What: Rangatahi in Our Democracy is the debut of a series of online sessions designed to empower young people with the tools they need to participate.
Why: Tori & Stacey were inspired by the Kaupapa of Youth week 2023- “Rangatira mō āpōpō, Rangatira I tēnei rā” – “Leaders of Tomorrow? Leaders for Today!” their role as youth advisors for the Electoral Commission is all about reaching the young people of Te Waipounamu. They wanted to create an accessible space for young people to come and kōrero about participating in New Zealand’s democracy and hope that creating this space will lead to an increased awareness and a well-represented youth voice.
When: They have three online sessions available on the 16th, 17th and 18th of May at 7 pm. They have aligned the dates of the sessions with regions of the South Island (see image below). Te Tauihu & Te Tai Poutini/Top of South & West Coast, Waitaha/Canterbury, and Ōtākou & Murihiku/ Otago & Southland. The content of all three sessions is the same, so if you can’t make the date/time that is designated for your region, feel free to join one of the other sessions.
Who: These sessions were designed for all young people aged 16-22 years and based in the South Island. But, anyone is welcome. Tori & Stacey will be covering the basics of democracy to ensure that participants with any level of knowledge on democracy can engage with the content.
How: Please click the link to register your interest in attending, and Stacey & Tori will email you a link to your preferred Microsoft Teams session. Register Here
Your presenters: Community Advisors- Youth from the NZ Electoral Commission, Tori and Stacey Te Pōhue. Whose role it is to educate the young people of Te Waipounamu about the mechanisms of the electoral system in a politically neutral manner. Current topics of interest are the legislative changes around the Māori electoral roll & overseas voting, registering to vote, and the value of voting, with an emphasis on the General Election coming up in October.
To learn more about voting in Aotearoa, you can visit the Electoral Commission Website Here
