Growing the Next Generation of Pacific Governors

What would happen if Pacific young people were introduced to governance before they ever stepped into a boardroom?

Over two evenings, Tapasā partnered with Pacifica Arts Centre and governance leader Caren Rangi ONZM to deliver The Governance Game - an interactive learning experience designed to introduce rangatahi to governance through a Pacific wayfinding lens.

With participants ranging from 13 to 30 years old, the room was filled with future leaders from across our communities. Some had never heard the term governance before. Others were curious about how boards, committees, trusts, and organisations make decisions that impact the lives of Pacific people every day.

Across Aotearoa, there is growing recognition that decision-making tables need younger and more diverse voices. Yet many Pacific young people are never given opportunities to learn what governance is, how boards operate, or how to confidently contribute in these spaces.

The result is a gap between wanting youth representation and preparing young people to step into those roles.

The Governance Game seeks to change that.

Rather than learning through presentations and theory alone, participants became part of vaka crews navigating a race across the ocean. Along the journey, they explored the six key responsibilities of governance through concepts deeply familiar to Pacific peoples: setting a destination, creating shared rules, building strong relationships, monitoring progress, managing risks, and working collectively towards a common goal.

The brilliance of the Governance Game is that it reminds us governance is not a new concept. Long before boardrooms existed, our ancestors governed communities, resources, relationships, and journeys across the Pacific. Successful navigation required vision, accountability, collective responsibility, strategic thinking, and trust - many of the same skills required of strong decision-makers today.

Throughout the two nights, rangatahi worked together to make decisions, solve challenges, navigate competing priorities, and experience first-hand what it means to lead with others towards a shared purpose. There was laughter, healthy competition, critical thinking, and meaningful conversations about leadership, influence, and the role governance plays in shaping the future of our communities.

For Tapasā, this kaupapa is about more than understanding how boards work. It is about building a pipeline of future Pacific governors.

The decisions made around board tables influence funding, policies, services, opportunities, and outcomes for our communities. If we want Pacific perspectives represented in those decisions, we cannot wait until young people are adults before introducing them to governance. We need to start now.

By creating spaces where governance is culturally grounded, accessible, and engaging, rangatahi are able to build confidence, understand how decisions are made, and recognise that their voices belong in these spaces. Governance should not feel intimidating or out of reach. It should feel like a natural extension of the leadership our communities have always practised.

We are incredibly grateful to Caren Rangi ONZM for sharing her knowledge, wisdom, and decades of governance experience in a way that was practical, engaging, and grounded in Pacific values. We also thank Pacifica Arts Centre for partnering with us to create a space where rangatahi could learn, connect, and grow together.

The long-term vision is simple: more Pacific young people entering governance spaces feeling prepared, informed, and confident to contribute.

We want future boards, trusts, committees, and decision-making tables across Aotearoa to benefit from leaders who already understand strategy, accountability, relationships, and collective responsibility before they ever take their first governance seat. Leaders who are confident enough to ask questions, challenge ideas, advocate for their communities, and help shape decisions that impact future generations.

If we are serious about creating systems that work for Pacific communities, we must also be serious about preparing Pacific young people to help lead them.

This was the first rangatahi-focused Governance Game. It certainly won't be the last!