SPACIFICally Pacific Hawkes Bay Opening

Opening of SPACIFICally Hawkes Bay Expo, Kings House Church, 218 Riverbend Road, Napier

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

It is a great pleasure and an honour for me to be invited to attend the opening lotu of the annual SPACIFICally Pacific Hawkes Bay expo, as it marks yet another year of success and growth for Pacific peoples in the region.

I would like to acknowledge my Parliamentary colleagues and your local MP's Rick Barker, Russell Fairbrother and Chris Tremain.

Thank you to the SPACIFICally Pacific Hawkes Bay Trust, the Steering Komiti and to the wonderful Hawkes Bay community that supports them, for your warm welcome.

Growth of SPACIFICally Pacific in Hawkes Bay
It is heart-warming to see so many young people and their families taking part in the community lotu to mark the launch of this year’s SPACIFICally Pacific Hawkes Bay celebration.

The engagement and enthusiastic support of the local Pasifika community is crucial to the success of such a significant event in your cultural calendar. I know that your presence here tonight is a sign of your commitment to enriching Pacific lives in Hawkes Bay.

SPACIFICally Pacific has expanded over the years from a one-day event in 2002 focussing on career and educational opportunities for secondary school students. It’s now a week-long, hugely successful careers and education expo that also celebrates the vibrancy of Pacific cultures in New Zealand today.

It’s travelled so far because of the effective partnerships built between the many central and regional government agencies, church and community groups, school teachers and students, families and individuals who believe in it.

This collaborative spirit has been built on the firm foundation of commitment by all Pasifika in Hawkes Bay – the families and students, communities, churches, cultural and social groups, young and old.

It is the spirit of the Samoan saying, “So’o le fau I le fau” – Unity is strength. I commend your efforts in working together to develop Pacific commitment.

I understand the first PACIFICA Napier branch has recently been established which should also be celebrated. PACIFICA provides the opportunity for our Pacific women to support one another, and with women like Maryanne Marsters, Caren Rangi, Diane Mara and Rose Fatialofa leading the way I know that Tiare Ahuriri will be a success.

Careers, education and training
Our parents and grandparents came to New Zealand with dreams and plans for the futures of their children. Events like this wonderful SPACIFICally Pacific careers expo and cultural celebration will help new generations to realise those dreams.

Education truly is the key to many life opportunities. If we invest in the education of our young, all our futures will be the richer.

We’re seeing more and more encouraging trends in education for our young people. A report released recently shows that Pasifika school students are making great progress. So many more of them are staying on at school to achieve a qualification. In fact, the report showed that for the first time, more than half of Pasifika students left school having achieved Level 2 NCEA or above.

That’s great news – it’s the path we want to see our young people travelling, and I have the greatest confidence that we will see even greater achievements by greater numbers of school students, each year.

We are also keen to see more Pacific young people feeling inspired to go on to study and gain qualifications at university and polytechs, and to complete craft and trade training, and to continue to postgraduate level.

You have a wonderful role model of academic success in people like Charmaine Ilaiu – University of Auckland’s newest Master of Architecture and the first Pacific (New Zealand-born Tongan descent) young person to be capped at this postgraduate degree level in Architecture. Charmaine grew up in Otara in Auckland, and followed her career dreams in architecture.

Gaining qualifications provides satisfaction and pride at a personal level – you also discover wider career and life choices, and gain higher lifetime earnings - your achievements will also benefit your families and communities, and you can inspire more Pacific people to go on to higher education.

I’m sure all who take part in SPACIFICally Pacific will get a taste of the endless opportunities out there, at the Agency and Schools Information Expo this evening – and even more at the Careers Experience Day for Senior Pasifika students on Wednesday.

You’ll find information, tips and advice on scholarships, support schemes and services at universities and polytechs that give a big helping hand to young people wanting to learn and train for their future – and for their families.

Safety issues
But – although we need to do it to survive – there’s more to life than work!!

The theme of “Safer Pasifika” is a timely, relevant and powerful one for the SPACIFICally Pacific Steering Komiti to have chosen.

Being safe isn’t only about physical safety. It’s also about improving aspects of your life that give you the knowledge, confidence and security that enable you to contribute to your community and to New Zealand society as a whole.

I know there are a number of government, local and private sector agencies involved in presenting the initiatives and programmes they have developed to ensure safety in all aspects of life: family, work, leisure and sport, health, education and social life. SPACIFICally Pacific is a vehicle in which they can deliver their key messages about safety and wellbeing to our Hawkes Bay people.

