All members of any community are experts and leaders in their own right. We are all followers as well. As both teachers and learners we have a right and responsibility to contribute to any decision that impact on us and future generations. If people do not feel they are involved in a decision or the process leading up the decision being made, they will feel no ownership of the consequences and blame decision-makers for a bad decision (seldomn acknowledging good decisions!). We need to move forward together as a region – different ages, genders, cultures and classes need to find common ground if we want sustainable development to be realised.
Manu – This is brilliant. Now one thing I think “we” should get our heads around is the role of Eastland Community Trust. It looks like all the directorships of the several entities are “old boys” and they are away out on a separate waaka to belonging to the district.
This is a huge opportunity and the people running it are largely unaccountable except there is a thread to GDC – a very thin thread