Young leaders Programmes
UnionAID’s young leaders programmes bring young community leaders from Myanmar, Eastern Indonesia and Mindanao to Aotearoa/New Zealand every year. Participants learn about community development, democratic processes, Māori development, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, conflict resolution, sustainable development, gender justice and human rights.
Our programmes aim to build networks of highly skilled leaders who help contribute to the peaceful and just development of their communities and countries.
Stories from our young leaders
INSPIRASI 2026
UnionAID, with partners the Auckland University of Technology, BaKTI and the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta, is delighted to welcome the eighth cohort of East Indonesia Young Leaders to the
Finding home: Mindanao Young Leaders’ Indigenous Connections at Ōrongomai Marae
When the 2025 cohort of the Mindanao Young Leaders Programme were called onto the marae ātea of Ōrongomai Marae in Upper Hutt through pōwhiri for noho marae (3-day stay), they
Welcoming the 2025 Mindanao Young Leaders cohort
Welcome to the 2025 Mindanao Young Leaders cohort who have had a whirlwind couple of weeks in Wellington, starting with a mihi whakatau from NZEI Te Riu Roa & NZCTU
Cambodia Laos Young Leaders – 2025 cohort
UnionAID, with partners, the Khmer Farmer Products (KFP) in Cambodia, the Participatory Development Knowledge Agency (PAKA) in the Lao PDR and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), are excited to welcome
Welcoming the 2025 Indonesia Young Leaders cohort
Nau mai haere mai to the 2025 Indonesia Young Leaders cohort who kicked off their Aotearoa journey last week! It was a week of warm welcomes, from a moving pōwhiri on
Job vacancy: Mindanao Young Leaders Programme Coordinator (Events)
UnionAID is seeking an energetic and organised Programme Coordinator to help deliver our Mindanao Young Leaders Programme (MinYLP). This is a unique opportunity to support the next generation of civil