Nine steps from creating awareness and opening up for change to cultural responsiveness and creating inclusive alliances!
This framework is licensed by The Culture and Design Lab under the
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
After more than three decades of journalism and winning the “Best Māori Journalist of the Year” award, I took stock and realised that “showing” is not as powerful as “doing”.
If I wanted to live my purpose, then I needed to create pathways, bring people together, create communities, and empower people so that they can take control of creating equitable futures for everyone.
Being part of an organisation that creates change allowed me to see that fixing the root causes of the problem is the only way to achieve successful systemic change.
I realised that I could be much more effective if I was able to work from “outside” an organisation to change the “inside”.
Now, with a Masters and several other qualifications under my belt, I have developed my own “Bridging Cultural Perspectives” framework that guides organisations through a transformational journey.
The journey from…
➤ Systemic racism
➤ Exclusion and frustration
➤ Powerplay
➤ Talking at people
➤ Centralised
➤ to cultural intelligence and systemic disruption
➤ to indigenous diversity and inclusion
➤ to enabling people to take ownership
➤ to creating spaces for courageous conversations
➤ to inclusive leadership
Coming from the line of a famous Māori poetess, Puhiwāhine Te Rangihirawea, creative weavers, and a descendant of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, I know that it's possible to create spaces where everyone belongs.
My heritage is a reflection of how inclusiveness and diversity can lead to building a community in which people find a place of belonging.
My heritage gives me purpose and as a female designer in a male dominated industry. I want to use my art to share my message of anti-racism, ageism, genderism, and inclusivity.
With qualifications in art and design, web development, travel and tourism, and a specialisation in Māori and Pacific art, I want to help people gain a deeper understanding, appreciation, and respect for indigenous design.
Following my purpose to include, inspire, and empower, I add:
➤ Visual expression that people can identify with
➤ Energy that inspires people to act, share, and contribute
➤ Emotions and feelings that go deeper than spoken language
➤ Access to a deeper understanding of themselves and the organisation
➤ A voice that is universally understood and heard within and beyond the organisation
And most of all, I want to create designs that are genuine and culturally correct and that express the intention and purpose of ALL the people within an organisation.
I believe that art can create a sense of belonging and I would be honoured to use my skills to support you to create an organisation where Māori and Pacific people equally belong.
Having integrity and
doing the right thing.
Recognition of peoples' diverse ancestral connections.
Empowering people from all walks of life.
Leadership through service, inclusiveness and professionalism.
Caring for people.
Respect for people.
Guarding and protecting our environment.
Spirituality with an holistic lens.
Based in Auckland and Taumarunui, supporting clients virtually throughout New Zealand.
P: 021 378 639
E: comms@cultureanddesignlab.com
The Culture and Design Lab is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
© 2023 The Culture and Design Lab