Tapatahi is a loose alliance of organisations and individuals working to bring in the transformational changes Aotearoa needs.
Tapatahi’s vision: A broad, strong, unified progressive movement in Aotearoa.
Tapatahi’s goal: To support unity among people working toward a future where Te Taiao is protected and flourishing, where all people can live in peace and dignity, where tino rangatiratanga is respected and Matike Mai is realised.
We aim to do this by:
Shining light on the interdependencies among the myriad problems we face and their solution
Highlighting the urgency of transformative action
Providing a blog site and webinars for debate, connection, education and mutual support among people and groups that share the same vision.
Encouraging conversations and cross-fertilisations among groups – for example between degrowthers and unions, between conservationists and Tiriti activists…
What kind of changes do we want?
We envisage an alliance of people working towards a common vision that includes –
Taking on the hard, productive conversations we need to have as a nation about co-governance, mana whenua, tangata Tiriti and better ways of making decisions, that include everyone not just the corporate lobbyists. (Decolonising)
Practising doing democracy better by trying out citizens assemblies, workers cooperatives etc (Doing democracy better)
Exploring ways to boost local food and energy security, and better ways of farming and protecting land and water. (Food security)
Tackling the climate and biodiversity crises and pushing for a just transition to a low emissions society that lives within planetary boundaries. (Ending emissions)
Figuring out how to transition the financial, regulatory and legal mechanisms of our economy to prioritise well-being for all, to care for Te Taiao, and to bring in essential energy descent and ‘degrowth’ without austerity. (A just transition to a steady state economy)
Creating local and national networks of mutual aid and resilience that we will need to survive the climate crisis and other challenges (Mutual Resilience Networks)
Mobilising support for expanding the commons, taking back the wealth of our collective resources that were and are still being given over for private profit. Pushing for free public transport, free dental care and other basic public services, a re-nationalised energy sector, universal basic income, housing as a right, tax reform. (Ending inequality)
Protecting Te Taiao from exploitation - our forests, rivers, wetlands, groundwater and seas … (Protecting Te Taiao)
This is just a fraction of the mahi being done – new ways of relating, new visions and practical innovations.
Kia Tapatahi!
In our context, Tapatahi is taken to mean Unity.
Kia tapatahi! This is our rallying cry, our call to action.Why these words? Why this rallying cry?
“Kia tapatahi” is a phrase from the well-known waiata,“Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi”, composed in the 1950s, which has for over 60 years encouraged expressions of joyful togetherness and unity of purpose, embracing people of all kinds. “Kia tapatahi!” – the phrase we’ve chosen for our call to action, is all the more special, because it was virtually hidden from people’s understanding for many decades, wrongly published in the song books as “kia ko tapatahi”.
We salute Canon Wi Te Tau Huata, of Ngāti Kahungunu, for composing such a resilient anthem, and also his whānau, for their staunchness in asserting his intended meaning. Ka nui a mātou mihi ki a rātou!
You can read the story here
Tapatahi’s story so far
Tapatahi began in 2022 when Organise Aotearoa approached a number of organisations to propose that we bring the key campaigns together into one single platform. We hoped this would make it easier for organisations to coordinate and amplify their campaigning efforts in the 2023 general election.
The campaigns included implementing Matike Mai and Tiriti-based Citizens Assemblies, tax reform including wealth and capital gains taxes, rent control, free dental services, free public transport, a Ministry of Green Works, a four-day week, an end to oil, gas and coal production, a fast transition to regenerative agriculture, greater protections for Te Taiao, justice system reform and an end to the militarisation of the Pacific.
We collated the campaign demands into a petition to the incoming government, hosted by Action Station. In June 2023 we launched the petition and the coalition simultaneously across 3 locations. Speakers were Dr Arama Rata, Dr Sue Bradford, Samah Huriwai–Seger, John Minto and Dr Mike Joy. [https://www.youtube.com/@Tapatahi]
Several of the Tapatahi team also moved into working on a related but different project to create a Community Resilience Network, linking with Degrowth Aotearoa NZ and other groups:
https://collective-resilience.nz/
In February 2024 we reviewed Tapatahi’s direction post-election. While the groups that came together in the petition demands did not use this as a platform for a joint election campaign, they were all supportive of Tapatahi’s vision of a unified progressive movement.
The new government’s rapid roll-out of reactionary neoliberal policies in so many areas in the six months after the election has drawn the anger and active mobilisation of many progressive groups as well as the general public. More people than ever before are seeing and discussing the connections among the many issues we are working on.
Tapatahi is now providing this Substack blogsite and webinar platform for groups to share ideas, debates, resources and plans for how we can build a strong and coordinated progressive movement in Aotearoa.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to have all new posts sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
You can stay in touch by commenting at the bottom of each post, or email us at kiatapatahi@gmail.com
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
