“The answers are within us.” Dr Verna Kirkness, the founder of the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE), delivered this powerful kōrero onstage in Tāmaki Makaurau this week.

WIPCE 2025 saw 3,800 of the world’s foremost Indigenous educators, knowledge-holders and leaders call for a new era of transformative action. Indigenous leaders vowed to continue driving Indigenous-led solutions to the world’s problems, rising above political edicts and governments of the day.

WIPCE 2025 Co-Chair, Professor Meihana Durie says today’s close of the conference signals the beginning of a powerful new chapter for Indigenous people.

“Today, as we bring WIPCE 2025 to a close, we usher in a new era of Indigenous endeavour and unity that will Trans-Indigenise our world. We will build an Indigenous economy, one that funds Indigenous education, research, hospitals, cinema and media channels. One that protects Indigenous lands, waters and skies, and most importantly, Indigenous people,” he says.

Delegates were urged to carve their own path and listen to their ancestors in keynote speeches, panels and community kōrero spanning politics, self-determination and decolonisation to shifts in educational systems, environmental stewardship, youth leadership and wellbeing.

Established in 1987, WIPCE has grown into the world’s largest, most diverse and most influential Indigenous education conference. Founded by Dr Kirkness because of an absence of focus on Indigenous education, the gathering offers an essential space for communities to unite in knowledge exchange, shared purpose, and moemoeā – our collective aspirations and dreams.

This year’s event brought thousands of delegates from more than 25 countries around the world including Guam, Colombia, South Africa, Canada, Taiwan and Japan.

“WIPCE has a unique power which brings so many people from across the globe to critique, share, support and strategise,” says WIPCE 2025 Co-Chair and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Toeolesulusulu Professor Damon Salesa.

“We have been deeply moved and honoured by the experience of hosting this conference, and it has been an extraordinary time for everyone involved, for AUT, Auckland and New Zealand. It has been a privilege to contribute to an event that aligns so closely with AUT’s vision of enriching lives and creating a better world.”

Beyond the formal sessions, WIPCE 2025 filled Tamaki Makaurau Auckland's inner city with colour, culture and indigenous vibrance. Wrapped in the protective cloak of iwi manaaki, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, delegates were welcomed with a stirring pōwhiri, followed by a 4,000-strong ‘Parade of Nations’, showcasing the diverse attendees in their traditional kākahu (attire).

Te Ao Pūtahi Festival was also a standout feature of the week. Aotea Square transformed into a bustling hub of creativity, with stalls, kai and performances from the likes of kapa haka rōpū Ngā Tūmanako, and artists and bands including Corrella, Jackson Owens, IA, Betty-Anne and Sons of Zion.

Announced on stage today the 14th convening of WIPCE will be held at Waikoloa, marking the third time the conference will be hosted in Hawai‘i.

Chadd Paishon, a spokesperson for WIPCE 2028, says he’s looking forward to accommodating Indigenous peoples from around the world. 

“To host such a distinguished event is a great honour for our people. It allows us to showcase our moana and share our aloha. We look forward to creating a place where our collective knowledge can flourish, and where we can build on the learnings we’ve gained here in Aotearoa.”

There was strong international interest in hosting the next conference, with nine bids submitted from Australia, Canada, Hawai‘i, South Africa and Taiwan.

Dr Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, WIPCE International Council Chair, and Native Hawaiian, says returning to Hawai’i in 2028 brings an opportunity to connect back into the Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa (Pacific Ocean), and to continue to navigate new currents in Indigenous education together. 

“It is exciting to see so much interest in hosting WIPCE. This demonstrates how important the voices of Indigenous people are in our communities, and how powerful our collective vision has become on the global stage.”

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands alongside Mataara Mai and all those who have raised deep concern about the planned gathering at Te Kuirau Marae involving representatives of the Israeli Embassy Board and the so-called Indigenous Coalition for Israel.

Te Kuirau Marae has a proud history of standing with oppressed peoples, including the Palestinian community. It was a place where solidarity was expressed openly and with dignity:
• during the Rotorua for Palestine hīkoi in November 2023, opened by the late Koro Bom Gillies,
• and again during the Mataara Mai gathering in January 2024.

These moments were grounded in aroha, justice, and shared struggle against colonisation.

Welcoming representatives who openly support and justify violence, displacement, and ongoing atrocities against the Indigenous people of Palestine stands in direct contradiction to the values that marae uphold: aroha, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, justice, and Indigenous sovereignty.

Such a decision risks:
• diminishing the mana of the marae,
• undermining community wellbeing,
• damaging relationships between Indigenous peoples globally,
• and affecting how future generations will understand the moral choices made today.

Any engagement of this nature must be transparent, accountable, and grounded in truth. It cannot proceed without open kōrero with the communities who will be most affected.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand affirms its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and with all Indigenous peoples resisting colonisation. We acknowledge those who have spoken up with courage and clarity in defence of justice.

Let truth, aroha, and the shared struggle for liberation guide us forward.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand

20 November 2025 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Wellington building will reopen on Friday 21 November following the successful remediation of an isolated asbestos disturbance.

The remediation work has been fully assessed by a specialist asbestos consultant following removal works undertaken by a Class A licensed asbestos removal contractor. As part of this process, WorkSafe New Zealand reviewed all documentation and has confirmed that the area is safe for building re-entry.

The building closure has not impacted RBNZ operations.

Despite the reopening of the Reserve Bank's Wellington building, plans to host the November Monetary Policy Statement media conference from the RBNZ's Auckland premises on Wednesday 26 November will proceed as planned.

World Children’s Day is observed every year on 20 November, marking two foundational moments in international human rights: the United Nations’ adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, and thirty years later, the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. These landmark commitments affirm the world’s collective obligation to safeguard every child’s right to life, protection, education, dignity, and a future filled with promise.

As we commemorate these global achievements, the Palestine Forum of New Zealand draws urgent attention to the children of Palestine, especially the children of Gaza, who continue to be denied the very rights this day was created to uphold.

For decades, Palestinian children have endured conditions no child anywhere should ever face. In Gaza, successive assaults, years of blockade, and the collapse of essential services have left children traumatised, displaced, orphaned, and struggling for survival. Their schools have been destroyed, their homes reduced to rubble, and their futures placed under constant threat. They are children who should be playing, learning, and dreaming—yet instead, they live with fear, loss, and uncertainty.

On this World Children’s Day, we honour their courage and resilience, and we reaffirm that Palestinian children deserve the same rights and protections afforded to children everywhere else. The international community cannot celebrate this day with integrity while Gazan children continue to suffer violations of the most basic human rights.

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls upon global leaders, humanitarian agencies, and all people of conscience to uphold the commitments made on 20 November 1959 and 1989. Protecting Palestinian children is not a political stance, it is a fundamental moral and human obligation.

Every child matters.
Every Palestinian child matters.