CNA May Journal - Ros & Patrick

🖊️ Ros Rice, May Journal Entry:

We are preparing ourselves for a big event. You may be aware that we have spent some months researching how Banks interact with the For-Purpose Sector. Everyone knows that the annual AGM followed often by a change of signatories from your Executive Committee or Board can be a very stressful event.  Why?  We now have the answers. 

Before the research report comes out, I think it should be ok to tell you the two main problems for NGOs when working with our Banks here in NZ. One is the Banks interpretation and attempt to work within the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act.  We all want the Banks to manage risk, that’s why we trust them enough to give them our money! 

But there also seems to be a stronger reason for our problems. The issue of profit making! Why is customer service so poor in many cases, and why do some tellers not seem to understand or even care about our Sector? Why are branches closing everywhere, and in some cases why do we feel like the banks would prefer not to have our sector as customers? 

All those things have to do with Banks spending money. And the profit motive is very strong. Yes “the force is strong with these institutions” and us, the little outliers don’t make much money for them. That however is an erroneous understanding. The For-Purpose Sector is huge and contributes a massive amount to GDP. Not only that, we all understand that we are the glue of communities and well-being. That just doesn’t mean a lot when it comes down to the bottom line.  Values often fall away when money comes into the equation. 

But let’s be positive. We want to work with the Banks, and they aren’t baddies. They are just motivated differently. Let’s all work together and hopefully, this report and our conversations with our Banks will make some changes for the better. 

The report is likely to be made public in late June. 

🔥 Patrick Davies, May Hot Take Entry:  Is it Weta or Wētā? 

Like most organisations in Aotearoa/New Zealand CNA has a policy of being good partners in recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi. But what does that mean? What does it look like? I think it’s a sound. 

Ros, Dan, and I have just come to the end of a 10-week Workplace Te Reo Māori 1 course. It’s been a very comfortable journey in a small group from various workplaces all looking to embrace the future of this Motu. It’s also been a little frustrating wrapping my angaanga around it all, but we’re happy to make the odd te hē along the way. 

My biggest takeaway from this is the journey, not the destination. 

Some of you may know I have a background in teaching – how many times have I reminded a pupil that you don’t ever get it immediately? My teaching example has always been ‘tying your shoelace’. What, many moons ago, seemed an impossible task, (seriously, this lunchtime try to describe the actions of tying a shoelace out loud, without actions – it’s uaua!), is now a subconscious thing that you do without a second thought. 

Take Rua would be that to get to the point where it comes easily to you is parakitihi! parakitihi! parakitihi! If you don’t use it, you lose it. Picture this – Me about to ask Dan a question and then, finger poised in air, rushing back to my desk to look up my manual so I can ask if he ‘wants a drink’ and then both of us checking if his reply ‘He kawhe māku’ is gonna get him that coffee (yes, it did). 

As I sit at my papamahi and read this on the monita of my rorohiko, I know this is going to be a long journey, but one well worth taking. I’ll ask questions when I don’t know, I’ll be happy to be corrected in pronunciation (which I’m weta at!), and I’ll continue to ask ki te pēhea a koe? Without adding ‘oral quote marks’ until it rolls off my tongue. 

And I’ll be really happy to translate the words I use, if asked, without embarrassment, because I like the sounds and meanings I make. I like realising that te reo Māori is foremost an oral language – to be spoken and to be heard. So, let it be heard. I’ll allow myself to stumble, and I will always pick myself up, and tihei mauri ora!