The seemingly impossible is possible

"We can have a good world"

This may sound a bit of a utopian idea... but backed up with statistics it can be possible.

I'm not very good at maths, but I love maths in school. When it comes to statistics, I have come to dislike seeing a bunch of overwhelmingly huge numbers [##1483508526##] or data presented in boring graphs and tables. While researching about poverty, I stumbled across a video on youtube called 'the joy of stats' presented by, as BBC news described him: "superstar boffin Professor Hans Rosling, whose eye-opening, mind-expanding and funny online lectures have made him an international internet legend". But even with that description my initial thought is that joy and stats just doesn't work... in my opinion they don't have 'positive correlation'. But despite my cynicism... watching a couple of Rosling's lectures in TEDtalks, there is a sense of joy as statistics shed some light in that the seemingly impossible task of eradicating poverty as one of the UN millennium goals is possible.

One comment on this video says "The most fascinating about all of this is that his affirmations, conclusions and hopes about the future of poverty around the world are based on data, not on some abstract speculative historical theory."

Rosling demonstrated the Dollar Street, comparing households of varying income levels worldwide. And he goes on to explain that in poverty everything is about survival -about having food. To get out of poverty there's a need for technology, BUT there's a need for markets to get away from poverty.

What I like about Hans's talk is that he explained the many dimensions of development (human rights, environment, governance, economic growth, education, health, culture -which are all important), differentiating the goals from the means. He argues that economic growth is the most important means for development but is NOT the goal. "Money is not the goal, Human Rights is". He adds that Human Rights is not that strong of a means for achieving development, but it is the highest goal along with culture, which "brings joy to life and value of living".

The New Dawning for Auckland and Te Hana

What makes a city or a place flourish? This is essentially the question governments, policy makers, planners and even citizens alike seek solutions and answers for.  This is the basic underlying question of all plans ever written. One such plan is the ongoing construction of the new Auckland Plan (that is currently under discussion, and set to be adopted by the end of the year 2011) . Why do such plans exist? There are essentially three things: people, people and people (of the past, the present and the future), as the well known Maori proverb echoes in Mayor Len Brown’s foreword in the Auckland Plan Discussion Document that states: “This is where the potential of Auckland lies -in its communities and in its people”.

The Mayor’s vision of Auckland is “to be the world’s most liveable city”. Auckland includes the people of Te Hana/ Oruawharo, a community, who despite having been displaced from the divisive governance in the past, is fighting for their rights.

A week after our Te Hana trip Mayor Len Brown visited Te Hana. Here are some of the news clippings in relation to his visit.

What Auckland Plan Poses for Te Hana Te Ao Marama

To become the world’s most liveable city, first, town centres, urban and rural villages within the region has to be liveable. This vision underpins eight key goals. These are the Auckland Plan proposed goals:
•Put children and young people first, 
•Outward looking global city with a productive high economy supported by a world class international city centre, 
•Auckland that acknowledges and acts on the special place of Mana Whenua, 
•A place of diverse, dynamic, safe, secure and accessible communities, sustainable lifestyle with high and rising quality of life for all Aucklanders, 
•An open and welcoming place that is attractive to investors, skilled workers and tourists which encourages international events, 
•A destination recognised world-wide for its pre-eminent rural, natural and marine setting, 
•A place enabled by world class infrastructure and supporting services
•A beautiful Auckland everyone is proud of.

These goals can be used as pegs for the Te Hana Community to be to be staged in the Draft Spatial Plan, as a way of building relationships with the local boards and Auckland council, and strengthening the realisation of their vision for their community.

Souvenirs from Te Hana

(Source: http://www.tehana.co.nz/Images/About-Us.png)

“Me he mea e ki mai koe e aha te mea nui o tenei ao Maku e ki atu e tangata, e tangata, e tangata”

“If you were to ask me what is the most important thing in the world I would have to answer it is people, it is people, it is people.”

This Maori proverb is what resonates in the small community of Te Hana.  A small rural area located at the Northern fringe of the new Auckland Super City. 

(Class photo outside Te Hana Marai taken by Hannah Good)

A week ago, as part of our planning course, our class had a privilege of being welcomed for a three day stay at the new Marai of the Te Hana Community. There, we experienced  firsthand  and gained understanding of Maori customs and traditions. More importantly we learned and gained insights about their history and their vision for their people. With that,  I hope to share with you what I have taken from this experience and  to walk you through this journey of the a dawning.

