This workshop will investigate significant trends and issues in later life learning in Aotearoa New Zealand. What do we know of the nature of learning for older people? Who are the main providers of older adult education? Who benefits most at present? What are the
main issues? These questions will be pursued.
During their workshop Ani and her 2IC Kerry Kururangi look forward to sharing with the Sector some innovative ways to enliven Te Tiriti in the workplace. They will also discuss how isolation has meant the Trust has had to be constantly innovative in bringing solutions to the communities and hapu it serves.
The Trust motto “Each leaf contributes to the well-being of the tree” helps to shape the innovation, teaching and learning strategies using Te Tiriti o Waitangi as our foundation.
Tony Dreise (pronounced *drice*) is an independent Indigenous Learning Consultant based on the North Coast of New South Wales. He is also a PhD Scholar at the Australian National University's Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research and has had extensive experience in Education and Indigenous policy. He is currently studying ways in which philanthropic bodies can more successfully engage with Indigenous people and invest their resources and add value to Indigenous education outcomes.
Tony is from the Kamilaroi (*Gum-ill-roy*) Aboriginal Nation of north-west New South Wales and south-west Queensland.
Tony is active in his local region in northern New South Wales and currently serves as the President of the Northern Rivers Social Development Council as well as Deputy Chair of the Northern Rivers Board of Regional Development Australia.
Tony’s passion is to devise and drive innovative strategies to unlock the power of lifelong and life-wide learning for Indigenous Australians and other socially marginalised Australians.
Michael Omolewa has had a distinguished career in education as a teacher, historian and advocate for those who lack access to education. He was recently appointed emeritus Professor of Education by the University of Ibadan, in Nigeria where he has held many other academic roles.
Professor Omolewa was one of a team of five scholars who drafted the Working Paper for the United Nations Literacy Decade, he has actively promoted cooperation between villagers and the university community to enhance literacy and while Director of the External Studies programme at the University of Ibadan he opened up opportunities for a degree programme for over 1000 adult learners.
He has served as Member of the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO and was later appointed Ambassador/Permanent Delegate of the country to UNESCO where he served as Chairman of the Non-Government Organisation’s committee of the organisation’s executive board, President of its Education Commission at the General Conference and finally as the President of the 32nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO, the first West African and fifth African to serve in that capacity.
He has been inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame in the United States and is currently on the Commonwealth Advisory Council on Teacher Migration, Recruitment and Mobility and member of the Council of the International Africa Institute in the UK.
Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngā Puhi) is synonymous with the Kohanga Reo (Language Nest) movement, which at its peak had over 300 active centres throughout the country. A champion of te reo Māori, at the tender age of 83 years old, Dame Iritana continues to fight for the language, recently taking the Crown to task, through the Waitangi Tribunal, which in her opinion “has undermined kohanga by trying to marginalise it into Pakeha early childhood education.”
Insignia of a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori education was awarded to Iritana in 2010. She also has an Honorary Doctorate of Literature by Victoria University of Wellington, 2007 and the Te Tohu Tiketike a Te Waka Toi award for Māori artists by Creative New Zealand in 2008.
Hāpori Tū Rangatira: Confident Communities has been Dame Iritana’s life work and we are privileged to have her as our keynote speaker at this year’s Conference.