Josiah Tualamali'i

Josiah is from a Samoan, Scottish, Irish, and Polish agia.

His background is in enabling children and young people's voices in decisions about them, mental health and wellbeing policy, and historical research. In 2018, Josiah served as a panel member of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction. He is a former New Zealand Children's Commissioner 2023-25 and currently a board member of Te Hiringa Mahara – the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. He also serves on boards which support mental health and wellness.

What are you most passionate about supporting in the community?

Supporting communities to remove barriers and grow stronger connections together so we can be there for each other in the good and hard times and be enabled to thrive.

What is one of Rātā Foundation’s greatest achievements?

Supporting people and groups to collaborate for greater impact. Before I was appointed to the board, there were the projects in response to the Canterbury Earthquakes. This included the ‘Strengthening the Youth Sector Project’, which connected those serving young people, and later ‘Youth Voice Canterbury’, created to champion genuine youth-led participation in Canterbury, which personally supported and encouraged me.

I am also proud of our journey to better serve those in our communities who are most in need, collaborating more deeply with tangata whenua and supporting the helpers who enable us to deepen our cultural and social connections across our communities.