“Whaia e koe te iti kahurangi, ki te hapai mo te tangata katoa.” “Strengthening the hearts strengthens the people.”
"Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena no tatou katoa / Greetings, greetings, greetings to us all"
Not many sleeps now till we meet at Papakura Marae, so here is a final mail out to give a bit more detail & some reminders. At this point in time we are expectant of 70 participants. This is likely to vary with enquiries continuing to be received and queries over visas from some (Let us hold them in the light of transformation). AVPers are coming from: England, Ireland, Norway, Canada, USA, Thailand, Australia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa & India. There is room yet for more. While there is a clear sense of a solid group gathering, there is also some fluidness with arrangements still to be finalised and choices yet to be settled. Kei te pai / All is well. We here in AVPAotearoa are looking forward to us all being together and having the pleasure of returning the warmth we have received at Gatherings in other lands. Thanks to all of us for working to make this happen – for the commitment to be here; the travel to get here; the supportive input and preparations for the IG & the trainings afterwards.
Weather: It will be our summer and the weather forecasters predict less ozone cover and therefore an increase in the ‘fierceness’ of the sun’s rays. Please be sure to bring sunglasses, hats and sunscreen. Workshops will be held under cover. There may be insects in the cooler evenings, so bring insect repellent. There are grass areas around the marae where we can enjoy a stroll.
Meals: We have two lovely caterers – Ray & Sue who appreciate knowing the special dietary needs and are very capable of looking after us all with our support.
Money: It is recommended that foreign currency be exchanged for NZ dollars at the airport or downtown Papakura. There are no ATMs at or in walking distance to the marae. Payment made at the IG for registrations, staying on Waiheke, T-shirts and trainings need to be in NZ dollars. Please be mindful that we are all responsible for our personal belongings. e.g. passport, money, etc…
AVP T-Shirts: Thank you for the pre-orders which are being printed as I type. T-Shirts are a personal cost and not included in registrations paid by FWCC or AVPA regions.
Hosting: Some hosting is offered to those who want to travel around before or after the IG – please make contact with National Coordinator for details.
Agenda: Part of the fluidness referred to above relates to the agenda. The invitation from AVPAotearoa is to consider this International Gathering as though it were an AVP Workshop to remind us that we learn from doing, use consensus and work together in teams. Being mindful of the theme, how do we best strengthen our hearts and that of AVP, in our localities and internationally? And like any AVP workshop, when feedback is given changes can and do occur.
Day One - We start workshops with team building/powhiri and community building/whanaungatanga.Present the opening talks /Kaupapa & Kawa to remind us of the principles that bind us.(We are also expecting people for whom the AVP is a new experience). Set up our Rights & Responsibilities for agreement and lay our foundation of trust & respect upon which to build and strengthen our relationships. Make preparations for day two. Evening activities. Closing.
Day Two – Duties–Perhaps we may continue as a whole group, with community building. Have a Gathering together. Consider the issues facing AVP as an international organisation. Decide on the number of workshops and topics for next 2 days of workshops. Choose topics for the workshops and allow facilitators to volunteer for international teams and take time to team build and prepare. There may still be a workshop for new attendants (the visa matters will help determine this).Many of us attending are experienced AVP facilitators.
Suggested Topics
– Facilitating outside of own culture–AVP in war zones–Non-verbal exercises–Peer Mentor Groups–Upskilling with Role Play–Transcultural
Exercises–Dealing with cultural conflicts–AVP issues–Strengthening hearts, strengthening people–Cultural perspectives of Transforming Power–Using stories in AVP Workshops–Adaptive AVP including people with
disabilities in workshops & leadership–Keeping hearts strong wherever AVP is introduced–Survival Exercise…
(I am in a privileged position of being able to suggest topics that may resonate
with others. Some topics listed are through me and some from others. It
will be our collective responsibility to decide what to provide and volunteer
ourselves to do so. I invite us all to consider the process of building
international teams of 3 or 4 with regard to strengthening hearts & AVP.
Day Three – Duties. One day workshops with international teams. Evening activities. Closing.
Day Four – Duties. One day workshops with international teams. Evening activities. Closing.
Day Five – Duties. Completions. Evaluations. Poroporoaki/Farewells. Closing.
