Mana Taiohi Principles

The Mana young people have:

Mauri (o Te Taiohi)

We fuel the mauri, the inherent life spark of young people, supporting the development of their identity

Mauri is the life spark inherent in all young people.  It includes their values beliefs, skills, and talents.  Fuelling that life spark means young people are seen, recognised and valued for who they are.  Young people are supported to follow their interests and passions, and to actively construct their own identity.  Linked to their whakapapa, when their mauri is secure/solid, young people stand in their own truth.

Survey Respondent:
“Mauri as a concept is great. How we interact with it beyond concept is an intricate art and mastery. If one does not truly understand (through experience) its depths and breadths, it merely remains a concept.”

Whakapapa (Taiohi)

With young people we understand and affirm their whakapapa

Whakapapa is the genealogies and stories of descendants and their connection to whenua (land) for all cultures. It acknowledges our shared histories and the impact of colonisation in Aotearoa.  Acknowledging the whakapapa of young people means, in their own way and in their own time, exploring how these histories influence their lives right now. Young people are supported to embrace the journey to find their turangawaewae, their place to stand.

Survey Respondent:
“We are a story that has been told for millennia and centuries, we are the present manifestation of that story. The ability to influence the future of that story is the power a young person wields, however they themselves have been influenced by the story of the past. Love that whakapapa is identified and allocated a place of importance.”

Hononga (Taiohi)

With young people we understand hononga, identify and strengthen connections

Hononga is about joining and connection.  Linked to whakapapa, it is about connection to people, land/whenua, resources, spirituality, the digital world and the environment. When we understand hononga we recognise all the connected relationships in a young person’s world (whānau, peers, school, the community), and the places and spaces that support these. Young people are supported to identify and strengthen these connections. Strengthening hononga also means recognising the connection between the wellbeing of young people and the wellbeing of their social and natural environment.

Survey Respondent:
“This is seeing young people from a helicopter view of what they need to reach their potential.”

Te Ao (Taiohi)

With young people we explore Te Ao

Te Ao Taiohi is the world of the young person.  It is impacted by big picture influences such as social and economic contexts and dominant cultural values. It includes Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the effects of colonisation in Aotearoa, local, national and international legislation and policy that impacts young people.  Awareness of Te Ao Taiohi ensures actions are not judged purely on the surface, but with an understanding of systemic influences that affect young people.  Young people are supported to engage with the dynamics in their changing world.

Survey Respondent:
“Ka pai for acknowledging the systemic factors that influence a young person’s life. I think this is important for youth practitioners to not only embrace and act in a strengths based way – identifying protective factors, but also identify the risk factors. I don’t want to suggest that youth practitioners become clinicians – but there needs to be more overt acknowledgement and skill development around that.”

How Youth Development can enhance Mana

Whanaungatanga

With young people we prioritise whanaungatanga, taking time to build and sustain quality relationships

Whanaungatanga is about relationship, kinship and a sense of family connection. It relates to all relationships in a young person’s life, including those in the digital space. When we prioritise whanaungatanga we invest in high trust relationships that are reciprocal, genuine, authentic intentional and mana enhancing. Young people are supported, with a strong foundation of belonging.

Survey Respondent:
“A no brainer, it’s all about relationships.”

Manaakitanga

With young people we uphold and extend manaakitanga, nourishing collective wellbeing

Manaakitanga is expressing kindness and respect for others, emphasising responsibility and reciprocity. It creates accountability for those who care for young people, relationally or systemically. When we uphold and extend manaakitanga from a distance, safeguarding collective wellbeing includes adequate resources and training for people who work with young people. Young people who experience strong manaaki have a safe and empowering space, and feel accepted, included and valued.

Survey Respondents:
“It’s about the young person giving back. Ultimately this is where we all end up.”

“Great to have this principle included…and so good to see ethical practice and accountability portrayed in such a positive way that inspires practice.”

Whai Wāhitanga

Acknowledging mana, whai wāhitanga recognises young people as valued contributors to society, giving them space to participate, assume agency and take responsibility

Mana is the authority we inherit at birth and we accrue over our lifetime. It determines the right of a young person to have agency in their lives and the decisions that affect them.  It acknowledges self-determination, empowered citizenship and authentic learning. From this flows whai wāhitanga, participation.

We enable young people to be empowered to participate when we allow all young people to navigate and participate in the world, rather than privileging the voices of a few. Young people are supported to choose their level of engagement in decisions that affect them.

Survey Respondent:
“Pursuing that place to stand, developing growth and agency. All good stuff.”

Mātauranga

With young people we are empowered by rich and diverse mātauranga, informed by good information

Mātauranga refers to knowledge, wisdom, understanding and skill. It includes research, individual experience, customary and cultural knowledge, and the beliefs and ideals held by young people and their whānau. Good information is useful, timely, meaningful, honours indigenous thinking, evidence based and translated for the recipient to reflect on. We can strengthen mātauranga by weaving together these different forms of knowledge and making them relevant to the decisions facing young people and their whānau. Being empowered by rich and diverse mātauranga informs both young people and people who work with young people towards personal growth.  Young people actively participate in making meaning of information and are supported to holistically make positive choices for them, and their whānau. People who work with young people are supported to actively reflect on their relationships and practice.

Survey Respondent:
“True knowledge is experienced. Until then its just information.
Information can only be helpful if the “informed” positions itself as teina to the “experienced”, otherwise, it’s oppression all over again. True knowledge can only be attained by the informant if the informant has the ability to observe in real time.”