Selection job of royal importance
‘‘It’s great to get people moved early rather than later in life and young people have grand and worldly ideas...’’ Aaron Hape
A love of politics and international affairs has propelled a Manawatu man’s rise up the ranks of some of the Commonwealth’s most prestigious organisations.
Former Palmerston North Boys’ High School student Aaron Hape, 26, has given countless speeches, flown overseas to Commonwealth events at least 20 times and has met the Queen five times.
Next month, the now Wellington-based man will add to that tally, travelling to London after being invited to take part in a panel that will decide who, out of thousands of applicants, will be the winners of the annual Queen’s Young Leaders award.
The Queen’s Young Leaders award is presented to 60 people aged 18-29 from Commonwealth countries who are leaders in their local communities and use their skills to influence change.
The winners will collect the award from the Queen at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace in July. They also receive one year of support from the University of Cambridge to expand on the work they do back home.
Last year, New Zealander Ashleigh Smith was among the winners after being recognised for her efforts to reduce online bullying through her organisation Sticks ‘n Stones.
Hape’s involvement in Commonwealth affairs began when he helped create Commonwealth Youth New Zealand in 2014, an organisation that encourages young people to discuss large-scale issues and how they affect day-today life. ‘‘It’s great to get people moved early rather than later in life and young people have grand and worldly ideas – which is great, they just need a space to be mentored and have their ideas honed.’’
His entrepreneurialism led him to form connections with the Royal Commonwealth Society based in London, an organiser of the young leaders’ programme. Hape said this year had seen the largest amount of nominations for the award to date. ‘‘There’s some really great work happening around the world and the panel will be of a very high standard.’’