Words to describe my experience in Te Hana: 
unforgettable. unique. memorable. truly inspiring. eyeopening. 

(Words I associate with Te Hana, using Wordle)

(My fingerpainting reflection of my experience in Te Hana) 

This fingerpainting reflection describes how I felt from the start to the end of the trip. The  blue strokes reflect my not so warm feeling before of the trip -being an “outsider”. But eventually through meeting the people from Te Hana and listening and interacting with them along with my classmates, there’s sudden rush of warm feeling. The yellow shows this. Also, it suggests the hope and vision they have for the community. The red symbolizes their passion, love and commitment, while the swirls and dots represents the relationship that is being built. 

What struck me the most is their heart for people across generations - of the past, present and future. Their community spirit to do good for their people is just amazing. A true love in action, through faith accompanied by deeds. 

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The community's dream and vision for Te Hana "…to be a beautiful, culturally and socially vibrant place of opportunity with all people working together cooperatively to achieve the shared vision” is now unfolding.

(Source: https://secure.zeald.com/site/terranova/images/Project_Photos/Te_Hana_Cultural_Centre_1.jpg)

From a community that was in crises and under threat of being closed down, comes a story of love, commitment and sacrifice of its people. Its people who had nothing but a dream. A dream that became the seed in which their hope and aspirations to see their community flourish founded the Te Hana Community Charitable Trust. With a group of Trustees and Taumata Council of Elders, a seed of hope has been sown  in which they are continuously  working hard, investing for the future of their children with passion and compassion.

The story of Te Hana is one of resilience and tenacity. Despite the roadblocks they faced -the plethora of planning policies, rules and instruments that caused impediment to their community development, Te Hana and its people knew there is a way to climb the hurdles, there must be a way to address the issues they're facing and see change.

This mindset that started from a dream -a seed, grew into what is now taking place, the development of a 17th century Maori Village. The Te Hana Trust seek for this development to be recognised as the  new and vibrant  Northern Gateway where it can provide education and meaningful economic opportunities to combat high unemployment and social problems. 

However the journey is not free of obstacles. As I have said, their story one of resilience and tenacity. With the recent Auckland reforms, one of the challenges faced by the Trust is focused on getting Te Hana on the Auckland Plan, so that their vision will be funded and supported by the new Council to continue on with the implementation of their goals for the community.


These goals as outlined in the Te Hana Community Outcome Plan are:

Infrastructure - securing the basic physical necessities required by the people

Social goals - where community trust and safe environment is present

Economic development -providing meaningful employment opportunities within the local community

Cultural vitality

Kaitiakitanga / guardianship of natural and built environment

With these community goals, Te Hana offers only benefits to the Auckland region. It offers a chance for the city to put resources into something that will be symbolic and catalytic for creating liveable places that fosters sustainable development.

This experience  and the Te Hana community is something that will remain in me and  will always be remembered, be it in my future planning career and wherever God may lead me to. 

I'd like to say huge thanks to Te Hana for sharing their story and sowing those seeds of hope -highlighting the importance of having a vision and genuine love for people.

Lastly to end this post, I'd like to conclude with a karakia (a Maori tradition of starting and ending their day with a prayer, as we've experienced in our stay over at the Te Hana Marai)

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for what You are doing in the community of Te Hana. I pray for Your  blessing to richly pour upon this community. May You give  the leaders and stewards of Te Hana wisdom and strength to continue on with their vision though Your Holy Spirit. And may You use them mightily to help others in the community who may be going through what they have gone through, so that they may be Your light in this city. Amen.

Thoughts on "Waiting for Superman"

I have never been a fan of comics or superhero movies maybe that's why I have not come to believe in superman as a child. For me the only super 'humans' I believed to exist are my parents and grandparents who worked hard in order to give my siblings and I a better future. All my kindergarten and elementary years (grade 1 to 6)  my parents worked hard to get me into a private school. Yearly my parents pay an average 40 000+ pesos to pay for my tuition fees not including other fees (extracurricular activities, transport, etc). In addition there are higher fees for my older brother and sister. Because of this, plus many political unrest happening, my parents, like many filipino families decided to move to New Zealand. Before I didn't understand why we had to leave our friends and family and the comfort of our big house and great school. But now I realise that it is because of their love for us, because of their hope for a better future for their children.

