Touchstone October 2023

Last month when I dispatched the September edition of Touchstone, I had recently returned from a two-day wānanga in Auckland where I was part of a group gathered to discuss the role – past and future – of communications for MCNZ.

This month I have recently returned from a 10-day holiday in Vietnam, hence the reason for the delay in getting the edition to your inbox. Both excursions were very different but a reminder that it is important for health, happiness and wellbeing to temper work with time away.

In addition to the pleasure I derived from visiting a country that was unique and foreign, I loved the food, the traffic chaos, the industrious and ingenuity all around, and being amidst people who appeared to be very happy and content, despite a long and harrowing war-torn past.

As the horrors of war unfold in the Ukraine and the middle East, I can only hope and pray that peace will prevail and that their people will find a future and joy in the place they call home. I feel fortunate and blessed that I have a safe and welcoming place to come home to at the end of my day’s work, and from my time away.

Many people do not and our lead article sheds light on a global phenomenon that impacts children who are subjected abuse and neglect. Along with news from around the connexion, this month’s edition includes many reviews and reports that reflect the work and mission of our people. I hope you enjoy the content.