Far North Mayor Moko Tepania receives One Young World’s Politician of the Year award

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania performs a pukana at the One Young World summit in Belfast.

A major international award for encouraging youth in politics has been presented to Far North Mayor Moko Tepania in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Tepania (33) (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangāroa, Te Rarawa) was presented with the One Young World Politician of the Year award - in front of hundreds from more than 190 countries - at the One Young World summit in Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

Te Kahika o Te Hiku o te Ika (mayor) Tepania was one of five One Young World award winners globally who were recognised as outstanding politicians aged 18 to 35 who are making a positive impact on young people.

The annual summit convenes the globe’s brightest young leaders working to accelerate social impact, from 190 countries and 250 organisations.

This year’s four-day early October Belfast summit saw global leaders speaking on various topics. They included Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan; singer, songwriter, author and political activist Sir Bob Geldof and former Colombian President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos.

Kaikohe-based Tepania, made history in 2022 when he was elected as the Far North’s youngest and first Māori mayor. Award judges recognised this and that he made history in 2019 when he was elected for the first time as Far North District Council’s youngest politician.

Tepania has recently completed a Master of Education with first-class honours, his dissertation was on the use of Maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar) in education.

He was praised by award judges for how he had used his position and teaching background to strengthen youth involvement in politics.

Education has long been one of Tepania’s drivers.

His work as a teacher at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe has had a major influence on students, who were among 700 people at a pōwhiri for the newly-elected Far North District Council at Waitangi Treaty Grounds in October last year.

Moko Tepania with fellow delegates. Photo / Moko Tepania

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe Year 13 student, Koby Kelleher, was among more than 100 young people from half a dozen Far North kura who attended the pōwhiri.

Kelleher said Tepania had been an inspiration as a teacher at his school.

“It shows us what might be possible,” Kelleher, who was 17 at the time, said.

Speaking at the pōwhiri, Ngāti Hine leader Waihoroi Shortland said Tepania had long been a leader. He was fulfilling the wishes of his forebears in his new mayoral role.

Tepania is currently Northland’s Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) board member.

His national leadership participation to date also includes as LGNZ’s young elected members’ committee chairman and as a national executive member of LGNZ subcommittee, Te Maruata, a collective of Māori working in local government.

The other four One Young World Politician of the Year award winners of the 2023 Politician of the Year award are from Australia, Belgium, Canada and Nepal.

■ Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air