DIGITAL ADVOCACY PILOT

Young people are often told they are the future. We believe they should help shape it.

2025/2026, Youth Voices Action launched the Youth Digital Advocacy Pilot with the support of J R McKenzie Trust, a youth-led project designed to give rangatahi the tools, skills, and platform to explore complex issues, share lived experiences, and lead conversations about system change that they were interested in.

What started as an idea became something much bigger.

Working alongside survivors, advocates, researchers, community leaders, and decision-makers, our rangatahi produced a six-part digital series, published original research, facilitated a cross-party political discussion, and reached more than 300,000 people through digital content.

The project centred around our youth-led campaign, Coerce the System, Not Each Other, which explored justice, safety, coercive control, healthy relationships, survivor experiences, and the role young people can play in creating change.

What We Achieved:

• Trained and supported more than 15 rangatahi through hands-on advocacy, research, media, and leadership opportunities
• Produced six youth-led digital episodes featuring survivors, advocates, and experts
• Published original research informed by New Zealand data and youth perspectives
• Hosted a live political panel with MPs from across Parliament
• Reached more than 300,000 people through digital content and social media
• Created a youth-led platform for ongoing advocacy and system change

What We Learned:

• The strongest engagement came from authentic stories shared by young people and survivors with lived experience.

• We learned that when rangatahi are trusted with real responsibility, supported with the right tools, and given access to decision-makers, they can lead meaningful conversations about some of the most complex issues facing our communities.

• The pilot also showed that there is significant demand for youth-led content that is honest, evidence-informed, and focused on solutions.