Pacific youth

Pacific youth encouraged to get into tech

That's according to Mahuki, Te Papa museum's innovation accelerator hub which helps to develop innovative ideas into global digital businesses for the cultural sector.

Its outreach coordinator, Sulu Fiti, who is Samoan, said he stood out in the technology sector as it has so few brown people.

But he said that hadn't stopped him making his mark in a highly competitive sector.

"What I did and what I still do is attend meetups and you go there and find like-minded people. When I first started going there wasn't a lot of brown faces.

NZ course for Pacific Youth startups

The head of the Pacific Business Trust said a partnership with Massey University will encourage and support youth with startup ideas to become viable businesses by teaching them essential skills and creating new networks.

Kim Tuaine said the free three year programme is aimed at 16 to 26 year olds who want to develop their enterprise opportunities.

"The programme really is aimed at showing our young people, their families and our communities that business is a vocational pathway and it’s actually a kind of an important one given the global economy."

Million dollar research for pre-diabetes study on Pacific youth

Dr. Riz Firestone has been awarded almost $1 million from the Health Research Council to set up a programme involving Pacific youth in Auckland and South Waikato.

Pre-diabetes is a stage of higher blood glucose level that isn't high enough to be considered diabetes, but could lead to it if untreated. 

PRN reports the rate of pre-diabetes for Pacific youth is 13.6 per cent compared to 7 per cent for European youth.

Dr. Firestone says it's important to engage Pacific youth on this topic.

Māori and Pacific mental health research on offer

New Zealand has joined Global Alliance to provide a grant to find better strategies to support Maori and Pacific youth with mental health problems.

The Health Research Council's Kath McPherson said mental health outcomes continued to be inequitable in New Zealand.

She said the research was needed as a recent study in the New Zealand Medical Journal shows Pacific youth in this country are three times more likely to attempt suicide.

Pacific youth plead for better mental health support

The call has come from the Pacific Youth Parliament, which was set up to give young people a taste of how political decisions are made in New Zealand.

It coincided with the publication of a new study that found Pacific youth were three times more likely to attempt suicide than other ethnicities.

Evidence-based Policies key for Youth Development in the Pacific

As well as how to better incorporate these issues that will have an impact on youth development in the Pacific. 

In a recent ‘Evidence-based Policies for Youth Development in the Pacific’ training organized by the United Nations, the event gave participants an opportunity to strengthen their ability to formulate, monitor and review policies on youths using various methodologies and indicators.                       

Pacific focus on next generation leaders

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community says addressing youth unemployment is a crucial part of its focus on engaging youth in sustainable development.

Youth make up more than 50 percent of the region's population but the deputy director of social and economic development at the SPC says there is still a lack of programs addressing youth issues.

These include non-communicable disease, climate change, sexual health and rights, employment and the empowerment of girls and young women.

New Zealand Pasifika stand against suicide

Last Saturday, a suicide prevention Fono, organised by various community health groups, was held in the city, organised in conjunction with several organisations who work for the interests of Pacific youth including the Spirit of Rangatahi Charitable Trust.

While suicide or depression are not topics widely discussed by Pacific families, close to 300 people came together to hear how they could help the young people in the community deal with these issues.

The gathering included Tongan, Tokelaun, Cook Islands, Samoa, Niuean and other members of the community in Porirua.