You can register for seminars in 3 ways
Click on ‘register’ & follow the instructions
Email: kapitiwea@gmail.com
Phone: 027 715 3677
Cost per seminar depends what membership you have or if you are a casual visitor.
Speaker Phil Malpas
Date Saturday 7th June 10am - 1pm
Venue Waikanae Presbyterian Church Hall, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae
Phil Malpas has a Diploma in Management and a BA in Psychology with an interest in behavioral psychology and how human behaviour is being modified. He has lectured in Management Accounting and Computer Studies at Polytechnics and Massey University. Since 1986 Phil has been self-employed, working in IT consulting.
Since 2014 he has been involved in setting up Cooperative Energy Ltd., an Otaki-based, member-owned company trading in the energy sector. The cooperative provides advice, assistance, and solar energy systems to members and the community. The cooperative business model is one in which people own and work together to achieve positive results for themselves and the wider community. In today’s world it is generally agreed that we need to move to a sustainable energy supply and achieve an equilibrium between supply and demand. In this talk, Phil will talk about the rationale for establishing Cooperative Energy Ltd., why this approach is particularly relevant in the energy sector, how it works, the challenges involved and its potential.
– thoughts on parliamentary democracy incorporating The Treaty of Waitangi
Speaker Chris Finlayson
Date Saturday 14th June 10am - 1pm
Venue Waikanae Presbyterian Church Hall, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae
After graduating with a BA in Latin and a LLM from Victoria University, Chris Finlayson practised law in Wellington as a solicitor before going to the Bar in 2002. He was elected to Parliament in 2005 and became Attorney-General and Minister forTreaty of Waitangi Negotiations in 2008 as well as holding other portfolios including Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. He left Parliament in2019 to return to the Bar. During his career, Christopher Finlayson has served on several professional bodies. Outside of law Mr Finlayson has had extensive involvement in arts and culture. He is the author of two books, He Kupu Taurangi: Treaty Settlements and the Future of Aotearoa New Zealand with JamesChristmas (2021) and Yes Minster: An Insider’s Account of the John Key Years (2022).
In this seminar Chris will offer his thoughts on Aotearoa/New Zealand's possible evolution of its Westminster-based parliamentary democracy against the development of our understanding of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and their implications for the future of New Zealand’s democracy.
Speaker Fiona Foxall
Date Saturday 28th June 10am - 1pm
Venue Waikanae PresbyterianChurch Hall, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae
Join Fiona, along-time Porirua local, as she reflects on her career that spans over three decades and three distinct fields of photography: forensic, medical, and realestate. Fiona began her career as a frontline police officer in 1987 before moving into forensic photography. During that time, she documented everything from domestic incidents and arsons to fatal accidents and homicides, providing critical visual evidence for countless investigations.
In 2019,Fiona transitioned into medical photography at Wellington Hospital, capturing images for medical records and post-mortem examinations. Now semi-retired, she channels her skills into real estate photography, helping local properties shine. Through stories and personal insights, Fiona will take you behind the lens of her extraordinary career, offering a rare glimpse into the world of forensic and medical photography, and how these experiences have shaped her life today.
- the impacts of government policy on employment
Speaker Steph Dyhrberg
Date Saturday 5th July 10am - 1pm
Venue Waikanae Presbyterian Church, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae
Steph Dyhrberg Barrister, BA, LLB(Hons) is a senior Wellington employment lawyer with experience across many sectors. She has expertise in delivering health and safety and harm prevention strategies and training. In 2023 Steph helped develop resources for Wai Hanga Ara Rau to tackle harassment and bullying in the construction sector. In 2018, Steph was awarded Wellingtonian of the Year in recognition of her efforts to tackle sexual harassment in the legal profession.
Rising unemployment and public sector cuts are impacting on a range of sectors in New Zealand society today. Reduced funding of community groups and programmes is also having a significant impact on initiatives to lift disadvantaged groups in society. Steph will discuss these issues, what effects all of this is having and what measures may be required to ameliorate them?
Speaker Philip Sirvid
Date Saturday 19th July 10am - 1pm
Venue Waikanae Presbyterian Church Hall, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae
Dr Philip Sirvid has a PhD in Biodiversity and Ecology and has worked at Te Papa Tongarewa for more than 30 years, first as the Entomology Collection Manager and now as a Curator. Phil has a broad knowledge of New Zealand entomology but specialises in arachnids, particularly spiders and harvesters. He has published many papers on New Zealand arachnids and contributed to or written several books (eg Jane Ussher’s Nature Stilled, the award-winning children’s book Why is that Spider Dancing? with Simon Pollard and Native Insects of Aotearoa with Julia Kasper.
In this talk Philip will introduce you to NZ arachnids which are unique and special as 95% of them are found nowhere else on Earth. Some are of ancient pedigree, while others are related to more recent Australian colonists. You’ll learn how to tell arachnids apart from insects and how to recognize different arachnid groups. If you don’t already know how to tell a false scorpion from a real one, you soon will!
Speaker Liz Sneyd
Date Saturday 26th July 10am – 1pm
Venue Waikanae Presbyterian Church Hall, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae
Dr Elizabeth Sneyd studied physics and mathematics at Canterbury University and gained a PhD and a minor degree in music in Wisconsin. After returning to NZ, she met her husband Craig while playing in Orchestra Wellington and their joint passion for music led them to establish the Music Learning Centre.
In 2013 they founded the Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust for families unable to afford music lessons and have been offering free music tuition to young people ever since.
Liz will talk about their life behind the scenes. She says: “There have been enough dramatic, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments to fill several novels.” In this seminar she will paint a vivid picture of Virtuoso Strings and present a fascinating collection of vignettes which challenge stereotypes and highlight the complexity of reducing inequity of opportunity and education in New Zealand.