Aspiring Leaders' Forum on faith and values

The Forum is an annual four day event that brings together the brightest, most committed and courageous young leaders from across all sectors and towns in New Zealand. It is run largely by a community of volunteers, which continues to grow after each successful event.

The Forum is a crucial catalyst for the work individual delegates will do back in their hometowns, their work places, their universities and their communities. In a few short years, the Forum has grown to be recognized as a flagship event for leadership development by city councils, MPs, employers and universities nationwide. Support from the wider community grows stronger as goals of the delegates are realised and as results of the Forum are proven.

However, our vision goes far beyond the four day Forum. Whilst this event starts the discussion about servant leadership, the rubber really meets the road when they get back home and look for ways to contribute into their communities.

A few months have passed since the 2009 Forum and we continue to receive reports from the delegates, telling us of their current projects and work within their communities. Our goal is to continue working with and encouraging them to step up into leadership roles by supporting their grass-roots projects and initiatives. To read some of the delegates stories please click here. As we look towards the 2010 Forum we look forward to meeting another group of young leaders, who will come together to discuss the values that underpin effective leadership.

We rely on the community to nominate the delegates, recognising young leaders from all spheres of life. If you have a young leader in mind and feel that they would benefit from the Forum, please contact us.

What's the Forum about?

Each year thousands of young New Zealanders grapple with the task of answering some of the fundamental questions of life. Which direction should I take? What will I do with my life? What is my purpose?

It is this stage of life that is one of the most important – these young New Zealanders are in the process of determining their direction, they have begun to develop a critical-thinking approach to life, they are defining goals and aspirations and yet their ideals are still intact. One day these young people will lead our nation. Their view of leadership and what it means to lead is therefore of critical importance to New Zealand's future.

The Aspiring Leaders' Forum on faith and values attempts to bridge the growing divide between our nation's young people and its leaders as they come together in Wellington to debate and discuss the ideas and philosophies of leadership. While Members of Parliament will host the Forum, the focus is not purely politics: it is about encouraging young people to be better leaders in the areas of society they are engaged in, be it the arts, business, politics or sport.

There are always more followers than leaders, yet one leader can affect the lives of millions. Our hope is that the Forum will build a bridge from one generation to the next, inspiring and elevating our young people's expectations of leadership.