In the Philippines we have a lot of american influence especially in the education system. However I've never heard of a lottery system applied in education, until I saw 'Waiting For Superman' which was a real shock to me. Instead we have the tracking system, which I think in some ways have proven to be successful, but now I see in many ways unfair as it leaves others behind and more disadvantaged.

I remembered going to my school  we pass by 3 public schools. I have not attended a public school and so I have no first hand knowledge of what it's like. Although both my parents went to public schools and were successful in their chosen fields (engineering and architecture), they've chosen to send us to a private school. This choice resembles and echoes Davis Guggenheim's thoughts:

“reality set in… my feelings about public education did not matter too much as my fear of sending them to a failing school. And so every morning betraying the ideals I thought I live by, I drive past three public schools as I take my kids to a private school. But, I’m lucky I have a choice. Other families pin there hopes to a bouncing ball, a hand pulling a card from a box, or a computer that generates random sequence. Because when there’s a great public schools there aren’t enough spaces. And so we do what’s fair … we place our children and their future in the hands of luck”.

None of my filipino friends here went to a public elementary school, but I know a few who went to a public Science high school. This shift from a private elementary to public high school is not uncommon, because Science High Schools are regarded to have high quality education. However, it is very hard to get in. First you need high grades from your final elementary year, then you take enrollment exams that cost a minimum of 100 pesos. Usually those who pass had to go through months of private tutoring, and thus additional expenses. 

In addition, Science High Schools only take top students. "To be eligible for admission, applicants must belong to the top 10% of the graduating class or must have special aptitude in science and math" (PSHS, 2011). Although scholarships are offered usually those from private schools have more advantage. 

High standard? Prestigious? or unfair? Yes.

At first, this system sounds great and so prestigious, however it leaves a large number of students who are being ignored -most are from poor families, that are continually being disadvantaged. Thus, resulting to a large number of students not getting proper education at secondary level. This eventually leads to increased poverty as lack of education leads to unemployment causing a number of social and economic problems. 

....

Looking at the lives and stories of five different students from different backgrounds, their future will be determined by the school they attend (four of which are poor). The film states the extreme importance of education for children and challenges the current unhealthy public education system as seen in America. Despite efforts of reforming education, the system is still left broken because of the strong teacher's unions and bureaucracy having the "mindset that they have the right to the job" which the reformer, Michelle Rhee wanted to change. However she soon realised that in the current system it is nearly impossible to fire a badly performing teacher who has reached their two-year tenure (1 out of 2500 lose their job as a teacher every year). "There's unbelievable truth to turn a blind eye to the injustices of the schools in the name of harmony amongst adults" (Rhee).

For most Americans they pin their hopes in to a ball. Literally, leaving it all up to chance.  From where I came from its a tough competition. I find these two parallels heart breaking. 

For a large number of people, no matter how hard their parents try to get them out of poverty through education, it seems that their efforts are never enough as even public schools are not so free at all.                          

Despite of the sad realities, the film shed some light through people who are committed to their vision to reform education system. An alternative solution they came up with is through charter schools, public schools with public money, but independent from government. These are aimed at the most deprived areas. With its success, they have challenged educational beliefs that poor neighbourhood makes for poor students, are in fact vice versa. It turns out that  students are capable of great things, regardless of socioeconomic background, if they have a great teacher and great school who gives them high expectations and believes in them. However when decision makers and educators view students in poverty as somehow less capable, they're setting them up to fail.  


Everyone will probably agree that quality education for every child is extremely important, not just for the individual's future but for the whole community and society in both developed and developing countries. But do the actual policies back that up? or does it all become "about the adults"?

The film ends with thought-provoking questions which Guggenheim raised:

"What happens if a school fails a kid? What happens over time?  Now that we know its possible to get a every child  a great education, what is our obligation to other people’s children? Sometimes I think its easier to look at the inner schools and look at the problems scratch out heads throw up our hands and give up rather than look at just one. We ask ourselves did we do the right thing? Did we do enough? If we give up, what is the result?" 

As planners and decision makers, I think these questions are relevant especially if we are to remove the barriers to change.