Hui Tōpu 2024 (Methodist Conference) – Don’t Just Change, Transform!
The President Elect, Te Aroha Rountree, and Vice President Elect, Rev Peter Norman take up their new leadership roles promising to guide Te Hāhi Weteriana o Aotearoa towards a vision of kaitiakitanga o te taiao me ngā tangata (guardianship of the environment and people). They seek to further rekindle the vā, relationship between people and particularly Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) by encouraging Te Hāhi to advocate, promote and exercise environmental sustainability and limate justice.
This year’s Conference features a robust line-up of wānanga, (plenary sessions) designed to deepen our engagement with essential themes and foster meaningful dialogue and action. The first wānanga will focus on Te Taiao, more specifically climate justice, exploring our responsibilities towards Papatūānuku and our wider human communities. It underscores the importance of reconnecting with earth and prepares us for the upcoming two-year theme on climate migrants.
The second wānanga will focus on Te Tiriti, where we will delve into our shared histories and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, as it pertains to the bicultural journey of Te Hāhi. This session will emphasise the importance of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni 1835 (Declaration of Independence 1835) as a pre-cursor to Te Tiriti, and explores how these documents inform our mission, particularly regarding climate justice and bicultural partnership.
The final wānanga will be a time of reflection and a call to action. The final plenary integrates insights from previous sessions, forming an action plan for Te Hāhi moving forward. It is envisaged that Te Hāhi create a digital action platform to document and share stories of transformative change. This session aims to develop a holistic action plan for Te Hāhi, integrating historical commitments to justice and partnership with contemporary challenges in climate action and social equity.
As we step into a decade of action, inspired by the enduring spirit of He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti, we commit to leading by example, implementing the strategies developed, and engaging our wider community in the vital work of environmental sustainability and social justice. This Conference serves as a milestone in our journey, a point from which we can measure our growth and success in the years to come.
Together, under the guidance of the Te Hāhi Roadmap for Climate Justice Decade 2023-2032, we honour our shared responsibilities, celebrate our diverse heritages, and ensure that all creation flourishes. Let this conference inspire others and magnify our impact, spreading the seeds of change across Aotearoa and beyond.We invite all members to join us in Wellington for this transformative event. Let us embrace this opportunity to not just change, but transform, and make tangible differences in the lives of the people and the land we are called to serve.