ABOUT THE EVENT
Raise Your Voice is an event where secondary school students can come to represent their communities and perspectives. Over two days, participants will gain an understanding of local governance, activism, and civic engagement resulting in an improved understanding of their community. By the end of RYV, each Rōpū will give a policy recommendation for the Council or other important figure which has a key role in the topic within Auckland putting their voice into action. This can be in the form of a letter, speech, or a social media video format igniting a sense of capability, confidence, understanding and the emergence of a network of local connections.
Raise Your Voice 2025 would not be possible without the support of our exceptional and motivated volunteer kaimahi! Volunteers are essential to every aspect of this event and ensure the conference runs smoothly. They work collaboratively alongside fellow volunteers, are primary communicators, and are driven to create a successful and enjoyable event for all participants. Volunteering as a conference assistant is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience. We are very grateful to returning volunteers who bring experience and passion to their roles. We also invite new volunteers to register, who can bring fresh perspectives and experience to the event. Most importantly, we want passionate and committed volunteers to inspire our rangatahi and their discussions.
The volunteer roles available are Rōpū/Workshop Facilitator, Logistics Officer, Welfare Officer, Media Officer, M&PI Liaison, LGBTQ+ Liaison, and Neurodiversity Liaison. We have a variety of positions that suit a variety of interests and skills!
UN Youth Auckland acknowledges that te Tiriti o Waitangi (te Tiriti) is the founding document of Aotearoa, New Zealand. We recognise that a key intent of Te Tiriti was to uphold relationships of mutual benefit between the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa and acknowledge the events prior, present, and future that have deeply affected our society. In upholding this partnership principle set out in Te Tiriti, UN Youth Auckland adopts tikanga values as a guiding framework for our events. UN Youth Auckland also would like to acknowledge the mana whenua of this rohe ngā iwi kātoa o Tāmaki Makaurau and their right as kaitiaki over this land.
In order to prepare for the event, all volunteers must attend an in-person volunteer training hui held at the University of Auckland. This will take place before the event on Saturday 16th August. If you are unable to attend, please email [email protected]
OUR GOAL
The theme for Raise Your Voice 2025 is 'UN+SPOKEN' highlighting how many key issues affecting the public and Aotearoa are linked to underlying problems that lack sufficient attention or discussion. This event then aims to empower marginalised voices to share their perspectives and solutions, helping rangatahi develop the skills to express their views and engage with issues in their community. With the Rōpū sessions, workshops, speakers, and other educational content, participants will critically engage in the known, unknown and hidden issues of their communities and develop essential skills and qualities such as perspective taking, critical thinking, creative discussion, and empathy - that will be transferable to their future endeavours, whatever they may be.
WHY SHOULD I ATTEND RYV?
Volunteering at Raise Your Voice 2025 allows tertiary students to give back to the Tāmaki Makaurau region in Aotearoa while benefiting themselves and participants. Through leading and observing Rōpū sessions, volunteers are exposed to the same content as participants. Thus, they can expand their knowledge base about global citizenship and issues alongside participants. RYV enables volunteers to gain valuable volunteering experience that contributes to their professional development, and it looks great on a CV! Moreover, this conference allows volunteers to meet like-minded rangatahi and develop new connections before and after the event!
We provide a comprehensive volunteer training hui to ensure our volunteers are well-equipped to foster a safe and empowering environment for participants to develop their skills.
We welcome volunteers with all ranges of UN Youth experience - regardless of whether you are a returning volunteer or a new volunteer, what matters most is your dedication and enthusiasm towards making Raise Your Voice 2025 the best yet!
WHAT CAN I DO?
Rōpū/Workshop facilitators
Rōpū/Workshop facilitators will be working closely with the participants. Volunteers will have the task of helping run workshops throughout the event and get conversation between participants flowing to ensure active participation and teamwork.
Logistics Officer
Logistics officers work behind the scenes to help ensure that the event runs smoothly. These volunteers are organised individuals with great time management skills. Roles will include setting up catering and helping participants throughout the day.
Media Officer
The media team will consist of both skilled photographers and videographers responsible for capturing the magic of the event on camera. Previous experience is preferred.
Welfare Officer
Welfare officers are important in ensuring the welfare of all participants and volunteers. Welfare volunteers must be able to handle a variety of issues with a patient and supportive manner. Welfare officers are the first call of support and must be open, approachable and caring individuals in order to help people who feel unwell, stressed or just need a chat. Previous experience or skills in a particular area (e.g pastoral care, mental wellbeing etc.) is preferred.
Liaisons
One of the core values of UNYouth is inclusivity. LGBTQ+, Maori and Pasifika, and neurodiversity liaisons provide mentorship and support for students from these communities. This role is extremely important to ensure that all participants and volunteers feel supported and included throughout the event so that they can be involved and make the most of the event opportunities.
Please note that if you are selected as a MPI, Neurodiversity, or LGBTQ+ Liaison, you will also hold another role as a Welfare officer alongside your liaison responsibilities.
SOCIAL MEDIA
One of the best ways to keep up to date with event updates and announcements is through following our socials! Be sure to follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok.
If you have any questions about the event, please don’t hesitate to contact our Communications Officer, Jodie Tobia at [email protected]
ABOUT UN YOUTH
UN Youth is a non-profit organisation that provides civics education outside the traditional classroom context. Through fun workshops and conferences, we engage youth in the most pressing affairs of their country and the international community. Our goal is to inspire young New Zealanders to be active, global citizens. Global citizenship exists in an incredibly diverse range of forms, and UN Youth provides opportunities for delegates to develop their own form of active citizenship. Throughout Aotearoa, our work equips young people to become informed, engaged, and critical New Zealanders who understand their global context and the connections between the local and the global. Annually, over 3000 young New Zealanders from Northland to Southland attend a UN Youth event, run by a body of over 150 volunteers across the country who dedicate many hours of their time to engaging young people and growing the organisation.