Your Say: Gen Z voices are crucial, so let’s listen
Thursday, 8 February 2024
Nate Wilbourne, 15, is a student and environmental activist.
OPINION: I recently founded my own youth-led organisation, Gen-Z Aotearoa, because I believe that as a country we need more of what rangatahi have to offer: fresh ideas and important perspectives.
Rangatahi (young people) are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the leaders of today.
Yet living in a country with political leaders who don’t care about us or our planet makes the future look not all that inspiring. It’s a no-brainer that so many of us flee the country once we leave high school.
Rangatahi are only about 30% of our population, but we’re 100% of the future, and it’s only right that we get a say on it.
Trying to fix the issues that were started by the same people in the same rooms, using the same solutions, isn’t working – and it’s not going to. We need systemic change that allows diverse voices and perspectives to be heard.
Every decision made and bill passed by those in government is going to have an impact on society. Some of these impacts will be felt sooner than others.
Climate change is a different story. While the effects of it are already being felt now, the worst of it is yet to come. Our planet will continue to heat, and the majority of our politicians won’t be around to feel the drastic effects of that. But rangatahi will be.
It’s unjust that politicians who won’t experience the worst of climate change are the ones making the vital decisions about it.
Rangatahi have the ideas, passion and commitment to create positive change. The issue is that we lack representation in the areas that truly matter.
By empowering young people in Aotearoa, we at Gen-Z Aotearoa hope to change that. Through having a range of voices discussing the issues that matter most to Generation Z, we hope to transform the energy we build online into on-the-ground mahi.
Our Government has told us that we can talk about the issues we care about, and it acknowledges that the decisions made today will have an impact on us. Yet, there are policies that jeopardise our future. This is a disregard of our needs and shows little respect for us.
Our voices must be heard. If needed, we will continue to walk out of school to fight for justice, call MPs out for their harmful policies, and hold them accountable for every single decision they make.
Why? Because we need change, and we’re willing to fight for it.