Waitakere seminars tackle global issues at local level

Inspiring a community to face the challenges of the future and to be part of creating change is the focus of a series of seminars and workshops being held in Waitakere next week.

The Waitakere Inform Challenge Inspire (WICI) series aims to give participants food for thought on local and global issues. It brings together a host of inspiring New Zealand and international speakers who will share their ideas on a range of topics, from ways to create more liveable cities and new thinking on climate change to building communities that people want to live in and dealing with the rising costs of oil and food.

“It’s about being exposed to fascinating people from New Zealand and around the world who have experiences with, and views and ideas on, a wide range of global issues,” says Mayor Bob Harvey, who is giving the opening address at the first seminar.

“The series aims to give us an insight into what to expect in the future, challenge our ideas and perceptions about how the future might look and inspire all of us to deal with global issues at a local level.

“Everyone has a part to play in making Waitakere a great place to live, work and do business and we need to harness the knowledge and ideas that are out there to help us ‘create’ the kind of future we want for ourselves and our communities. It will not happen without a conscious effort to do things differently.”

The WICI series is supported by Waitakere City Council and Unitec. Seminars will be held at Waitakere City Council Chambers from 6.45pm-9.00pm on August 12-14, while Unitec Waitakere will host a series of workshops from 9.00am-1.00pm from August 13-15.

All seminar presentations will be available online at www.waitakereonline.com the following day.

Bookings are essential. Phone 836 8000 ext 8407, or email strategyadmin@waitakere.govt.nz. For more information, visit www.waitakereonline.com.