About

Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Charitable Trust (AIR Trust) is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting informed debate and action to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples within Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

What AIR Trust does

AIR Trust provides opportunities for Māori to participate in international forums that are important to the rights of Indigenous peoples. Trustees of AIR Trust have participated in international forums particularly at the UN advocating for the recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights.  AIR Trust also monitors the New Zealand government’s reporting to international Treaty bodies like the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights.

AIR Trust sources funds that are used for raising awareness about the rights of Indigenous peoples within Aotearoa New Zealand. Activities supported to date include occasional meetings to update Māori on international developments and producing a video for Māori on the UN system. We also support Māori to participate in international meetings with other Indigenous peoples and we try to maintain dialogue with NZ government officials and politicians.

AIR Trust concentrates on the development of Indigenous peoples’ rights at the international level and was involved heavily in negotiations on the the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNRIP).  With the adoption of UNDRIP in 2007, the international community put in place the minimum set of rights that Indigenous peoples should enjoy.  However, nearly 20 years later, the implementation of those rights still remains an ongoing challenge for governments much to the frustration of Indigenous peoples.

Funding

AIR Trust receives no money from the government and has no paid staff. We rely on koha from individuals and organisations who understand and support the kaupapa of the Trust.

In addition to supporting Māori participation in international forums, AIR Trust also sources funds that are used for raising awareness about the rights of Indigenous peoples within Aotearoa New Zealand. We facilitate meetings ā tīnana and online to update Māori on international developments, particularly NZ government policy positions and international negotiations, we also produced an educational DVD for Māori on the UN system.

Structure

A group of Trustees administer funds held in the AIR Trust account and apply the resources according to the Trust Deed for the purposes outlined above. 

The current trustees are Tracey Castro Whare and Dayle Takitimu.

The current working group for the AIR Trust is: Manu Caddie, Tracey Whare, Maui Hudson and Katie Lee Riddle.

Previous members include: Dayle Takitimu, Teanau Tuiono and Maria Bargh.