TIES Workshop

The Tāmaki Inclusive Engagement Strategy or TIES is a principle-based approach to community engagement. It offers a vision and a way of doing things. To have the various communities in Tāmaki actively participating in decisions affecting their future is the TIES vision. The original TIES team was made up of people who have lived and/or worked in Tāmaki for some time, they all share a common interest and concern for its future. TIES is for the community, by the community. Only we know what we need, and how to fix it. Tāmaki’s knowledge is Tāmaki’s taonga for the benefit of Tāmaki.

TIES is a living document that is constantly evolving and changing with the times, just as Tāmaki itself is evolving and changing. TIES encourages people or organisations to connect, and for the community to take the lead and to foster working together to create positive change. We’re allowed to tweak TIES to meet the needs of Tāmaki. This is the only way TIES will be better and can work for everyone.

On the 26th of August, we were fortunate to have Tara Moala (Tāmaki Regeneration Company, Rākau Tautoko/one of the original TIES Team members) and Tyrone Tangata-Makiri (Rākau Tautoko, In The Flow State) run an amazing TIES workshop on zoom for 20 of our Tāmaki community members. We learnt about the origins of TIES, and how we can all apply these principles to the work we do in the community.

Tara summed it up beautifully, that we should “Think of TIES as a kete of tools. Constant practice and use of the tools will teach you how to use it properly. The more we use it, the more proficient we will be.” We were encouraged to use these tools when working in Tāmaki. The HEART Movement itself uses TIES whenever doing mahi in the community. TIES encourages collaboration and connection; these are the fundamental building blocks of healthy relationships.