Mr Eugene Ryder, of Wellington, KSM for services to survivors of abuse in care
Eugene Ryder (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau) has been a long-term advocate and prominent spokesperson for Māori survivors of abuse and has used his personal experience, including his experience as a former gang member, to support other survivors. He has connected communities, such as gang communities, in voicing their experiences and engaging with the system as survivors of abuse in state care, and to include their families in the process. He has been a member of Te Taumata, which provided the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions with strategic guidance to ensure the inquiry had an effective Treaty of Waitangi-based approach. He co-chairs the Survivor Experiences Service Board, which was established in response to a recommendation from the inquiry as a supportive and confidential place for survivors of abuse in state care and their families to share their experiences. Mr Ryder has provided a confidential place for people and their families with similar experiences.