Recently a group of Year 12 students had the opportunity to attend the White Ribbon Youth Ambassadors Leadership Programme hosted at Wellington College. The White Ribbon is a nationally recognised symbol against domestic violence, and the focus of the programme was to condemn and look for potential solutions to an internal problem in our country. Speeches were provided by a variety of more than qualified speakers, including politicians, relatives of and victims themselves, rehabilitated perpetrators and many others. The boys were additionally given an opportunity to devise a social event in which we could gather local support for the cause. However, the main theme of the day could be summed up in a single word: change. Three hundred high school students from around the lower-North Island were united, inspired, and motivated to instill this word in our respective communities as future adults, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and family members. A truly eye-opening experience, of which all of us were honoured to participate in. Thanks to Ciaran Carroll for this report.
