People First New Zealand Inc. – Nga Tangata Tuatahi
“Nothing about us without us”
From across the Tasman
Kia Ora Hello
From Aotearoa New Zealand -the land of the long white cloud
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Kiaora Hello from New Zealand
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My Hometown - Nelson
About People First NZ
Our work with the United Nations Convention
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What we are going to talk about
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People First is International
People First started in Salem Oregon in America in 1974.
People First is in many countries like England, Scotland, Canada and Germany and here in Australia.
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People First in New Zealand
People First was started in 1984 in New Zealand.
It was started and supported by Ihc for the first 20 years.
1984
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In 2003 Ihc supported People First to become an independent organisation.
On the 16th of October 2003 People First launched the independent organisation at Parliament and then we had a party!
Going Independent
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People First NZ is a Disabled Persons Organisation ( DPO). This means People First only has Disabled people in its governance structure.
It is a national self advocacy organisation led by and for people with learning disability.
People First is an Incorporated Society and there are hundreds of members from all over New Zealand.
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INCORPORATED
SOCIETY
People First – Nga Tangata Tuatahi
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To be a member you need to have a learning/intellectual disability and be over the age of 18.
People First – Nga Tangata Tuatahi
People First Groups and Regions
People First has around 30 local groups that are split into 6 regions
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Members learn about their rights and how to self advocate for what they want: in their lives
In their community
Local groups have guest speakers
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People First Local Groups
Local groups work with other disability advocacy organisations such as DPA
Members get involved in local events
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People First – Nga Tangata Tuatahi
People First NZ has a national office in Wellington National office staff are:
Cindy JohnsNational Manager
Crystal FangNational Finance Manager-based in
Auckland
Janet DoughtyProjector Coordinator
Phyllis McPhersonMembers Database Coordinator-based in
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People First National Office Staff
If you can‘t be a member, you can still support People First by becoming a Friend.
Friends get the People First newsletter.
Friends can give their time or money or both to assist People First at local, regional or national levels.
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Friends of People First NZ - Nga Tangata Tuatahi
People First also does a range of projects
Two of these projects are:
leadership development
speaking up courses
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People First Projects
People First has a national project doing leadership development in the regions and holding a national leadership forum at the end of the year.
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People First Leadership
Speaking Up Courses
Speaking Up courses assist people to speak up in their life
People First has trained members and assistants to lead Speaking Up groups
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People First also:
provides disability information and advice
has an Easy Read translation service
Has an employment advocacy service – Works4Us
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More about People First NZ - Nga Tangata Tuatahi
People First also:
Has members at many national advisory groups and committees
Speaks up at government level
Is part of the UN Convention Coalition monitoring the rights of Disabled people
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More about People First New Zealand
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People First’s Work with the UN Convention
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Robert Martin at the UN
Speaking up
Use the Easy Read convention to speak up
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Learning and teaching others
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The Convention Coalition
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Disabled Persons Organisation ( DPO)
Convention Coalition work
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Convention Coalition work
Writing a report
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Easy Read Translations
Having information in ways we can understand
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Winning an award
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Keep speaking up
Our work with the Convention will not stop here
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