The ‘You are a legend... What will be your legacy?’ was the theme of the International Youth Week event held by the Shakti Youth Ambassadors Network in conjunction with Ara Taiohi recently at Nathan Homestead Arts Centre in Manurewa, Auckland. Around 20 young people, from a variety of ethnicities and communities, gathered to hear some amazing speakers and showcase their artistic skills.
Carol Beaumont, List MP for Labour opened the event by acknowledging the importance of young people engaging in social change and how social change can only be created through collective partnerships. The participants at the event took part in an interactive discussion about the issues young people, especially young women and girls from Asian, Middle Eastern and African communities in New Zealand face.
These issues included dowry abuse, forced marriage, underage marriage, honour based violence (and killings) and the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Intersex) issues faced by young people from these communities.
The discussions led to some consequences of these issues such as mental health, physical health and the discontinuing of education