YOUTH DECLARATION UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND 24-27 APRIL 2013 www.unyouth.co.nz
UN+ DECLARED
CONTENTS 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
LETTER TO THE READER CHILD AND YOUTH CRIME AND JUSTICE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT FOREIGN AFFAIRS GENDER GOVERNANCE HEALTH MAORI AND PACIFIC ISLAND AFFAIRS SCIENCE AND INNOVATION SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ENDORSEMENTS THE COMMITTEE
LETTER TO THE READER Dear Reader, You hold in your hands a “Youth Declaration”. This document embodies the beliefs of vibrant young New Zealanders on twelve public policy areas. The Declaration undergoes rigorous drafting and scrutiny, resulting in a series of statements and recommendations. Through community outreach, discussion and debate, young people from all walks of life have converged to articulate a better future for our country. It is their challenge to the leaders of today. Our goal is to channel the youth voice and to continue the dialogue between youth and decision-makers. All too often, youth are portrayed in the media as apathetic and unaware. If only they are given a chance to learn and contribute, you will be amazed by the insights and opinions they hold.
“A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline.” – Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan
Youth Declaration creates a forum for participation and aims to demonstrate that young people are conscious and informed individuals. Youth are often said to be the “leaders of tomorrow” but that does not mean they have no role to play in today’s society. It is important that youth are included in the decisions that will affect them for decades to come. We hope that you will value and respect what is contained in these pages. By reading this document and using it to inform your decision making, you are contributing to the empowerment of young people in New Zealand.
The voice of young people holds immense power and is incredibly important to the development of society. It is now up to you give effect to it in order to create a stronger and brighter New Zealand.
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TE HUNGA RIRIKI TE HUNGA RANGATAHI
CHILD AND YOUTH BULLYING
1. We acknowledge that bullying is a major issue within New Zealand schools causing emotional, psychological and physical distress. We recommend that the New Zealand Government promotes youth-focussed programmes (such as Attitude) to ensure that these services are regularly provided within all schools. 2. We commend the reading of the Communications (New Media) Bill (the ‘Cyber-bullying’ Bill) currently before the House. We believe it will be effective in preventing cyber-bullying and we encourage the House to pass the bill.
CHILD POVERTY 3. We acknowledge that the quality of education varies between different socio-economic areas and that this has a bearing on the prevalence of child poverty in New Zealand. We recommend that all New Zealand children are ensured education of equal quality throughout the country in order to break the cycle of poverty. 4. We recognise that New Zealand has a very high child poverty rate in relation to other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and that children in poverty go to school without breakfast or a packed lunch. This has a negative impact on their learning and brain development. We suggest that the New Zealand Government provides support for school meal programmes following the Swedish model which has been proven to reduce child poverty and to save money in the long-term. 5. We believe that raising awareness of child poverty in New Zealand is an important way to counter the problem. Accordingly, we encourage the promotion of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating within New Zealand that provide support for children in poverty and their families, as a way to change society’s perspective on child poverty.
CHILD BRAIN DEVELOPMENT 6. We recognise the importance of a child’s brain development during the first three years of life, and that this can be impeded by neglect and trauma. We recommend that child-focussed organisations such as Plunket emphasise the importance of brain development during the first three years of a child’s life to parents and how that can affect learning abilities in the future.
YOUTH WAGE 7. We recognise that there are currently minimal job opportunities available to students in New Zealand. In order to address this we suggest that:
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i) The youth wage be restricted to employees who work less than 20 hours per week for a period no longer than six months until the wage is upgraded to at least the adult minimum wage.
i) That tax credits for employees aged 18 or under who attend primary or secondary school be reinstated.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE 8. We recognise that synthetic cannabis products are readily available to anyone, including children and teenagers, and that these products can seriously affect the mental and physical development of young people. Accordingly, we urge the prohibition of all synthetic cannabis products. 9. We recognise the harmful effects of binge drinking, especially on the mental and physical development of young people. We recommend that advertising campaigns focus on various effects of binge drinking and promote safe drinking practices, utilising the influence of actors, celebrities and sportspeople. 10.. We recognise that alcohol advertisements using popular icons and sportspeople exacerbate the binge drinking culture amongst youth. Therefore, we recommend placing restrictions on alcohol advertisements that are associated with popular media icons and sportspeople.
PRESSURES ON YOUTH 11. We acknowledge that New Zealand has an alarmingly high youth suicide rate and that counselling is an effective tool in creating resilient youth. We appreciate the importance of youth-focussed organisations such as Youthline who provide these services. We strongly urge the government to provide financial support for these organisations so that they can expand throughout the country and provide free support for all New Zealand children and youth.
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HARA ME TE TIKA
CRIME AND JUSTICE 1. We recognise the need for civic education surrounding New Zealand laws and the judicial system in the school curriculum. This could be achieved by:
i) Targeting youth in Years 1-10;
ii) Involving community members such as police, Justices of the Peace and social workers;
iii) Utilising relevant and contextualised case studies, which may include analysis of the roots of crime and its consequences on society.
2. We believe that addressing the roots of crime should be a priority for public funding. We believe that young people turn to crime because of a lack of opportunity and a sense of having nothing to lose. This should be addressed by:
i) Recognising that adequate access to education is the most powerful tool we can use to reduce crime rates;
ii) Ensuring equal access to careers advice in schools.
