The project will be facilitated by the committee comprising of Peter Cullen, Donna Dentice, Lynn McKenzie 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 Democracy and Why Strengthen It?

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

  •  Ian McKinnon "History of democracy, the challenges and the way the word democracy is abused by various countries"

  • Sir Anand Satyanand "Strengths and weaknesses of democracy in a mulitcultural society"

  • Hon Chris Hipkins "Why he became involved in politics and what he believes he has achieved"

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2.  Monday, 17 March 2025

Constitutional Arrangements and Documents

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

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

  • Andrew Butler

  • Professor Dean Knight

  • Katherine Rich & Richard Wagstaff on how we strengthen democracy

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3.  Monday, 5 May 2025

Pulling democracy back from the brink

• 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.

  • Paul Duignan "AI and its efffects on democracy"​

  • Luke Malpass Stuff Political Editor "Role of Press on Democracy and Civil liberties"

  • Hon Tama Potaka "Personal Insights into life in Politics"

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4.  Monday, 26 May 2025

The Challenge - Putting yourself forward

Why people put themselves forward, the pressures, the highs and the lows.

Anita Baker Mayor of Porirua 

Tamatha Paul MP for Wellington Central

Martha Jeffries How to design a video.  

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5.  Monday, 16 June 2025

The Project and the future

• Richard Chambers Commissioner of Police

• David Farrar

• Right Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer 

  

Written project and video

Strengthening Democracy Project Topic 2025 

“Design a project for a particular demographic or group to help them understand our political and constitutional structure so that they realise they have a “position in politics” and a vested interest at some level.”   

Please identify the group you are targeting and bear in mind the four objectives of the democracy project.  Please use examples from the workshops. 

You are asked to present your project in two ways.  Firstly, on two A4 sides of typed sheets of paper.  Secondly, through producing a video of up to 6 minutes in support of your written submission.   

Prize day

Final Cullen Breakfast 22 July 2025

Minister of Finance Hon Nicola Willis will speak and present prizes and certificates.

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Prize Celebration Day 31 July 2025

Prize Winners will be hosted for the day and will  have a comprehensive tour of Parliament meeting with representatives from Green, Labour and National parties with time to share why MP's got involved in politics, its highs and lows and issues of the day for each party.  Also included in the day is a  visit to the Supreme Court and presentation by Justice  Sir Stephen Kos outlining   the court structure in NZ and it's importance in our constitutional structure.​

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