Police and our iwi M¨¡ori partners came together in Te Papaioea / Palmerston North recently to celebrate the launch of the latest Te Pae Oranga.
The new iwi community panel ¨C the 20th in Aotearoa ¨C is a partnership between Manawat¨± Police and Te Tihi O Ruahine Wh¨¡nau Ora Alliance Charitable Trust.
Te Pae Oranga is an approach that holds offenders accountable without going to court, while also helping them address problems they¡¯re facing.
The occasion was celebrated at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre on 6 December.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, acknowledged the value of the partnership with Te Tihi, an alliance of nine iwi / M¨¡ori organisations across the Tararua. Manawat¨± and Horowhenua rohe.
¡°To fulfil our mission of reducing crime and harm, Police can¡¯t do that alone,¡± says Commissioner Coster. ¡°We know we don¡¯t have all the answers.
¡°Te Pae Oranga is a fantastic example of a M¨¡ori-led initiative where we work together to achieve better outcomes for all.
¡°Te Tihi¡¯s vision ¨C helping wh¨¡nau reach new heights ¨C resonates strongly with my colleagues and me.¡±
The Pou Whakarae-Principal Cultural Lead of Te Tihi, Tawhiti Kunaiti says Te Pae Oranga is great in that it enables wh¨¡nau the opportunity to acknowledge, address and resolve the reason that has led them to Te Pae Oranga, and to do so within Te Ao M¨¡ori principles such as manaakitanga and rangatiratanga.
¡°With Te Tihi being a Wh¨¡nau Ora Alliance, we also encourage wh¨¡nau to consider new possibilities and determine new pathways by identifying their moemoe¨¡ as aspirations,¡± says Kunaiti.
¡°Connecting Te Pae Oranga and Wh¨¡nau Ora together ensures that the integrity of wh¨¡nau is maintained while also facilitating a process whereby wh¨¡nau are able to address their past and present that it may propel them into a new direction going forward into the future.¡±
Deputy Commissioner Wallace Haumaha says Te Pae Oranga¡¯s mana continues to grow and be recognised.
¡°The expertise, wisdom and knowledge of kaupapa M¨¡ori and tikanga create a unique experience that helps both victims and offenders to tell their story, and to start along a pathway to restoration,¡± he says.
¡°Across the country, we¡¯ve seen many cases where Te Pae Oranga has helped people with who¡¯ve made a mistake, been in difficulty, or needed help to address underlying issues.¡±
Central District M¨¡ori Responsiveness Manager, Inspector Cliff Brown, says the milestone builds on the invaluable mahi of the Wh¨¡nau Ora Alternative Resolutions Model (WOARM) that has been operating in the region for about six years.
¡°I have seen the positive impact and encouraging results in our communities from Te Tihi¡¯s Collective Impact approach¡¯¡± says Cliff. ¡°Te Ara Wh¨¡nau Ora has been the point of difference in the way they engage with wh¨¡nau.
¡°Te Ara Whanau Ora is aligned to wh¨¡nau ora outcomes, placing emphasis on each wh¨¡nau¡¯s specific wellbeing, desires for the future, strengths and needs. This will add enormous value to the success of Te Pae Oranga in the region."