3. We acknowledge the need to strike a balance between conducting a fair trial and supporting victims. Accordingly, we suggest that all victims of crime should be given the option and the same right to access of the following:
i) More information about court procedure and trial updates
ii) Victim Support Services which must continue to develop
iii) The right to confront the offender if it is deemed appropriate
4. We believe that the primary purpose of a prison sentence is to protect the community from further harm. Whilst we acknowledge that public opinion is in favour of increasing imprisonment rates and extending periods of incarceration, there are alternative measures of punishment that may be more appropriate. These may include:
i) Extended community service
ii) Reparations
iii) Mandatory attendance at programmes which encourage understanding of the consequences of crime on society amongst offenders.
5. We acknowledge that prison is not the best environment for rehabilitation, nor is prison the best place for all offenders. We believe that if the primary objective of imprisonment is to rehabilitate an offender then there should be alternatives for doing so. We suggest that:
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i) Each offender be dealt with on a case by case basis;
ii) Offenders are assessed for their needs and a conclusion drawn as to whether or not a rehabilitation-based or punishment-based sentence is appropriate.
6. We recommend that emphasis be placed on rehabilitation and re-integration of offenders. The $92,000-$94,000 per year spent on each prisoner could be better invested in:
i) Adopting new initiatives for certain young people who are likely to re-offend, placing youth in positive environments which nurture their rehabilitation and help them to gain skills for reintegration into society;
ii) Offering rehabilitation according to the needs of the individual and not lengthening their sentence.
7. We believe that in order to decrease recidivism, we must provide more post-imprisonment opportunities. This could be achieved by measures such as providing supportive references to potential employers by parole officers. 8.
We urge the government to review bail laws in order to protect public safety by:
i) Requiring judges to take into account submissions made by victims when deciding if bail is granted, whilst maintaining judicial discretion;
ii) Conducting an annual review regarding serious breaches of bail and crimes committed whilst on bail;
iii) Allowing the Crown to have powers equal to those of the defence when appealing bail decisions.
9. We believe that the fine system should be monitored more effectively. Fines should only be converted into community service if:
i) Those being fined have no disposable income and cannot liquefy assets to pay off the fine
ii) Paying off the fine will impinge on the welfare of the offender’s family
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WHAKATUPU OHAOHA
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1. We believe that a significant portion of New Zealand graduates, particularly those who have excelled in their fields, are leaving the country in pursuit of overseas employment opportunities and higher wages. We recommend further globalisation of New Zealand through focusing on the development of industries which accommodate our skilled workforce, making New Zealand a stronger global economy by keeping graduates within the country. 2. It is difficult to ensure repayment of student loans, especially with graduates leaving New Zealand for overseas job opportunities. This leaves New Zealand with many unpaid student loans, the money from which could be put back into the economy. We recommend that those who do choose to leave New Zealand for longer than six months and have outstanding student loans need to arrange a payment plan with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). If a person attempts to leave the country without a payment plan, they will be stopped at the border. 3. We believe there is an opportunity to increase productivity within all sectors of the economy. Productivity will increase efficiency in New Zealand firms and produce greater output for the same input of resources, making us more capable in the global market, thus creating more job prospects. We propose professional development opportunities for existing New Zealand firms in order to improve their ability to cope in the global economy. 4. We support the completion of higher education and encourage more New Zealanders to graduate from higher education institutions. This will increase the skilled population in New Zealand. We suggest a percentage subsidy on any student loans of competed degrees, making higher education more accessible to New Zealanders. 5. We believe that we should improve accessibility between areas of economic potential using road and rail connections. We need to create a regional balance throughout New Zealand and safer, reduced journey times will increase the number of areas accessible for business growth. We propose creating road and rail lines for transporting goods and materials to other areas with potential for economic growth. Furthermore, we believe this construction of infrastructure creates more job opportunities. 6. There is uneven growth throughout New Zealand regions and as a result there is a widening socio-economic gap. There are regions with high unemployment which lack infrastructure and opportunities for employment creation. We propose to reduce taxes for businesses entering these areas for the first five years, provided that the percentage of unemployment in the area decreases that and New Zealand’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increases. 7. We recognise that New Zealand is a good environment for niche markets; therefore developing niche markets in areas with potential for economic growth will benefit our economy. This development will create a bigger influx of newer businesses, and small scale luxury items have small production cost and a high mark-up. New Zealand has a proven record for niche market growth, as seen in high-tech companies which are sustainable, highly profitable and environmentally neutral. We propose a government sponsored incubator which creates an innovative environment with an established contact base and angel investors. This will attract new entrepreneurs that are interested in the luxury market. 8. We encourage the construction of a fibre-optic cable from North America to New Zealand. This will establish a faster internet connection for personal and business use, securing stronger connections between us and the global market promoting trade. We propose using foreign investment in develop this proposal. 9. We support the free-trade agreement with China as it currently stands. This is because China is a large market that can absorb all of our products, especially luxury goods. Prices are cheaper for New Zealand consumers,
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and our important relationship with China is strengthened. We propose to improve the alliance between New Zealand and Chinese enterprises by opening channels of communication through the two respective governments.
