Hugely Successful Camp Aims to Make the World a Better Place

Feb 2021

By Frank Neill

Well over 220 young people aged under 30 years, all with a vision to make the world a better place, converged on this town for the Ōtaki Summer Camp, which ran from 22 to 25 January.

The camp, which gave those attending the opportunity to explore ways to improve a series of issues facing New Zealand, proved highly successful.

The fourth camp in the series, it was “just as successful as the other” camps that came before it, says Adrian Leason, one of the organisers.

And the 2021 camp was the biggest so far.

“It is only made possible by the generosity of the Ōtaki community,” Mr Leason says.

Ōtaki organisations and people donated goods, including fruit and vegetables, donated their skills and loaned the camp organisers equipment for the event.

As well as local business, non-profit organisations also assisted, including Waitohu School, the Ōtaki Surf Lifesaving Club, Te Wānanga o Raukawa and Te Kura-ā-iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano.

“I sense great hope in this room,” said keynote speaker and famous journalist John Campbell during the opening keynote speech on 22 January.

“I sense great hope that there are people who want to make something happen.”

Our job, Mr Campbell said, is to “change the world”, so that the children who live in the same city we do have “radically different” lives.

“I just want you to believe that you can make the difference. Our generation hasn’t.

“I look at the room and I believe in you.

“I don’t think you would be here if you didn’t want to make the world a better place.

“I think you can change the world and I think you have the determination to do it.”

Mr Campbell gave the camp goers a series of recommendations.

“Be singular. Be tenacious. Be hard working. If you are down, get up. Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer from anyone you don’t respect.

“Trust yourselves. Understand that you can change the world and that you can make it a better place.”

Those attending the camp came with a series of community issues important to them. For some it was climate change, and those attending included climate change strikers from secondary schools. For some it was racial equity issues. For others it was child poverty. For others it was housing. For others it was criminal justice reform. For others it was distributive justice. And the list goes on.

As well as the keynote speakers, there were workshop activities, and also chances to build networks for future social action.

This camp would prove itself mainly over the years to come, said well-known author and investigative journalist Nicky Hagar, who is also one of the camp’s organisers.

Having people who want to speak up about social issues where change is needed is “very powerfully important,” he said in his speech to the camp.

“This room is full of people who are going to make a difference in this country.”

Mr Hagar emphasised the importance of networking and building relationships when people were seeking to improve things in society.

“We believe that getting good people together leads to good things.

“Change comes from the combined efforts of people. By working together they can achieve more.”

Initiatives that have come from the last three camps already promised to lead to change that will make our world a better place for everyone. “Connections have happened and political action has begun,” Mr Hagar said.

An excellent piece of advice came from keynote speaker Laura O'Connell Rapira (Te Ātiawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whakaue). Laura is a grassroots activist, community organiser, speaker and leader, well known for her leadership of ActionStation. ActionStation’s mission is to tautoko (support) and whakamana (uplift) everyday New Zealanders to act together in powerful and co-ordinated ways to create what we cannot achieve on our own: a society, economy and democracy that serves all of us – everyday people and Papatūānuku, the planet we love.

“If we can make the issue one that is not a party political issue, but an issue that affects all New Zealanders, then we have a chance of success,” she said.

“It’s about identifying the levers we need to push to create change.”

While at the camp, the Ōtaki Mail spoke to three of the young people: Kelly Ngan from Wellington, Ethan Reille from Oamaru and Nicholas Dewhurst from Waikanae.

Kelly, who was on the school strike for climate, has a particular focus on climate change issues.

“I think it is so important for us to focus on this issue that is going to affect us and future generations,” she said.

We need to be “putting pressure on the government by writing letters and making submissions”.

She is also doing her part by talking to people about the issue, by taking public transport and by riding her bike. Also, “I really don’t like wasting food,” she adds.

Climate action is also a focus for Ethan, who was on the school strike for climate too.

It was important, he said, to pay attention to the “justice aspects of climate change”.

That included respecting and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and respecting our Pacific neighbours “so they can migrate [to New Zealand] with dignity and also so they can hold onto a sense of their culture.”

Nicholas, who goes to Palmerston North Boys High School, also has solving the climate crisis as a major personal goal.

“I think we can help solve the climate crisis using innovative technologies. We are going to need to find a way to capture carbon from the atmosphere.”

One technology that could be used is marine permaculture. Seaweed can be used to capture carbon, and can do it both really efficiently and really quickly, he says.

The Ōtaki Summer Camp has been “great,” Kelly says.

“I really enjoyed listening to all the speakers.”

“It’s a good opportunity for us to all meet from our different backgrounds and explore the different issues we all care about,” Ethan adds.