Thought leadership: Influencing public discourse
Our people are very active - in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally - providing thought leadership in academic, legal, governmental and public domains to enhance understanding of Indigenous peoples’ rights in law, theory and practice.
We frequently contribute to seminars, panels, conferences and deliver keynotes in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally, including at leading universities and the United Nations.
At home, in addition to our wānanga, we host public lectures including our Nin Tomas Memorial Lecture of Indigenous Peoples and the Law, panel discussions, seminars and, of course, nationally significant conferences such as the Constitutional Kōrero.
We contribute regularly to topical issues in the media in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally, including in the Guardian and the New York Times. See below for some examples.
Hosted events
Speaking engagements
Centre members regularly speak on a range of pressing issues relevant to Māori and Indigenous peoples’ rights, from constitutional transformation, to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the abuse of tamariki Māori in state care and criminal justice in relation to Māori.
For example, Centre members have participated in numerous online fora to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Māori and Indigenous peoples, including: jointly hosting with Victoria University’s Māori Law Review an Indigenous Peoples and COVID-19: Issues of Law and Justice series; participating in Auckland Law School’s Law and COVID-19 webinar series; and contributing to ICON-S AUS-NZ’s TransTasman Reflections on COVID-19 and Public Law webinar. Dr Claire Charters acted as co-Chair of the Human Rights Commission’s Kaiwhakatara Accountability Advisory Group, advising on the impact of COVID-19 on human rights and Te Tiriti, and provided public comment on the relevance of Te Tiriti in responses to COVID-19.
Media
Examples of media appearances.