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MATAURANGA
EDUCATION TEACHING 1.. We oppose the proposed New Zealand Government policy of performance pay for teachers as we do not believe it is an effective strategy to ensure quality teaching. We believe that there are superior alternatives which can achieve this end. 2. We believe that the teaching profession should be valued more highly within our society, and that this shift in social perception can be achieved by the following initiatives from the New Zealand Government:
i) An increase in the annual salary of teachers at all stages of their careers;
ii) The promotion of research by the Ministry of Education into increasing the quality of teacher education and into successful overseas models;
iii) Encouraging teachers to pursue postgraduate education;
iv) Increasing the proportion of teachers who attend on-going professional development;
e) Instigating certain compulsory training initiatives for teachers of all levels.
3. We encourage the Ministry of Education to consider the latest research into the possible development of a structure of learning tailored to individual students’ capabilities as well as other innovative learning techniques. This is to ensure that the Ministry of Education’s future policies remain at the forefront of education.
TECHNOLOGY 4.. We endorse the Ministry of Education’s aim to further the role of technology in education to better prepare young New Zealanders for our technologically advancing world, and further recommend:
a) Implementing mandatory basic computer literacy courses in Years 1-8;
b) Ensuring all teachers are adequately trained to utilise technology effectively in their teaching;
c) The integration of Information Technology (IT) into all courses and assessments, the transition to be adjusted to suit the needs and resources of individual schools;
d) Research into affordable, education-oriented alternatives to current commercial products, and software for future use in order to combat current lack of accessibility to technology.
HOLISTIC 5. We encourage the government to put more emphasis on the holistic value of education within schools, in order to develop more mature, well-rounded students. This could be focused through:
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i) An increased emphasis on social interaction using teamwork and group activity in order to develop cooperation and collaboration skills;
ii) Further implementation of extracurricular activities as a medium to broaden students’ horizons and views, by enabling and empowering students to follow their own interests;
iii) Student directed learning or inquiry projects in which students choose projects that develop their interests and through which they can gain practical skills;
d) Social responsibility initiatives which promote positive involvement in the community.
DECILE SYSTEM 6. We are concerned that the current decile system is based on the income of the residences surrounding the school, and that subsequently funding is not always consistent with the family income of the students actually attending the school. We suggest that a fairer and more effective manner of distributing school funding be devised in order to best support families and school communities.
EXPORT EDUCATION 7. We recognise the importance of the benefit that international students contribute to both society and the economy. We should further promote the enrolment of international students to our institutions as New Zealand is a world leader in education. This will further encourage students to attend New Zealand universities with an emphasis on struggling student numbers in locations like Christchurch. We believe this can be improved by:
a) Promoting our tertiary institutions more around the world;
b) Making other factors such as student visas less of a barrier.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 8. We encourage the government to continue making Early Childhood Education (whether this be at teaching centres or resource packs for use within the home) even more accessible to lower income families, making it more affordable or free beyond the current 20 hour per week subsidies. This will allow children to have basic skills needed for primary school. We believe this a vital and valuable investment in the human capital of New Zealand.
TERTIARY EDUCATION 9. We feel that tertiary education should involve more practical aspects relevant to students’ qualification(s). This could be achieved through part-time internships or apprenticeships in order to broaden learning as well as increasing graduate employability, easing graduates into the job market.
CULTURE 10. We encourage schools to further integrate cultural awareness into the curriculum with a specific emphasis on New Zealand national heritage and culture in order to foster multicultural diversity. This could be implemented through the use of some translated/multi-lingual resources as well as creating partnerships with cultural institutions in the community. We also urge the New Zealand education system to place a greater emphasis on international cultures and languages. We believe this to be necessary in our inter-connected world.
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TAIAO
ENVIRONMENT 1. We feel that there is a lack of general awareness regarding environmental issues in our communities, leading to complacency our environment being taken for granted by the citizens of New Zealand. To combat this, we suggest targeting different demographics using age-specific methods such as social media and television advertisements. This would instil a culture of social proactivity and environmentally-conscious lifestyles. 2. We recognise the work of volunteers in conservation organisations and the importance of retaining New Zealand’s clean, green image. We see this as the foundation of New Zealand’s international reputation and believe it is something that needs to be maintained. We feel that this image and the work that goes into maintaining it should not be sacrificed for economic growth. 3. We feel that public contribution towards conservation is not sufficient, especially regarding native flora and fauna. This leads to the gradual loss of native species that contribute to our clean green image. We suggest making conservation a required focus within primary and intermediate level schools through volunteering, community and school-based projects through which children are raised to understand the values of preserving native wildlife. These values will be reflected in future generations, leading to more volunteers (of all ages) within the community. These initiatives should be flexible enough to allow for variation between schools according to resources and regional differences and may include:
i) Establishing an annual week-long environmental project within schools;
ii) Community projects such as worm farms and vegetable gardens;
iii) Prioritising community service at school camps by, for instance, allocating time for volunteer work;
iv) Government funding and community sponsorship for low decile schools so that all students can attend such trips.
4. We appreciate and support the goal of the New Zealand Government to reach 90% renewable energy by 2025. However we feel that this is not sufficiently promoted to the public. We feel that nationwide campaigns with public events promoting the 90% renewable energy goal would make it a recognisable icon that citizens can identify with. Momentum created from this constant visibility should be maintained to ensure that all citizens will develop the personal motivation themselves, eventually supporting a 100% renewable energy goal. 5. We strongly support investment in the production of renewable energy for New Zealand using methods such as wind farming and geothermal energy. By taking full advantage of New Zealand’s unique geography we will reach the 90% renewable energy goal. There should also be a focus on further developing the potential for wind energy with ventures such as bladeless turbines which reduce the major issue of sound pollution. We suggest further research into locations which can be suitable for more wind farms that minimise disturbance for citizens. 6. We feel that as a country our carbon emissions per capita are too high and not reflective of our “100% Pure” image. We fear that future generations will struggle with unpredictable environmental consequences such as rising sea levels and more extreme natural disasters. We want to see evidence of the New Zealand Government working towards decisive solutions to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions beyond the amount required by previous international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol.
