PSNZ 76th Annual Meeting 2025

Courageous Conversation®: Advancing Equity and Cultural Responsiveness in Paediatric Care

Friday 7 November 2025
Venue: Due Drop Events Centre
Time: Concurrent Session, 7B, 11.00am - 12.30pm

Restricted attendance. Admittance managed onsite prior to workshop.

This 90-minute workshop invites paediatric health practitioners, researchers, and leaders to engage in dialogue on advancing equitable health outcomes for tamariki within the enduring context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Aotearoa New Zealand’s racial and ethnic diversity. Participants will be introduced to the Courageous Conversation® Protocol, a practical framework designed to build racial literacy and strengthen cultural responsiveness in clinical and community paediatric settings. Through guided dialogue, participants will explore the connections between race, equity, culture, and health outcomes for tamariki and their communities, and will practise tools that support anti-racist decision-making and more inclusive models of care.

Learning Outcomes – What You’ll Gain

A practical introduction to the Courageous Conversation®
ProtocolTools to embed cultural responsiveness in leadership, advocacy, and everyday clinical decision-making
Increased confidence to lead and sustain conversations about race in healthcare teams and communities

Dr Mathew Farry

Managing Director, Courageous Conversation South Pacific Institute®

For 25 years, Mathew’s personal and professional purpose has been building meaningful connections between individuals, organisations and communities that transcend historical, national, ethnic, racial and religious differences. His focus has been partnering with individuals and organisations to build equitable inclusion through systemic transformation. He has supported numerous leaders and organisations to unearth and navigate the historical, cultural and racial differences that make a difference in people’s lives. He has worked extensively, as a leader, educator, researcher and consultant in the field of migration, settlement and resettlement, intercultural communication and relations, anti-racism, and equity and inclusion in organisational development.

After obtaining his PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, in 2000, he relocated to his ancestral homeland, Lebanon. During his time there, he held positions at the Lebanese University (Institute of Social Sciences), American University of Culture and Education (Director of Communication) and at the Lebanese American University and Notre Dame University in Beirut (Assistant-Professor in the Division of Social Sciences and Education). On his return to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2006, Mathew worked at the Office of Ethnic Communities in the Department of Internal Affairs establishing the intercultural advisory team. In 2009, he joined Unitec to establish Equity and Diversity Services. During his tenure at Unitec, he also held the positions of Associate Dean International Education and Head of Postgraduate Studies in the Te Miro Trans-Disciplinary Network. In 2013,

Mathew authored Scattered Cedars: stories from the Lebanese Community in Dunedin. In 2014, Matthew received the International Racial Equity Leadership Award for his work with Courageous Conversations about Race, and in 2016 he and his colleagues were awarded the Diversity Works NZ Cultural Celebration Award. In 2016 and 2017, he co-led the international think tank on achieving racial equity in higher education at the National Summit for Courageous Conversations about Race in Austin, Texas (2016) and Detroit, Michigan (2017). In 2020, Mathew was the lead facilitator for the Ministry of Ethnic Communities National Interfaith Dialogue programme. In 2021, Mathew established Courageous Conversation Aotearoa Foundation so that the ground-breaking, transformational Courageous Conversation Protocol could be shared with youth and community. Mathew is co-editor of Race and Indigeneity, Courageous Conversation in Aotearoa, soon to be released.

Kat Poi

Programme Manager / Lead Equity Transformation Specialist, Indigenous

Kat Poi (Tainui; Te Arawa; Tonga) is an educator, speaker sovereign story-teller and emotive intellectual. She has leadership and governance experience in mainstream higher education, prison education and training, and Māori-medium primary and secondary education settings. Currently, she is Programme Manager and Lead Equity Transformation Specialist – Indigenous for Courageous Conversation South Pacific Institute and co-director of the Courageous Conversation Aotearoa Foundation. Her specialist areas of work are in racial equity transformation, anti-racist adult professional learning, development and coaching and anti-racist programme design and delivery.

In 2016, she and her colleagues were awarded the Cultural Celebration Award at the New Zealand Diversity Awards for their work in bringing Courageous Conversations about Race to New Zealand. In 2017, she was awarded the Maharaia Winiata Prize for her pūrakau-approach to writing into the intersection of whiteness and te ao Māori. Also in 2017, she was awarded a Blue Award for her sustained contribution to racial equity transformation in the South Pacific. In 2021, she was chosen to be featured in Qiane Matata-Sipu’s best-selling book, NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigenous women. Also in 2021, her racial autobiography was published in Glenn Singleton’s international best-selling book, Courageous Conversations about Race, 3rd edition.

She can be heard on various podcasts including NUKU and Down to Earth
Conversations. Kat maintains a belief that the type of systemic and transformative leadership needed to facilitate racially equitable outcomes must be activated at a deeply personal level.

She holds a Masters in Indigenous Studies from University of Auckland and is currently completing her PhD. Kat is co-editor of Race and Indigeneity: Courageous Conversation in Aotearoa, soon to be released.