mâori to have been involved in unpaid activities outside the household.

These Census results showed that nine out of ten Mâori participated in some kind of unpaid activity in the month prior to Census day.

Literature is available on Mâori philosophies that relate to unpaid labour and community participation.
However, relatively little was available on the contemporary incidence of volunteering or helping – as opposed to paid work – amongst Mâori.

In 2001, the International Year of the Volunteer, there were calls for more attention to be paid to research pertaining to Mâori voluntary work and the development of Mâori communities.

One of the reasons this research was commissioned was to address that knowledge gap.

The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector carried out this research to clarify the relationship between fulfilment of cultural obligations and volunteering for Mâori.

Pam Oliver and Associates were contracted by the OCVS to conduct a series of interviews and hui with members of marae and other Mâori organisations including experts in kaupapa Mâori philosophies, values and concepts.

The breath and depth of stories recorded from these Mâori communities have been a strong reflection of Pam and her team’s ability to get whanau talking in a way that would help us understand the Mâori world of volunteering and cultural obligations.

Dr Catherine Love from Victoria University of Wellington also provided valuable information for this report on Mâoritanga focusing on Mâori health and well-being.
Mâori health continues to be a significant issue.
This report may hep us better understand the impact of Mâori volunteering and cultural obligations on Mâori health.

The Mâori research participants themselves must also be acknowledged. Without their stories, frankness and honesty, this report would not have been possible.

According to the participants, the usual concept of “volunteering” did not accurately reflect their Mâori world view, their own experiences, and motivations for carrying out unpaid work for their communities.

The term “mahi aroha”, defined as work performed out of love, sympathy or caring through a sense of duty, was considered more appropriate.

Hence the title of the report Mahi Aroha.

I believe Mahi Aroha reflects the mana of the korero of the participants and their shared experiences.
Each participant will be sent a copy of this report, as an acknowledgement of his or her contribution.

The research findings from the study reveal the cultural and spiritual dimensions of mahi aroha.

It explains that “volunteering” for Mâori is based significantly upon the notion of whânaungatanga (kinship) and the benefits for both individuals and the wider community that come from contributing to the common good.

Within a collectivist cultural tradition such as Mâori culture, conceptions of self are linked to aspects of nature – wairua, mauri, whânau and mana – and all are intertwined.

Personal wellbeing depends - both immediately and ultimately - on the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
A kuia put it this way:

“It’s just how we operate.
If someone in my whânau needs help, then I do it.
It could be going to a tangi of someone I never knew,
or getting hold of information for someone
or helping out in the kitchen, or whatever.”
Mahi aroha for the benefit of whânau, hapû and iwi, therefore, is seen as an essential part of fulfilling cultural obligations to the wider collective.

Mahi aroha is also a component of the Mâori sense of identity.

Mâori language and culture, incorporating principles of tikanga, mana, manaaki, and whânaungatanga, provide a rich framework for understanding Mâori perspectives on and motivations for undertaking mahi aroha.

Research participants identified a broad range of motives for the mahi or work they undertook.

The common link for people’s motives was tikanga Mâori – doing the right thing according to their customs and beliefs handed down through generations.
For kaumatua, there was a clear link to mana – both personal and that of the whânau, iwi and hapû.

An academic kaumatua said:
“Every person’s mana derives from their social commitment.”
Social commitment is imperative to the acts of mahi aroha.

The contemporary diversity of Mâori experiences and perspectives means there is no single framework of understanding Mâori participation in volunteering, helping or mahi aroha.

While there are similarities between the traditional concept of volunteering and mahi aroha, there are also distinct differences.

We know that many people from all walks of life freely give up their time and commit personal resources to help others.

What underpins the Mâori concept of mahi aroha, and makes it unique, is tohu aroha - the spiritual, emotional and cultural dimension that provides the framework through which mahi aroha is undertaken.

The sense of collective identity and responsibility is so integral to Mâori that it becomes a central motivation for mahi aroha, and one that is rarely questioned or challenged.
To use another quote from the research:
“We all know that we’re struggling to keep culture alive,
not just the reo but the tikanga.
If we don’t look after our marae, we’re not Mâori any more, we’re something else.”

At the heart of mahi aroha is the maintenance of tikanga, and the important role that it plays in ensuring Mâori cultural identity is nurtured, treasured and kept alive.

If we are to realise the vision set out in the Government Policy on Volunteering of:
“a society with a high level of volunteering, where the many contributions people make through volunteering and fulfilment of cultural obligations are actively supported and valued”
then we must all work together collaboratively to achieve shared outcomes where respective world views are appreciated and valued.

I believe that Mahi Aroha will provide valuable information to a wide range of audiences from government agencies to employers; whânau, iwi, hapû, Mâori organisations; the community and voluntary sector; tertiary institutions and many others.
This report will lead to a greater appreciation and understanding to what mahi aroha means for Mâori.

I encourage you all to take back a copy of the report and read it.

The many activities of mahi aroha benefit all New Zealanders, as Mâori culture is an important part of New Zealand’s national identity and uniqueness.
And just this morning we have all been privileged to participate in a powhiri, which in essence gives events such as this true meaning and reaffirms what it means to be a New Zealander.
Kia ora Tu, Olivia and boys.

I would personally like to thank the researchers, Pam and Catherine, for all your hard work and commitment to this project. Kia ora korua.

I see the publication of this report part of the Labour-led government’s commitment to recognising the contribution Mâori make to their communities through fulfilment of cultural obligations.

And to recognising and supporting the contribution of mahi aroha performed by Mâori for their whânau, hapû, iwi and Mâori organisations.

To those of you here today involved in mahi aroha, thank you so much.
New Zealand volunteers come from diverse cultural backgrounds. For Mâori, specifically the commitment to helping others is part of who we are and where we come from.

I would like to close my speech quoting from one of the Mahi Aroha research participants as I believe this says it all…
“It stops being an obligation when you start seeing the results.
Then it becomes a satisfaction.”

Every person's Mana derives from their social commitment to others.

As the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector I am delighted to launch this research report that will benefit not only Maori but all of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aroha nui, Kia ora Tatau, Meitaki Maata and thank you.