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7. We feel that as our urban population increases, there is an increasing need for sustainable transport. We suggest concrete actions be taken, and that developing these, especially in town and city centres will decrease emissions and increase quality of life. We suggest the following measures:
i) Efficient public transport with abundant access;
ii) Shared spaces in city and town centres (pedestrian zones);
iii) Encouraging cycling, walking and carpooling as methods of transport;
iv) Developing school and company travel plans.
8. We appreciate and support the promotion of events such as eDay, encouraging the recycling of unwanted technology which can be environmentally harmful if dumped in landfills. We suggest that the government provide more e-waste recycling facilities such as drop bins (similar to clothing bins) in commercial buildings and public spaces. We would like companies to implement options for dismantling and reusing their products. 9. We have noticed that our international border security is relatively lax for New Zealand passport holders who state that they have nothing to declare. By allowing unchecked belongings through customs, we could be permitting potential biosecurity threats that can affect our environment and our agricultural sector. We would like to see the same level of security we apply to imported goods reflected in our border security for incoming travellers. We suggest scanning all incoming bags for potential biohazards. 10. We see that the quality of waterways in New Zealand has declined in comparison to our “100% Pure� green image. Currently, 45% of our fresh water beaches are unsuitable to swim in, and we believe the agricultural sector has contributed considerably to this. We want all who directly influence the quality of our waterways (dairy farmers, logging companies, recreational users) to take more responsibility for their harmful actions. 11. We support current campaigns such as the Ballance Farm Environment Awards which endorse environmentally sustainable farming. We feel this is essential considering the significant environmental impact and economic importance of agriculture within New Zealand. We suggest more incentives, support and recognition in this area.
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NGA TAKE AORERE
FOREIGN AFFAIRS 1. We are proud of New Zealand’s reputation in the United Nations as a world leader in human freedoms derived from our moral integrity, and support the continuation of these trends as well as the bid for membership in the Security Council in 2015-16. 2. We recommend that New Zealand work within the Pacific Islands Forum to encourage Fiji to hold free and fair elections. 3.
We endorse the current positive relationship between New Zealand and Australia. Additionally we:
i) Note with concern the revoking of certain social security principles of expatriates living in particular states and territories given the strong similarities between our two countries;
ii) Are determined to maintain New Zealand’s moral and social independence in this relationship.
4. We appreciate the continued emphasis on diplomatic globalisation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and encourage continued development in Africa, South America and Asian regions. We recognise the importance of MFAT’s role in the structure of the New Zealand Government and in representing New Zealand in the global arena. 5. We recommend that the New Zealand government investigates sending a youth delegate to the United Nations for relevant sessions, and accordingly that the government endorses and assists youth organisations which educate young people about foreign affairs. 6. We suggest that the New Zealand Aid programme focuses on completing the Millennium Development Goals with a particular focus on achieving the goals in the Pacific region. 7. We would be strongly opposed to any reduction in the New Zealand Aid budget, and recommend maintaining focus on the Pacific. However, we encourage an increase in aid spending in other regions and we further encourage an emphasis on direct aid as a tool for humanitarian support. 8. We endorse the current military and security treaties between New Zealand and other countries. Furthermore we:
i) Encourage a strong focus on peace-keeping missions;
ii) Suggest an effort to restore conflict areas (through mine-sweeping for example);
iii) Desire that the New Zealand Government continues to protect humanitarian aid interests.
9. We urge the New Zealand Government to increase its minimum quota of refugees to 750 per annum and reassess its ability to provide adequate social security to its refugees. We request that priority is given to refugees from the Pacific, particularly those seeking asylum from climate change, and that refugees are given priority over asylum seekers unless in cases of extreme urgency. We encourage measures apart from detention upon arrival to be utilised in processing immigrants classed as “mass immigrants” to ensure the fair treatment of all refugees. We further encourage other countries in the region to do the same.
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TAKE TAANE, TAKE WAHINE
GENDER 1.
We commend the government for subsidising abortion services and hope this continues into the future.
2. We believe that our existing abortion laws are too restrictive over the autonomy of women. We encourage the creation of a select review committee to investigate the grounds of abortion under the Crimes Act 1961 [and 1977 and 1978 Amendments] and the provision of abortion services. We believe that abortion is a health issue and a justice issue. We believe access to abortion needs to be significantly increased and therefore suggest abortion should be available on request up to 15 weeks into the gestation period. 3. We believe the sexual education curriculum needs review because youth are not receiving a comprehensive sexual education which reflects our modern society and its values. We suggest a review with the purpose of modernising the existing curriculum and providing a new framework which will include education on areas such as: what constitutes a healthy relationship, what constitutes sexual consent, the negative impacts of pornography, and the various gender identities and sexualities that exist, with the purpose of furthering equality in Aotearoa New Zealand. 4. We commend the government and the NGOs involved for creating campaigns such as “It’s Not Okay” and “Love Your Condom” and endorse the continued use of these campaigns to educate the public about domestic violence, gender, sexual, body image and socio-emotional issues. We also strongly suggest that a mandatory programme addressing the issue of domestic violence be integrated into subjects that are already in place, i.e. Health and Physical Education, consistent with the existing focus of those subjects, which can be extended to wider society. This programme should:
a) Raise awareness of all issues surrounding domestic violence;
b) Empower third parties to assist victims and perpetrators of domestic violence;
c) Build capacity for action by highlighting the resources available.