Marae & Maori concepts: As a quick way of providing information on an introduction to the marae & concepts of maori, the publications “Te Marae – A Guide to Customs & Protocol” by Hiwi & Pat Tauroa and “The Maori Experience of Aotearoa” by Haare Williams have been used. For those interested Museums and libraries provide much more information. Please print your own copy of the information on following pages to read before you arrive as we will only have a few copies to give out at the gate.
Daily Duties: Daily duties will give us more teamwork and community building experience: we will be setting tables for meals; clearing tables; washing, drying & putting away dishes; helping to prepare food for meals; setting up workshop spaces & clearing away afterwards; security of marae & and our belongings; cleaning toilets & showers. Each team may have a different duty to attend to each day.
Evening Activities: Will allow us all to have more fun together. The following suggestions require volunteers to lead please. *Story – telling (thanks to volunteers Sunflower Sandy & Tale telling Tom). *Cultural songs. *Playback theatre, Skits, Puppetry *Cultural dances, Circle dancing *Light & Livelies
Clean up and depart from the marae. Everyone’s efforts throughout the gathering will make this an easy task. Thank you.
Waiheke Island: Between Feb 3 and Feb 6, there are a limited number of 14 (maximum) places available at Friends House, Palm Beach, Waiheke Island. This is a lovely place to rest and opportunity to be together prior to the training workshops set for Feb 6 – Feb 8. If you choose to go to Waiheke we can organise a shuttle from the marae. Buses & shuttles meet the ferry on Waiheke and can cost around $2 - $5. Accommodation is $10 per person per night and everyone will be asked to contribute to the buying and preparation of food. We will now be vacating the premises on Feb 6th by 10am. Buses are timed to meet the ferries which sail on the hour. A copy of the ferry timetable will be available at the IG
Waitangi Day: Feb 6 is the day of remembrance, challenge, acknowledgement of the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi. We encourage members to attend events where they can. There will be a public event at Papakura Marae.
Training Workshops: We are choosing to provide a combined AdvT4F (AdvT4T) / T4TL (Training Lead Facilitators) workshop in Auckland and a T4F (T4T) workshop in Ngaruawahia just north of Hamilton. These are wonderful opportunities for us to share training styles, methods and structures. Training cost has been reduced – refunds will be given to those who have already paid at the original price, when checking in for the IG. Please note that AVPAotearoa members are arranging teams. Thank you to those expressing interest.
AdvT4F (AdvT4T)/ T4TL (Training for Team Leaders): For those who have their T4F (T4T) certification. Aspects of T4TL will be incorporated. The live in venue limits our numbers to 24 including the team. We are looking forward to a wide variety of input from those present. Those travelling from Waiheke can meet at Friend’s House, 113/115 Mt Eden Road at 2.45pm and travel out with the team to the venue. Others will need to find their own way. If you need overnight accommodation for Feb 8th please advise Rere.
Venue: Chosen Valley Christian Camp, Turner Road, Ramarama, Auckland.
T4F(T4T) AVP Facilitator training. Those attending from AVPAotearoa will need to have attended a Basic & an
Advanced workshop to be accepted. Others coming from elsewhere must
understand that we are not looking to circumvent the criteria for facilitator
training in their country of origin. This is a live in venue – numbers are
limited to 16 including the team. International participants can be billeted
prior to this event and transport to the venue arranged.
Venue: Christian Youth Camp, Ngaruawahia
Please contact Rere for training enquiries.
AVP Aotearoa website: available at
www.avpaotearoa.org.nz
Naumai Haere mai / Come, you are welcome
Cost: Accommodation & meals = NZ$70 per person
Team: Peter Watson, Max Robati, & Elaine Dyer.
Starts: Friday 6th 4 pm registration & settle in. 4.30pm the Group Gathers. (Tea at 5.30pm)
Finishes: Sunday 8th 4pm
Cost: accommodation & meals = NZ$70 per person.
Team: Rere Stroud, Ellen Flanders, Lowana Crawford, Vivienne Aubrey.
Starts: Friday 6th 2pm (lunch for Frid. not provided)
Finishes: Sunday 8th 4pm
Arohanui / God’s Breath
Rainbow Rere