Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira | |
---|---|
Born | Laura O'Connell Rapira 1988 (age 35–36) New Zealand |
Occupation | Activist |
Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira (born Laura O'Connell Rapira; 1988) is a grassroots leader, speaker and community activist from Aotearoa. [1] [2] [3] They advocate for Indigenous land rights, Mana Motuhake, police and prison abolition, fully funded mental and sexual health services, LGBTQIA+ equality, the political power of young people and environmental justice. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
O'Connell Rapira was born in Taranaki [14] and later moved to West Auckland where they attended Green Bay High School. They are Māori of the iwi Te Ātiawa, Ngāruahine, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Whakaue. [15]
As a young person they were part of an accelerator programme for social enterprise initiatives. From this O'Connell Rapira co-founded RockEnrol in 2014 to encourage young people to enrol and vote in New Zealand's general elections. [16] [17] [18] They were a founding team member of ActionStation and a co-founder of Tauiwi Tautoko and the Youth Movement Fund Aotearoa. [19] [20] [21] [22]
In 2020 O'Connell Rapira petitioned the New Zealand government to make Matariki a public holiday. [23] In 2022 the New Zealand government passed the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act and the first Matariki public holiday was held on Friday 24 June 2022. [24] O'Connell Rapira has also been involved in petitioning the New Zealand government for Māori wards, a complete overhaul of Oranga Tamariki, increased government funding for sexual and mental health, gun law reform, violence prevention, increased income support and an end to online hate and abuse. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
From 2021 to 2023 O'Connell Rapira was the Executive Director, Movement Building at the Foundation for Young Australians where their focus was on building the political power of youth movements. [34]
In November 2023 O'Connell Rapira launched the Narratives for Change Fellowship with The Workshop in collaboration with their former ActionStaton co-director Marianne Elliott. [35]
O'Connell Rapira is a contributing writer to New Zealand news website The Spinoff and a TEDxChristchurch speaker. [36] [37]
In 2017 O'Connell Rapira was nominated for the Te Whetū Maiangi Award for Young Achievers and the Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year. [38] [39]
O'Connell Rapira identifies as queer and takatāpui and is frank about this being a driver for them to seek social justice and equality in society. [40] [41] Their identity and stand about a range of areas has made them a target for online abuse. [42] O'Connell Rapira is also vegan. [43]
Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira | |
---|---|
Born | Laura O'Connell Rapira 1988 (age 35–36) New Zealand |
Occupation | Activist |
Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira (born Laura O'Connell Rapira; 1988) is a grassroots leader, speaker and community activist from Aotearoa. [1] [2] [3] They advocate for Indigenous land rights, Mana Motuhake, police and prison abolition, fully funded mental and sexual health services, LGBTQIA+ equality, the political power of young people and environmental justice. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
O'Connell Rapira was born in Taranaki [14] and later moved to West Auckland where they attended Green Bay High School. They are Māori of the iwi Te Ātiawa, Ngāruahine, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Whakaue. [15]
As a young person they were part of an accelerator programme for social enterprise initiatives. From this O'Connell Rapira co-founded RockEnrol in 2014 to encourage young people to enrol and vote in New Zealand's general elections. [16] [17] [18] They were a founding team member of ActionStation and a co-founder of Tauiwi Tautoko and the Youth Movement Fund Aotearoa. [19] [20] [21] [22]
In 2020 O'Connell Rapira petitioned the New Zealand government to make Matariki a public holiday. [23] In 2022 the New Zealand government passed the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act and the first Matariki public holiday was held on Friday 24 June 2022. [24] O'Connell Rapira has also been involved in petitioning the New Zealand government for Māori wards, a complete overhaul of Oranga Tamariki, increased government funding for sexual and mental health, gun law reform, violence prevention, increased income support and an end to online hate and abuse. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
From 2021 to 2023 O'Connell Rapira was the Executive Director, Movement Building at the Foundation for Young Australians where their focus was on building the political power of youth movements. [34]
In November 2023 O'Connell Rapira launched the Narratives for Change Fellowship with The Workshop in collaboration with their former ActionStaton co-director Marianne Elliott. [35]
O'Connell Rapira is a contributing writer to New Zealand news website The Spinoff and a TEDxChristchurch speaker. [36] [37]
In 2017 O'Connell Rapira was nominated for the Te Whetū Maiangi Award for Young Achievers and the Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year. [38] [39]
O'Connell Rapira identifies as queer and takatāpui and is frank about this being a driver for them to seek social justice and equality in society. [40] [41] Their identity and stand about a range of areas has made them a target for online abuse. [42] O'Connell Rapira is also vegan. [43]