-Māori Whakatauki (Proverb)

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reflections and shared work

Kia ora, 大家好, greetings friends!

It’s been just over two years since I stepped off the plane in Aotearoa New Zealand.

When I first arrived, I was simply following a knowing: to nurture a relationship that brought me back to this whenua (land), and to learn what it means to root down as a previous nomad closing that chapter. I stumbled plenty along the way. Over time, the right people, places, and projects revealed themselves - not through planning, but through trusting, and asking for help.

Lately, I’ve been feeling very thankful and hopeful, even knowing how rare that might feel for many in this moment.

What I can report now is that the rooting down and regeneration I’ve been seeking and speaking about isn’t only about land/soil or systems; it’s actually about relationships. Whanaungatanga. How we show up for one another to listen, share, and (re)build together.

Recently, personal encounters have offered a glimpse of how hope actually works - not as an idea, but as a lived exchange. From a local community garden teaching youth to grow food that heals the soil, to a full-moon drum circle where whānau (family) and strangers gathered by the ocean in rhythm and warmth. To filming stories of syntropic food forestry, of international students with Kiwi Way Education, and creative shoots that turned a wet tunnel into encapsulated human expressions.

I got to co-faciliate a digital storytelling workshop in Kirikiriroa Hamilton with a fabulous group of grassroots professionals and changemakers. These moments reminded me how regeneration scales through relationship: one face-to-face conversation, one shared meal, one creative act at a time.

I reconnected with people regenerating community and inner knowing: Michael Mayell of NeighbourGood, John Scarlett and his urban permaculture oasis, and Sean Barnes, a refreshing voice for (self-)care in impact work.

A gathering with Red Tent Aotearoa, co-led by Jill Natalia, reminded me that courage and hope can be quiet yet powerful and embodied.

A ngahere (forest) walk with David Hera explored how an AI model built from the very signals sent by plants and mycelium could serve regenerative decision-making when guided with integrity.

I’m deeply grateful I get to share many of these experiences with my partner Jen, whose presence and perspective make this home feel even more alive. I often catch myself thinking, “How did I get this fortunate?” We’re learning to lean into each other’s strengths, accept one another’s flaws, and build a home with aroha (love) and laughter. She reminds me daily we’re on the same team, and that reminder alone changes everything. I’m proud of us continuing to say “yes.” This relationship feels the realest I’ve ever known. 🥰

A special mention to my parents, who visited this time last year. Since then, our relationship has deepened in a way that feels like the best it’s been since childhood – steady, warm, more mutual understanding. I’m grateful we keep a line of connection across the whole Pacific.

I feel blessed to be surrounded by beauty, birdsong, and mahi (work) with people who witness me of who I’m becoming. I’m in awe of the humans who keep showing up in this little corner of the world, proving that daily, sincere actions can weave the larger fabric of hope. If you’ve been part of this journey in any way, thank you. Truly. Your presence matters more than you know. 🙌🏽

This is whakawhanaungatanga in action: connecting through shared experiences, values, and histories to create belonging and support. As a relational storyteller, that’s become the bulk of my days; it is time so well spent.

Some of you likely know that for a couple months now, I've been seeking a specific kind of employer as my current work visa wraps up. 9 or 10 job applications and 8 or 9 no's later, I remain optismistic - my freelance work has ramped up, a remote part-time has had me learning and meeting good humans, and the inner resilience with the outer support have been a bedrock of resilience.

I am embodying the notion that every no gets me closer to the yeses.

Below, I share with you something very important - it's my personal statement video, the clearest articulation to date of who I am, what I value, and what I’m calling in next - aligned collaborators for people & planet and accredited employment in the spaces of content creation, community weaving, systems change as a pathway to residency.

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Seen it already and desiring something else?

