Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

Rangimarie Mules: Never let a chance to connect go by

By Rangimarie Mules
Northland Age·
24 Jul, 2019 09:48 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Rangimarie Mules. Picture / Supplied
Rangimarie Mules. Picture / Supplied

Rangimarie Mules. Picture / Supplied

At Whiria te Muka, we are working on carving out a space that allows us to embed a culture of noticing, of connecting ... When you walk down the street, how many times have you noticed the person you just walked past? I mean, truly noticed them? Looked at them as a miracle, an accumulation of unique experiences or circumstances, past and present?

Perhaps they are somebody's loved one, a father, aunty, partner or child. But you're late and you've got many things on your list to get done — "I'll do it later." But later often never comes. What we didn't realise is that we just walked passed a whole world, with a viewpoint unlike anybody else's. This is all too often how I feel when walking through town. I just didn't notice. I wished I had taken more time to connect, to manaaki, to care about more than my own tasks.

But if we never stop to notice the people we share our place with, how can we ever connect? How are we ever meant to build a sense of empathy or understanding towards those who need it most? Did they smile at me? Did I even look at them? I wonder what their story is. I wonder what they hide from the gaze of public life. But how can I help anyway? I'm just one person, right?

Whānau harm is often embedded into the fabric of our society. It runs deep, hidden in the private spaces of our homes. And the I just don't have time right now mentality seems to be a common refrain.

Whānau harm, in its many forms, impacts us all in some way, whether it be through our own immediate whānau or our wider community interactions. Left hidden, whānau harm will continue to grow within the private lives of our homes, in the depths of the emotions of our people, possibly even unconsciously passed on from generation to generation. I believe it is one of the biggest threats to our vitality as individuals, communities and society. Furthermore, it is an abuse on our mana.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At Whiria te Muka, we are working on carving out a space that allows us to embed a culture of noticing, of connecting, of building an authentic sense of empathy for those who make up our unique communities. We believe that in order to address the complexities of whānau harm, our whānau voices, experiences and perspectives have to be valued as the leading reo in supporting healthy, empowered people across Te Hiku.

My role with Whiria is to build capabilities, strategies and provoke critical thinking through the use of social innovation and creative, solution-based approaches. Alongside the incredible team of kaimahi — Te Hiku iwi and NZ Police — I work to bring our community's voices to the forefront, to encourage our people to be the designers for our futures, and, ultimately, to build a collective legacy we are all proud of.

Kia whiria te muka tangata — Weaving together the fibres of Te Hiku communities into a strong, healthy and enduring strand — is both an inspirational and daunting task. But if we never surface, confront and design our futures the way we aspire them to be then we will never know what could have been. What it was we should have noticed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

These are our people, our places. It's now our time to take collective ownership and shape a world that cares, heals and takes notice of the miracle walking down the street.

He muka tangata tātou. We are all a woven people.

Discover more

Author wants to hear WWII stories

24 Jul 09:26 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

Kaitāia Airport's $5.4m upgrade progresses with regular iwi meetings

Northland Age

Kāinga Ora scraps 450 new Northland houses, deepening shortage

Northland Age

School lunch programme saves $130m, student satisfaction rises, Govt says


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Cambodia to implement military conscription amid Thailand tensions
World

Cambodia to implement military conscription amid Thailand tensions

'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail
New Zealand

'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail

'Speechless': Woman's lost engagement ring miraculously found with stranger's help
Lifestyle

'Speechless': Woman's lost engagement ring miraculously found with stranger's help

Auckland Harbour Bridge lanes may close as 90km/h gusts hit city
New Zealand

Auckland Harbour Bridge lanes may close as 90km/h gusts hit city

Murder victim's eerie message played in court
New Zealand

Murder victim's eerie message played in court

'Execution': Mongrel Mob member gunned down as he sat with partner and kids in car
New Zealand

'Execution': Mongrel Mob member gunned down as he sat with partner and kids in car



Latest from Northland Age

Kaitāia Airport's $5.4m upgrade progresses with regular iwi meetings
Northland Age

Kaitāia Airport's $5.4m upgrade progresses with regular iwi meetings

Ngāi Takoto will purchase Kaitāia Airport in line with their Treaty settlement provisions.

14 Jul 12:00 AM
Kāinga Ora scraps 450 new Northland houses, deepening shortage
Northland Age

Kāinga Ora scraps 450 new Northland houses, deepening shortage

11 Jul 05:00 PM
School lunch programme saves $130m, student satisfaction rises, Govt says
Northland Age

School lunch programme saves $130m, student satisfaction rises, Govt says

10 Jul 02:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search