From Friday 26 July to Sunday 28 July, our UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders took part in Festival for the Future in Wellington. Raven Maeder reports back. Festival for the Future saw over 1200 delegates from around Aotearoa, and Asia-Pacific, gather in Wellington for a weekend featuring a diverse range of inspirational speakers – including Stacey… Read more »
UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders
Youth representation at UN meeting
UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leader Ashlee Peacock was part of the panel which presented New Zealand’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) report to the United Nations at the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July. She also delivered a speech on youth and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She reports back on the experience. New… Read more »
UN Youth NZ celebrates 20th birthday
UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leader Peter McKenzie represented the National Commission at the UN Youth NZ 20th birthday celebrations this month. He reflects on the event. UN Youth is a strange organisation. It works tirelessly to increase awareness of international relations and diplomatic practice among the unlikeliest demographic: high school and university students. Not only that,… Read more »
Climate change reflections – comparing Colombia and New Zealand
Former UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leader Injy Johnstone has been doing some climate change work in Colombia through a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America. She compares New Zealand and Colombia’s attitudes and their impacts on climate change. Colombia and New Zealand share a lot, including a love of coffee and indigenous wildlife. However, there are… Read more »
Meet our UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders
The New Zealand National Commission works with a team of 10 young people aged between 18 and 25 called the UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders. Watch their YouTube video introductions to get to know them better! Group members primarily serve as advisors, negotiating inclusive ways for young people to be engaged and empowered in the National… Read more »
Capturing rangatahi voices for Youth Week
UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leader Liletina Vaka took an active part in New Zealand’s National Youth Week recently, working with rangatahi (young people) across West Auckland to capture their stories. Inspired by this year’s theme was ‘We are more than you see’, ‘He wai hōhonu a mātou’ (literally, we are deep waters, thus referring to unseen… Read more »
Climate Challenge Conference
The National Commission sponsored the Climate Challenge Conferences through the 2018/19 UNESCO Contestable Activity Fund. UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders Ashlee, Nola and Liletina attended the Auckland conference and Raven and Morgan went to the Wellington event. Liletina reports back on the Auckland experience. On Saturday 25 May, UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders Ashlee, Nola and Liletina… Read more »
Youth Leaders at Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival
UNESCO Youth Leader Charlotte Steel reports back on the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival, which she and Māia Tapsell participated in. The National Commission sponsored a panel discussion called ‘Te Reo Boom’. Ko taku reo ko taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria. My language is my awakening, my language is the window to… Read more »
Nola contributes to youth perspective on public policy
The National Commission supported Nola Smart to participate in UN Youth’s Aotearoa Youth Declaration conference. She reports back. Held over four days, Year 8-13 rangatahi gather from across New Zealand for a civic education conference. The conference convenes to write the Aotearoa Youth Declaration which is a document that provides a youth perspective on public… Read more »
Five new Youth Leaders appointed
The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO has appointed five new members to its UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders group. They are [listed in alphabetical order]: Liletina Vaka, Māia Tapsell, Morgan King, Nick Mailau and Shahin Najak. Raven Maeder is the group’s new Chair, taking over from Danielle Newton. As Special Advisor – Youth she will… Read more »
