This kaupapa holds a special place in our journey at AraHina as it was our very first international facilitation experience.
Held over three transformative days on the island of Mo‘orea, the Tiaki Moana Workshop brought together youth leaders, researchers, community practitioners, and policy experts from across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa to co-design solutions for ocean protection across the Pacific.
Building on the momentum of the Tiaki Moana Summit, the workshop explored five core themes that shape our shared future:
1️⃣ Defining and implementing marine OECMs
2️⃣ Indigenous and local knowledge
3️⃣ Existing marine management tools
4️⃣ Innovative and sustainable approaches
5️⃣ Governance and future generations
My role was to work alongside a team of facilitators to weave together diverse voices — grounding every conversation in shared values of connection, care, and culture. Through participatory dialogue and hands-on sessions, participants co-created practical, community-led pathways for protecting our oceans — guided by mātauranga, science, and intergenerational wisdom.
The outcome of the workshop was a detailed report of recommendations on Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) — outlining ways to build understanding, capability, and collective action to support marine protection that is equitable, culturally grounded, and community-led.
This engagement was led by Blue Cradle, a marine education and conservation organisation dedicated to ocean literacy across the Pacific. We feel deeply honoured to have been part of this kaupapa and to contribute to a movement that celebrates Indigenous knowledge, collaboration, and guardianship of our shared ocean.
