Ka Hao te Rangatahi

Ka Hao te Rangatahi Movement supports

1. The building evidence that current legislation and approach towards Gang spaces in Aotearoa does not work. 

2.  That those who are impacted most by this legislation/approach is the Rangatahi growing up within whaanau who are gang affiliated.

4. That our whaanau and particularly our Rangatahi in these spaces need support to build confidence to navigate successful pathways for themselves into whatever direction they choose. 

Ka Hao te Rangatahi as a Movement looks to assisting whaanau with creating their own rangatahi events which focus on growing supportive and nurturing environments for their rangatahi.

 Environments where the whaanau engage in learning and encourage positive identification for their rangatahi and whaanau with this aspect of their identity.

This engagement is inspired by the whaanau themselves and will take the form of many different projects. This Movement then is led by the whaanau. In this way it is kaupapa driven, by whaanau, for whaanau and with whaanau. 

By way of brief introduction this mahi has been created as an extension of Bonnie Maihi's PhD study which shares the same title ‘Ka Hao te Rangatahi’.

 Ka Hao te Rangatahi as a study identified areas of challenge for these rangatahi which spoke to  marginalization existing for them in wider society through being Māori in the first instance, and then being Rangatahi Māori who are gang affiliated.

The second aspect spoke to a compounding factor existing in the form of being gang affiliated Māori who are then marginalized again by their own people. These factors were shown to create obstacles for our Rangathi to feel confident in their ability to succeed. 
 
Our extended whaanau in these spaces are challenged by a myriad of issues and can find it hard to connect and engage in the wider community and/or marae/hapuu and iwi initiatives. Trust is indicated as a major factor to this along with other social impacts. This work then hopes to bridge these gaps.

It recognizes that these initiatives need to be created by the whaanau themselves in connection with those they trust. This mahi then invites any individual/collective from any gang space in Aoteaora to join with a common goal of seeing our Tamariki/Rangatahi grow alongside their whaanau whaanui in confidence and the ability to achieve and succeed.