A climate-change protest in Milan. Young people all over the world are asking for their voices to be heard. Photo / AP
When the leaders of the 21 Apec economies meet next week to discuss the most pressing challenges of our times, a parallel event will see young people tackle future challenges.
The Voices of the Future conference has been part of the Apec programme for more than 20 years. It brings together young people to explore the big issues and then prepare a declaration on behalf of around a billion young people in the region.
This year New Zealand is Apec host. The 2021 conference will be different from previous events.
First, it is virtual. While moving to an online conference means delegates will miss the opportunity to travel, experience other cultures and meet their counterparts in person, more economies can participate. The cost of taking part in the conference has been a barrier for delegations from some economies in the past.
Apec Voices NZ chair David Ward says normally delegates from18-19 economies take part.
Twenty economies had their delegations lined-up. Organisers were waiting to hear back from the final one.
Previous Apec Voices delegations have met with NZ prime ministers including Sir John Key and Helen Clark in previous years, but this year that will go a step further.
At the end of the conference, Voices delegates will formally present their declaration directly to Apec chair Jacinda Ardern. Ward says Covid restrictions mean this will have to be online.
Ardern will then take the declaration to the leaders' meeting where they can discuss the thoughts and comments of the region's youth.
An impressive line-up of business, economic and political speakers who have been secured for the event.
Among them: YouTube CEO Susan Wojciciki, Apec Secretariat Executive Director Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, UN Secretary-General's Envoy for Youth Jayathma Wickramanayake and Al Jazeera correspondent Wayne Hay.
Wojcicki leads the world's most popular digital video platform used by over two billion people across the globe to access information, share video, and shape culture. She was named to Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015, and "the most powerful woman on the internet".
Wickramanayake was appointed in 2017 at the age of 26 by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Her role is to ensure young people have a voice at the UN. In 2019, she featured on Time's "next 100 world leaders' list".
The programme also includes Secretary-General of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council Eduardo Pedrosa – an experienced international public policy and government affairs professional, Ed has more than 20 years' experience working with Apec, Asean and other regional bodies.
NZ Voices delegate Jess Jenkins is relaxed about the online format: "These are unprecedented times.
We've all learnt to adapt and create in the midst of it. I think that being able to have this event online,
means we'll go ahead and that is an incredible feat in itself."
She is impressed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Voices NZ Trust and AUT were able to switch "with the click of a finger" to online delivery of the event.
Speaking after some preliminary meetings she said: "It was great to see everyone from the different economies being online although it was strange with the different time zones. For us it was in daytime and light outside, for others it was in the middle of the night."
Jenkins is one of four Kiwi delegates alongside Sophie Handford from Paekākāriki, Shisla Macleod who lives in Kelburn, Wellington and Lit Wei Chin from Birkenhead. The four will act as facilitators. Handford and Chin will present the outcomes of the declaration at the CEO Summit.
There are four key themes: International Co-operation to Combat Covid-19; A Greener Future; A Digital Future and A Future for All. Delegates break into groups to discuss each theme. Jenkins says the Kiwi delegation chose to submit the A Future for All theme and is focusing on that.
Chin says the aim is to report back to the Apec economies on how they can create a future that is inclusive and equitable. This includes dealing with climate change, the digital economy and recovering from Covid in a way that benefits everyone.
For Handford, the theme is broad and immediate. She says acting on climate is essential if there is going to be a future for most people. "It includes people who aren't yet born, the ones who will inhabit the planet after us. It includes marginalised communities, indigenous communities, women, minorities, young people, disabled. These are all people who may not feel secure about the future and what is happening with the climate."
Macleod says: "The speakers have been good at connecting with us and conversing. The sessions have been open." She singles out two invited guest speakers, NZ-based Nikita Kent and US-based Vannary Kong.
Participation so far in the conference has underlined that no matter how far apart people are as individuals or culturally, the issues facing young people in New Zealand are similar to those elsewhere, said Jenkins.
"One of the beauties of Apec is the fact that all of the economies share the same vision. Apec is an incubator of ideas. All members believe in an openness in terms of trade, travel and investments.
Everyone sees the digital economy as a key to growth. And I think that is reflected through the youth delegations as well. We all have this shared want for a more positive, better future."
Macleod says delegates are keen to see Voices of the Future make a bigger impact than in the past.
She says that previously it was a good opportunity for delegates, but somewhat tokenistic; the people did wonderful things, but few people took notice of what Apec's younger generation had to say.
"This year it provides a good platform as the Apec chair, our prime minister, is going to be handed the declaration and she is probably going to read it. We're trying to include provisions so that Apec takes further steps. We're discussing whether it is possible to have an advisory board. We want this to be a long-term thing."
● Shisla Macleod is a graduate policy analyst working for the NZ Customs Service in Wellington. She is part of the trade policy team and recently spent late nights observing as negotiators wrapped up the free trade agreement with the UK. Macleod went to Mount Albert Grammar and the University of Auckland. She spent her young years in Brazil, her mother's home country.
● Lit Wei Chin is a climate change and sustainability executive for Auckland Unlimited. He describes his role as centreing on projects to give the city a more climate resilient and low-carbon economy. Chin studied at Birkenhead College and has a geography BSc (Hons) from the University of Auckland.
● Sophie Handford was elected to the Kāpiti Coast District Council at the age of 18. She also works as MP support to Ōtaki MP Terisa Ngobi. She studied at Kāpiti College. Handford first came to national attention in 2019 as the co-ordinator of the School Strike 4 Climate. She wants to make sure young people's voices are used to help guide bigger conversations.
● Jess Jenkins works as national co-ordinator at Race Unity Aotearoa. Educated at Tawa College she has been accepted into Harvard University, but that is on hold for a year because of the pandemic. Last year, she won the Race Unity Speech Awards. Jenkins is membership chair of the multi-ethnic young leaders in New Zealand, a network of 18 to 35 year old social justice leaders.
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