A participatory forum for kōrero and action.

Co-presented by Make it 16 and The New Zealand Centre for Global Studies

‘Step up to the World: Tū māia ki te Ao: The Future of Democracy’ - joins a series of forums and initiatives that harness the transformative power of education to build cohesive, fair, and sustainable societies. It's about understanding who we are, how we are connected and stepping up with courage, confidence, and a shared sense of responsibility. Participants are inspired to think critically and empowered to act.

The vision for the ‘Future of Democracy’ forum is to draw on our collective expertise and create solutions for a stronger democratic future. This will culminate in a youth-led proposal for democracy in Aotearoa, where we will bridge blue-sky thinking with a concrete plan to achieve this vision.

Democracies around the world are backsliding in the face of alarming challenges that pose threats to our own democratic processes and freedoms. Putting these challenges aside, trust in democratic institutions and faith that they can solve critical issues is dwindling. This means our systems are not designed to respond to the challenges of the day.

The Forum will be opened at The New Zealand Centre for Global Studies' 12th Annual Lecture, to be held at Parliament on 21 October. Indigenous Perspectives on the Future of Democracy will be the focus of this year's event.

N.B: Explore the line up so far and stay tuned to this page as we confirm our guest speakers and finalise the forum programme.