About the current group

The current Young Peoples' Reference Group (YPRG) is made up of 10 young people, aged 13 to 18 years, who come from different parts of New Zealand.

Kia ora, hello, and warm Pacific greetings from the Young People’s Reference Group

The YPRG are a diverse group of young people from all over New Zealand/Aotearoa. The group is made up of Farryn Crawford (Southland), Ella Edginton (Lower Hutt), Anaru Joseph (Christchurch), Hollis Knight (Dunedin), Jayran Mansouri (Auckland), Rici-Jo Peters (East Coast), Katherine Rees (Auckland), Joshua Saua (Palmerston North), Conor Young (Auckland), and Rosie Williams (Wellington).

The new group meets throughout the year and contributes to the work of Office of the Children's Commissioner.

WHO ARE WE / KO WAI MATOU?

* Ten young people from different parts of Aotearoa New Zealand
* The oldest person is 18 years old
* The youngest person is 13 years old

The current 10 members of the YPRG are:

* Farryn Crawford
* Rosie Williams
* Ella Edginton
* Anaru Joseph
* Hollis Knight
* Jayran Mansouri
* Rici-Jo Peters
* Katherine Rees
* Joshua Saua
* Conor Young

WHAT IS OUR ROLE / HE AHA TE KAUPAPA O TENEI ROOPU?

We:

* help OCC make decisions about the work it does
* talk to OCC and help them find out what’s happening with children and young people in our communities
* we explore children's and young people's rights and what they mean in New Zealand.

WHAT DOES THE YPRG DO?/KO WAI MATOU?

As we progress through our two-year term we continue to advise the Children's Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro, on issues that affect young people in New Zealand. She values our contribution in shaping the work of her Office. In addition to this consultation work we enjoy engaging with other young people, government and non-government organisations as well as our local schools, communities, iwi and peers.

Outside of meetings, we are each active in supporting children and young people within our own regions.
We would also love to hear from you to find out what’s happening with you and your friends. Feel free to drop us a line – we look forward to talking to you.

Email us at children@occ.org.nz.


ROSIE WILLIAMS:

* 17 year old from Wellington
* Thinks that things like sexuality, family history and knowing what you’re good at are important issues for kids in Aotearoa New Zealand
* Believes it’s very hard for young people to have the opportunity to express themselves where there’s so much pressure from the media, the public and peers to be somebody you’re not.

FARRYN CRAWFORD:

My name is Farryn Crawford. I'm 15 and I live in a tiny place way down near the bottom of the South Island called Waikoikoi (near Gore). We are on the border of Otago and Southland. I go to a small rural, Yr 7-13 school called Blue Mountain College, with about 250 other students. I live with my Dad, Mum and two sisters, Elisse and Cassie.

I play netball, tennis, touch and of course being a real southerner, I love to play girl's rugby! I also play the drums and learn dance. I was really excited when I got accepted to be part of the YPRG because it meant I would be able to be a representative for children and teenagers that go to small rural schools and live in rural areas, so that our needs and ideas don't get forgotten.

ELLA EDGINTON:

Ella Edginton is seventeen years old and lives in Lower Hutt. She is a Year 13 student at Sacred Heart College where she studies Painting, Design, Chemistry, Biology and English. Ella enjoys debating (both formally and informally), and as well as competing at the Premier A level also coaches two junior debating teams.

Outside of school Ella's interest are many and varied. She is involved in a youth group in the Hutt Valley and also has a strong interest in social justice and development which has led her to work at Trade Aid and be involved with Amnesty International. She also enjoys art, filmmaking, riding her scooter, reading, and browsing dictionary.com

Ella believes that to many of our young people are under achieving because of a lack of motivation, guidance and self-determination. She thinks we live in a culture where, perhaps because they are not valued as highly as they should be, young people do not feel inspired to achieve well, and so far tend to fall into easy traps of poor decision making, resulting in destructive behavior like drinking alcohol, taking drugs and getting involved with gangs.

ANARU JOSEPH:

Ko Rangitoto te maunga
Ko Waipa te awa
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Maniapoto te iwi
Ko Anaru ahau

Hi I'm Anaru Joseph, I am sixteen years old and I am from Christchurch. I enjoy league play station 2 and my favourite is xbox 360. I am doing a sport course at the moment, which I enjoy. I also enjoy art, mainly graffiti and mural types.

I think some of the most important issues for youth at the moment are drugs and alcohol because it has dramatic affects on youth behaviour. Drugs and alcohol also give reason for stereotyping of youth and lots of unprovoked violence that is going on in Christchurch.

