GPS bi-annual National Conference

Want to know more about the GPS bi-annual national conference?
GPS is co-created by young Pasifika people to promote and share solutions that work for them in social sector areas – such as mental health, suicide prevention, cultural identity, violence prevention, disability, public health, employment and education.

GPS is more than just a conference – it’s a call to action for all involved to work together to support our workforce, families and communities to reach their full potential.

Watch these clips from previous conferences to get the idea:

What does the name GPS mean?
GPS is a play on words with dual meanings that elicits a deeper understanding for all those involved.

GPS refers to Growing Pacific Solutions for our communities:
The solutions to our issues lie within our communities and our culture. GPS national conferences provide a platform to validate Pacific solutions and ensure more responsive and integrated systems and services. Demonstrable conference outcomes have spoken for themselves.

GPS also refers to Global Positioning System - by satallite or by ancient stars: 

“When we use our Google maps from our cell phone, three or four satellites up in space talk to each other to help us locate where we are and where we are going. In ancient times the networks of stars adorning the evening sky were a celestial blueprint for Polynesians. The seasons for planting vital crops and for harvesting the riches of the seas were also governed by the global position of certain heavenly bodies. This fono draws upon the knowledge of our ancestors whose voices from the past act as our reference points today, to guide us in contemporary society and into the future.”

- Monique Faleafa, opening speech at GPS 2012.

Our new GPS Satellite Seminars for 2017 will serve to guide our mental health and addiction workforce, whether by satellite or by ancient stars, they help us locate the best solutions for Pasifika people and their families.

Check out more highlights from the 2016 conference on our YouTube channel.