What does it take to turn Rights into Reality for Tamariki?

"When we offer real chances, real support and real belief, we open the door for rangatahi to choose a different future, one grounded in dignity, belonging and opportunity."

- Courtney, Youth Advisory Panellist

Rangatahi and Dr Claire Achmad, Chief Children's Commissioner.

Through the “Our Voices Matter: turning rights into reality" webinar, Ngā Rangatira Mō Āpōpō invited us into something deeply personal.

Their stories.

Their realities.

Their vision for a better future.

The rangatahi created the Bill of Rights for Tamariki Impacted by Whānau Incarceration as a foundation for tamariki to understand their rights, and a consultation document to guide policy.

So, what does it actually take to turn their rights into reality?

"Know and Understand"

"My lived experience isn't something I carry as a weight, it's something that guides me, it shapes how I see our systems, our communities and the strength that our young people hold." - Courtney, Youth Advisory Panellist

They spoke of a justice system that often feels distant, where decisions are made about young people, not with them.

"Above all, the systems must shift from doing things to young people to doing things with them, valuing their lived experience and giving them genuine influence and shared power. " - Courtney

What this looks like in practice:

• Use language that young people understand

• Explain processes clearly

• Embed trauma-informed practice across all roles

• Centre strengths and connection

• Give rangatahi real agency in decision-making

"Be Included"

"When you're not included, it can feel like you don't matter. Like things are being done to you and not with you. For young people with a parent in prison, this happens a lot." - Trent, Youth Advisory Panellist.

Rangatahi spoke about the impact of exclusion. And too often, decisions are made about where rangatahi live, who they see, and how they’re supported without their input.

What real inclusion looks like:

• Actively asking for youth input

• Creating spaces where young people feel safe to ask questions

• Involving young people in decisions that shape their lives

"Inclusion isn't complicated, it just starts with respect."

"Support"

"The trauma of having a whānau member imprisoned can greatly affect the mental health of the whole whānau. In different ways, this affects every aspect of life. Sometimes it happens is so quick and instantaneous that many whānau don't really get to process what happened, or don't feel like they have the right to." - Charlotte, Youth Advisory Panellist.

Rangatahi spoke repeatedly of the ripple effects across the entire whānau.

They described the isolation, lack of clear pathways to support in crisis, and the challenge of navigating systems alone.

"Imagine having someone by your side when your only support person is gone, you won't feel lost in what to do next.” - Cheevanah, Youth Advisory Panellist

What this looks like in practice:

• Access to no-cost mental health support

• Clear communication about available services to the entire whānau

• Coordinated support across agencies

• Long-term, consistent care

"Support should never depend on where you come from...or what challenges you face. It should be a basic right for everyone." - Tyreace, Youth Advisory Panellist

"Be Happy and Safe"

Stigma was a reoccurring experience for rangatahi. They described being judged, misunderstood, or defined by what has happened around them.

With that, they were conclusive about what safety should feel like:

“To speak truthfully through lived experience without being dismissed, silenced, or made to feel like my experiences aren't real.

To feel safe, to be myself and to grow into my own person without being shaped by the choices made around me.

To be seen as a person with potential and not just my circumstances."

- Youth Advisory Panellist

What this means for practice:

• Challenge deficit-based narratives

• Recognise strength, identity and potential

• Create emotionally and culturally safe environments

"A Positive Future"

Bravely, the rangatahi shared the realities of parental incarceration:

“People don’t see the confusion, the anger, the sadness… the empty space that person leaves.”

And the ripple effects:

“The justice system punishes one person, but the pain spreads through the whole family.”

They painted a vulnerable picture of the separation's emotional impact, short visits that strain relationships and the lack of communication.

"That is why is it important to know and understand our rights, our whānau and our voices. Families deserve communication, respect, and support during difficult times. Families deserve opportunities to rebuild themselves. And families deserve the chance to heal together instead of being torn apart." - R., Youth Advisory Panellist

They challenged us to rethink what a “positive future” actually means.

It's a future grounded in dignity, connection and healing through positive relationships.

What this looks like in practice and policy:

• Stronger opportunities for family connection

• Support for whole whānau, not just individuals

• Clear communication with tamariki

• Shared understanding of tamariki and whānau rights

• Proactive pathways for education and mentorship

They shared honestly about moments where their lives were being shaped but their voices were absent. When young people are excluded, they're left trying to make sense of decisions that deeply affect them.

"When agencies don't share this sort of information. It's us (young people) who fall through the cracks. Support becomes inconsistent. Disconnected and it's harder to access. So instead of feeling supported, it can feel like we're navigating literally everything on own." - Tayshon, Youth Advisory Panellist

A positive future, as rangatahi described it, is not something abstract. But it’s something shaped every day by the support, opportunities, and decisions around them.

"It means being empowered to have a say in decisions that affect us and being supported to choose our own huarahi (path), not one that set up before us.

It means systems that don't just respond to harm but actively invest in our potential.

It means recognising that when you support one tamaiti, you are shaping the future of our whole whānau and generations to come." - Tayshon

A Collective Responsbility

Across all kōrero, the messages were clear:

Rangatahi must be included in decisions about their lives.

They deserve clear communication about what impacts them.

They ask for access to consistent, long-term support.

Their stories are not isolated experiences.

They reflect system-level gaps, and most importantly, opportunities to better support tamariki and whānau.