Atafu Tokelau Community Group unveils 30-year strategy for prosperity

Tokelauans living in Aotearoa have embarked on a 30-year journey of transformation and growth.

The Atafu Tokelau Community Group in Porirua launched its Taiuli Master Plan last week which focuses on governance and management, health, education, culture and identity, housing, and entrepreneurship.

Group president Lehi Tenise Atoni says the strategy also targets youth and climate change sustainability.

Watch Lehi Tenise Atoni’s interview below:

The Atafu Tokelau Community Group (ATCG) was formed from early Tokelau migrants in the 1950s, eventually being registered as an incorporated society in 1978. The group would drive several religious, social and cultural activities to form a home away from home for Tokelauans.

Atoni says Tauili is a “continuation” of the Kanava Strategy (2016-2022) and represents a “significant leap” toward Atafu Tokelau’s collective aspirations for economic growth, social harmony, and cultural preservation.

He adds they were excited to embark on this journey where “Taiuli serves as a beacon of hope" for every Tokelaun.

“Taiuli is a huge step forward for the community and aims to drive economic, social, and cultural development for our members.

“In 2017, we launched our Kanava Strategy plan, a five-year plan, and we managed to achieve a lot in the five years.

“We’ve reviewed that, and we thought the next step was to take a much longer period for the next plan.

“We thought ‘we’re looking at 30 years’ but we’re not gonna wait that time to achieve it. We’ll keep chipping away, and we’ll give ourselves 30 years from now to achieve some of those objectives.”

Atoni said Taiuli is a significant step towards prosperity for the Tokelauan community.

He said the plan has been in development for the last three years and is about looking at how Tokelauans in Aotearoa move forward for the next three decades.

He said underpinning this masterplan were Tokelaun values, the way they looked after themselves, promoting unity and ensuring that no one is left behind.

"The strategy provides a foundational platform for our strategic direction and future aspirations.

“The masterplan focuses on how we meet the changing world and communities that we live in and is a blueprint for the development of our Tokelau community here and all over New Zealand for the next three decades.

“Our culture and language are very important to us as we know Tokelau is one of the endangered languages in the Pacific. So we’re doing a lot of work around the culture and the revitalisation of the language.

“We’re looking at how we could develop our language to ensure we sustain ourselves within our little community.”

Atoni said it was important for Tokelauns to have a good relationship with both the New Zealand and Tokelau governments to support Taiuli.

He said the plan is an accumulation of a vision that has been thought, talked about and written on for the last few years.

“We want to make sure our people will thrive and survive in the current climate; we look at employment, housing. It’s not just about the government funding our projects, but how we look after ourselves.

“It has been a lot of work and it’s very rewarding as we reflect on the past on those who have founded our community.”