5. We envisage a society in which rape myths and jokes are eliminated and the public are provided with universal access to services which help prevent rape, sexual violation and victim recovery. 6. We believe that the definition of rape under the Crimes Act 1961 needs to be changed so that all genders can be equally trialled for rape. 7. We expect more from our policies regarding punishments of sexual crimes so that victims are empowered to report the crime and have confidence that justice will be achieved through the judicial system.
i) We wish to see more trials run to completion so that justice can be served and that trials concerning sexual violence are given higher priority in order to acknowledge the severity of the crime.
ii) Furthermore, the court process must endeavour to minimise the trauma for victims.
8. We expect gender income equality in our society, and are disappointed that gender income inequality is a serious issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. Therefore:
i) We urge the New Zealand Government to create a comprehensive timeline regarding the strategy for eliminating income inequality;
ii) We support the Pay Equality Campaign which addresses the problem through a human-rights framework and strives to:
a) Utilise the Gender Inclusive Job Evaluation Tool as a method of recording income equality in the workplace; b) Implement more equitable enforcement of pay equality by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
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9. We also support the Equal Pay Amendment Bill proposed by MP Jan Logie which aims to amend the Equal Pay Act 1972 and the Employment Act 2000. 10. We believe that raising children is an essential role in society and therefore believe there should be a review of the laws regarding parental leave and employment protection for the purpose of:
i) Removing gender segregation in those laws;
ii) Extending the paid parental leave from 14 to 26 weeks.
11. We believe that the Ministry of Health should provide the Gardasil vaccination free of charge for all youth in the hope of eliminating Human Papillomavirus (HPV) within our generation as well as significantly decreasing the number of genital warts, throat, lung, penile and anal cancer. 12. We envisage that our providers of media content take into consideration their corporate social responsibility to reinforce positive body-image, to include content on all genders and to move away from hyper-sexualised content.
i) We encourage these providers to emphasise their corporate social responsibility to the younger generations in Aotearoa New Zealand.
13. We commend the New Zealand Government for committing to a comprehensive approach to ending violence against women and children as part of the UN Women COMMIT initiative. We further commend the New Zealand Government for the goals they have set to reduce violent crime by 20% and the recidivism rate by 25% by 2017, and encourage the New Zealand Government to continue to set such direct objectives after the 2017 deadline to maintain the momentum of their work. 14. We commend the work of support services for victims of domestic violence such as Women’s Refuge and encourage universal accessibility to support programmes with an emphasis on non-urban areas. 15. We expect the elimination of the exploitation of prostitutes by pimps in New Zealand, and therefore encourage the New Zealand Government to work with the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective to:
i) Encourage transparency within the industry;
ii) Regulate the services they provide to their workers in terms of health care, security and economic assistance. 16. We commend and support the government in their legalisation of same-sex marriage. We urge the government to financially support and further assist the expansion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender + (LGBT+) support programmes and groups in order to help combat physical and verbal bullying of gender and sexual identity within schools, universities, workplaces and local communities.
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MANA WHAKAHAERE
GOVERNANCE 1. We believe that voting should not be compulsory. The government should take steps to encourage the younger generations to vote in both national and local government elections. We suggest: i) Easier alternative means of voting to cater for those who have difficulty voting;
ii) A concerted marketing campaign aimed at encouraging people to go to the polls in order to compensate for the decline in voter turnout.
