Matthew Anderson

Ciao a tutti, Buenas, As-Salam-u-Alaikum, Namaste and Fakaloha lahi atu.
Ko wai au?
I am Matty Anderson and am very privileged to serve on The Cultural Conversations board. I am of Niuean and Pakeha descent, He/him CIS hetero. I have lived experience with addiction and some of the
unpleasant comorbidities that accompany it. Nowadays I find myself very busy and very happy. I have a mixed family and feel loved and safe.
My mahi nowadays is in service. I work out of Nikau Hauora Hub as Kaitiaki for Te Waka Hauora and I also work as IT and Education Administrator for Nelson Tasman Pasifika Community Trust. I juggle a few other balls but it really isn't service if you have to tell everyone about it. Like so many, I'm fairly new to Whakatu. I've found with the right mindset and tools Nelson can be a place full of beauty, collaboration and inclusion. I know this is not the lived experience for many of our manuhiri. This irks me. I am fortunate that I have a whanaungatanga of like minded tangata that are willing to mobilize around local social issues. I feel Cultural Conversations is a kind and safe space. We are a young organization and I am passionate about CC creating something different. We are still blind to some of the issues that affect some of our manuhiri but I find it very empowering to be working with a team willing to learn and change. We on the board are very open to taking direction from the migrant community and handing over power to those we hold most important to Cultural Conversations.

Koe.
Ui mai ki ahau if you were to ask me
'He aha te mea nui o te ao' 'what's the most important thing in the world'.
Maku e ki atu I would say 'He tangata,he tangata,he tangata'. 'tis people, tis people, tis people'.