'Beacon Of Leadership': Young Politician Hopes Award Will Inspire Youth

Saturday, 26 October 2024, 7:47 pm
Article: Mary Afemata - Local Democracy Reporter

Young Māori leader and West Auckland advocate Dr Will Flavell says he is humbled to receive an award for his work and he hopes it inspires future leaders.

Flavell received the Young Elected Members award from Local Government New Zealand last Friday night, 18 October.

"I feel quite ecstatic. It was a very humbling experience," Flavell, deputy chair of the Henderson-Massey Local Board, said.

The annual award recognises outstanding elected officials aged under 40 and was voted for by his peers across the motu.

Flavell is into his fourth term of local politics. When he first ran for the local board in 2013, he said there was a strong need for diverse leaders.

"There were no Māori, there were no Pacific, and there was no one under the age of 50 years old.

"If you look where I live in West Auckland, we are 22 percent Pasifika, 19 percent Māori, 20 percent Asian, and 40 percent under the age of 24 years old."

At the time, he was a secondary school teacher and admits it was a scary experience.

"It was an environment that I had never been in before. But I had the urge to want to proudly represent our young people in our Māori [and] Pacific communities.

"And so it was a little shocking at first when I got elected.

"The environment was a little bit intimidating as well. But I'm very used to it now," he says.

Since then, he has seen a strong emergence of young Māori and Pacific leaders in local government.

In the 2022 local government elections, more than 30 councils had Māori seats.

"We saw an explosion of more young Māori coming through and representing their communities.

"That's really important because that means more role models, Māori role models.

"Being a role model is really important for me."

With his doctorate in education, he aims to show young people that they can achieve the highest levels in academia and local government.

Diverse experiences, ages, ethnicities, and genders are essential for decision-making at council table, so they reflect their communities, he says.

"That's why it's important to have more Māori and Pasifika in these leadership roles so that they can inspire generations coming through."

Flavell says mentoring is important and he has several people he can turn to for advice, including his mother who held senior positions in the education system.

"She was the first person in our family to get a university degree and is well respected by communities. That's really important to me," he says.

"I have an open door policy and I encourage more young people to step up.

"I often hear people say that our young people are the leaders of tomorrow. And I absolutely disagree with that. Our young people are the leaders of now and the architects of tomorrow."

The Young Elected Members Conference is for local government representatives under 40, addressing the historical shortage of young council representatives.

YEM representative and Invercargill councillor Alex Crackett presented the award at the Young Leaders hui in Christchurch.

"Will has been a beacon of leadership and advocacy, making a difference for diverse communities and inspiring many along the way. He has also been a strong advocate for Māori, Pasifika, and youth voices."

Flavell hopes the award inspires more young people, especially Māori and Pasifika, to stand for elections.

"I don't necessarily come from a political whānau or background ... I come from a small rural beach town, I grew up in Waipū.

"It's an award for young people that hopefully gives them the motivation and encouragement to stand as proud advocates for their own respective communities."

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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