2. We support the current absentee voting system as well as keeping elections on weekends and call on the New Zealand Government to expand the number and variety of polling locations so that all New Zealanders can cast ballots easily and conveniently. 3. We believe that Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) is a fair and reasonable electoral system for New Zealand and should not be changed. 5. We think the number of seats in Parliament should remain the same; decreasing the number would be a small saving on salaries for Members of Parliament in return for a serious decrease in the quality of representation as well as undermining Parliament’s ability to scrutinize the Government. 6. We believe Māori seats should be retained. They provide appropriate representation of an important and discrete group in New Zealand society and ensure we keep our collective promises under the Treaty of Waitangi. 7. We believe the term of Parliament should be fixed at four years, ensuring maximum certainty for citizens and government and allowing the New Zealand Government enough time to effectively create long-term policies. 8. We believe that Parliament’s power over the fundamental rights and freedoms of New Zealanders is concerning; there are some things that Parliament should never have power over. Therefore, we recommend that the Bill of Rights Act (BORA) 1990 be entrenched as supreme law, able to override other laws and which can only be amended by a 75% vote in Parliament followed by a referendum. However, since we understand concerns about giving the judiciary too much power, we believe the entrenched Bill of Rights should be subject to a notwithstanding clause, similar to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, whereby Parliament can temporarily override Supreme Court decisions on BORA but the override expires after the next election (it can be renewed after that election). Decisions protecting the right to vote and communicate about politics cannot be overturned in this way. 9. We are gravely concerned about recent attempts by the Government to observe New Zealanders. Therefore, we believe a right to privacy should be added to BORA, whether it is entrenched or not. 10. We support the recent same-sex marriage legalisation and regret that laws existed that discriminate against New Zealanders wishing to form loving families. Therefore, we believe a right to form a family and get married irrespective of gender should be included in BORA whether it is entrenched or not. 11. We are in favour of retaining the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 (as amended) and the Waitangi Tribunal system. We believe the lack of agreement on the Treaty’s content and the need for building community consensus argue for flexibility rather than entrenchment at this point. However, we call upon the New Zealand Government to respect and pay great attention to the principles of the Treaty and the decisions of the Waitangi Tribunal. 12. We believe the Constitution should remain without codification. This preserves flexibility allowing the New Zealand Government to change the structure of government to meet the challenges of the time. While codifying might make the constitution clearer, it does so at the expense of removing the people’s power over the form of their government. We think the entrenchment of BORA addresses most of the problems with parliamentary supremacy
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without the need for a codified constitution. 13. We believe the Electoral Integrity Act of 2001 (which bans list MPs from switching parties without resigning from Parliament) should be reinstated. This will ensure that while electorate MPs can change parties to reflect the wishes of their electorates, the list MPs, who are elected solely because of their party, cannot switch parties and thereby defy the will of the people. 14. We strongly urge the New Zealand Government to promote civic education in schools. Young people should be encouraged to engage in peer mentorship to promote civics, and civics should be tightly integrated into the national curriculum. Civic education should also be careful to relate Government issues to the real lives of young New Zealanders. This education program should be accompanied by real opportunities for young people to get involved in all levels of government, up to and including a New Zealand Youth Delegate to the United Nations. 15. We believe the New Zealand Government must do more to make their decisions transparent and accessible, and provide easy ways for citizens to feed into Government decisions. This should begin with the development of new media technologies such as a new Parliament website and smartphone application that alerts you when issues you care about are being discussed, giving citizens easy ways to contribute to public inquiries and select committee hearings. 16. To improve the accountability of MPs, we believe the New Zealand Government should maintain a site, similar to TheyWorkForYou.com in the United Kingdom, that lists each MP’s voting and speaking records and explains each party’s positions on the issues (with voters able to focus on issues they care about) to be able to select the party that best represents them. This site should be administered by an independent regulator. 17. We call upon New Zealand’s entertainers and media companies to promote civic engagement through new television programmes, including news and satire programs, as well as other public encouragement to be engaged with governance.
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HAUORA
HEALTH OBESITY 1. There is a lack of education surrounding unhealthy diets and lifestyles in school children. As a result, we see an increase in obesity and chronic conditions within the New Zealand population. Thus, we suggest an increased emphasis on diet and healthy lifestyles programmes such as food nutrition into the primary and secondary school curriculum. 2. There are a range of factors which influence the dietary preferences of cultural groups such as values, beliefs, traditions and practices. These underlying factors often promote unhealthy eating patterns which in turn lead to obesity. We encourage holistic nutritional training for various leaders to influence their communities to increase awareness of lifestyle issues. This should be undertaken in a way that is appropriate to their respective cultures. 3. The wide range unhealthy food items available in school canteens results in many students eating meals that are detrimental to their health. We suggest that healthy alternatives should be promoted by increasing the quality and availability of such options. Thorough measures should be put in place to clearly distinguish unhealthy foods from those which are healthier with the aim of slowly phasing out unhealthy foods at a tolerable rate.
MENTAL HEALTH 4. Nurses and counsellors operating within school systems do not demonstrate adequate skills and standards in mental health proficiency. This results in misdiagnosis and exacerbation of mental health issues. We suggest higher standards and training required of mental health professionals before they are employed by schools to ensure effective treatment of mental illness amongst youth. 5. We recognise that mental health facilities are not sufficiently accessible outside of school for youth. Therefore, to decrease the growing rate of mental illness amongst youth, we endorse the promotion of existing public youth support networks. 6. There is a lack of awareness and understanding of mental health issues in youth due to poor mental health education in schools. This results in young people failing to recognise mental health problems. We believe that mental health needs to play a greater role in the secondary school health curriculum. 7. We recognise that the contents of current mental health media campaigns are heavily focused on adult mental health issues such as depression. This results in a stigmatisation of mental illness amongst youth. To counteract this problem we propose new media campaigns that draw more attention towards youth mental illnesses.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE 8. We recognise that excessive alcohol consumption is commonplace in New Zealand culture. This leads to negative short and long-term health effects. Therefore we encourage the use of role models in media campaigns to instil the culture of safe drinking habits in New Zealand. 9. Drinking laws are frequently broken by New Zealand youth, largely due to our binge drinking culture, increasing the risk of chronic health conditions. We recommend a zero tolerance approach towards underage drinking by enforcing pre-existing laws with harsher penalties. 10. We recognise that alcohol is too easily accessible which leads to overconsumption and underage drinking. We propose restricting the trading hours of liquor stores.
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NGA TAKE MAORI ME NGA TAKE PASIFIKA
MAORI AND PACIFIC ISLAND AFFAIRS 1.
Maori and Pacific rates of incarceration are disproportionately high. In order to address this we:
i) Encourage and endorse the promotion and further establishment of marae-based courts for the benefit of all New Zealand youth and minor offenders;
ii) We believe the use of marae-based courts will enable a reconnection with culture and with peers, creating a sense of community which leads to accountability and greater social pressure to reform.
