In early October, I enjoyed the privilege and honour of being the inaugural key-note speaker at the inaugural National Hui of the Community Houses of Aotearoa New Zealand.  The theme was reminiscent of the Community Education Conference that was held in Canberra, Australia, in 1983 where the clarion had been for Community Education, the Cinderella of education, to come in "Out of the Ashes".  Here, twenty five years later, the theme for the Community Houses was "Ka puta i te kohu" - for the Community Houses to come "out of the mists".  And that metaphor, which which infers sentiments of re-discovery and re-arrival was strongly evident at the Hui.

Shortly after the Hui, I made some notes about the conference and also placed the slides pertaining to the keynote onto a blog within this site.  Subsequently, however, I've created a new category within the website, a category specifically intended for the holding of conference materials and because of that, I've now shifted the materials to that section.

To access the summary of what was written about the nature and purpose of community houses in Aotearoa New Zealand, click here.  By going to that page, you will also be able to access the slide-show of the keynote address. 

Happy reading and viewing.

Jens