Background

Leadership forums based on a similar model to the Aspiring Leaders’ Forum in New Zealand are being successfully run in the USA, Australia, Eastern Europe and Norway (called National Student Leadership Forums).

The initiative was birthed from a desire by political, business and community leaders to take a proactive approach in developing the next generation of leaders.

MPs who host the Forum come together in a non-partisan spirit representing all major parties. They, along with other individuals, nominate young people who display leadership potential to gather in the nation’s capital.

Over the course of four days keynote speakers talk about their path to leadership as it relates to faith and values. A sense of community is fostered from the outset of the Forum with each attendee placed in a small group led by experienced leaders and past forum attendees. Within these groups attendees discuss and debate their own ideas and philosophies.

A small secretariat of volunteers will operate from Auckland and Wellington to assist with administrative arrangements. All resources will be provided either by the participants or through private donations from across the country. It is not intended that the Forum will receive government funding.

Who is involved?

Currently, the people involved in establishing the Aspiring Leaders’ Forum in New Zealand are all past attendees of Student Leadership Forums in other countries.

They are individuals who share a common concern to see faith and values established as a foundation for leadership in New Zealand.

These people make up the core group of initiators. The secretariat in Sydney has offered considerable advice and support in formulating this proposal and pursuing the establishment of a young leaders forum in New Zealand.