2. We endorse the attempts by the New Zealand Government and local authorities to promote healthy lifestyles and highly recommend that this continue. Due to Māori and Pacific communities having comparatively poor health statistics, we support the following:
i) Subsidies for healthy food options;
ii) Greater media awareness and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
3. A number of individuals within New Zealand still have difficulty understanding and accepting Māori and Pacific cultures. As a result Māori and Pacific communities tend to fall victim to social degradation and segregation. We urge the New Zealand Government to establish and distribute sufficient resources to all schools which encourage Māori and Pacific customs and cultures to enable the acceptance of cultural diversity. 4. We believe children from Māori and Pacific Island cultures do not receive sufficient support within their primary and intermediate education. This can lead to inequality between ethnic groups in terms of academic achievement. Accordingly, we propose that mentoring programmes of the tuakana/teina model be increasingly implemented and encouraged within these early stages of education to help improve achievement equity within New Zealand learning institutions. 5. We endorse recognition by tertiary institutions of their accountability to improve the achievement equity of Māori and Pacific Island students. 6. We believe many New Zealanders to be misinformed and disinterested regarding the Treaty of Waitangi. We urge the New Zealand Government to use the tools at their disposal to encourage awareness surrounding Treaty of Waitangi issues so that New Zealanders can make more informed decisions. 7. We urge that support for new Pacific Island migrants and seasonal workers entering New Zealand communities be encouraged and improved. This may help newcomers to step confidently into New Zealand society, improving the representation of their respective cultures. 8. We support the tangata whenua rights as outlined in United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) regarding water rights. We urge the government to take this into account when making further decisions for resource management.
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PUTAIAO ME TE KITENUI
SCIENCE AND INNOVATION 1. We believe New Zealand lacks focus on science and innovation. This may be detrimental to New Zealand because science and innovation can lead to economic development and therefore higher living standards, better levels of education, greater job opportunities, and sustainability. We encourage New Zealand to shift its focus towards the advancement of science and innovation.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT 2. We believe that parts of society have misconceptions about scientific research and novel ideas. This prevents the public from engaging and accepting innovations, limiting the development and use of contentious ideas. We believe that the use of media such as internet campaigns, mass media advertising, and educational projects, is critical to raising the profile of science and facilitating informed debate about controversial research. 3. We believe that the New Zealand public has an insufficient appreciation and understanding of science and innovation. This may cause the public to have a negative perception of science and innovation. We urge the Ministry of Education to introduce more simple scientific concepts in an interactive manner into the curriculum at primary and intermediate levels, so that our future public can develop their scientific understanding and critical thinking skills.
EDUCATION 4. New Zealand’s science education system is insufficient to allow our students to compete in an international setting. This hinders the capacity of New Zealand to provide quality research and development. We encourage secondary schools to provide accelerated science curricula as part of enhancing the capabilities of our students. This will improve New Zealand’s competiveness globally.
COMMERCIALISATION AND COLLABORATION
5. We believe that there is insufficient communication between businesses and research institutions. This causes progress and growth to become stifled since economic robustness is dependent upon New Zealand’s ability to commercialise innovative ideas. We endorse intermediate organisations which bring businesses and research institutions together, making New Zealand an attractive location for international academic conferences for collaboration, and facilitating the creation of innovation parks in conjunction with support from the New Zealand Government. 6. New Zealand has the potential to produce more innovative and high-value companies such as those in the high-tech industry to enhance New Zealand’s economic sustainability. However, there is insufficient commercialisation of ideas. We endorse Callaghan Innovation in its activities to accelerate commercialisation of innovation in New Zealand firms, through funding for start-up businesses, connecting potential partners, and helping skilled workers find employment. 7. Many companies are failing to break into markets due to insufficient spending on research and development (R&D). This hinders long-term economic growth and other productivity indicators. We urge businesses to increase R&D spending so that New Zealand reaches OECD levels (1.6% of GDP). This will encourage businesses to become high-value.
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FUNDING AND GRANTS 8. The current funding infrastructure deters researchers from successfully pursuing grants. This prevents them from innovating and from developing ideas that can benefit society. We urge the New Zealand Government to streamline the grants and funding process, and to increase the total amount of funds available for these grants.
UTILISING TALENT 9. New Zealand attracts highly skilled immigrants who can increase the productivity of our high-value workforce, but there are language and qualification barriers to these immigrants gaining meaningful employment. This restricts their ability to integrate and contribute to society, wasting their skills and talents. We endorse governmentsubsidised English courses for immigrants, supervised employment placements in industries to assess their competence, and aptitude tests as substitutes for bridging qualifications where relevant. 10. New Zealand’s current reliance on primary industries will not sustain us in future years. We are facing a brain drain which further depletes our ability to compete, and our international reputation as a prosperous nation is diminishing. We believe New Zealand should move towards a knowledge-based economy which reduces our dependence on natural resources, and thus takes full advantage of our skilled workers. We must fix the public’s perception of science and innovation through education. We must raise the profile of the commercial applications of science in generating wealth. We must improve the collaboration between stakeholders. We must support our scientists, researchers, and businesses in their innovative activities. We must foster the next generation of innovators. We must make New Zealand a place where talent wants to live.
