Once upon a time when you greeted someone in Aotearoa, it was either hello or kia ora. Now there are so many greetings it could be argued that kia ora is no longer an option.

Many may not realise the significance of what saying kia ora means. In its simplest form, kia ora means hello. However, ‘kia ora’ is more than just hello because it references life and health. These two words signify more than just a passing greeting. In its literal sense, ‘ora’ refers to a state of living, or being alive. By using ‘kia’, it changes it from a noun to a verb, so rather than ‘alive’ it is ‘living’. So when you say kia ora to someone, you are wishing the essence of life upon them.

To you reading this today we say “kia ora”
This explanation to tikanga and others is often best learned through experience and interaction with Māori and in a forum that is welcoming.
Te Rōpū Marutau o Aotearoa (TRMA) has recognised a unique opportunity to come together in one such forum by organising a one-day conference to gain a greater understanding of Māori and how being Māori affects a worker’s attitudes, values, and decision-making.
The Aotearoa Māori Health & Safety Conference will help you and your organisation gain a greater understanding of Māori and how being Māori affects a worker’s attitudes, values, and decision-making.

TRMA has supported many events over the past few years and has recognised, that while there is a desire to improve engagement with Māori unless we take the reins and create an event that highlights our uniqueness, then we will never be able to create the change that we hope for.
In an effort to create change, many organisations have taken the liberty to organise and run events designed to be engaging, and thought-provoking while inspiring change. Evidence suggests that engaged kaimahi can lead to an increase in productivity and a positive impact on a company’s bottom line. A disengaged workforce could spell trouble for a company’s bottom line and lead to unsafe behaviour on the job. When kaimahi are not committed or fully vested in a safety culture, they’re not overly concerned with their performance and they are not invested in the future success of the company. This negatively can affect day-to-day operations, inhibit a company’s growth, and put workers’ safety at risk.

That being said, TRMA has recognised the need to have an event that, while led by Māori, will create a welcoming and safe opportunity for effective engagement with workers from different backgrounds, beliefs, habits, customs, and attitudes. Having cross-cultural competence means you can be more effective in your interactions with people from almost any culture and most definitely Māori. Being able to communicate and work with people across cultures is becoming more important all the time. People are traveling, reaching out, and mixing with different others like never before.