To tatou kaupapa
Our work sits at the intersection of research, education, and community. We partner with schools, young people, government agencies, and organisations across the motu to understand social injustice more deeply and to act on it meaningfully.
Everything we do is grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Pacific ways of knowing and being, and a genuine commitment to social justice - not as an aspiration, but as a practice, and way of being.
We're not interested in quick fixes. We believe lasting change requires us to look honestly at the norms and assumptions built into our systems, including how resources are shared, in who gets to belong, and in whose knowledge and experience is centred. That's the work we show up for.
He aha ta tatou mahi
We work in partnership with others to achieve our purpose. This includes:
Research - Conducting rigorous, community-grounded research that takes seriously the experiences of those most affected by injustice. Our research is methodologically diverse — drawing on talanoa, kaupapa Māori approaches, participatory methods, and tools we've developed ourselves, like Brave Research and the Toki Cards. We work alongside the communities we research with, not just about them.
Education & professional development - Working in and alongside schools and tertiary organisations to build the knowledge, capability, and critical awareness needed to create more just learning environments. This includes professional development for educators, workshop programmes for young people, and curriculum-connected resources that go beyond surface-level diversity and inclusion.
Consultancy & advisory - Advising organisations, agencies, and institutions on how to embed social justice into their work in ways that are substantive rather than symbolic. We bring both academic rigour and practical experience, and we're not afraid to have honest conversations about what real change requires.
We'd love to hear from you if you have questions or would like to work with us: info@maiacentre.org.
Get in touch
19/13 Laidlaw Way
East Tāmaki, Auckland
New Zealand, 2018
+64 22 645 4660
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