Keynote Speakers
MINISTER KAREN CHHOUR
Hon Karen Chhour is the Minister for Children and for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. Karen grew up interacting with the state care system and was elected to Parliament as an ACT Party MP in 2020 with the goal of reforming Oranga Tamariki.
Before politics, Karen was self-employed in the New Zealand-made clothing industry. She is a mother of four and has lived on Auckland's North Shore for the past 30 years.
DR EDUARDO DURAN
aka TEOSHPAYE TA WOAPIYE WICASA
Eduardo Duran is a Vietnam Veteran who started his academic training after being discharged from the US Navy. He has worked in Indigenous communities most of his professional life. Clinical work in communities has informed his theoretical and clinical approaches to psychotherapy. His work is informed by traditional teachings from Indigenous elders that continues to unfold into an ongoing hybrid model to address individual and collective soul wounding.
Early on he was providing community psychological interventions when an Indigenous Woman Elder approached him and told him that he needed to write and publish what she heard him speak about. That meeting with the Elder has resulted in several books including: Native American Post Colonial Psychology, Healing the Soul Wound, Buddha in Redface and Quantum Coyote Dreams the Black World. The unfolding themes in these writings are an integration of traditional Indigenous and Western cosmology as these interface with of the shape shifting consciousness in our present Zeitgeist. Eduardo lives in Bozeman Montana.
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PATRICIA WALSH
Patricia Walsh was born and raised on the sunny East Coast. She is a mother of four adult children and a nanny to fifteen mokopuna who live within hugging distance of her.
She is a student of life, Patricia's passion is to hold space with wāhine so they find their hīnātore, there oho moment. Patricia strives to create change for her mokopuna.
WARREN FORSTER
Warren researches, leads and innovates. He has 15 years of experience in personal injury, disability and dispute resolution in New Zealand. These days his focus is on leading, operationalising and supporting systemic approaches to helping people to transform their experiences in the disability sector and dispute resolution sector. He likes to work with people who are passionate about access to justice and are up for the challenge of doing things differently.
SIR MARK SOLOMON KNZM
Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi
Sir Mark Wiremu Solomon KNZM is widely known for his commitment and contribution to his iwi and the broader well-being of all New Zealanders and the environment. In addition, he is recognised for the attention he has brought to addressing family violence.
Mark worked for over twenty years as a foundry metal worker before being elected Chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the tribal council of Ngāi Tahu, in 1998. Mark spent 18 years leading Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu and helped transform it into an economic powerhouse with more than $1.5 billion in assets.
During this time, his contributions were diverse and significant, ranging from fostering educational opportunities for young Māori to taking a strong stance against whānau violence. Sir Mark has led hui across Te Waipounamu, the South Island, spreading a message to stop violence within homes.
As a strong advocate of the Māori economy, Mark was instrumental in setting up the Iwi Chairs Forum in 2005 and was an original member of the Māori Economic Taskforce established in 2009. Mark was named the 'Visionary Leader of 2012' in the Deloitte and New Zealand Management Magazine National Business Awards.
In the 2013 New Year Honours, Mark was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and business. This knighting was in recognition of his work for Ngāi Tahu.
In 2015, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Te Whare Wānanga O Aoraki Lincoln University as a Doctor of Natural Resources, recognising his enduring interest and concern for the natural environment.
As part of Mark's own leadership, he has spoken about the need to consider a much wider range of what leadership should be. To him, leadership is about "empowering our people – allowing them the space to identify their own needs and the time to come up with their own way of addressing those needs, to improve their lives". In addition, he states that leadership should be ever-changing and evolving and that the younger generation is taught to be well-educated leaders.
NGĀI TAHU PANEL:
ARIHIA BENNETT & DONNA MATAHAERE-ATARIKI
Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi
Arihia Bennett - Apart from a few years in the tourism industry, Arihia has spent most of her career in the social services both as a social worker and a social work leader in both government and the NGO sector. For the past twelve years Arihia has led Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, as their longest serving CEO, stepping down in March of this year. The role embraced a broader vision of not only becoming a leading commercial business in Te Waipounamu with an asset base of $1.8b but also supporting and enabling Ngāi Tahu communities and whānau to build their own pathways towards self-determination (this being the real measure of success). Arihia has participated in many external Board director roles across social services, environment, infrastructure to rebuilding communities such as recently leading Kāpuia, the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Christchurch Mosque Attacks, for the past three years. It is clear that these have been deliberate choices as they are all anchored in strengthening whānau and communities to find solutions that enable people to flourish.
Arihia lives in Tuahiwi where her whānau have created their own Papakāinga that is intergenerational, this was started by her late parents, Pani and Tosh, who themselves were inspiring community health and education leaders.
Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Ruanui, Te Atiawa, Ngā Rauru, Ngā Ruahine and Tuwharetoa
Donna Matahaere-Atariki has a background in education, health and social services, and governance experience with the Gambling Commission and the University of Otago. She was previously Chair of Te Kāhui, the Māori Advisory Group to Aroturuki Tamariki, the Independent Children's Monitor.
Ms Matahaere-Atariki has strong knowledge of child protection and hapū and hapori, and extensive relationships and networks with iwi, hapū and community development organisations.
From November 1, 2023, Ms Matahaere-Atariki was appointed Deputy Chief Children's Commissioner