RICI-JO PETERS:

Ko Hikurangi te Maunga
Ko Waiapu te Awa
Ko Horouta te Waka
Ko Ngatiporau te Iwi
Ko Rici-Jo Peters ahau

I am 13 years old from Waipiro Bay, East Coast. I am Ngati Porou and Ngati Wai.

I attend Te Kura kaupapa Maori o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou, Ruatorea, before this I went to Nga Kura Kaupapa Maori o Waipiro and Harataunga, Kennedy Bay, Corromandel, and Maungarongo, Tamaki Makaurau.

I enjoy going to Kura and the three Marae at our Bay, Kie Kie, Taharora and Iritkeura, mainly because my whanau go there a lot for different hui and its an opportunity to see my cousins.
We usually spend our time swimming, surfing at the beach or play guitar at the Marae, it's a lot of fun.

My Maoritanga and our reo rangatira is a special gift that I treasure and I believe it is important to know who you are in your world and know your whakapapa including your Maunga and Awa, and your place in your hapu and Iwi, and know you belong somewhere.

I enjoy music and playing guitar, I would like to learn the drums. I also like playing all sports, and I do enjoy Kapa Haka.

JOSHUA SAUA:

Talofa! My name is Joshua Saua and I’m currently completing 6th form at Palmerston North Boys’ High School. I have grown up in “The best of both worlds” so to speak, being half Samoan and half Kiwi. I have also grown up with the groundings of a Christian family. I would like to think I am a very diverse person and keep an open mind when it comes to other people and their experiences.

I’m largely involved with school and community life; being a member of Yellow Ribbon (peer support) and the Palmerston North Youth Council. I also enjoy rugby, being a member of the 1st and 2nd XV.

I believe it is very important for all youth to have a supportive family, especially as correct decisions and encouragement is needed in such developing times.

I also believe that having a supportive family is only one of the three cornerstones in a person’s life, along with education and the friends or other people we associate with.

CONOR YOUNG:

You have chosen to read Conor Young's profile. Good Choice.

Wotcher! I'm Conor Young, a West Aucklander and part time bread seller. I'm sixteen and am currently in Year 12 at Green Bay High School.

I have a huge variety of interests, which can be irritating, as I'm trying to find time for them all. I really like natural science, and am an environmentalist (well, naturally... pun intended). I find many cultures fascinating, such as French (which I am learning at school) and Japanese (which I am not learning at school, but still find interesting).

I am part of Amnesty International at school incredible fun.

Aside from many academic interests, I also do Aikido, a martial art, and enjoy many sports such as rock climbing, and gymnastics.

I am a performer, and love both acting and dancing, which I am able to do at school. I find much inspiration from the Monty Python boys, and other English comedians like Hugh Laurie, Rowan Atkinson, Peter Cook and Dylan Moran, by he's Irish.

I play an unusual instrument (well at least round here it's unusual), the Japanese drum or 'Taiko.' It's a combination of both dancing and song - top stuff.

Well, that's it from me, so wishing you a good day, unless of course it's the evening, in which case bonsoir, or if it's late at night, boone nuit, and if it's 3 in the morning, I suggest you go to bed.

HOLLIS KNIGHT:

As you have probably already gathered I am Hollis and I am 13. I am the representative from Dunedin. My main interests are looking at the issues of bullying, prejudice attitudes, bad role models and that area in general.

I think that it is important for kids to know that they can talk to a teacher or an adult about bullying or other issues they have, without being scared of being beaten up or taunted for telling on them.

No reira tena koutou Tena koutou tena tatou katoa

KATHERINE REES:

My name is Katherine Rees and I am in Year 11 at Mount Roskill Grammar School
in Auckland. I am involved in many school activities such as Future Problem Solving and I am also a Mediator.

I am half French and speak French fluently. I am greatly involved with CCS in working to promote a better quality of life for people with disabilities as I believe this is a very important aspect of society that needs to be improved because I experience first hand some of the struggles people with disabilities face because of barriers they encounter on a daily basis.

I believe that the most important issues for young people living in New Zealand today are how we seem to replicate so much of what we see on TV is nothing like the ‘real’ New Zealand and I feel that the unique aspects of New Zealand culture are being lost and that this should be changed.

JAYRAN MANSOURI:

My name is Jayran Mansouri and I have just started year 10 at St. Mary's College. I am fourteen years old, and I have a wide range of interests, some of which include shopping, local government and world politics, science fiction books, ice-skating and chocolate. I have been involved with Provoke for one year, Just Focus for two years and Auckland City Youth Council for two years, so my background is in youth advocacy and participation.