In what seems like a milestone, on Wednesday 6th July 2022 the Religious Diversity Centre in Aotearoa New Zealand launched Ngā Rangatahi o Māramatanga - Youth Leadership Council in Parliament with host MP Ibrahim Omer, and opened with a mihi and karakia. The national body of young people will sit within the Religious Diversity Centre as their youth-led multidisciplinary council for the purposes of advice, and to dialogue and exchange across their respective beliefs. Though young people have been participating in the regional interfaith networks, and hosting a national interfaith youth forum for over a decade, Ngā Rangatahi o Maramatanga is Aotearoa New Zealand's first national body of young people from faith-based communities with representation of those who do not identify with any religion.

The Youth Council's vision is 'for Aotearoa-New Zealand’s diverse faith communities to be

acknowledged, respected and celebrated.'

As the inaugural Youth Council embarks on their two year tenure, they will not only support the objectives of the Religious Diversity Centre, but deliver and design projects to advance religious diversity. The young people involved in this are excited and enthusiastic about the contribution they will be able to make towards

peace, cooperation and improving social cohesion throughout Aotearoa-New Zealand.

The Youth Council is work that has been two years in the making. It is established as a response to the research and consultations with young people across Aotearoa New Zealand 
throughout 2020, which identified the need for a wider youth voice and participation in religious diversity initiatives.

The inaugural Youth Council appointments are:

Wid Al-Rufaie

Madeleine Baughen

Asher Etherington

Yasir Demirbas

Rahil Indorewala

Daniel Rosenbaum

Mandira Shailaj

Meghan Stewart-Ward

Parvin Siva

Dr. Joseph Thomas

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