Past events:
- Youth Space launch: May 2022
- Hui 22 February 2022
- November Hui cancelled due to Covid
- 26 May 2021
- 28 October 2020
- February Hui cancelled due to Covid
- Launch of the Vision: Thursday 16 2019
- Hui: 6 November 2019
Aspiring Leaders’ Forum 2022
Dunedin’s Maryam Ali and Clarizz (Rizzy) Moana were this year’s recipients of nominations and local funding to attend the annual Te Wānanga Rangatira Tūmanako Aspiring Leaders’ Forum (ALF) in Wellington.
From 30 June to 3 July, they joined dozens of young people to hear and discuss why faith and values are foundational for character and leadership.
Rizzy was nominated for her work within the Pasifika community at polytechnic, the Ōtepoti Youth Vision partnership group and her church youth group.
Rizzy says, “For me, ALF is so much more than a forum. It has been a personal journey to help uncover some of the principles, personal beliefs, and values within my own leadership skills and about us coming together with the same interest in helping and serving our communities and country.”
Maryam arrived in Dunedin with her family in December 2021 as former refugees, having left Afghanistan in 2017 for Malaysia. She was nominated for ALF by her local Red Cross case officer, who was impressed by Maryam’s leadership within her large family, her determination to provide for her parents after their years long struggle to keep their family safe and her determination to tackle climate change.
Maryam recalls, “I had never heard of ALF. Those four days, it was like a movie. It was amazing for me to see the key note speakers all talking first about their family roots and ancestors… who made mistakes and made good decisions. They are the reason we are living this life – we shouldn’t ignore them or forget them.”
ALF delegates were sorted into teams of 9-10, remaining together for discussions, social and sporting events.
Now in an Otago Polytechnic business course, Maryam is in regular contact with her ALF network. “I made about 45-50 friends. I want my siblings to go to ALF – I want them to feel that passion.”
Rizzy agrees, saying, “I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in politics or who shows leadership skills.”
(Dunedin ALF delegates are sponsored by Otago Community Trust and the DCC. Nominations can be made via aspiringleaders.org.nz.)
Youth Space launch stokes city’s rangatahi
Youth voices were at the forefront during the launch of a central city Youth Space trial attended by over 100 rangatahi, whānau and supporters. Including an exhibition opening and performances, the event also marked the start of NZ Youth Week in May 2022.
In a real, rangitahi-led articulation of what young people have been asking for at ŌYV hui, the youth space occupied the Community Gallery on Princes Street for a fortnight, featuring open-mic nights, youth bands, and an art exhibition. Seating, computers, art materials, musical instruments, a soccer table and popcorn machine all created a fun-filled hangout space for youth. Creative workshops and wellbeing clinics took place each day.
On opening night, coordinator, Ben Sommerville, said he was stoked with the response from rangatahi so far and he had been enjoying the interactions with youth who were excited about the space.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for young people and for Dunedin to really show it values the voice of young people," Ben says.
The DCC is supporting evaluation of the trial, hoping to see successes and lessons for future youth spaces.
Ōtepoti Youth Vision Hui on May 2021
‘Youth-friendly spaces in the city’ was the central topic of discussion at this busy hui, where signatories expressed a keen desire for ŌYV to become more ‘action-based’.
With young people facilitating the hui and discussions, ideas were shared about:
Youth-focussed spaces - Discussion included the need for a space for homeless and vulnerable youth in the city Safe youth spaces, perhaps in repurposed vacant buildings, particularly for meeting the needs of rangatahi under 18, providing a sense of physical and mental security. Ideas ranged from a multipurpose space with youth workers, and food available to a variety of spaces i.e., sports-based venues like basketball courts and entertainment spaces.
Vision-linked events - Suggestions included holding more youth-led and focused events, intro workshops for the Vision, and seeing if signatories would run mini-hui. Many ŌYV signatories are keen to move from a traditional hui format to action-based gatherings, such as workshops and working groups. For example, some signatories are banding together to work on creating youth spaces.
How signatories were putting Vision goals and principles into practice
The kōrero was based on data collected from check-ins with around half of the ŌYV signatories since the previous hui in October 2020. They were asked about their understanding of the goals and principles of Tino Rangatahitanga, Manaakitanga, Collaboration and Respect, and about what support they felt they needed. The check-ins will continue regularly.
Ōtepoti Youth Vision Hui Oct 2020
The most recent Ōtepoti Youth Vision Hui was for signatories, rangatahi, and the community was held on Wednesday 25th October at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
Hui are held every six months to monitor and inform the Youth Vision, although the May event was cancelled due to lock down.
The hui aim to bring youth and signatories together to update each other on activity, hear from youth about successes and challenges with the Vision, and gather feedback from those present on what should be done to promote, support and implement the Youth Vision.
During this hui, key questions were raised around youth in employment, the social and economic implications of Covid-19, and how best to represent the increasing diversity of youth voices and impact.
One of the Vision’s initial signatories, Sport Otago, alongside new signatory, Startup Dunedin, presented on work they have been doing under the Vision’s key aim to “value, accept and empower young people to lead fulfilled lives, and wellbeing is nurtured.” Youth were represented through a youth panel, and youth leading the facilitation of the agenda and discussion.
The next step in implementing the Vision is to look at how can we strengthen the work in our community, the voice of our young people, and meet the increasing needs of our rangatahi as they continue to experience challenges and a changing landscape as a result of COVID-19. We hope as signatories and youth alike, to work together to fill knowledge gaps in areas of soft skill acquisition, employment, training, transition from education to the world of work, and youth inclusion in wider decisions within the city.