WEAll Aotearoa joins PMP flotilla

The Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa is pleased to be joining the Peter McKenzie Project flotilla.

The Peter McKenzie Project (PMP) is a collective of initiatives tackling the root causes of child and whānau poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand, so all childhoods can be full of opportunity. As a key programme of the J R McKenzie Trust, the Peter McKenzie Project funds a small group of organisations and change-makers who work together to shift the systems which lock children and families into poverty.

WEAll Aotearoa is grateful for PMPs funding and support that will allow us to continue our mahi to reshape economic systems to deliver wellbeing by default.

The Peter McKenzie Project recognises that many thousands of families today are locked into poverty. “Many of these  are in unstable jobs that don’t pay well, with high and rising housing costs, forcing them to make impossible choices. ” These are symptoms of an economy that is not a Wellbeing Economy. Economic system change is needed to unlock these whānau from poverty -not just enabling them to beat the odds but to change the odds they face.

WEAll Aotearoa is working towards a Wellbeing Economy where the economy designed to serve people and the planet, not the other way around. Rather than treating economic growth as an end in and of itself and pursuing it at all costs, a Wellbeing Economy puts our human and planetary needs at the centre of its activities, ensuring that dignity, purpose, nature, fairness and participation are all equally met.

WEAll Aotearoa is a registered charity and relies on philanthropic funding for its mahi. We focus on sharing and creating new knowledge and policy to influence change towards a Wellbeing Economy; spreading and amplifying powerful narratives of hope to change the debate and inspire New Zealanders from all walks of life and strengthening; and supporting and connecting existing mahi to build a movement for a Wellbeing Economy.

Over the last year we hosted a sold-out Economy for Public Good conference at AUT in Tāmaki Makaurau, elevated ordinary citizens’ voices and aspirations through our Economic Listening Tour and launched our open letter calling for transformational policies.

We have also been partnering with Te Hiko, the Centre for Community Innovation in Porirua, to document their work to build a local Wellbeing Economy through working together to build social capital, or whakawhanaungatanga.

We are deeply honoured to be invited to join the flotilla of waka (boats) and kaikōkiri (changemakers) in tackling the root causes of child and whānau poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand. This funding gives us the certainty to plan into the future and we invite you to join with us and reshape our economic system.