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WHAKATUPU PAPORI
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT WELFARE 1. We recognise the gap in the relationship between welfare limitations, reforms and job creation. We believe that as a result of this there is an issue of limited job availability for those transitioning off and attempting to transition off benefit. In the government’s efforts to reform the welfare system, we urge the acknowledgement of the link between a decreasing number of beneficiaries and a stationary unemployment rate. 2. We believe there is currently widespread stereotyping and discriminating against beneficiaries and this results in a disparity between these people and general society. To combat this we urge the government to hold an inquiry about the beneficiaries’ views and positions and have an increased visibility of a variety of opinions in the media. 3. We recognise the need for improved awareness and effectiveness of support systems and organisations that aid youth during times of hardship, Specifically;
a) When moving through foster care and welfare systems
b) When struggling with mental health and depression.
INFORMATION SHARING 4. We implore the government to develop and implement information sharing pathways, specifically relating to the Child, Young Person and Their Families Act 1989, as a prevention techniques for the emotional turmoil and resulting crime tendencies of vulnerable children in the care of foster system.
FAMILY VIOLENCE 5. We support unified and consistent training on how to respond to family violence for agencies and NGOs across the board. We encourage the implementation of a shared strategic approach on the issue, and its negative effects on the holistic health of society. 6. We endorse the successful work that government and non-government organisations are currently implementing in communities to strengthen New Zealand’s whanau and recommend further development of prevention and support strategies with regard to domestic violence. These strategies include the use of community workshops, parenting courses and continuation of rehabilitation programs for perpetrators.
ALCOHOL 7. We recognise the insufficient awareness of support systems for those choosing to drink in excess. We believe this results in dangerous drinking, a negative drinking culture, which have detrimental effects on society. We suggest establishing safer attitudes around alcohol through;
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a) breaking down the stigma that youth hold surrounding law enforcement authorities.
b) increasing awareness and development of tools available to support safe drinking.
SUPERANNUATION 8. We recognise the continuous increase of the aging population in New Zealand, therefore we believe the expenses with regard to superannuation would become financially challenging in the foreseeable future. We suggest the implentation of the following: a) Compulsory saving schemes such as KiwiSaver to reduce the reliance on superannuation provided by the government, which would act as a supplementary fund. b) Establishing a system where there is regular communication between authorities such as the Ministry of Social Development and citizens receiving superannuation to ensure each individual is provided with sufficient financial support dependent on their relative circumstances.
MEDIA 9. We recognise the power and influence all forms of media have on our perception on various social issues such as drinking, family violence, beneficiaries among others. 10. We believe that there needs to be a reassessment of media’s practices when addressing these issues, so that there is a balanced portrayal of potentially contentious viewpoints concerning minorities. 11. We believe that the current media campaigns around social issues such as drinking have stagnated, thus causing a desensitisation within the campaign’s target demographic. We recommend a reform on existing campaigns in order to reaffirm the effectiveness of them
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ENDORSEMENTS “Youth Declaration is an amazing and valuable experience. It provides a brilliant opportunity for us to demonstrate what we think is important to the future of Aotearoa New Zealand. Youth Declaration gives the youth of New Zealand the chance to be heard and make a tangible difference to the community in which we live. It has been a highly rewarding and inspiring event!”
Sally Mubarak, 17, Crime and Justice participant “Youth Declaration has enabled me to share my perspectives and issues concerning the future of New Zealanders. Overall it has allowed me to create meaningful friendships and network with like-minded people from all over Aotearoa. I have enjoyed socialising with the different participants, facilitators and organisers from very different perspectives and ethnic backgrounds to me. It has been a pleasure being a part of it, especially my group (Maori and Pacific Island Affairs). If you are passionate about something; stand up, speak out and stand out. “O la’u agunu’u e iloa ai a’u – my culture defines me.”
Xavier Breed, 17, Maori and Pacific Island Affairs participant “From Asset Sales to zygote termination, Youth Declaration is rich with top-quality debate, stingingly quoted statistics and maturely agreed compromise. I’ve enjoyed this event immensely and thank UN Youth passionately for organising it. Bliss it is this dawn to be alive, but to be at Youth Declaration is very heaven.“
Bronwyn Tilney, 15, Gender participant
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“With roughly 1.2 million young people in Aotearoa, I see it as incredibly important that those rangatahi with no right to take part in voting for their representatives are able to have their say on issues that affect them. Youth provide a fresh and often direct outlook to contentious public issues and since they are the future to deal with these issues, I see it as necessary that they are heard on the political stage in regard to their future.”
Scott Bickerton, 22, UN Youth National Education Officer “Being a part of Youth Declaration 2013 would most definitely be one of the most thought provoking, challenging and eye opening experiences I have ever had. The issues and concepts that were brought to my attention over the conference influenced my vision and viewpoints on the complexities of our law and appreciating the reasons for why it stands as it does as well as recognising the areas that can be improved. Over the last few days, as tired as I am, the energy and enthusiasm in regard to the various aspects of the Declaration has been truly inspiring! “Participating in a forum where I met amazing individuals filled with knowledge, insight and similar visions and views for New Zealand as myself, I can truly say that the future of Aotearoa is in the hands of highly capable and intelligent individuals.”
Chandana Potharaju, 17, Social Development participant
THE COMMITTEE
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EDUCATION OFFICER
ASSISTANT CO-ORDINATOR
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LOGISTICS OFFICER
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JASON ARMISHAW
BENEDICT STEWART
NURAIN JANAH 30
JONATHAN GEE
SARAH ALAWI
SU YOUNG KIM
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