Ngā reo o VSA - Voices of VSA (Christchurch)

Volunteer Service Abroad - Te Tūao Tāwāhi is proud to announce the third event in a new series called “Ngā reo o VSA – Voices of VSA”. Events will be hosted in major cities throughout New Zealand, and each will be a discussion of a specific topic or location within countries VSA operates out of, with speakers ranging from VSA volunteers and staff located abroad to local or international communities and government representatives.

Join us at the University Canterbury Rehua Building, Ilam Road, Christchurch in Room 226 'Moana Room'. Doors will open to guests at 5.00pm, with speakers running from 5.30pm - 7pm and time for a small Q&A after each speaker. The topic of this event will centre around "Ko ngā mahi whakauka - Conservation and Sustainability throughout the Pacific". This will be a free event although there will be facilities to receive donations if you would like to contribute to assist VSA and the communities we work with.

Our speakers for this event are:

Chris Williamson - Chris is a retired university lecturer who saw an opportunity to continue to share his knowledge by e-volunteering as a Renewable Energy Adviser during 2020/2021. Chris worked with a number of Pacific countries to identify and assess the possibilities of harnessing bio-gas for large-scale electricity generation and helped create policies to ensure sustainable production for years to come.

Timothy Jones - Tim has just finished his assignment volunteering as a Digital Librarian in the Cook Islands, where he helped to preserve local stories and knowledge, ensuring they would be available for future generations to enjoy. He also helped to create a sustainable archive collection to be developed and maintained after his assignment finished. Tim has previously volunteered as a Culture Centre Oral Historian in Bougainville in 2017 so is no stranger to the importance of preserving local stories and knowledge.

Thomas Gillman - Thomas volunteered in Vanuatu during 2020/2021 as a Sustainable Tourism Adviser with the Department of Tourism. Part of Thomas' work was to implement a system to ensure all new tourism projects meet both the environmental and tourism standards whilst promoting Santo as a safe and eco-friendly tourism destination.

VSA is New Zealand's largest and most experienced volunteer agency, connecting people across the moana between New Zealand and other countries in the Pacific Region. Volunteers live abroad or connect remotely from their homes in Aotearoa to share experience, knowledge and cultures. Working with business, government and organisations located abroad, we collectively transform lives of many, provide greater cultural understanding, and create a fair future for all.

If you would like to receive information about future Ngā reo o VSA - Voices of VSA events or have any questions regarding the event please email info@vsa.org.nz or call 04 471 8690

Tickets are limited and bookings are essential.