About JustSpeak
JustSpeak is a non-partisan network of young people speaking to, and speaking up for a new generation of thinkers who want change in our criminal justice system.
JustSpeak was formed in 2011 as a youth branch of Rethinking Crime and Punishment. We are made up of a Steering Group and an ever growing group of JustSpeakers (that's you!). JustSpeak aims to empower young people from all walks of life to think independently and speak out about justice issues that they care about or affect them. We are working for change through innovation, a sense of urgency and a belief that we can achieve a more just Aotearoa. JustSpeak is founded on the following whakatauki: Mā te tika o te toki, o te tangere, me te tohu o te panaho, ka pai te tere o te waka i ngā momo moana katoa. By designing and shaping the keel of the waka to perfection, your canoe will overcome obstacles. The whakatauki articulates the need to design the keel of JustSpeak to perfection, so that the group can overcome obstacles, and maintain a durable voice in the criminal justice conversation. The whakatauki also points to the need for the keel of a bigger waka – the criminal justice system – to be designed carefully, so that it can provide a sustainable vehicle to rehabilitate and reintegrate members of society. Check out hot topics on the blog Our KaupapaOur approach is two-fold:
Building a strong community of just speakers by fostering learning, independent and critical thinking, discussion and action. Actively including people from all walks of life and valuing the interest, knowledge and experience that people bring with them. Speaking out and up, to the wider community and to decision-makers, without fear of insignificance or ignorance about problems and possible solutions in the criminal justice sector. Speaking out and up about how to make Aotearoa more just. The way we do things…. We are youthful. We own the fact that we are a new generation. Young people are seldom heard, but are often the most vulnerable, when it comes to the criminal justice system. We want to claim the rightful place of this generation in the criminal justice conversation and at the decision-making table. We are positive, active and informed. Heaps of the criminal justice conversations are reactionary and polarized. We encourage an open-minded and informed discourse, which is based on evidence and experience of what works in the criminal justice sector. We are inclusive. Many people are not heard on important decisions in the criminal justice sector, especially those most directly affected. We welcome everyone and actively encourage individuals and communities to join our waka. |
Our Objectives:
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