Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
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6.2.14 In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past, whānau programmes have tended to stop short <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> actively<br />
promoting financial gains for whānau; more <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> goal has been to<br />
arrange benefits and seek help from budgeting agencies. The <str<strong>on</strong>g>Taskforce</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
regards those interventi<strong>on</strong>s as starting points <strong>on</strong>ly. There must be more<br />
ambitious approaches to whānau ec<strong>on</strong>omic growth that enable whānau<br />
to live comfortably, extend opportunities for children and grandchildren,<br />
and provide a nest egg for future generati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Whānau Cohesi<strong>on</strong><br />
6.2.15 A particular challenge for whānau in modern times is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> high level<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mobility that leads to dispersal <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau members and reduced<br />
opportunities for day-to-day cooperative endeavours. Whānau members<br />
are spread across many regi<strong>on</strong>s in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are increasing<br />
numbers who are more or less permanent overseas residents. However,<br />
despite <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> inevitable sense <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> dislocati<strong>on</strong>, nati<strong>on</strong>al and internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
relocati<strong>on</strong> can also bring benefits to whānau. Often <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are greater<br />
opportunities for work and educati<strong>on</strong>, higher incomes and exposure to a<br />
wider range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> ideas and c<strong>on</strong>tacts. Moreover, in a world transformed by<br />
digital technologies, geographic distance may be less problematic than it<br />
was for Māori urban migrants 50 years ago. Opportunities for increasing<br />
whānau cohesi<strong>on</strong> will be greatly expanded by web-based communicati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Provided whānau have access to appropriate technologies within homes<br />
and associated communicati<strong>on</strong> infrastructure at local levels, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y will<br />
be able to communicate regularly and have <strong>on</strong>going participati<strong>on</strong> in<br />
whānau affairs.<br />
6.2.16 Increased whānau cohesi<strong>on</strong> is also relevant to whānau who live in close<br />
proximity to each o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r. The compositi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>temporary whānau reflects<br />
changing societal values and requires new approaches to ensure that<br />
household formati<strong>on</strong>s are able to participate with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> wider whānau, derive<br />
benefits from c<strong>on</strong>sistent patterns <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> caring, and experience safe and<br />
nurturing envir<strong>on</strong>ments. Whānau resilience depends not <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong> a will to<br />
succeed but <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau to remain c<strong>on</strong>nected, to nurture<br />
younger generati<strong>on</strong>s and to embrace new technologies that will facilitate<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> process.<br />
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