The Methodist Alliance is the formal alliance of the Methodist Missions, Trusts and Parishes that are delivering social services across Aotearoa. Our vision is a just and inclusive society in which all people flourish. The Methodist Alliance is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the bi-cultural journey.

Methodist organisations provide a wide range of social and community services including early childhood education, elder care, parenting, social work support, community development projects, budgeting, youth development, social and emergency housing, addiction, disability and mental health services.

Contact: Carol Barron | http://www.methodist.org.nz/social_services

A movement to promote community-led development, acting as a catalyst to recognise the potential in local people, and using our experience and expertise to mentor, broker, train and connect communities to become even better places to live, work and invest in. Their vision is An Aotearoa where all communities flourish – connected, positive communities with healthy economies.
David Hanna
http://www.inspiringcommunities.org.nz

Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Ottawa Charter, the HPF is the umbrella organisation for all those who identify health promotion as part of their work.

Contact: Sione Tuitahi/ www.hauora.co.nz

Hui E! seeks to promote , strengthen and connect the community sector : tangata whenua organisations, charities, incorporated societies, clubs, boards, trusts and informal community groups.

Contact: Ronja Levers / www.huie.org.nz

The PSA is New Zealand’s largest union, representing nearly 62,000 workers in central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups. We are committed to building a union able to influence the political, economic, industrial and social environments in the interests of the membership of the PSA: our members; our family and whanau; and the communities we live in. At the heart of this has to be a debate about equality and how fair and fully funded community and public services can help make Aotearoa New Zealand a better, fairer place for all.

Sarah Martin  |  www.psa.org.nz

Basic Income New Zealand came into being early 2015 as a direct consequence of two talks by Professor Guy Standing given at a Humanist, Rationalist and Skeptics conference held at Havelock North on February 14 and 15. Professor Standing spoke about his most recent work and the concept of The Precariat and his latest book ‘A Precariat Charter’. The Precariat Charter lists 29 articles all seeking to restructure society into one where all citizens may live fulfilling lives.

Article 25 of the Precariat Charter specifically asks for a Universal Unconditional Basic Income which, as the name suggests, means that all citizens, including children, receive a regular payment, without any strings attached, adequate for all regular living expenses.

There are a number of proposals with regard to payment levels and sources of capital and a good picture can be gathered from visiting the websites of the now numerous organisations worldwide promoting UBI. The New Zealand BINZ website can be found at www.basicincomenz.org  The website has links to BIEN, the Basic Income Earth Network, which in turn gives access to many other national organisations.

I refer you to Article 25 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

What do we do to reduce Inequality.

By promoting UBI we seek to make all New Zealanders aware that this is a real possibility.

Trials have been conducted in many parts of the world and invariably the outcomes were positive and the benefits huge.

Not only will there be a reduction in poverty but also all the social consequences of people living more dignified lives. Once awareness of UBI is widespread and work opportunity dwindles due to automation and corporate greed, the people of New Zealand may be ready to insist the government of the day implements UBI similar to what is happening in many other countries.

Not only will this reduce Inequality, it will also have great positive consequences in health, education, social interaction, crime and imprisonment, mental health and many more.

Contact:

Lowell Manning at [email protected]

Who are we?

Re-Imagining Social Work (RSW) is a collective of social workers, social work academics, researchers and others who share a passion for, and a commitment to the development of modern, progressive, inclusive, democratic, and culturally responsive social work services in Aotearoa New Zealand.  Our work in the collective is voluntary and undertaken with no external support.  The opinions we express are our own and do not represent the views of our employers, or any association to which we belong.

As a collective we do not have a lead person, contact with us can be made through the website at http://www.reimaginingsocialwork.nz/contact/.

What is the purpose of this website?

The purpose of this website is to provide a platform to re-imagine social work services in Aotearoa New Zealand. We intend to use this site, and other social media, to raise awareness about the threats to humane social work services in New Zealand and to promote discussion, debate and deliberation about progressive alternatives.

What is the background to the RSW?

Our collective was formed in response to the New Zealand Government’s announcement, in April 2015, of plans to review and ‘modernise’ Child, Youth and Family (the government operated child protection agency).  The review is to be led by an ‘independent’ panel of ‘experts’.  Experts who do not include a single child protection practitioner, manager, academic or researcher. The CYF review is not about the development of creative and innovative plans to support and reform a struggling public service. It is about the continuing roll out of the National Government’s ‘investment approach’ to marketise and privatise health and social services.  The terms of reference of the review include no plans to consult the New Zealand public or any of the many agencies and individuals with a stake in effective child protection services.

What do we want to achieve?

We propose to resist the silencing of our voice by creating a space to discuss, debate and deliberate on the future of modern and progressive social work services in Aotearoa New Zealand. We believe that the CYF Review has implications for all social work services and welcome contributions (blog posts, comments, video interviews, photographs, cartoons, drawings and other media) from colleagues (social workers, social work managers, social work students, policy makers, trade unionists and others) who share our concerns.  Please use the contact form to contact the RSW Collective.

The name of our collective, Re-imagining Social Work, was inspired by the book Re-imagining Child Protection: Towards humane social work with families by Brid Featherstone,  Kate Morris, and Sue White.

NZEI Te Riu Roa members work in every community in New Zealand, leading and advocating for quality public education.

We are the 50,000 principals, teachers and support staff who work in primary, area and secondary schools as well as early childhood centres, special education and school advisory services. We come together as NZEI Te Riu Roa – New Zealand’s largest education union, a Treaty based organisation and a powerful advocate for quality public education.

Contact:

Rebecca Matthews-Heron

[email protected]

Health Care Aotearoa represents many community & iwi controlled primary health providers.

“Our primary health services every day see the results of low wages and the lack of sustainable incomes in the health problems that we deal with in our communities. This is not just a cost to the families living in these communities but also to the taxpayers who foot the bill for our public health services,” says Healthcare Aotearoa National Co-ordinator Muriel Tunoho.

Contact:
Muriel Tunoho | www.hca.org.nz