I wrote a bit more on my 2-year anniversary on LinkedIn, and have been producing several new episodes with Jen and regional changemakers on The Human CV, including:

• ​Sol - Solangie brings purpose, precision, and a chef’s reverence for ingredients to everything she builds. Born in Colombia and now parenting and working in New Zealand, she blends an ENTJ - commander-style - drive with a deep respect for food, people, and process. Solangie sees sustainability as practical, daily decisions rather than slogans.
• ​Alison - Alison Westrupp’s Human CV is full with with nature, leadership, intuition, and deep inner work. A woman with earthy presence and razor-sharp clarity. During our kōrerō (conversation), we unpack her journey. From free-range childhood to conscious educator, from pole-dancing powerhouse to quiet mountain soul ... she is, in her own words, “everything in all directions”.
• ​Te Hopo - Te Hopo is a traditional Māori energy healer who works as a direct channel for ancestral wisdom. Authentic, direct, and deeply connected to the spiritual realms, he describes himself as living in te wheiao — the dimly lit space between light and dark. His healing practice, Hono Hono, is not just a technique but a calling he has been aware of since childhood , guided by his powerful connection to the ocean and his role as a protector.

Snapshots from these timeless pieces of life:

global good news

I realised some years ago that countless GOOD is happening but receives little to no spotlight, so I’ve made a commitment to spread ambers of hope and optimism through this humble little platform. It’s also my way of sustaining mental well-being especially working in systems change and thinking-acting far beyond my own generation. Most of good news come from the incredible folks behind Fix The News, also a beneficary of part of your patreon contributions. Here we go:

• In Pakistan, solar has surged from 4% to 14% of the power mix in three years.
• ​Japan, the world's fifth largest economy, cut fossil electricity from 73.1% in June 2018 to 54.8% in June 2025.
• ​Germany, the world’s third largest economy, has already met its 2028 target for reducing coal power.
• In 2025, 37% of all cars sold globally came with a plug.
• ​Our World in Data shows that worldwide maternal mortality rates per 100,000 live births fell by 57% between 1985 and 2023, resulting in around 365,000 fewer maternal deaths each year.
• ​New South Wales has confirmed the creation of the Great Koala National Park, adding 1,760 km² of state forest to existing reserves to form one of the state’s largest protected areas. The move will safeguard more than 12,000 koalas, along with 36,000 greater gliders and over 100 threatened species. Logging will halt immediately within the park’s boundaries.
• Jaguars are making a comeback in Mexico. After two decades of conservation efforts, Mexico’s wild jaguar population has increased by over 1,000 animals - up 30% since 2010 - bringing the total to 5,326. Made possible by a national strategy that combines protected corridors, camera monitoring, and deep collaboration with Indigenous communities and landowners. The Guardian​
• A mountain becomes a legal person in New Zealand. Taranaki Maunga on New Zealand’s North Island was granted legal personhood, following years of advocacy by Māori iwi who regard the volcano as an ancestor. It now holds rights to protection, preservation, and even the ability to initiate legal action, with guardianship shared equally between New Zealand’s government and the Māori. CNN​
• Talks at the UN have advanced a new protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child that would guarantee free education for every child from pre-primary through secondary. The existing Convention only obliges governments to provide free primary schooling. Now backed by 58 countries and led by Sierra Leone, Luxembourg, and the Dominican Republic, the initiative will reconvene in 2026 to move the treaty forward. Human Rights Watch​
• Bolivia becomes the 14th Latin American country to outlaw child marriage. Parliament has passed a law banning marriages and free unions under 18 after a four-year campaign led by girls and civil-society groups. About 22% of Bolivian girls were married before 18; the new measure criminalises adults who marry or cohabit with minors, as well as officials who register such marriages. Save the Children​
• Canada has launched consultations on creating a national park in Yukon’s Teetł’it Gwinjik watershed, one of North America’s largest intact boreal regions. The idea was first raised by the Gwich’in Tribal Council, and, in 2024, a Collaboration Accord between the Gwich’in, Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, Parks Canada and Yukon set the feasibility process in motion. If designated, the park would secure caribou habitat, wetlands, and permafrost zones under Indigenous co-management. Parks Canada​
• At Africa’s recent Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s leaders spotlighted how the country has slashed deforestation from 92,000 hectares in 2013 to 27,000 in 2023–24, planting 48 billion seedlings under its Green Legacy Initiative. Ghana, has channelled $20 million in REDD+ payments into community-led forest protection, tying local livelihoods to conservation. TIME​
• The United Nations High Seas Treaty has been ratified.We’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time - the best conservation story of the year? Morocco has become the 60th nation to ratify the UN High Seas Treaty, triggering its entry into force in 2026. The pact gives governments power to establish vast conservation zones across the two thirds of the ocean beyond national borders. “... a conservation opportunity that happens once in a generation, if that,” Mongabay​
• Extinction risk is slowing down. A sweeping new analysis finds that species loss actually peaked about a century ago. Most of those historical extinctions were island species wiped out by invasive animals, like rats, pigs, and goats. These findings complicate the popular narrative of a “Sixth Mass Extinction.” While biodiversity loss remains severe and widespread, the data suggest the world isn’t seeing extinction rates on the scale of past mass die-offs. Instead, they reveal a more hopeful story: conservation laws, protected areas, invasive-species control and rewilding have started to work.
• This summer, 38 million farmers across India received a message that changed how they prepare for the rains. For the first time, machine learning accurately forecasted the arrival of the monsoon up to 30 days in advance. The success of this approach (which most importantly, secured the trust of farmers) offers a powerful blueprint for how AI can help farmers everywhere adapt to a changing climate. University of Chicago​
• Working with Rwanda’s national telemedicine platform, a team of researchers compared phone-based consultations with traditional clinic visits. They found that telemedicine was 30% faster, 40% cheaper, and led to fewer unnecessary drugs or tests. Given there’s 2.5 million Rwandans already using the platform, this is pretty good news. VoxDev​
• The global south is now leading the clean-energy revolution. The architect of the Paris Agreement argues that while politics remain paralysed, economics and technology are driving unstoppable change, led by emerging economies from Nigeria to Oman. Clean industries are scaling at exponential speed across the global south - home to 70% of the world’s wind and solar potential. The Economist​
• ​Amazon deforestation has fallen to its lowest level in nearly a decade​ while fire damage has dropped 45% after last year’s devastating drought. Deforestation has also declined to a six year low in Brazil’s Cerrado, a wooded savanna ecosystem that neighbours the Amazon. And thanks to those steep declines in deforestation, Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 16.7% in 2024, the largest annual drop in over a decade.

