Earlier this month, the MALOSI Project held its semester one event: the launch of its Parliamentary Debates. Bringing together 85 students from 12 high schools across Auckland, the event marked a bold step in helping young people explore their voice, build confidence, and see themselves in spaces of leadership and influence.

The MALOSI Project exists to change the perception that the legal profession isn’t for our people. Through initiatives like the Parliamentary Debates, it creates pathways for Pacific youth to step into legal spaces and imagine futures in advocacy, public service, and law.

Supported by Pasifika Futures, one of the event’s key sponsors, the launch offered students a unique opportunity to engage with political discourse, standing in mock parliamentary settings, debating real-world issues, and learning the art of persuasive communication.

With it being Youth Week, initiatives like this are a timely reminder of how critical it is to invest in the voices, dreams, and leadership of our young people.

At MALOSI, youth empowerment isn’t a one-off campaign, it’s a movement. And through each debate, each conversation, and each moment of courage, our next generation continues to rise.