Posted on 02 November 2021
The theme of the 2021 Conference was New Ways to Work; Stronger Relationships and Resilience
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Conference.
Watch video with highlights from the conference:
The 2021 CID Conference and MFAT/NGO Hui brought together the Aotearoa New Zealand international development sector, INGOs, partners, and students, after a tumultuous year to reflect, and to regroup on aid and development into the future.
We had an exciting line-up of talks and workshops.
Highlights included:
- Keynote address from Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown
- Keynote address from Samoa's Prime Minister, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
- Keynote 'fireside' chat with former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and Stuff Journalist, Lucy Craymer
- Keynote conversation between UK Economist Oxfam's Duncan Green and Balance of Power's Jennifer Kalpokas Doen - introduced by Her Excellency Nina Obermaier, Ambassador of the European Union
- MC Malama T-Pole - from Tagata Pacifika and RNZ
- Panel discussion on locally led aid and development in the Pacific in the Covid era
- Panel discussion on Myanmar - Coup and Covid: Responding the the Crisis in Myanmar
- Plus workshops, presentations and entertainment from Musician, Bella Kalolo
CID and New Zealand’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) created the overarching theme of New Ways to Work: Stronger Relationships and resilience. The theme weaved the two days together and explored the ‘why, what and how’ of our work towards stronger relationships, resilience and results in dynamic development work environments in the Pacific and beyond.
Taking this further – speakers discussed how development will evolve past the immediate Covid response and how localisation must be a key priority.
The conference looked at ways that Aotearoa New Zealand’s development can be more effective as we move into a new normal. How positive changes to the way we work can become business as usual. Speakers discussed the importance of stronger, more equal, and wider partnerships to build resilience and respond to challenges like Covid and climate change.
The clear message was that we need to do development differently. From funding models, to how projects and programmes are conceived and delivered - by whom, and whose voices inform strategies and decision-making.
Dinner at parliament
As we went online the dinner was postponed to March 2022, and then cancelled as we went into red.
We’re so grateful for your patience and sticking with us as we have tried to work this out. If you have registered for dinner in 2021, your dinner registration will be held over until the next CID Conference in late October of this year. You do not need to do anything at this stage. We will automatically transfer your dinner registration and we will be in contact again in a few months, then you will have the opportunity to change the name on your dinner registration or cancel your registration.
What was the MFAT/NGO Hui on day two?
The MFAT/NGO Hui is an annual event hosted by MFAT and attended by NZNGOs working in the international development and humanitarian sectors. The Hui has usually been held around the same time as the CID Conference but not usually at the same venue or with a common theme. This year, we brought the two events closer together with the CID Conference on the 26th and the MFAT/NGO Hui on the 27th of October.
The Hui connected to discussions from the previous day on the theme of relationships, resilience and results. The Hui was an opportunity for MFAT and NGO partners to connect through workshops and panel presentations, discuss challenges, trends and forecasting for the year ahead.