There are so many organisations taking part in this expo, that it would be difficult to credit them all.

Initiatives for Pacific young people
I would now like to tell you about some exciting initiatives that will benefit our young Pacific people.

New Zealand's Pasifika population is young, fast growing and diverse with multiple ethnicities, languages and culture groups. We all know that our Pacific youth are talented and energised, and we need to ensure that they are supported to reach their full of potential.

The government is committed to making sure that Pasifika students achieve and succeed in the education system. We understand that Pacific success is critical to New Zealand’s success, to our families’ well being and our sense of national identity.

This is why this month we will be launching the Stepped Up Pasifika Education Plan. It’s been great to see more Pasifika children participating in quality early childhood education but we need to do more to build on that strong foundation.

We know that more Pasifika students are leaving school with a qualification, but we need to see even more achieve at this level. Participation in tertiary education has been growing fast in the last few years. We need to make sure this growth continues at higher levels of study.

Our young Pacific population will be a considerable larger proportion of New Zealand's future workforce. It is important that we encourage a highly skilled and versatile Pacific workforce, creating the skills needed to transform the economy.

Later this year, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs will be launching a new campaign to tell Pacific young people and their families about the opportunities available in modern apprenticeships – and how to take them up once they’ve identified a craft or trade they’re interested in. Watch out for the “The Apprentice”, New Zealand style!!

There are also development opportunities like the Young Enterprise Scheme – I hope some of the high school students here today have had the opportunity to take part in this exciting business planning competition. The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has established a special award for Pacific students – the Award for Excellence in Pacific Business. I look forward to seeing innovative Pacific business ideas coming out of schools throughout New Zealand!

Another step in bringing together young people in the Bay who have leadership skills is your Young Pacific Leaders programme. I have heard good things about this programme particularly as it enhances and fosters leadership abilities, as well as providing project management experience. This is what our Pacific youth need – some guidance and support. For those of you who are in the programme this year, I wish you all the best. Remember you represent your schools and your families and you are a voice for Pacific youth of tomorrow.

All of these programmes, and the others you can learn about here at SPACIFICally Pacific, address concerns that you, your family, and members of your community and schools might have about safety.

Many of those concerns are expressed in terms of simply making the right choices - choosing to complete an education that will equip you well for the future; choosing good healthy food and exercise; learning safe practices and skills in the workplace; being aware of and competent in aspects of child safety, health and personal welfare.

They’re choices that, today and in the long run, will guide you towards satisfying, well-paid careers, healthy lifestyles, and secure homes. They will ensure that you become part of a cycle of success within stable, safe families and communities.

I hope you find opportunities here that will inspire you to make a difference to your own life and to the lives around you.

Congratulations
During the week ahead, both primary and secondary students will be on-stage in an array of performing arts. You have a very full and exciting week ahead of you. This expo celebrates our young Pacific New Zealand talent, energy, colour, languages and sounds.

I’m advised that many of you have spent the recent school holidays practising for your events, and I am sure that all that hard work will have paid off in the quality of your performances. Your pride in your Pacific culture and identity will do much to make every performance a success.

But the events during the coming week will showcase more than the performing arts talent. They will also show you how to get the best out of qualities such as leadership potential, business acumen and academic ability. They will offer you keys to reaching the very best of your own personal potential.

Congratulations to the SPACIFICally Pacific Hawkes Bay Trust, its Pasifika Steering Komiti, to the Napier City Council and all who have been involved in the organisation, sponsorship and support of this wonderful week of activities. I know a lot of hard work has gone into this event.

Closing remarks
In Pasifika families we are all taught to look after our younger brothers and sisters, our extended families and other members of our communities. It’s a way of keeping safe in all parts of our lives - at home, at school, at work, on the sports field, in our travels, and even on the stage!

I grew up in a very close-knit community in Wainuiomata. Pacific families were involved in church, women’s groups, sports and cultural groups. That sort of involvement, and the support each person gains from it, is one of the great strengths of Pacific society.

It reflects the saying that I introduced earlier in my speech: “So’o le fau I le fau” – Unity is strength. It’s something that young people can draw on as they make choices and decisions for their own futures.

So if you go away from SPACIFICally Pacific with one safety message that can see you through life, it should be to hold fast to your Pacific values. Take pride in your heritage and your abilities, care for yourselves and for one another.

Thank you for giving me the chance to speak at this evening’s community lotu. It is now my very great pleasure to declare SPACIFICally Pacific Hawkes Bay 2008 officially launched.

God bless. Ia manuia.