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Kaa Whanau Declares Itself Violence-Free

The Kaa whanau has declared itself violence-free at a reunion at Rangitukia, near Tikitiki on the East Coast of the North Island.
“The whanau made the declaration after a lengthy discussion about family violence and its impact on Maori whanau,” spokesperson for the whanau Dr Hone Kaa said today.
“Whanau members wanted to take action to deal with the issue, and felt that a formal declaration was a good starting point.”
The wording of the declaration is as follows:
The Kaa whanau reunion 2010 declares that family violence, and especially violence against children, is unacceptable. This includes but is not limited to:

• smacking
• hitting
• verbal abuse
• psychological abuse
• sexual abuse
• neglect.

The whanau wholeheartedly supports the work of Te Kahui Mana Ririki.
Te Kahui Mana Ririki is the Maori child advocacy organisation which Dr Kaa chairs.
“The whanau felt it needed to publicly endorse the work of Te Kahui Mana Ririki which is focused on eliminating Maori child abuse. I am delighted by the public endorsement and mandate for our work. Our aim is to mobilise whanau to protect our young ones and this is a practical example of the steps whanau can take.
“This is the beginning of a journey for the Kaa whanau. It means we must face up to our family history, heal, and embrace new behaviours.”

ENDS

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