Being a senior student; who has lived on the coast for the past 16 years, I have been readily involved with my local community.
This year, I will be undertaking an international project in the winter school holidays. The project, with the UN Youth, is the Aotearoa Leadership Tour; a program for 16 senior students to engage with indigenous rights within Australia and New Zealand, culminating in participation in the National New Zealand Model United Nations.
Emphasising the importance of inspiring and equipping delegates to become leaders of social change the tour will actively position us to tackle issues first-hand. Throughout our time away, we will be comparing and contrasting the history of Indigenous relations in the Pacific, and the approaches taken by governments, NGOs and the private sector to achieve Indigenous equality and empowerment. This year, the theme of the tour is Life, Land and Legacy.
I am very excited to have been awarded this place on the delegation, after a rigorous selection process, and hope to achieve much through this role. As a keen observer of the Australian political scene and an active practitioner in promoting indigenous rights, I hope to build reconciliation, cultural engagement and awareness of the universality of human rights, in whichever small ways that I can, by implementing the tools and knowledge that I gain from the tour.
In my endeavours to receive sponsorship and ignite fundraising, I have met with my local and adjacent electorate's Members of Parliament. Yesterday, I received my first sponsor, being the Member for Burleigh, Mr. Michael Hart. After an informative conversing of public speaking, cultural relations and political experiences Mr. Hart supported my efforts and endeavoured sponsorship. I am very grateful to have met Mr. Hart, and fellow Members, and thank them for their time and support to my upcoming project. Still continuing to seek sponsorship and fundraising for the cause that I am participating in, I welcome any support.
Jemima Roze
Year 12 Student
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