Futures Trust - Book Launch: Our Country Our Choices

Ladies and gentleman, Our Country Our Choices is an exciting development in the continual drive to try and predict, shape and mould the future.

This publication, I think, echoes the sentiments in the quote:

This world wasnt given to us by our parents, but loaned to us by our children

What we do today, will impact on our children tomorrow.

As Minister of Youth Affairs I have some exciting future looking responsibilities. I believe Im looking after three distinct areas.

I have to look after and represent the youth of today.
I have to also ensure that the youth of today are going to have a safe and responsible New Zealand to live in when they are adults.
Finally, I have to create a positive environment for future young people to grow up in.
Im a future looking Minister, for future minded young people.

I too am currently looking to future planning. At the end of this year I will be calling a Youth Summit, to gather together as many stakeholders in the youth field, to discuss, plan and coordinate the development of youth policies and youth initiatives. I expect the outcome of this Summit to be a definitive plan for Youth - a vision for 2020

After all, most things that our young people do, are future minded, they are concerned about tomorrow, not necessarily yesterday.

The political hegemony and commercial market of today is focused on the individual. We have encouraged individual responsibility. We are continually seeing deterioration in the traditional family environment. And we are trying to ensure that the State only gets involved when it really has to.

Our drive, both in politics and in the commercial market, for individualism has many positive aspects. However, individualism is not the answer to everything. We must ensure that our young people especially, are supported, and encouraged to achieve their personal goals. This however needs to be achieved in tandem with the goals and values of their community, whether that be a community of interest or locality.

Communities of individuals can exist, but I believe they are very service focused, and tend to forget about what actually makes people tick. I therefore see that we must encourage and promote greater community participation, and community ownership of ideas, activities, policies and initiatives.

In publishing, Our Country, Our Choices, the Futures Trust has given New Zealanders a challenge to start planning for their future. I was especially keen to read about Philip McDermotts ideas about local government, and how we must ensure not only community participation in decision making, but we must foster an environment of community ownership.

I certainly see the way forward for young people, is to allow and encourage them to gain ownership of their communities, interest groups and ideas. One area where I certainly see this happening is the proposed Youth Radio Network. If young people are involved in this project, and take ownership, then I believe that this fantastic scheme will be unstoppable - because the owners, who are the stakeholders, really believe in what they are doing and why they are doing it.

We need to ensure that we have enabled, and empowered young people to take an active part in their development and their community. We must allow there to be a forum for young people to have a voice, and, that voice must be listened to.

I wish the Futures Trust all the best with the publication of this book. Not only is this a book, but hopefully the ignition of a debate about where New Zealand will be in 2020. I would like to see this as the start of a process into future planning, and for all organisations to think about what they want to achieve and where they want to be heading in the year 2020.

I am keen to be involved in future debates, and would encourage you all to promote and engage in debate on the concepts developed by Malcolm Menzies and his team at Futures Trust.

While doing this though, we must still look after our young people today, because they are going to be the adult generation participating in society in 2020. We still have much to do today, and young people must live their youth to its full potential. It is the most important, and probably the most fun part of your life.

Mahia nga mahi kei tamariki ana.

Make the most of your time while you are still young.