Wikipedia

Laura O'Connell Rapira

Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira (born Laura O'Connell Rapira; 1988[citation needed]) is a Māori and Irish campaigner, organiser and facilitator.[1][2][3][4]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.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira
O'Connell Rapira at a reception for Wellington Sexual Abuse Help! Foundation at Government House, Wellington, New Zealand in June 2019
Born
Laura O'Connell Rapira

1988 (age 35–36)
New Zealand
OccupationActivist

Biography

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O'Connell Rapira was born in Taranaki[15] 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.[16]

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.[17][18][19] They were a founding team member of ActionStation and a co-founder of Tauiwi Tautoko and the Youth Movement Fund Aotearoa.[20][21][22][23]

In 2020, O'Connell Rapira petitioned the New Zealand government to make Matariki a public holiday.[24] 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.[25] 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.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]

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.[35]

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.[36]

O'Connell Rapira is a contributing writer to New Zealand news website The Spinoff and a TEDxChristchurch speaker.[37][38]

Recognition

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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.[39][40]

Personal life

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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.[41][42] Their identity and stand about a range of areas has made them a target for online abuse.[43] O'Connell Rapira is also vegan.[44]

References

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  1. ^ Ani-Oriwia Adds (21 July 2017). "Rising Star finalist Laura O'Connell Rapira the new face of activism". Māori Television. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  3. ^ Keynote speaker: Laura O'connell Rapira – Director Of Action Station, retrieved 28 January 2024
  4. ^ "Te Raukura freelance website".
  5. ^ Greive, Duncan (4 December 2020). "The Fold: Turning words into action, with Laura O'Connell Rapira". The Spinoff. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Mental health review letter signed by over 12,000". RNZ. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Kōrero with Laura O'Connell Rapira - Auckland Women's Centre". Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  8. ^ ActionStation (6 October 2018). "They're our whānau: Māori perspectives of NZ's justice system". E-Tangata. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Police and Pride: We need to heal our relationships first". RNZ. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  11. ^ "'Hands off our Tamariki' heads to Parliament". RNZ. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Our community spread love for LGBTIQ+ and takatāpui whānau". Our community spread love for LGBTIQ+ and takatāpui whānau. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  15. ^ McLaren, Esther (18 July 2017). "Laura O'Connell Rapira". The Generosity Journal. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  16. ^ "//055 Laura O'Connell Rapira, community organiser – Welcome to NUKU". nukuwomen.co.nz. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Laura O'Connell Rapira". NZHistory, New Zealand history online. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Laura O'Connell Rapira". Inspiring Stories. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  19. ^ "Mass appeal: Making voting matter". RNZ. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  20. ^ "The Price of Purpose Podcast". New Zealand Podcasts. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  21. ^ Craig, Julia. "Love Thy Trolls: What Pākehā Can Do About Online Racism". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Tauiwi Tautoko: Countering Racism with Listening". Open Collective. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  23. ^ "ActionStation Annual Report 2020 | The whakapapa of ActionStation". ActionStation. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  24. ^ "One step closer to Matariki potentially becoming a public holiday". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  25. ^ McClure, Tess (23 June 2022). "Matariki: 'historic' moment as New Zealand celebrates first Indigenous public holiday". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  26. ^ Rapira, Laura O'Connell (14 May 2018). "Why we need Māori wards". The Spinoff. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Changes to Oranga Tamariki welcomed by petitioners" (Press release). Scoop News. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  28. ^ Rapira, Laura O'Connell (7 December 2020). "Guns have no place in a peaceful society". The Spinoff. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Māori wards petition delivered to Parliament: 'Not a case of if, but when'". RNZ. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  30. ^ "We helped secure the biggest ever investment in sexual health". We helped secure the biggest ever investment in sexual health. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  31. ^ Petition of Laura O'Connell: Address online hate, harassment, and abuse (19 March 2020) | Petition of Laura O'Connell: Address online hate, harassment, and abuse (19 March 2020) This petition requests that the House of Representatives urge... | By Justice Committee | Facebook, retrieved 28 January 2024
  32. ^ Team, Waatea; Website (16 December 2018). "Wāhine call for violence action". Waatea News: Māori Radio Station. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Free lunches for kids scheme not bold enough - ActionStation". RNZ. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  34. ^ "Peter Calder: Fresh faces stir online revolution". NZ Herald. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  35. ^ "Commons Conversations #7: Laura O'Connell Rapria and Holly Hammond". 3CR Community Radio. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  36. ^ "Narratives for Change Fellowship". The Workshop. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  37. ^ "Laura O'Connell Rapira". The Spinoff. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  38. ^ "Laura O'Connell Rapira". TEDxChristchurch. 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  39. ^ "Te Whetū Maiangi Award for Young Achievers". Māori Television. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  40. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  41. ^ "On culture, young people and activism by Laura O'Connell Rapira". Storyo. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  42. ^ leoniepihama (23 April 2019). "An open letter to Aotearoa from Takatāpui and LGBTIQ whānau". kaupapamaori.com. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  43. ^ "Case Study – Laura O'Connell Rapira". Amnesty International NZ. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  44. ^ McKibbin, Philip (16 November 2018). "But what about boil up? How Māori are embracing veganism". The Spinoff. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
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