A young team from Pasifika Futures will deliver a presentation at the biannual Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluations Association conference which will be virtual this year. They will share about the importance of Talanoa – Pasifika storytelling – when working with and supporting Pacific families.
“In many of our Pasifika cultures, it is all about storytelling to make that cultural connection with each other,” says 26-year-old Eldon Tau, who will be part of the Pasifika Futures Knowledge team presenting at the virtual conference next week.
“On a surface level, Talanoa refers to a conversation, talking with someone, an exchange of ideas or thinking, sharing of experience. At a deeper level, Talanoa is anchored in our oral traditions and languages and history of many Pacific cultures.”
The conference which is part sponsored by Pasifika Futures and run by the organisation that represents evaluation practitioners in New Zealand, will focus on this year’s theme of social equity and a safer climate.
Mr Tau, who is an evaluator for Pasifika Futures, a job that analyses data and makes judgements about a program to improve its effectiveness, says the advantage of using Talanoa when supporting the Pacific community is that it is a process that puts families at ease.
“It’s relatable to every ethnicity within the Pacific Islands and a great way to get to know each other and help build that close relationship.”
The three-day conference will include keynote speakers and moderation from Pasifika Futures Director of Evaluations, Seini Jensen who is also on the board of ANZEA as Co-Chair. She says that evaluators play an important role in determining the social outcomes for Pacific families.
“The conference is to encourage people to learn and understand the important role of evaluators. This job helps us understand the value and worth of different programmes, different services and how well they are contributing to improving social outcomes, especially within Pacific families.”
The virtual ANZEA conference is from Tuesday 23 – Thursday 25 March. To register, visit www.anzea.org.nz
#pmafamily
Date: Thursday 18 March 2021