The project will be facilitated by the committee comprising of Peter Cullen, Donna Dentice and Ian McKinnon with support from the Rotary Club of Wellington and a generous grant from the Wellington Rotary Charitable Trust

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Inaugural Breakfast

We will launch the project with a breakfast which have planned for the week of 10 February 2025. 

We will have a significant speaker to address the breakfast.

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Workshops

We will again have a series of workshops at "the loaves and fishes" meeting room adjacent to the Wellington Cathedral of Saint Paul in Molesworth Street and we will advise you of the speakers once they have been finalised.  They will be of similar calibre previous years. 

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Program 2025

1. Monday, 17 February 2025

• What is a liberal democracy. 

• How did ours originate and what different forms does it take in different countries in 2025.

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2.  Monday, 17 March 2025

• The New Zealand Constitution, key institutions in our democracy. 

• The Statute of Westminster the Bill of Rights Act and the Treaty of Waitangi. 

• The jurisdiction of the Chief Ombudsman and the Auditor General and their responsibilities.

• How to create a video for the project.

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3.  Monday, 5 May 2025

• Threats to democracy generally and in New Zealand in particular. 

• Apathy; misinformation and disinformation and the Internet including artificial intelligence. 

• Foreign interference in our democracy – does it occur and which countries interfere. 

• Civil liberties, civil disobedience and the police.

• How to formulate and present your written submission for the project.

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4.  Monday, 26 May 2025

• How to strengthen democracy. 

• The role of the media. 

• The role of social media and artificial intelligence in strengthening democracy. 

• Enhancing participation in democracy. 

• What is taught in colleges through the school syllabus about democracy and how to participate?

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5.  Monday, 16 June 2025

• Participation in political parties with particular emphasis on Parliament. 

• Hearing from some MPs particularly new members.

 

Written project and video

The students will be invited to submit a project like this year, details are yet to be confirmed however there will be a written paper and a video element to be submitted. Groups may be limited in numbers to five students per team. 

 

Prize day

Final Cullen Breakfast

A final Cullen Breakfast to conclude the project with the presentation of certificates to the first three prize-winners and also to those teams which make a significant contribution to the project.  In 2024 the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Nicola Willis awarded the certificates and we are hopeful she will make the presentations in 2025.

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Prize Celebration Day

We will organise a day of visits to significant institutions and people.  In 2024 we visited significant MPs from the Labour Party, the Green Party and the National Party.  We had a very full tour of Parliament.  We also met with the Chief Ombudsman and received a presentation from him, and with Supreme Court Judge, Justice Sir Stephen Kós, and had a tour of the Supreme Court.  ​

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