RDC Trustee Professor Edwina Pio, member of Kāpuia, the  Ministerial Advisory Group on the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques has shared with us the statement from Arihia Bennett the chair of  Kāpuia.

Matua te tihi, matua te kaha, matua te āio, matua te mana

Whiua te hā kino, tokia te hā ora

Ki Rua ki raro, ki waho ki roto, hui ē, tāiki ē!

English translation for the whakataukī

Connect to strength, connect to energy, connect to peace, connect to mana

Strip away the negative, instil the positive

From above, from below, from outside and from within, united and connected!

Kāpuia was deeply saddened to hear of the Auckland terror attack and sends our aroha to the victims and families affected.

We know that the attack has raised concerns and grief for victims and families of the Christchurch mosque attacks and our Muslim communities more generally.

We echo the words of others in saying that this attack was carried out by an individual, not a faith, culture or ethnicity, but a person filled with hate.

We stand with all New Zealanders in condemning this senseless act of violence against innocent people.

The attack highlights the importance of the work programme arising from the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the mosque shootings and Kāpuia’s kaupapa.

Kāpuia will continue to work hard to enhance government decision making with community input to help make Aotearoa New Zealand a safer and more inclusive place for everyone. 

Waiho I te toipoto, kaua I te toiroa

Let us keep close together, not far apart.