Conference to Shine Light of Hope on Suicide

Conference to Shine Light of Hope on Suicide

Hundreds of indigenous leaders from around the world working to tackle suicide will gather in Rotorua next Wednesday (June 1).

More than 400 people are expected at the three-day World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference - Turamarama ki te Ora (Transforming Indigenous Communities) organised by Te Runanga o Ngāti Pikiao at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

“Māori people, and especially our indigenous cousins from Canada, America and Australia, are dying at a shocking rate from suicide, so there’s a need for us to come together to share the pain, the healing and the best ways forward,” said conference organiser Michael Naera.

“What we are seeing in Aotearoa are too many blind policies and services with no Māori lens and that’s the same dilemma our indigenous brothers and sisters are facing, so we’ll be looking at ways to change that.

“Strategies to help our people become more resilient in times of misery and struggle is also on the agenda. Despite the darkness of this issue, we need to remain positive, we need to give hope.”

The conference will feature keynote speakers and presenters from across the world, including, William ‘Hawk’ Birdshead, founder of the Native American Suicide Prevention Organization; Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, one of Australia’s most renowned indigenous actors and an outspoken advocate for indigenous communities; and social issues and justice campaigner Professor Calma, an Aboriginal elder from the Northern Territory.

In-conjunction with the conference is an indigenous youth summit which aims to build indigenous youth champions,

“We want these young people to return back to their communities and lead positive changes from a youth’s perspective.”

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