Funding Re-appropriation leads to closure of Amokura

The Amokura Family Violence Prevention initiative will cease to operate at the end of June 2011 due to Government re-appropriation of family violence prevention funding to frontline services.

The internationally acclaimed Amokura initiative was formed in 2004 by a Consortium of seven Taitokerau Iwi as a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the Northland family violence prevention sector and reduce social tolerance of family violence. In 2008 Amokura received an international human rights award from the Leitner Centre of Fordham Law School, New York.

The closure of Amokura will result in five staff losing their jobs. In addition, a host of Northland frontline providers and family violence prevention networks, such as GenerationALL, and Te Puna O Te Aroha Maori Women's Refuge; will be without the advocacy, research, training, education and promotion services that Amokura has provided.

The loss of Amokura support for the many whanau and community advocates who sustain violence free families will be keenly felt in rural communities throughout the North.
For the full media release, please visit http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1104/S00287/amokura-to-close.htm