How do you future-proof the Pasifika Community Hub for the next 15 years?

It’s six o’clock on a Thursday afternoon and everyone is setting up their music stands in preparation for practice that evening. Our band leader was none other than Iosefa “Joe” Kuresa – son of the late Sauni Liga Kuresa who was best known for composing what is now Samoa’s national anthem “Samoa Tula’i” (translation: Samoa Arise). I sat in the front row of the four-row deep horseshoe formation because I played the euphonium. Oh – you haven’t heard of the euphonium? That’s quite alright because neither have the other 99.99% of the world’s population. The reason for that is because this is the one brass instrument (I felt) that seemed to lack any coolness factor. And how exactly do you measure the cool factor? Simple.

Imagine a hot Brooklyn summer night and you’re walking past an alley way and happen to see someone playing a muted instrument out of their window. You stop and admire along with many of the neighbours who have opened their windows to hear those same notes because they were calming – even familiar. A cornet plays beautifully into the night like a trumpet and the trombone slides back and forth to melt away that blue-collar stress. Both instruments which my other brothers managed to secure. But the euphonium? It reminds me of a certain scene in the movie Coming To America when Eddie Murphy is so overjoyed that he begins singing aloud as he walks the streets. I pictured the profanity laden response he received from his neighbours to be the same as what I would’ve received had I tried the alley test with my Euphonium.

But all this was to simply highlight that the church and its various sub-groups created multiple opportunities for Pasifika families to come together and engage. Whether it was to be a part of a brass band, a choir, a youth group or even a senior citizens group – you could find everything you needed at your local church hub. And why did these hundreds of families join in? Because to hear someone speak in your own language would be (like the music) calming, settling – familiar.

From Pioneers to Settlers

Meet my uncle Vagatai Va’aelua (pictured above) – my late father’s young brother. Like my father, he too was a police officer back home in Samoa. He later moved to New Zealand (following shortly after our family) and was referred to his first job as a bus driver by a friend from (surprise surprise) church. From there he became a Corrections Officer at Mount Eden Prison before eventually becoming a different kind of corrections officer as the Church Minister for the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Western Springs. And all of these jobs being the result of references and relationships built through the church-based community hub.

We recently caught up and discussed how so much had changed since the 60’s and 70’s. “We weren’t Settlers back then, we were Pioneers. Leaving our various Pacific Island birthplaces, we came here for a better life for ourselves and the next generation." He would laugh about being able to identify those who had just arrived and those who were fully employed and on the move. Today however, the conversations about job opportunities and openings don’t happen as frequently as they used to – if at all. In the meantime, the world has shifted significantly, and Pasifika (for various reasons) have been left behind.

Simon Wardley (an authority on Open platform development) introduces a mapped structure of three different groups called the Pioneer, the Settler and the Town Planner and whilst this was in the context of talent required for product development, I also saw this as being very applicable to Pasifika. Today, we find ourselves in what I believe to be the “Settler” state. A place where we have become devoid of our hungry drive as that ground breaking pioneer and at the same time not felt the need to push and become that strategic thought leader/town planner/ designer/contributor. And whilst the Settler is an admirable state attesting to one's ability to build a sustainable structure, the technology realm asks more for the Pasifika Pioneer to challenge the norm instead. Not too different from five or so decades ago.

Reinstating the Hub

One of the key disruptors that forms the mandate and constitution of Pasifika in I.T. is working to create Digital Leadership in our communities (see above). This would necessitate the (re)establishing of the community hubs to help familiarize Pasifika people with new digital tools that will help change (and in some cases improve) their way of life. Furthermore, leveraging digital platforms to deliver what in past has been purely physical engagements – from commemoration of the deceased, to village discussions and even cultural learning – will instead create new cultural dynamics for Pasifika people in general.

In fact, as a result of COVID19, all churches were forced to shift from Print, Physical and Mass Media format (one voice, many listeners) to a Digital Media format thanks to platforms such as Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube. Moreover, this sudden shift may finally help to create openings for a Social Media approach (many voices, many listeners) to help garner feedback and commentary which – let’s be honest – aren’t necessarily typical practices of churches in the past. And with the introduction of a digital arm, these church hubs will also uncover new opportunities to become increasingly relevant and deeply engaged with their sprawling communities.

Project Alpha – Hub 2.0

Imagine the 300 plus Pasifika churches in Auckland alone being reinstated as the central hubs helping their communities to learn and grow with technology. From the Pasifika language immersion early childhood centres through to church-based work readiness programs, these hubs will be focused on more than the typical homework centre which is seen in a handful of these hubs today. This is the aim of Project Alpha – a focused project from Pasifika in I.T. in collaboration with churches which have been struggling to transition into the digital realm.

A data-driven model, the purpose of Project Alpha will be to help churches understand the different dynamics of their communities and determine better, smarter ways to stay connected. Like the landing spaces they were back in the 60's and 70's, churches will begin to gain a greater understanding of both their active and inactive parishioners. Such information is both pertinent for the understanding of not just the “settlers” but also any newfound “pioneers” who have only just arrived in Aotearoa.

The next focus for Project Alpha will be to pilot Makerspaces within the church hubs to help young children materialize the realities of coding and encourage the young-at-heart to learn how to use a 3D printer, laser cutter or a computer numerical control (CNC) router for making both traditional and non-traditional ornaments for home or even for sale. Such a shift would only help to further support the hard work being seen from some amazing people like Leanne Gibson of Manurewa High School whose team helps enable secondary school students to realize their own creations in the MHS Makerspace. More on Leanne and team in a later article.

And lastly, as part of the drive for sustainability, we will also be partnering with several Solar Panel Manufacturers and installers to help drive the shift in technology in this area as well. What better way to make the most of these large buildings than to ensure that these Pasifika churches are leveraging their real estate to not only create positive energy but also harness solar energy as well.

If not now… when?

My father wasn’t what you would call a role model when it came to patience. In fact, when we used to “join” him on his various building projects (which we would often do for free for other families in church), his patience was often halved. And more frequently, if you moved too slow in following commands, you could rest assured there would be a hammer flying in your direction. And, like Thor’s Mjolnir or Storm Breaker which returned to the God of Thunder after it had achieved its purpose, our father’s hammer would ALSO return to him because we would be the one’s walking it back to him – ready for the alternative slap across the head (which was obviously preferred over the hammer – relatively speaking).

But despite all his antics which my brothers and I used to laugh with our father about (funny that), one thing he impressed on us was the importance of today and now. He was acutely aware of the lack of control he had over the next day, let alone the next second. Hence why urgency was such a big thing for him (and also explains why the man was always in a rush).

I would be lying if I didn’t feel the same way about the need in our community hubs today across Aotearoa. The level of urgency required from those of us who “can” to help those of our community who “need” or worse still – “are unaware” – is significant. And so allow me to finish with this offer. If you’re on a specific side of this equation where you can either (a) help but are unsure how, or like my uncle (b) are responsible for a community but need someone to get alongside you, then let’s start the conversation. Because, to use a phrase I would often hear whilst growing up in our hub – the harvest is great, but the workers are few. So, in other words, now’s good.

I’ll wait to hear back from you but until then…

I have a hammer to return.