Nanaia Mahuta - Duke of Edinburgh's Awards
Hon. Nanaia Mahuta
Youth Affairs Minister
Address at the opening of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award - Asia Pacific Regionals Event
13 November 2007, 5.30pm, Vaughan Park Anglican Retreat Centre, North Shore
Opening
mihi
Introduction:
Good evening and thank you for
your invitation to open The Duke of Edinburgh's Award - Asia
Pacific Regional Event.
It's my pleasure to be here, and to have the opportunity to acknowledge the guests and delegates who have traveled to Aotearoa/New Zealand from around the diverse Asia Pacific region, not to mention local representatives, who are also an important part of this event.
I hope you will enjoy your stay here and learn more about our experience participating in The Young New Zealanders' Challenge as well as sharing what it is to be part of The Award within the Region.
The Asia Pacific
Regional Events:
As Minister of Youth Affairs I am
pleased to support the work of The Young New Zealanders'
Challenge which offers young people a chance to gain
experience and learn through challenging opportunities,
develop new skills, gain confidence and learn about the
power of self-belief.
The Asia Pacific Regional events, I
understand, include the Regional Board Meeting and a
Regional Training Workshop. These events offer opportunities
to inspire, celebrate successes, share experiences, and
create on-going joint relationships within our
region.
This fits well with the work of my Ministry and
our goal to provide all young people with positive
opportunities that can enhance lives, and remove barriers
that limit successful outcomes, as well as showing young
people that learning and fully participating in their
communities can be fun.
I can see from the number of
delegates present that there is strong support and
enthusiasm for The Award and what it can offer the
individual participants. All in all, it's a chance to learn,
grow and share experiences that have both an individual and
collective benefit.
Volunteers and Aotearoa/New
Zealand:
I understand that our country has some 40,000
volunteers helping young people complete The Challenge. I
can't imagine how many volunteers this adds up to when we
consider the numbers of those countries represented at this
event.
Volunteerism in Aotearoa/New Zealand is very
important. At the heart of what we value as families and
communities is volunteering throughout the world. It is
because of this support that 620,437 young people
participated in The Award in 2005. I would like to take this
opportunity to acknowledge the volunteeers' support for The
Award. Without them, events like this would not be as
successful.
Aotearoa/New Zealand is a small country
compared to many others represented which suggests to me
that the commitment to making The Award successful is very
important. I am excited by the fact that, after 44 years,
Aotearoa/New Zealand still strongly supports The Award and
is able to host a growing Asia Pacific Region
gathering.
I understand the theme for the Regional
Training Workshop is to discuss the concept of being
"Knowledge Brokers". We appreciate that knowledge is a
powerful tool, especially for young people.
I have a
particular interest in seeing young people achieve and
develop knowledge and skills that assist them reach their
full potential, and help them to pursue their dreams and
aspirations. Learning throughout one's life is absolutely
critical to achieving this outcome.
This is particularly
so for young people who are not achieving well in education,
or young people with special needs, or from other ethnic
minorities who may need positive experiences to help them
learn about themselves and about New Zealand, particularly
if it is their new country of choice to live in.
Mäaori
and Pacific young people traditionally have not always been
high academic achievers. However, they are often skilled in
many others areas and fields, and it's crucial that these
positive skills are encouraged and developed.
The
Challenge focus
The Challenge focus for participating
delegates includes;
. SERVICE - learning to give useful
service to others and make a real difference.
.
ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY which supports the spirit of adventure
and discovery.
. SKILLS that encourage the development of
personal interests and practical skills
. PHYSICAL
RECREATION which promotes participation.
All these, I
believe, fosters confidence, new skills and understanding of
the power of community service.
Volunteering is a
critical part of the success of The Award. Through young
people's participation and involvement with the volunteers
who support the programme hopefully young people will go on
to become future volunteers.
Maaori and Pacific Island
young people:
Often Mäori and Pacific young people for
example have not normally participated in such opportunities
as The Award. This is clearly changing in New Zealand which
is heartening to note. I also see that young people with
special needs and those from other ethnic communities are
also taking up The Challenge.
The Award provides a
tangible way for young people to achieve at a pace relevant
to the individual and be successful in the different aspects
of The Challenge. Individuals are able to become more
confident and perhaps develop a desire to aim for bigger
goals they may not have considered before their
participation.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs:
My
Ministry has been funding The Challenge since 2002 and I'm
proud of what has been achieved. The Ministry has advised me
that the work has grown over the past three years and
extended to include those already mentioned, with the
addition of:
. Special Needs (disability) schools
.
Young people in semi-secure care.
I understand that the
demand is growing faster than The Challenge anticipated
which suggests to me a very positive organisation with
totally committed staff who can clearly articulate the value
of The Challenge to the community and young people.
The
testimonies I have read have been enlightening, and I
particularly noted several parents' comments about their
sons and daughters, including a mother who has seen her
daughter turn her life around since taking part in The
Challenge.
These stories are a source of great
encouragement, not only for supporters, but for
participants.
Conclusion:
Clearly the changes witnessed
by those involved in this programme is what continues to
motivate the staff, coordinators and the volunteers to
support, encourage and be there for young people who are
part of The Award.
I would now like to formally open your
two Asia Pacific events and wish you all well in your
deliberations. I hope that the sharing that takes place will
continue to benefit the young people of New Zealand, the
Asia Pacific Region as a whole and beyond. Enjoy your stay,
the hospitality, the company and the stories you will share
during your time in New
Zealand.
ENDS