The myth of directionless young New Zealanders

The myth of directionless young New Zealanders.

A 19 year-old CEO selling vegan cosmetics to fund sight-restoring operations in the Pacific Islands.

Young people creating a programme to improve the mental well-being of high school rugby players.

20-somethings so passionate about the society-changing power of fun movement that they’re holding a pre-work weekday dance party for charity.
Two young people from South Auckland whose venture aims to change the way society thinks about work.

A team of young kiwis raising awareness of our mindless use of plastic by going on an expedition in a plastic bottle kayak.

These are just a few of the young social entrepreneurs we at the charity Inspiring Stories work with, who are absolutely amping to change the world. They’re creative, innovative, smart, and determined.

Statistics New Zealand told us recently that New Zealanders aged 15-24 have less of a sense of purpose than older people. That they’re less happy. And looking around at the state of the world that young people have been left, we can see why they feel that way.

But this generation of young people also cares more deeply than any generation before it about social justice, conscious consumerism, and doing good through their work - not just making money.

So how do we help young New Zealanders connect those passions with a sense of purpose? To help them see that it’s not a hopeless case, and they can change things?

Here’s one way: we've just launched tickets for the fifth annual Festival for the Future, New Zealand’s most epic event for young social innovators aged under 30.

From 4-6 September 2015 in Auckland, 400 young people from all walks of life will come together for a weekend of speakers, workshops, creativity, entertainment, and food. They’ll get inspired, and learn the tools needed, to change the world. They’ll meet other people who feel just like them. And then they’ll leave Festival for the Future primed to act.

How do we know? Because some of thousands of young people who have attended previously tell us it’s been a weekend that changed their lives.

Saying young people don’t have purpose and just accepting that, is lazy. We meet, every week, young people who are so determined to change things that they’re starting their own social ventures and enterprises to get it done themselves. They just need to know it’s possible, and a bit of help to get started.

Festival for the Future is run by the charity, Inspiring Stories, which is headed by 2015 Young New Zealander of the Year, Guy Ryan.

Early bird tickets are now on sale.

We also opened scholarship applications, to give full funding to 50 young New Zealanders who can’t afford to attend Festival for the Future . We’ve extended an invitation to every decile 1 high school principal in New Zealand to shoulder tap students to apply, though other applications are welcome. We think an invitation to create a better society should be open to everyone.

We have so many stories to tell you about young New Zealanders bucking the stereotypes - including previous Festival for the Future scholarship recipients from all regions of New Zealand.

Call or email us to speak to one of them, or to talk about how we’ll help young New Zealanders connect passion with purpose at #FFTF15.

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