seeded
Mahia te Aroha
Mahia te Aroha, the Christchurch Invitation invites us all to take small acts of compassion to foster a society where people of all cultures and faiths can have a sense of belonging. MTA grew out of the extraordinary response of peace and compassion following the mosque terrorist attacks in Christchurch, along with the “open doors” that were offered by the mosques in the aftermath. Founded by members of the Muslim Community, Mahia te Aroha is an invitation for us all to Spread Peace, Share Kai, Reconnect, and Reflect.
Seed the Change | He Kākano Hāpai was honoured to awhi this important kaupapa from its inception. We held space for the founders to take a deep dive into the essence and intention of Mahia te Aroha, and then subsequently supported the team in designing and delivering its workstreams. All the while providing nurturing support to navigating the ripple effects of an act of terror.
We believe seeding peace and compassion is essential for a joyful world in balance.
How we seeded compassionate change:
Held space for the founders to explore the concepts on which Mahia te Aroha was founded.
Developed the brand identity and online presence with a young Muslim designer.
Partnered with Christchurch City Council and the Royal Humane Society to launch Mahia te Aroha at the Christchurch Town Hall in July 2021.
Secured funding to deliver the workstreams for 4 years.
Fostered collaboration partnerships with aligned organisations
Provided strategic direction and networks
Provided capability and capacity support when needed.
Highlights & Impact
Our Ōtautahi Stronger Together
Multi-year student hui on belonging - providing a safe space for students have courageous and gritty conversations on belonging. Deliberately structured with a youth-led approach, students from public and private schools worked together toco- design hui for their peers. Over 18 schools from across the Canterbury region joined in, with over 100 students participating.
Peace Train
Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens gifted Christchurch city a Peace Train at Mahia te Aroha’s launch. The team continue to work with the Christchurch City Council, who manage the operations of this, to ensure the intention of the gift is honoured - to promote peace to children and their families in the city.
Read about the Peace Train launch here…
Watch Yusuf Islam’s message behind the Peace Train.
Share Kai
Collaborating with InCommon, Mahia te Aroha jointly founded the Share Kai programme. This enables cooks from ethnic communities to share their culture through their cuisine. Carefully creating spaces for connection and participation in the first year alone Share Kai served over 2,000 participants joined the programme in its first year alone.
Filming by our friends at Telling Lives
where is Mahia te aroha now?
Mahia te Aroha, is now incubated by the Canterbury Muslim Community Trust, and they are using the original name of the Christchurch Invitation for their work.
The founders of Mahia te Aroha are now focusing on providing space for conversations on belonging and compassion through as podcast series.
In addition they have set the intention to bring the play “Memorial” to Christchurch. A verbatim drama from the voices of those deeply affected by March 15.
See www.mahiatearoha.nz for more updates.
Seed the Change was able to support of Mahia te Aroha with the generosity of: Ministry of Ethnic Communities; Peace and Education Disarmament Trust: PubCharity and the Lottery Communities Fund.