KUALA LUMPUR, 25 March 2014 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Kuala Lumpur with the New Zealand High Commission organized a seminar on “Guardianship and Economic Development: Indigenous Community-Based Eco-Tourism”.
The seminar is a part of ‘New Zealand Week 2014’, a festival spanning Kuching and Kuala Lumpur for which New Zealand Minister of Māori Affairs Hon. Dr Pita Sharples is leading a delegation to Malaysia from 20 until 25 March 2014.
Guardianship of the environment – Kaitiakitanga in Māori – is a value shared by many indigenous people and indigenous communities also have in common aspirations for development consistent with such values.
By bringing together leaders of the New Zealand Māori and Malaysia indigenous eco-tourism sectors, this seminar seeks to provide an opportunity to learn form one another and discover collaborative approaches for ensuring economic, cultural, community and conservation benefits from eco-tourism.
This event promises to be a day of discovery: discovery of cultural connections between New Zealand and Malaysia that point back towards a shared heritage; and discovery of common aspirations for sustainable economic development opening up the possibilities for future cooperation. There was a perfect performance by Māori ethnic with the tradition dance.
The seminar was officiated by the Minister of Tourism and Culture YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz. Also present were Deputy Minister National Resources & Environment, YB. Dato’ Sri Dr. James Dawos Mamit. New Zealand High Commissioner H. E David Pine and UTM Pro-Chancellor, YBhg. Tan Sri Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor.
