Respect All People – RAP With Te Kupenga!

An innovative and ground-breaking project promoting youth non-violence is launching a new-look website as well as special training for youth workers.

RAP: Respect All People – Whakamana Tangata supports youth organisations to take a leadership role in reducing and replacing violence in the environments they provide to young people. RAP is managed by the National Network of Stopping Violence, Te Kupenga, and funded by the Ministry of Health.

The revamped RAP website, www.respect.org.nz, includes discussion forums and blogs by and for youth workers, case studies, pilot sites, profiles, event information and links to other websites.

The first in a series of RAP workshops for people working with rangatahi will be held in Wellington on Wednesday April 27. Participants will be given new ideas, approaches and resources as well as practical suggestions on what youth organisations can do in their communities to change attitudes to violence.

Te Kupenga kaihautu - national director Maori development - Parekotuku Moore says the aim of the public health project is to build a competent and responsive youth and health promoter workforce which is equipped to recognise the need for non-violence.

“Like everyone, young people are influenced by the environments they are in and tend to conform to the social norms of different settings,” Moore explains. “RAP, or Respect All People, is based on the premise that a respectful setting will promote respectful behaviour.

“This project offers a real opportunity for them to experience respectful environments and adopt respectful behaviour – if young people grow up with or adapt to a culture of respect and are treated respectfully they are less likely to use violence as adults. This approach targets groups of young people rather than the behaviour of individuals.”

For more information about RAP, go to the website, www.respect.org.nz

ENDS

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