STRATUS

We were reminded of the absurdity of stereotypes, the power of vulnerability and the importance of living life with a purpose. All of this happened while being inspired by young go-getters and world changes from not just around New Zealand but also around the world at Festival for the Future. Festival for the future is an action-packed weekend that features a diverse range of inspiring speakers, hands-on workshops, performances, and entertainment. This festival is set to inspire young New Zealanders to realise their full potential to change the world.

I found a highlight of the conference being Daniel Flynn. Daniel Flynn is Managing Director and Co-founder of Thankyou, a social enterprise born in 2008 in response to the worldwide water crisis. Thankyou is set up as a business that uses 100% of the profits to fund projects overseas with the aim of eliminating global poverty by 2030. He began by telling us to turn to the person on the right and telling them to ‘get out,’ followed by telling the person on our left to ‘stay out.’ By the end of his talk he explained the meaning of this being to get out of your comfit-zone and that just when it gets tough you never give up but just strive through. Overall I thought that this was a great weekend that gave great opportunities for young New Zealanders to connect with each other as well as being inspired to make an impact.

Thank you to the Palmerston North City Council for their support.