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recommendations

Book: Recently re-reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which changed my eating habits forever back in 2011.

Podcast: This conversation between Tom Campbell with Andre Duqum on Know Thyself​ on the TOE (Theory of Everything) opened my world perspectives far beyond than any podcast of late.

Watch: The Eternal Song Powerful, deep, fabulous film on indigenous wisdom, sovereignty, and a return to inner and outer balance after the loss and pain. Donation-based streaming.

Music: El Búho Live at Les Mercuiales Gorgeous set featuring LatAm vibes.

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gratitude

For those of you new here - 歡迎! Nau mai, kia ora! Welcome, and thank you.
Your time and attention are invaluable, and I sincerely hope you find value in this publication.

I give thanks to friends and supporters around the world who drop me DMs, comments, reshare my podcast and other creations, and those who hire or refer me and my services to their mates and community.

This newsletter publication is a labour of love and devotion. I create this because of radical self-expression and the dedication to be a spreader of GOOD in our world. It has served as my personal time to create and (re)connect with friends and connections near and far without using a big-data, algorithm-based platform. Simply good old email.

Read previous editions here. I invite you to share what's inspired you with others and contribute financially on patreon - it's the only ad you'll see. Patreon keeps this and the Wilderness Within Podcast going. I am grateful for a truly community-supported project through the years.

Wrapping up, an important reminder that I am currently seeking accredited employment in the spaces of content creation, community weaving, systems change to pave the way for residency in Aotearoa New Zealand. I've made a personal statement video - a video resume, really. It's also on LinkedIn, which is where I hang out more than ever. If you're able to help or know someone who may be able to, I'd be so delighted for a connect! 🙏🏽

Grateful for you Reader,

Kai (Jonathan)